The Greasiest Historical Discovery of Mode

THETAJ MAHAL

A TEMPLE PLACERN. OAK

"H

iti

1111 I hi Ati-Ki Historical Discoviry Oi

MoiH-LKN TlM! S

THE TAJ MAHALISA

TEMPLE PALACE

P.N, OAKPresident, Institute

for

Rewriting World History

HINDI SAH1TYASADANNew Delhi-5

Thf« book la dedicated in grateful memory particularly

to Hur Hitfhne&a the UiU* Maharani ClmndrawaU Hoifar

of Fndon?. \jo whrtse munificence the author owes part

of his academic education, and generally to the* gmii

Kshalriyn community of India which defended Lhe faith

end cutLure of the country against foreign invasions for

milUmiums wkh exempts ry devotion to duty, courage,

sacrifice and a very high standard of magnanimity and

moral purity which distinguish it from all soldiery

nywhere in the world

P.N.Oak

Plot No.IO. Goodwill Society.

Auridh, Pune 41 1007 (INDIA)

*Price: 360.QPublishers:

Edition;

Primers:

Hindi Sattitya Sadan

2 B.D. Chambers, 10/54 D.B. Gupta Road.

Kara! Bagh, New Delhi-5, ( INDIA

)

Tel- 01 1-51545969, 981 11 15461

ind iaboo ksf^red iffrnail,eom

2003

Sanjeev Oflfsel Printers, Shadara. Delhi

w

CONTENTS

Preface to TAJ MAHAL WAS A RAJPUT PALACE

Introduction to the Second Edition

Preface to the Third Edition

Introduction to this Edition

Photocopy of Badshahnama, Vol, 1, Pages 402-403

Photocopy of Aurangzebs Letter

Chapters

I THE NEED TO RE-EXAMINEANTECEDENTS

ADMISSION IN SHAHJAHAN'S OWNBADSHAHNAMA

HI TAVERNTER 32

IV AURANGZEBS LETTER AND 64RECENT EXCAVATION

V PETER MUNDY'S EVIDENCE 72

VI SOME ENCYCLOPAEDIC VERSIONS 80

VII A RECENT CONCOCTION OF THE 87

SHAHJAHAN LEGEND

VDl YET ANOTHER CONFUSED 9i

ACCOUNT

K THE BADSHAHNAMA VERSION 99

ANALYSED

X TAJ MAHAL CONSTRUCTION 103

PERIOD

XI TAJ MAHAL COST 108

XII WHO DESIGNED. WHO BUILT THE 11*

TAJ ?

Xm THE TAJ IS BUILT TO HINDU 122

SPECIFICATIONS

XIV SHAHJAHAN WAS INNOCENT OF

SOFT FEKTJNGS

XV SHAHJAHAN'S REIGN NEITHER

GOLDEN NOR PEACEFUL

XVI BABUR LIVED IN THE TAJ MAHAL

XVfl THE FALSITY OF MEDIAEVAL

MUSLIM CHRONICLES

XVTfl THE LADY OF THE TAJ

XDt THE ANCIENT HINDU TAJ EDIFICE

IS INTACT

XX THE TAJ MAHAL HAS HINDU

DIMENSIONS

XXt THE MUSLIM OVERWRITING

XXH CARBON • 14 DATING OF THE TAJ

MAHAL

XXIH SHAHJAHAN'S OWN ANCESTOR

ADMIRED THE TAJ

XXIV THE TAJ MAHAL ORIGINATED AS A

TEMPLE

XXV THE FAMOUS PEACOCK THRONE

WAS HINDU

XXVI INCONSISTENCIES IN THE LEGEND

XXVH BALANCE SHEET OF EVIDENCE

XXVTI1 METHODOLOGY THAT LED TO THE

DISCOVERY

XXIX SOME CLARIFICATIONS

XXX A PICTORIAL ANALYSIS

Index

129

137

152

\m

1S6

169

180

183

I9i

m

213

238

m265

PREFACETO

Taj Mahal was a Rajput Pa/ace

The serene beauty, majesty and grandeur or the Taj Mahal

have made it known all over the world. But what is not so well

known ia the true story of its origin, that its magnificence stems

from its having originated as a palace.

It ia a pity that the Taj Mahal is believed to have originated

u a sombre tomb in the 17th century when it was perhaps built

in the 4th century to serve as a palace.

The suddenness with which his gay and magnificent palace got

converted into a tomb must have constituted a very unfortunate

occurrence of Jaisingh's life.

The changeover has proved a shroud deluding everybody from

lay visitors to researchers and history scholars that the Taj wasbuilt m a sepulchre.

Popular nostalgia for legendary love has helped fan the flame

of flushjahan's mythical attachment to Mumtax into a raging fire,

enveloping the Taj in the dazzle of leaping flames and blinding smokeof imaginary accounts, discouraging any cool . dispassionate research

about its origin.

The utter incompatibility and inconsistency of the loose bits

of information mouthed and written about the Taj Mahal, clanking

to a erwcendo of jarnng notes m my subconscious mind, impelled

m* to attempt sorting them out from a tangled mass and piecing

them together to find oul whether they made a coherent and plausible

account.

preface

To my amazement it led me to an unexpected conclusion

that far from originating as a mediaeval tomb the Taj

namriy,

*»* bummet.by » powerful Rajput king as his palace in pre-Musfim U

My research has also led to an incidental bui nooethefe*[mporuuit finding, that the Peacock Throne loo h perhaps as anoas the Taj Mahal, and that it used to be placed in the chamberwhich encloses the cenotaphs of Siahjahan and Mumta*.

My conclusions are based on a number of historical work,both mediaeval and modem. A Uat of them appears at the endof this book. I have quoted from those authorities extensively

The extracts, accompanied by the relevant details about the nameof the book, ahthor and page number, have been included in the

narrative itself instead of appearing as footnotes at the bottom

of each page.

The conclusions reached in this book might unsettle someimportant portions of mediaeval history as currently taught and

presented. But since all education is a relentless search for the

Truth it is hoped that all readers, whether lay admirers of the

Taj. prying scholars or researchers, archaeological officials or

teachers of history, will neither shy away nor be scared in facing

the truth about the Taj.

February. 1965 P. N. Oak

April Ififib, forerunner to the preeent volume.

jm

liitralueUoa 11

irvraoDUCTiONTo

The Second Edition

Unlike this book and ill forerunner, titled 75?/ Mahal tvas «Rajput Palace, which are research works, all other books and account^

of l&e T»j Mahal written dunng the last 300 years are based onpure fantasy. We were surprised to learn after meticulous inquiry

ihai despite the plethora of printed hocus-pocus churned out onthe Taj Mahal all the world over there is not a single book containinga well-documented, comprehensive account of the origin of theTaj Mihal quoting exhaustively only contemporary authorities.Subsequent hearsay account* are hardly worth any notice foratorical research, since one writer 'a opinion is as good aa any

other's,

face the Taj Mahal i* « building complex of world renown^ce ofa single coherent and unquestionably authentic account

*deed surprising. Flow and why have universities and research*»» the world over bypassed such a stupendous and attractive**U* T.} Mahal ? Why do all accounts of the Taj Mahal****** with merely lisping the self-same, confused.™*°°W*— *P*od. imaginary detaib about its origin, vb,W or oonatrucUon, the expend incurred, the source of

aunal m it. and every other face* ?

** -ubJ , 1Wh°**ver «^npW to do any research on

«**«, i^TZTu !T" °f in*™J**"l ™d contradictory

on fv«y pojoj aj m^^ rf^ "* Wld contradictory versions« th» Swhjahnn legend regarding the

Taj Mahal being suapoct, it was but natural that attempts ateompilinK

an authoritative account of ihr- origin of the Taj Mahal thoakl

miserably fail Nobody wcr succeeded in or hoped to say the but

convincing word cm the origin of thu Tnj Mahal. All previous attempts

were bound to foil since they were all based on a wrong notlon-

S»ar1ing with wrong premises they could not arrivm at the right

conclusion

We are going to prove in the following pages that the Taj Mahal

- meaning "the Very Crown Among Residences" • is an ancient

Hindu building and not a Muslim tomb. Wo shall also show bow

all the loose hits of information - whether factual or concocted

• dished out on the platter of the Shahjahan legend fall in place

and fully support our research. Just as the solution toa mathematical

problem may be tested forila accuracy by various methods, similarly,

sound historical research provide a consistent and coherent story

reconciling all apparent inconsistencies.

In this book we have produced in photostat a passage from

Shahjahan 's court chronicle, the Badshahnama, which disarming^

admits that the Taj Mahal is a commandeered Hindu palace. We

have also quoted the French merchant Tavernier, who visited TndJa

during Shah>ahon'a reign, to say that the cost of the scaffolding

exceeded that of the entire work done regarding the mausoleum.

This proves that all that Shahjahan had to do was engrave Koranic

texts on the walla of a Hindu palace; that is why the cost of the

scaffolding was much more than the value of the entire work done.

We have cited the Encyclopaedia Britannia as staling that the Taj

Mahal building-complex comprises stables and guest and gun

rooms. We have quoted Mr. Nurul Hasan Sddiqui's book admitting

as the Badshahnrnms docs, that a Hindu palace was commandeered

to bury Muntaz in. We have cited ShanjiHan'i fifth-#*«***

ancestor Babur to prove that he lived in what « <*U Oar T*J

Mahal" 100 years before the death of the Ualy f«r **o™ tnf

is believed to have tan bunt as a mau^"^J"*^**TVincent Smith to show that Rabur died in the Taj Ma>uh In ad**-

to these proofs we have scotched u, "^ *£££

deUQ and riled other voluminous evidence proving conclus^ei

the Taj Mahal is an ancient Hindu building

If

Tb# Taj Mahal U A Trmpte py^

'The awnrMminK l""°f lhjrt w<? hw P™du<*d in lhf« book

•touM oner for »1> ^f»«v»c«- flH doubters of the correctness *f 0l|p

Haling and wince ihero that the whole world can go wrong where

** men prove* right. This has happened Lime and again in human

ilitoty. GaWw and ElnaiWn. for example, shocked contemporary

humanity nut Of iWf rustled dogma-shells.

H to by sheer luck thai wc happened to find corroboration

for oat mrlkv finding on the Taj Mahal, in Ihe Badshahnama,

|fr SWdJqufs hook, Tavemier's travel account and Rabur's

Ifanote Put ** wkh to fc** thi9 opportonily to alert posterity

and wr eonUmporarle* interested in research and tell them thai

thf proofs set out in our earlier book (Taj Mahal v/w a Rajput

friarr1 were more than enough to convince nil those well versed

in judicial procedure and logic that the Taj Mahal existed much

before MumLtz's death whose tomb it is supposed to be.

Even ir Mulla Abdul Hamid Ijihori (the author of the

Rmittfahmma) and others had prevaricated, the evidence wemarshalled in our earlier book was enough to question their veracity

end impel us to seek their motives. This is a lesson worth imbibing

by the lay public and by researchers who have to wade throughmire of falsified and distorted accounts.

Wt hive in this book proved to the hilt that the Taj Mahalhas been built to its minutest detail according to the ancient Hinduocnee of architecture of the Hindus, for the Hindus and by theHindus. Now thai we have firmly established it in this and in the

book, the topic should encourage farther research to traceMalory of the Taj Mahal prior to Mansfngh's and Babur's

ion or It until we get to Lhe original Hindu builder. Jaipurrds in the Rajasthan Archives at Bikaner or in the possession

Jaipur ruling house might possess valuable clues. We have' provided some clues in this book indicating that the Taj

L have originate as Tejo Mahalayo completed in 1155-56II.

face . fc }mn& of swjffa ^ fnwra mdjetton* when we first published our finding. Rut

"haken ,„ our conviction. Those per. nnd sneers camefrom .11 Huarur. Particularly |Miflful were those emanating from

Introduction

eminent scholars of history. Most or them expressed nothing but

vehement contempt either audibly or through various acta of

commission and omission- The lay public looked on, dattd in dfstataf,

nnd looked up to history tenchom and professors, as If they are

oracles for cues whether to laud or condemn us.

tt is juiinful to note that scholars, who fed committed to iht

Shahjahan legend of the Taj Mahal, either by basing authored book*

on the topic or piidod post-graduate students along the beaten

track, or by virtue of their bureaucratic and academic standing,

showed a marked tendency to remain strait -Jacketed In their beliefs.

Obstructionist and obscurantist objections were flung *L us. Many

angrily asserted that wo hod not prwvi our case. Rut that was

a most unscholarly attitude. A true devotion to academic research

should hsve urged them to give a second thought uj ihe matter.

If they were right, the region would have worked to their own

advantage, because it would have bolstered up their own earlier

belief by giving them an opportunity to fill up the holes which

we had pointed out. If they were In the wrong their holding on

lo their earlier dogmas was unwarranted. They thus failed to be

guided by the maxim that. "If you are in the right you can afford

to keep your temper; if in the wrong you cannot afford to lose

it."

There is another maxim for the genuine researcher, that any

loopholes painted out in an existing belief annul* t-d K> immeduu

InUMiM research rather than anger and hate against one who

questions traditional beliefs Trying to find »"^*^question, hackneyed beliefs is neither good ethio,«£•*scholarship. Finding fault with the method\*"~has been arrived at Is worse. For all we know the method employed

about b Ita M* P«*l«* •" I•" '""*" *"*™Z mmi„ d.

conclusion by envMIng "I "» "**»* " ""** "*

w. nnt mootol «r finding. *>d **> «**»^^ „^upon. « tart by «»*. « '»'"tte

-'","I°,,C

-

***

MThe Ta) Mahal I. A T««p|» p^

cnauvW**^ The matter doe* nol end with merely n<fmilling th*

T»j U«hji) 10 be a Hindu pauice. Thai finding has a very far-reaching

bearing on bolh Indian and world histories.

TV T«i Mahal has all along been wrongly believed to be the

wry flower of the mythical Indo- Saracenic architeclure, Now thai

we Iwvr proved ii to be an ancient Hindu building ii should not

be difficult for reader* to regard with a little more respect and

iwtuon our finding explained in the book Sbmt Blwdmy cflndkn

Historical Re&arch that all mediaeval mosques and tombs in India

are conquered and misused Hindu palaces and temples. Thus

Mohammad Ghous's tomb in Gwalfor, SaHm Cbfsti*s mausoleum

in Fiiepur Kkri. Nisamuddin's kabar En Delhi. Moinuddin ChistTs

rtiMkimm in Ajmer are all erstwhile Hindu buildings lost to Muslim

conquest and use.

The other corollary to our finding on the Taj Mahal is that

the Mo-Saracenic theory of architeclure is a figment of the

imagination It should be deleted forthwith from history books and

textbooks of civil engineering and architecture. Hut the actual

amendment needed ii minor, namely, that what has been termed

u "In do- Saracenic architecture" should henceforth be understood

to mean "ancient Indian architecture,**

A third corollary is that the dome is a Hindu form of architecture.

A fourth corollary is that buildings in India and West Asia

Ml have a resemblance to the Taj Mahal arc products of Hindu

architecture CShilpasbmrtrs)- Just as In our own limes we find

Western architecture to be in vogue all over the world, similarly

in anciwil Umm it was only Hindu (VedJc) architecture which wasprevalent oil over the world no matter where a building was built

and for what purpose.

taring our discussions with univeniEly teachers and

-f^^creWttcvmeioQMttmecujiM^nrrmc read the earlier book they objected to our methodology as

Uwg aryumtfiUiUve, deductive and lawyer-like.

i wry interesting point. Do they mean to say that

logic and lawyvftlfct arguments hove no place in history

or being diArimi-nuil to arriving at correct conclusions

InirwIiHsJon\%

in historical research, should be altogether .voided 1 Their objection

amounts to assorting thut the conclusions arrived at by deductive

logic or by the adhidicaUvo process are all wrong

We then ask whether man did not arrive at hi. present state

of Knowledge in every branch of human inquiry with the help of

his logical faculty? How elae did he progress? Take the casa of

,"^

1^wlsnitoors«wte«oreMancouM ^ tt

P«J«f*Jlo photograph the earth did ho not correctly conclude that the

earth was round, by sheer logic? This should thoroughly expose

the hollowness of the objection. I*gic is justly called lh^«of fences because it treate of reasoning which is the basis of

Bit knowledge, rrom which history can claim no exemption

Moreover, we may remind such objectors that leading lights

of historical methodology like CoUingwood, w^' tol^J**Si

Sc.gnbos, Berkley and l-ord Sankcy have precisely and repeatedly

stress that deU^ve-type investigation lawyer like«*»«££and deduct!* ***** - *» «* beart and soul of tatan*

Methodology, and that a ire,^^fj^ %ZZeven on longstanding and seemingly ^founded "«* ^™ST print Tom, we have included in this book a ebapur on

7SSS thinking should know on £», « *£

£

th. reason why their finding on the oriipn of ™> T»" """

b^TwideTff the truth b P^ise., because Hf -« •*"*

oTL^dt,«*. for »«d,m down by d. vc* acholare

by whoso names they have been waring.

Incident* 0* tad- U. . ancillary conctoion. w***,„* n and worid hiatorie. have been .addled«**"£"££eonccpu precisely ta« •-*" -* 77*"' I.

-

been Mtari* «mng methodology. The <««.«««***;

B. in our methodology. Tta bo* is on Iho od» taj'

nH.nl IM antediluvian .tUtude, ahould «m_hav^

und world hiaory, V*^>J^£5£Z* .-*after hundreds of yean, thai 'I *' ™"

.^lecture «>

w genen-fiona of aludent, about «H*M M.*-^India and Mr allied benewtenl tult. ha* » ^^n

Ita need lo re-examine ihe diffem.1 wrfona of the •

I«1

The Taj MfltuJ la A Tfn.pl* Pri**

l«ywd of Uw Taj Mahal arises because the world deserve u> fc,

mid thr truth »boul tn'9 enchanting mansion, namely that the T^j

jtl«h*J ww not bom out of the death of Shahjahan 'a consort Mumtag,

The ghosts of Saabjahjin and Mumtai have haunted the Taj Mahal

story in the minds of the people for 30Q long years, It is high

lime lhat people's minds were exorcised.

Another very important purpose we have in mind in unravelling

the Taj Mahal creation -riddle la to expose Lbe unmethodical and

slipshod manner in which many far-reaching concepts have been

grafted on [ndinn history, and foisted on gullible, unsuspecting lay

contemporaries and on posterity. Reconstructing the story of the

Origin of the Taj Mahal should serve as a practice- lesson in research

methodology . exposing lapses committed so far and highlighting

the principles and safeguards that need to be kept in view by history

raswchers and teachers.

This book is also intended to impress on every reader that

it Is not the cenotaphs which should monopolize his or her attention

The visitor must go round the entire premises, walk along ita long

arched corridors, run up the Taj Mahal's many storeys and its

marble and redslone lowers and minutely examine its many vaulted

doorways. The two tombs in the basement and the cenotaphs above

them on the ground floor are, if anything, but obstructions in

the spadous. octagonal chambers or this ancient Hindu palace. One

of these rooms housed the ancient Hindu Peacock Throne which

too wis grabbed by Shahjahan along with the palace.

Thoughtful readers unwittingly but nonetheless irrevocably

committal, academically or communally, to the view that Taj MthaJ

is a Muslim monument are likely to feel perturbed, disturbed and

hurt by the revelation in this book. Some others are likely to welcome

the discovery of the Taj Mahal's ancient Hindu origin as a coveted

truth To both such we would like to say that to us Truth is

like water - tasteless and colourless, divine, pure and We -g^ing

. Mather sweet nor bitter, For us Truth is a mere object of discovery

p, in fact, it should be in all creative endeavour. We hardy

car. if soma feel elated or dejected by the discovery of ^« Hin u

antecedent* of the Taj Mahal.

In U* fidd of histmy such s breath -taking and epoch-making

IntroductiontT

discovery, proving the whole world wron«jr la » rar# ootumnc*.

AH the lame we claim no personal crcdlL or victory taeniae ««hdiscoveries are impossible without supra natural guidance.

opportunity and inspiration.

But to those who would want to underrate or pooh-pooh the

antecedenta of the Taj Mahal as being of no consequence for a

real appraisal of its delicate contours, majestic dimensions nod

enchanting embellishment we would like to address a few words

Looking at the Taj Mahal as a tomb or a palace makes a world

of difference. A palace is the residence of the proapcroua. wealthy

and powerful, and therefore a down-to-earth buidling. A tomb,

on the other hand, is the weird, eerie abode of those who have

given up the ghost. Visitors or students labouring under the

misapprehension thai the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum regard the

graves inside it as the focal object of admiration and thereby miss

the real beauty of that vast building-complex. On the other hand

if visitors and students of history studied the Taj Mahal as a palace

they would find their observation rapturously rewarding. In the

latter case they would no longer be content with peeping into the

burial chamber and walking out, calling it a day. as many have

hitherto been prone to do. but would insist on roaming around

its spacious grounds, going around its periphery, ambling along

its spacious terraces, stumbling through ite dark basement chambers

end climbing its towers and upper stereys-

Among the many difficulties one encounter* in driving an*,

startling discovery deep down into the bufc convictions of tfaa (»£•

^eoLvolousobject^sometimes, tn all honesty, refuse to look into »»**««£on the ground that -original" ^£"£^£2*This attitude of theirs has two <™\^**^ZJ^of the supercilious role of . judge "**"£* ~«* ^Whatever their academic or bureaucrat* "^™* * ^a sense of belonging and^f^'^^J.thcmaelves as humble seekers after ££*£, * ^ *satake in the rebuttal as the pioneer himse^ ^^^point of view .heir self-chosen role of sftUng ^blowing the whistle Uke a^^^^ H-"1 "

The other fault in their peculiar .uk* on

in Ttw Tii] Mahal la A IVmpIv Pal*;,

pmmiunring altitude is the very mechanical, nonchalant and even

irrmporwible way in which they roJae an objection, that the sourc«

quoted is only "secondary" and not "original"- They feel they

or* therefore- justified in ignoring my research - findings. They

dutch at this to eose the qualms of their academic conscience.

To oil *uch we would like to say that the technical objection of

the source being "original" or "secondary" is relevant only if

the forts cited are not admitted . Even a court of taw and justice

lakes judicinl notice of age-old facts. SbnQariy. scholars of history

and for that matter other branches of study, have got to take

"historical notice" of facts which are not disputed.

For instance, in the following pages when we quote Vincent

Smith or Elliot and Dowson it is only to produce before the reader

quick, cut and dry. capsule- form, well -digested, translated and

summarised evidence from readily available volumes. So long as

facts quoted by them are not doubted the objection that the original

source has not been quoted is absolutely unjustified if not downright

mischievous. How many people can gel access to the hand -written

originals? If so many people do in fact handle those originals,

how long will those originals be available Tor posterity ? And what

research could proceed to any appreciable degree if at every stage

the researcher's footsteps are dogged with the argument that he

has not produced all original sources, all over the world, in all

languages, on every point? This way it would be impossible to

write even a word. Have Lhe objectors themselves ever tried it

in the tomes they have written I

Before the scholarly reader thinks of raising any such objection,

therefore, we would request him to consider whether he disputes

the quoUxl facts or words. If the facts or words quoted are not

disputed Ihey do not need any artificial props or authority, whether

primary or secondary.

The discovery Lhat the Taj Mahal h a Hindu palnee should serve

to change the perspective of even the Government or India a

Archaeological IJepartnwnt, So far they had been under the impression

that If lhe two pair* of cenotaphs were kept open to public inspection

that was being generoua enough. But once it is admitted that the

Ta) Mahal is a palace, that small mercy wfll not be enough. The

Introduction a

barred basements, the many towers, the upper storeys of ttwmarbW

structure snd the iubtcmmaui passage leading to the fori will all

have lo bo well cleaned end thrown open to public view.

In browsing through the subsequent pages the reader should

be conscious of the very far • reaching bearing thai our finding

has on both Indian end world history.

One very devastating effect of this book b lhat at one stroke

it renders obsolete all the romantic end pseudo -historic hodge-podge

written in prose or poetry about the Taj Mahal throughout toe

world during the hurt. 300 years.

Architects, aa much as historians, may find much to leara

and unlearn in reading through the following pages.

Professional historians ond architects would do well to get over

their initial shock, consternation and disbeUef. prepare themselves

to jettison their traditional belief in the mythical Indo* Saracenic

architecture theory, and instead learn to view extant mediaeval

monuments aa products of pure .ancient, indigenous architecture.

Suitable amendments in historical and architectural textbooks will

have to be made sooner or later.

Historians, architects and visitors to monuments should now

be prepared to shed some of their carefully nursed assumptions

based on fallacious tutoring and motivated brainwashing about the

so-called Muslim contribution to mediaeval arehlUclure. Muslim

contribution to mediaeval architecture in India and all over the work

is severely limited to misappropriating Hindu. Christum or Son*

buildings by inscribing Arabic lettering outside or lmplant.n«

cenotaphs inside. The world -famous Taj Mahal, to* Red Forts ui

Delhi and Agra, the so-called Jams Masjid in Agra, the so-called

FaUjhpuri Mosque in Delhi and the innumerable monuments in c

like Ahmedabad. Jaunpur. Allahabad. Mandavgadh, W».WJ|Futchpur Sikri ond Aurangobnd are glaring and graphic in*

of such wholesale misappropriation and deception of the enure ^

It is hoped that researchers and writers would come

write books on individual townships ^^""^ ^ X „lls

India and the world to expose what the lsl41* "' ^

"the impudent and interest*! fraud' *< M^^,^of the present book will be happy to give them all

_ 1Tw Taj Mahal la A Ttmipfa PaUc*

guidance and duos*

Lgymsn «mrtJm» wk thai If the Taj Mahal oxfetod centuries

before UumUofi dflrth in 1630-31, could not the radioactive carbon

. 14 i«t be Applied to determine its ok*? This is a question for

expert* to jtiuwcr. \( they have an infallible method they would

«rutnly detect Uw difference tn bjjo of tho material used In the

omotapta and in mart other parts of the Taj Mahul Out for any

audi l*rt to be useful its manjifl of error must be precisely known.

A five lo ten yearn * margin would not matter very much but if

It extends to several centuries the tests would be unsuitable to

svrify the accuracy of the conclusion drawn from histories] evidence

that the Taj Mahal is a Hindu building commandeered for use as

a Muslim tomb.

Our government should now address itself to the task ofamending

ila tourist literature, histories, archaeological shibboleths and official

dossiers on the Taj Mahal and other mediaeval buildings.

And the entire dtizeory should gear itself up to bring about

a complete change in iis historical outlook and perspective.

N-128. Greater KjuIu 1

New Delhi - 110048.P. K Oak

fated February 1 . I9ffl

Two unendawnt* to the bov* introduction now called for are aa underr*p P ilhutnn muuA that the terra Taj Mahal meuia (as

PT Mualim pa/W), u .t HI. 'The V«ry Oown Amans Residences.'ww traupr* that Shabja&an-er* Murium write™ bav«

!^JE^J^^

,,^

?d*, u-nK *e »«™ TaJ Mahal. Moreover Mahal b"** * | MuiUm I*™, Thirdly even U Taj Mahrt had been » Mualta

•» TUl *"*• been lbh9t ' ••1» «»1 "* Ta) Mahal

.

wSJ^ JTJ*?«?f?5 bf*n ^^ wl ^ " Nw York-bssed

*.Vt^LS™V ^ Tmf'

riv«'«W». northout doorway

£ !£J i« U^"d U,0t °" tta,b- ^^ l"'** **l*»

r PREFACETO

The Third Edition

In presenting tbe third edition to the reader It gives n»

(jreat satisfaction lo record thai the earlier universally held blind

notion about Stanhjohsn'a authorship of the Taj Mahal hu boon

considerably eroded because of the evidence adduced in the preceding

editions. This edition embodies three new chapter* and acme other

major changes*

In the earlier edition there were two chapters on Tavmuer

which we have trimmed and consolidated into a singit chapter.

Sfanflorly, two separate chapters on the British and Maharaabtriys

encyclopaedias have abo been trimmed and made up into one.

Out of the three new chapters added two adduce «" «"""

while the third answers specific question* which reader* of e*u«

editions have at times asked.

I am grateful to Br. A. W. total. Department of Phswta.

Meant University. Meerut, for aupervis^, the publication of th*

N-I28, Greater Kailas-l

New Delhi 110WS

February, 1974

P. H> Oek

INTRODUCTIONTo

This Edition

Thin edition WW THE TAJ MAHAL IS A TEMPLE PALACE

has been out of print sine* 11770,

Earlier two editions bearing the same title were published in

1568 and 196S respectively.

Those were preceded by three other editions. The first one

titled THE MAHAL WAS A RAJPUT PALACE appeared in 1965.

Thereafter a commercial establishmentM /S In dia Rook House brought

out two sleek, paperback editions of 5000 copies each in quick

tuoccssion. Their worldwide salp channels made the book widely

known throuuh display in London book shops, five alar hotels,

railway stations and airports in many parts of the world

,

Thm something happened and tbey dropped it tike an hot brick.

Perhaps the Congress party in power in India dropped dark hints

through its secret service of dire consequences to the publishers.

Therf war* two possible reasons. One was the fear that If the

disclosure of tht Hindu origin of the Taj MahaJ was not throttled

lbs enbVock Muslim vote, which enabled the Indian National Congress

to rule India would be lost. The other factor was the pressure

of the academic block comprising professors or history, architecture

and archaeology, bureaucrats manning related departments, tourist

officials and publicity media representatives who felt threatened that

lbs un-verified sepulchral legend of the Ta) Mahal that they had

sponsoring with great flourish and aplomb for ov«r a century

photos, articles, books and exhibits would be exposed as

'opegmdistic and bombastic sham.

Stoos I lacked enough financial resources mid wide sale outlets

TnlrcxlueUftrv

I had lo resign myself to my book on the T»J Mahal ransinktfout of print though a had a unique acnlincMike rale Lo pirrfnrm

of (awakening and warning too world communiLy of btfnu; W«iff*i

and cheated by the concocted Shahjohan- Mumtaz legend of tht

Taj.

In fact the research methodology expounded tn tracing th* Hindu

origin of the TnJ Mahal in this hook deserves Lo be ranked aa a

valuable contribution in itafilf since It wfll help genuine, honest

rcsoarchors rid history of a lot of chauvinistic sham ind cant which

dogs history because of long, alien rule and under alien-minded

native rule.

In 1990 a sincere friend, Mr. Arvind Ghosh settled in Houston,

Texas, USA published a paperback American edition of my book

titled TAJ MAHAL - THE TRUE STORY which is sULI available

1 am grateful to Mr. Shanand Setyadeva of Stanger. Natal.

South Africa who too. like Mr. Ghosh, realizing the necessity of

making the book available to serious and honest scholari and tourists

,

has generously offered to finance the publication of this edition

the TAJ MAHAL IS A TEMPLE PAIACE through his charitable trout.

Starting from the first edition titled THE TAJ MAHAL WAS

A RAJPUT PALACE every subsequent edition has included more

and more evidence , The present edition toohas two additional chapters

one indicates that 230 years prior to Mogul Emperor ShahjabiaVi

accession to the throne his own remote ancestor, Tamcrlain had

been so overcome by the beauty of the Taj Mahal that ha wanted

a similar building raised for himseir in his native place. Like awry

other mediaeval Muslim source the Arab chronicler who rewr4

Tamerlatn'a longing for the attractive contours of the Taj Mahal

also severely shuns mentioning the name Tbj Mahal with I*lamJ

disdain for a Vedic term. Incidentally that Islamic hatred for Um

term Taj Mahal and TamerhtuVs longing for an Wcntk»

also prove that the Taj Mahd is not the deadly' MusUm monum**

that it is made out lo be.

The other added chapter ccmcerns the Carbon - U dating *

the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal la A Tlaapte ft^

This «Ution i) also being pn>f««dy flluatnitol (roctitying Mfailing because of my meagre personal financial resources)

to the unflinching IJhiTiJ financial backing an kindly nod

volunteered by Mr, Shanand Satyadovn from hi* trust.

The belief that Mumta* had on a romantic moonlit night entreated

hn- much- shared spouse Shahjahan to bury her in a dreamland

monument is one of the many fraudulent canals set afoot to bedec*

ibe concocted Shahiahan - Mumlai • Taj mahnl landed triangle.

Enure Islamic history if full of such unverified, motivated myths

which need to be critically examined and determinedly exposed.

That In spile of the overwhelming available evidence produced

in thla book to chapter after chapter proving that the Taj Mahal

lias Tcjomohalaya temple palace complex has existed centuries before

Shabjahan, generations of modern scholars have for the last 150

yean been blandly and blindly passing on the unverified Shahjahan

Mumtax myth with great gusto and glamour. That is a measure

of the mediocrity, gullibuRy, academic dishonesty and intellectual

inertia of modern scholarship. As with dozing sentries anything

with a Muslim label passes their muster unquestioned.

The second serious failing of modern historical scholarship is

its total insensitivity and insincerity. Though I have written book

after book proving that renowned monuments from Kashmir to

Cape Comorin are all Hindu though they are being tom-tommed

aa Muslim that has not disturbed the sonorus snoring slumber of

any professional historian, historical body or university.

Had tbey been true to their job they should have convened

special sessions of regional and world historical bodies to re-examine

the entire doctrine of historical Islamic architecture and either hauled

me up before the bar of world historical scholarship or confessed

to the professional ineptitude of their entire fraternity and started

a compulsory refresher course to purge their minds of ths sediments

of the cooked- up Islamic architecture theory.

A practical instance of the total unconcern of the scholastic

world to my revolutionary finding that the entire lulamic architecture

theory ia bawekaa was provided by the Kncytiopaedia Rrilannica.

IfrtnxtUFtl"" n

When 1 wrote to the chalrmui of iho Board of Rrfiuan of a*encyclopaedia the surprising reply 1 received *u tbat they bad

referred the matter to their axpen. and ha hud opined that nocorrection was called for. That amounted to placing npron* fanh

in the assertion of the accused himself that he la not guilty.

All news media loo have been equally guilty not only in falling

to publicise this history -shaking discovery but in actively going out

of their way" to suppress St. For instance on number of occasion!

when any news items concerning the Taj Mahal, published in European

or American newspapers routinely recalled that Sbahjahm una fta

originator I addressed letter* to the editors of Sunday Times, London;

Christian Science Monitor. Wanhlngton Pout, New York Tlmca and

Time magazine all of USA who carried the ivewa, informing tbam

of some salient points among the nearly 120 proofs that I have

discovered about the pre-Shahiahan existence of On Taj Mahal, ytt

they never allowed any of my letters to get published in their papers.

This la a question not only of journalistic propriety but ewn

of ethics. Should editors go out of their way to Wot out tmpwtapl

news even from the readers' column 7 Journalist often claim that

they have a nose for news. As such the above-named fiapera atari*

have asked their correspondents in New Ddhi to rqs*.

ta «&on my revolutionary discovery that the Is, Mahal and Mi.tf other spectacular historic monument* in India (ami afcrs* u»>

Far from following that important seen «««l"^

news media have^^^J^^^**™theory which amounto

TOe B .B.c. ««-r"^>^£E£Ethe so-

though he was

claim to that buildin« had own UIB ' ^ ^ j^the edifice was a ^« * .^^J .Ivcrii^ «** mby the Muslims around Hid A. »"-£ ^ cbum- to

Historians and **<**** wuSt "*

informed by a**^"??^m «* «*yOdaK had been^^T^t »*»*

i* «f mother go**"* * .. . MnmMt ,

IV T»| MaruiJ I* A TVmpIr p^t**

_ „. .^r f«* vatue. They must how the sagacity

bdHH0

to^tm^ tn Now WW <* Interview m* on my

^LLJr, ^rationing the Muslim miihondilp of historic

rM feu*"*- m w*r r ta,rn<>d th-L^ p,pyod

3 Uk writ*-up thry published had ridiculed my discovery

*vJ poked fun si H

«,,« U^tf seems to be not only a total apathy out even a

Bnpol world news media end historical circles lo

, 0* news a* much as tbey can of the falsity of Lhe Islamic

tuUliCtDTT concept

ft was thiii notorious mentality which homed Joan of Arc n• witch at the stake and extracted an abject apology from Galileo

a aonuar fate for discovering and asserting that the earth

round the sun and not vice versa.

The earth has turned many full circles since and brought about

a ojuaKtativt change in punishment in as much as it is not the

author who b any more thrown into the fire but his dicoveries

ar* ezruinly thrown into the raging Tire of journalistic and scholastic

« ie. a global gang-up under which far reaching historical discoveries

aim are dcnM all serious debate and publicity by bureaucrats.

9-media bosses sod professional historians.

i pity that tourist officiate, licensed guides, professional

arc&MecU. archaeologist^, journalists and a host of others

continue to lustily describe the Taj Mahal as having

'b»A b « aepukhre are allowed to $i< owny with their dogmatic

pro ftshjsban assertions, with Impunity.

f Muslim invaders lo misrepresent all conqueredas thor own creaUona and the imbecile altitude

to accept those claims at face value lying down1 ***** rchk«lurs theory to strike deep roots

IntrodueUrtm 2?

Therefore prestfgeoue tmivcrshJes auch as Harvarti tnd

Princeton, who «• believed to have the heart and nwouro* u,

sponsor research in promininn unconwiuoual direction* ought u>

njbjoct the Islamic architecture theory to a thorough acmUny

Far from that the architectural faculty of the Harvard University

gmd the MBSsachusseta Institute of Technology art foinUy

administering a programme of so -called Islamic Architecture niodod

vy a munificent donation of million* of dollars by the Arb Khun.

Money makco the mare go runs a well-known adage. Truo to

ihat architecture-scholars of the two venerable American acadenuaa

mentioned above hold a lecture or two per year dilating on to-called

Islamic architecture. This is academics in the rcwrss gear

consolidating a falsehood instead of uprooting It

In administering that programme the academic worthies of those

two august educational establishments have not wen bothered to

ascertain whether there is at all any Islamic archilectura.

Tbey ought to know that all renowned bltfork:

toOfe*. and

it U met, «p«flcW uunperio, *b,cl. »» n*W

Severs In I** «***»^^ **„,»*.

„«ded .»W< »*IUC",tB '

The Taj Mahal Is A Tempt* PtUc

ofimir*" "They don't

Thirdly Islam *xs«l have «ny architectural measuring unit*

tftfom

Fourthly did they ^ve *V «h|tac,u,El a****™ "* *here ?

TheamrwirJ* 'nil-'

Fifthly do they have any hereditary mnamry professionals as

the Hindu* h*ve In India ? There are none. Contrarily Muslim

invader* such as Mohammed Ghamavi and Tamerhun have recorded

^n ihcy were so overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of

Hindu forts, palaces, temples, townships and river ghats that in

the general massacres which they perpetrated of all Hindus they

took care ti> separate and spare Hindus with mesormry and

architectural skills to be driven at sword point to lend historic

buildings or raise new ones In their own lands. Therefore, far from

Muslims raising historic buildings in India it is the Hindus who

have raised historic edifices in lands now occupied by Islam.

It needs to be realized that Tslam originated in Mecca only 1370

years ago. In other lands swept by Islam it is not even that ancient.

Such a short duration steeped in flliceracy. rape and rapine Is neither

sdequtte nor conducive to conjure and develop a new style of

architecture.

Moreover Invasions are undertaken to misappropriate victim

countries' temples and palaces. The aim of all Invasions is to captrue

ra*ly resources and not mere open tracts of land to raise mere

mosque* and tombs at that, of which there was no dearth in Islamic

desert stretches,

How is it that for generations it didn't strike any scholar that

in the Muslim world most historic edifices are tombs and tombsand mosque, and mosques without any corresponding palaces 7 Did

Muslim corpses need muiU-atorii.il polnlJal mansions with hundredsrooms and scores of ibrirways while the aame potentates when

alive needed no roof over their heads ? The absence of suchqmsjUaning and cross checking bares the flaws of the much

- vaumad modern research methods.

Y* another faffing of ^^ ^^ ^.^ ^ ^

!"!' '

BJ

compromise with and reticence about patent fraud* . y/B &*^pluiiiy of evidence in the following page, to mdiaiUs lh>t lher^a^icomplex consists of several seven- storied edifices of which onlyHarden level noors are open to the public what tha oibrn tre either

ncartcd with brick and Ume by Shahlahjm or are kepi Sntrlguingly

locked by the Indian Government! Archaeoloidral Survey of India

CASH- Why should not the world hound the life out of tha A3to force it to open all the sealed or locked stories 1 Is lb* ASa mere deceptive ornament 7 Is it not supposed to pry Into bidden

evidence ? Had the AS1 beat honest to its job it would have dredged

even the water In the seven -storied well to see whether important

articles, idols or inscriptions lie Jettisoned there.

fnit the ASl being t limb of the pro-Muslim Ctagrea Govt.

in power its employees are shrewd and careful enough to safeguard

their own salary and position . That is why they refrein from probing

anything which is likely to exacerbate Muslim feelings , expose Mu slim

canards and thereby antagonize the Government.

Professional historians too find themselves ki s similar

predicament. An average Muslim professor would be reluctant to

concede that the worldwide credit that attaches to Muilima so baDdta

of great buildings is misplaced. Tt» Hindu professor too having

learned the same falsified history is reluctant (even tbwu^ convinced

in the heart of his heart) to declare that history to be untrustworthy

for fear of attracting the fertility of hb non-Hindu celtaaguss

rince they all share alternating duties as papcr-setter*. e»rrun«i

and staff selection committee members,

AU professors. muscologis*.^^^^^^^refrain from disowning false history because all ^J^T^degrees, their published hooka and^"T^X5on the presumption that the history they have tan* b the

truth.-«dhJoosa

The minds of Christian professor*"Jj^JJ ^^

by tha above mundane and ««£"«* - -to trot out . further excuse^ -^JJ^, „, Hindu <r

interested in the dispute whether historic building.

Muslim.

Tm Taj Mnhai li A Tempi* Pala^

llM1 „r, academicians snd bureaucrat* wbo deriv* their

^' ,JTpublJt fund. are the ones *>"> «* of P*r»na]

"T^sT^ScfOUSly betray the prtheOc trust plncod in them

S^Mipd* «"d »Btta,,e * diJih °Ul "* d0CU>rGd ' frnUdu]cnt

•rtrfjfiri' history.

Thi, it an appalling *Ui«^n. While all elder, consul

J^s* lis* wards on telling the truth they themselves .pond

T^Tpmfosrion-I *« h P^*^ hisU>ncaI falseh00d ab0ul

to orvitml buDdcra 0' historical monuments for instance.

Tnr conclusion whether tt was Shabjahan wbo started niising

the Taj Mahal in 1631 A.D, as a sepulchre or it was some Hindu

Maharaii who had built it centuries earlier is not to be considered

m • Hindu-Muslim dispute and therefore to be severely shunned.

II l* a question of scientific academic competence and arriving

at a correct judgment as being able U> distinguish between brass

and Efoitd.

The age of the structure, ila size and decor also get smudged

when building gets ascribed to anyone nt-random. Bureaucrats

end acailcmidans must have the courage to disown historical

falsehoods the moment they are exposed. But such dedication to

(bt historical truth is hardly ever seen. These days considerations

of mundane self-interest makes academicians and bureaucrats fling

the truth out through the rear windows of their offices.

Persons not given to deep comprehensive thinking often

igponmUy or out of prejudice lend to dismiss the issue about the

real creator of the Taj Mahal. They argue that as over 350 years

haw elapsed since Snahjahan's death it matters little as to who

was iia real builder.

It certainly maka a lot of difference not only in one but in

BUiiMi uus wayi.

I ) Firstly tsAJmatc* of the age of the building and its durability

odd dinar.

it* dmr displaying cobras, tridunl*, 'Om* -shaped flowers,

fcvuia buda, concbaheDLypo foil***, the coconut-topped pinnacle

and ocucooat features would be inexplicable If the Taj were taken

IHindaflUdasi

to bu Muslim aepulchre

3> The absence of the Uam Taj Mahal in Muaum court ptpenwould have to be properly explnincd,

4) If any government in the world would ever want to r*b*

an edifice rivalling the Taj Mahal would it have u> approach traa

for the marble and architectural eapprUne If If a dom Iran would

excuse itaclf confessing that it has neither Um splendid atone nor

the expert workmen.

fi) Somnolent journalists often lend to publidie the repair of

Inlay work in the Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc. bring done by Muslim

craftsmen, hinting thereby that they must bt of Iranian origin.

That is the result of the faulty history taught to them, The artisans

may be Muslim by religion today but their architectural alalia devohw

from their Hindu forefathers wbo were farced to convert during

Muslim rule.

Our research has firmly established that the term Taj Mnhnl

is a popular malpronunciatioii of the anrienl Hindu name

Tejomahfllaya and that it was built centuries before &anjnban. W*

have died relevant evidence auggesling that the Tsj Mahal could

be the crystal -white Shiva temple built during the reqjn of Bajs

paramardidev as evidenced by a Sanskrit inscription.

Yet we feel that more research needs to be done by qjeatag

up the thousand* of sealed chambers of the several

buildings

to probe their hidden contents since

and other multi-sloried edifice* (todna U*NigarlUuu™>

they could yield a number

or Wols. inscriptions, coins, document* etc.

The name Temple Fhlsea' Included in the title <* this £-•The term Tejomabalayi (*» Tsj Hal

has a spcial connotation. »iw « r-actajonsl

that fa. survived generetlons of^TT^^jSSmahupe and the Vedic emblems Uisl^^^?^?7»*that the Taj Mahal was originally plann^ b^H mtemple concreting Shiva's Tejoling in H* cctagonal ***""

aurrounded by a gem studded gold railing. ^^UHr when Muslim raider*

f"*££&,*»*

ranawlaxl and derated It U» .nagrJficcnt T*«w*

*i&£X£k^~—

a-n» 1VJ Mahal I, A TVn,^ p^

to b» *** * * I** 1"* by who8oevttr ru,c,! A«ra - That ^a .

U* explanation why Shah/ahan's court chronicle iba Badsbanam,

^jMtaWJjm " * 'Manale-Rnja M«M'nRh' <i. o. Raja Men»hgh a

IM^rrT Thus Bajfl Maiutogh was the lost Hindu owner in the

dataiicred and scarred history of the Taj Mahal.

Anyway lhat hfatory must be InJd bane. And tibo, the

ArthMotogical Sumy of India (AS) is not only sitting tfgbt ov«r

H but i* also misleading- tha world of tourists and academics through

,l» notices at the entrance to Ibo Taj Mahal ascribing its creation

is Mogul cemetery to Shahjahan, world lourista who are charged

an entrance fee to see that Taj Mahal, would do well to sue the

ASI and the Govt, of India** Tourist Department loo. Any citizen

or tody of dtiiens also must seek similar legal redress. The relief

to be asked for from the court should be as under - I) The ASI

and the Tourist Department should be ordered to desist from

attributing the origin of the Taj Mahal to Shahjahan 2) All the

locked rooms in all the multi -storied buildings in the Taj Mahal

complex should be open to visitors (3) The ASI should be directed

to open up all the rooms in all the stories of all the buildings

barred by Shahjahan with brick and lime and study the evidence

that may he discovered M) Free entry on Fridays causing a revenue

loss to the Government should be discontinued because there is

no mosque in the Tejomahalaya premises (5) Recitation of namax

in the west -flank buMxig should be banned because it is the reception

pavflfoe of a Shiva temple. (6) If free entry on Fridays is to be

continued Mondays should also be free-entry days because Mondaysh*v* • special spiritual significance for Shiv worship,

I believe such legal redress could be sought by residents of

other countries too in their respective courts of low. Because their

chokri and tourists lured to tour India are misinformed aboutthe real origin of the Tsj Mahal and other historic buildings for

1 the time and travel expenses they spend and the entry feesthey pay.

I people in India and abroad take such determined stepsputlfc cheating and fooling by Govt, agencies in India (n the

ory wco'i .top. Envoy, W(| ford(m mfaialriM of ^cr

iniro*"^'on

3001!U-Irt must aluo put preaaum on the Government of India iM

mCdis in their respective countries to mnirc ihst their

"^efnicsan* and bureaucrato are no longer dlihed out falsified Indian

history-

F.KQeaitasdar-Vfetitest,

lO Goodwill Society Insututa lor Vswrluns. Wortd mmorj.*** "P

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Pagfl 403 of the Badskahnamo*Vol. I

CHAPTER J

AuriDjzcb'i Lemr (Sec Chapter 4)

THE NEED TO REEXAMINEANTECEDENTS

IN the city of Agra in North India, on the bank* of the Yamuna,

stands a beautiful, majestic building-complex known as the Taj

Mahal. It is by far the biggest tourist attraction in India and ona

of the moat renowned in the world. Three centuries of misinformed

pressure-publicity has resulted In focusing visitor attention only

on two cenotaphs inside the Taj Mahal to the exclusion of ita other

remarkable features. The result has been disastrous to dtiukd

study of both ita history and architecture-

Until we alerted the public and governments the world over

through our book titled Taj MaMI Was A Rajput Palace, published

in 19BR, it had been universally believed that the Taj Mahal originatw!

as a Muslim tomb. The traditional universal belief of the uninformed

lay visitor, based on mere hearsay, has been that the Tai Mahal

owes Its creation to the great amorous attachment that the

fifth generation Moghul ruler of India, Shahjahan, bare to his wife

Mumtez. On her death the disconsolate Emperor, they believe, rawed

the massive and spacious Taj Mahal as a monument to hta to*t-

History students, teachers, scholars, rtsearcheri and

government-officials connected with history and archwclogy teen

to be bardlv better informed than the lay Hsiter, At best

teachers an'd officials carry a few spurious details about be Tn

Mahal story in their memory. That thosedrtail* are.ll con r^tfory

.

counterfeit, mutually inconsistent and^^^proved if they are collected together and placed aide oy

comparison.

So many concocted accounts of the

f

m^J^£authorship of the Taj Mahal have been afloat for the I-Wj^that one wonders how they new aroused anyway -

Thus we have scholar after scholar of Indian hatory from

im

The TsJ MihaJ It A Ismpk Psltee

_ UWT p^ of t*» "W*1 rapturoulsy recounting to us how the coat

of lb* Taj Mshal could be anything between four lo ninety million

—*« the dessjner could be anybody from « Turk. Peman or

H^aa u> a Frenchman, the period of construction could bo anywhere

between 1° end Z* y«"» «*d MumUi. the so* called Lady of the

Taj Mahal, could have been buried in its basement or upper floor

at my time from six months to nine yearn after her death. TTiea*

are only » rtm s^au^^8*' anomalies and inconsistencies of the

«y Uain) story- There are many more whkfa we propose to expose

in the foDmring page*.

We would like to record at the very outset our wonder as

to how for 350 Jong years people the world over believed the arrant

poft^n, thai t itupendous and fabulous monument like tbc Taj

Mahal could at all be raised, at least In India, to commemorate

carnal love. Such puerile credulity may be all right in the

murobo-jumbo of romantic fiction but is hardly Justified in the

context of the hard facta of Muslim courts in mediaeval India,

Before believing in the * 'fabulous mausoleum" theory, two

questions may be asked. Firstly, where are the historical records

describing Sahjahan's romantic attachment to MumUi - one of

bis 5.000 oonsorta, prior to her death ? Secondly, bow many palaces

&d Shrift*™" buDd for his sweetheart Murntaa while the was alive

before he built one over her dead body?

Histories are silent on both these points- The answer to the

first i» that there are no accounts of the Sbahjahan Mumtaz romance

there never was any. That so called romantic attachment

i graft to justify the mythical creation of the Taj Mahal as

wonder tomb. The answer to the second question is that Shahjahan

did not build any palace for Mumtai alive or dead.

We would commend this method of asking challenging questions

to oneself at every stage w ensure that one's premises are flawless

before proceeding with one's research.

We would fike to record emphatically here that however much

it may ptease Western sentiment, the notion that the Taj Mahal

Is a marUe phantom of the love that Shahjahan bore for Mumtaz.

is simply sOy. It never happened in mediaeval India and probably

happens am/were efsa in the world. Every Mogbul monarch

TJ» H*-4 to Re Ewnlm Arttaqetania

mn*d at least 5.000 consort* in hi. h^ rt^^command outside. He had hardly the time w ih, ban to **only one of hia several thousand contort*.

R L, a pity that in the mistake batef of ShahkhiD '• j^,for Mumtaa. historical acholanhfp aDowad il*rtf to 90 bwte* for

300 years, conjuring up fantastic detallt. In the pn»M it ««,forgot to check upon ha fads and see that thCTare*|M„™tfarplwith one another, The result, therefore, ha* been that hmory baa

been loaded with a mass of imnogruent detaila.

EtoeethefictiUousaccounUoftheTijMibalare

and compiling all of them is an impossible task. Any number qf

such accounts could have been conjured tip in any part of the

world by anyone enamoured by the mythical Shfthjehsn kgeod. durksj

the last 350 years. But we propose to present in ink vohnne s

select assortment of those fictitious accounts and prove bow bogus

and mutually inconsistent they sre-

•M

CHAPTER n

ADMISSION IN SHAIUAHAN'S

OWN BADSHAHNAMA

A CLEAR, unequivocal and disarming admission that the Taj

Mahal it a Hindu palace commandeered for use as a Muslim tomb

in omUimd fa Siahjahan's own court chronicle written by a paki

courtier named Mulla Abdul Hamid Laborl

to Effiol and Dowaon 1 we are told, "Badshahn&ma of Abdu,

Humid Uhori is a history of the first twenty years of the reign

of Shofajahan... Abdul Hamid himself says in his preface, that the

Emperor dxsired to fmd an author who could writ* the memories

of Ma reign in the style of Abul Fazl's Akbaumma* He was

recommended to tbe Emperor for the work, and was called from

Fata*, where he was living in retirement, to undertake the

composition. " From thit passage It to clear that Mulla Abdul Hamid

Lahori wrote tbe Badsh&hn&ms (In Persian) as an official chronicle

ait Emperor Shahjahan'a own command. The Persian text in its

original form is published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal .Reproduced

eteewbere in this book are pagea 402 and 400 of Vol. 1 of this

Bsdahahnama?

Ibsre are 22 lines on page 402 and 19 on page 403. We hawnumbered them aerially ao that those who cannot read the

I P. 3 Ths History of hd9§ ss Totd by lis Own Historians, Vol.

VII. Tht Poathuintw Ftpen of the late 8tr H. M. EMot. K-C.B. edited

by FrahMor John Bcnraon, M.fLA.S., published by Kitab Mahai (Private)

Lad 68 A Zen? Road, AilahaUhl

F*r*«n loo, of Mull* Abdul Ham[d"» Bsdshohnsma. In two volume*,

bg tita AjuUc ttoairty of Bengal in the Bibtiothecu fndiat scrim-

T obUiiuri tht pboUnUt from the copy In the National Archive*, Government«T India, to Dmnbtr IMS Coplaa of thai publication arc available In

all important IrntiUttkmjJ Kbrmrin Uirrjuxbout lha world, deailnjc with [ndlm

Unary.

Admikwion In anb)ahttn'ii Own BadihahnjuiuO

P**ian script *ujy follow th. Unt^-lb, I™*** in^^script snd later tbe line-by -lino rwdoinu l" En^ob,

A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PERSIAN PASSAGE IN BfttfAMCHARACTERS (PAGE 402)

1.

Har <lo ra az ham juda mee aakht wa ha hwnfn j^w ^becmur shudah

% Pas az chanda dsr rindatf e pidar ainar? thud, nabiqp chunFalehKban

3. Pisare Ambar ba wa webe Ynminaddoidah Aslf Khan nmhdjiaht mehlnwc bar

A. Dowlat khwahi wa bawa jooee firistadah maarooi dmhu bood

keb ein

5. Khidmatguzar ikhlaa ahiaar benbamra kch m kotah Uni «n

shaqawnt

6. Guzeenee bad sagsali wa mukhalLfote uwljya-e-dcwtoi-e*y8»id

mocaad mee namood

7. Muqavyad sukbLeb ummldwari-i marahmi-i bodshahi art, wa

dar Jawabe aan farman

g. Qazah jiriyan tsic) izze aadoor yatob bwad W afar

guftare-oo faroogho raatee darad

9. Jahan ra az aalaaiahe wajoode besawaiidew pk prdatwd

chun Fateh Khan

10. Baad az waroode hukme jahan-mutah burhanf^-aiam tod

farjam ra kbufah namoodoh

11

.

**** daad keb ba ajal* tabeeyee dar ptrtl. « Huaadn

nam pisare Parsaliw

IS.Oora^bm-e-aanbadaayeen^l-n^.Wa^hdashy.

mebneo az «_Wrt* Mi aa

nowkiinine moatamade oov*-jmU i irriilwl

15. tqbalo n. U. ba damon* W«« W*

Hw TiJ Moihol b A Tcmpto PaUu*

a

i******* **+**** khWBhflnd

Stodm**** ***** *wfih"r wa °™nisseh a,fll '°

•

h*" nl"l»

j^ Khood ba n*m* P*M«* ^ numaynd t*

tw&n 401'

ft iriff" Ttoriu* * WMr ta ^**' mulJllM " n^h^be

SbuknjTIih Arab wa Fitch Khan

j) Hi frrv buhftwJ fWsbtadand. Oodajirom ba benam-echihal

hear roojaab wrfHra* gardeedeh

a. Broze-jurni' bafdahum JwnndP awal neashe muqaddase

muatfirt iqlflOT*

2L Twjnddui faaxaraL metad alia Mumufcsuraamaneera keb ba

Urmpr a arnaanal mudiiToon

(PAGE 403) :

Bood mmhoobe Rndshchasdae namadaar Muhammad Shah

Shujv Rahikiur h Waar Khan.

3d. Wa S*ti {»c> Urmira Khanum kch ba mijai shanasi wa

kwdaanrc- ba dftrisr ool&ee pesh

St. Dmtoe we waqanLst elaan MaalEke Jahan ynnliWai* Jahaaniyaan

nwb bood. rmwiinp-e

Band khaUfao Akbarabad namoodand wahukm shud keb bar

n* dir nth auh e bisiyar

W* tjarahtm wa dananaere be ihumar bo fuqm wa nayazmadaanbfothand. wa lamine d&r

rlkat wa nuaahat toh jtmoobrooe asn mJar jaama'

** J*** inmk tin diwtalfi fo» a^m danitbl

Admlnim In Shnh]ohfln"« Qwq Mihaban^

anmab

34. fc*d az nuiidan* naaah ba wm .hahar-a karam.L bthar r-™dahun Jamadi Uaaanieb

**"

35. ^aayandehpiuTuiren^^

pak sipurdeh aarn&d

36. Wa mulAsaddiyan * e danil khllafah ba bukm* mudla* viuiainl

waqt lurbat-e-falak martabat*

37. Aan j&han iffalra as nauir poahidand. wa tmiwttc-e-HtlitnhMan

wh gumbaze

3fl. Rafi bunyan keb la rastakb-ee? dar batondw yodyare himmib

gardoor* rifaat

39. Hazrate Sahib Qareh-e-saml baibod wa dar tutwmt

narnoodare isllpmat

40, Aiayam banee tarah aTgandand wa muhandiaani doorbow «a

nuBmsmi -c saanat

4L AafrewchihallakhTwpiahakharaj^

nmoodand

HEREUNDER IS THE TJNE-BY-UNE ENGU^ RENDHUNC

(PAGE 402)

1

.

Both were sepanH*l fmm on. *>°U*r "d liftl. UW «!-*

atrocities fell ill

2. After «me ton* during hia f-h*'. Um. M f—»

^prior to this alnce FatebJchan

^ SonofAmbart^hY^ud^^A^r^M^'^a petition thta

fc I.oyB] «rv*nl ^ *» ^"^ "^

C.lUwnJ^op^Uonofth.^omd.1—

**

TV ThJ Mflhal la A TVmpto fklac*

lad wXU* «"' un,Jc,r riK°rw,i tniFriarnirii^if ami1 hap*

JJg£7Soyai mcwy ml in "Wily of thM dnitfi -Inflicting

order has ^ lhfl honour of bring issued and if that

iwumwrt has any truth in it

Xb«i this world shootd be relieved of too existence of such

parson store fatchkhnn

AfUr rcdving the royal order - obeyed by the world he

•dvawed arguments and excuses for his bad administration

1 1 And publicised it to appaa- as a natural death and Hussein

namn) ton of DiirsaJch was...

13. Made wweessor finally and a petition far from the

11, Rartiiy of this event (was) sent through Mohammad Ibrahim

— one of h» trusted anployws

H And the court of the Protector of Kings issued mi order

which had to bo strictly complied with

15. That the confessor be taken inside Puulalabod Tort and starved

to death.

16- And he with all the splendou r and glory and fanfare accompanied

by bit aon

17, Eldest (son) w per tradition be given a send off, so that

hit requests were accepted

18. And equipped with the gracious charter (order} and with two

home - one fcaqui with golden saddle

The other Turkish with an ornamental golden saddle through

SbukuruUuh Arab and Fatehkhtw

W«f» sent to llaulaijtbed and Uda)ahnn was honoured with

a reward of 4/\ ttm rupee* —15th Jarnodi-ul-awwal the sacred drod body of the

towrftar to the kingdom of heaven. Her

Hdinaaa, hazm MumUaul Zamanl - who was buriedtemporarily, «u *,,i _

(PACE 403)

^paiund ** "**» Mohammad Shah Shuja Bahadur, Waafr

no ordar

man* the

AdmMoft In MMhliMiun^ Own Bort^,^

Khnn- *

?A. And Satiun Nta Khamm ^ k_

the (deceased) no bUmaMfy '""Perammt .4

2». And was well veraod in thB k>h an* _of the queen of qiim otc.

"V*"*** the vl^,

20. Waa brought to th„ capiui Aktamdad (Aim.1 ^was Imiad that v«ry day

** ] ,wl

27. During the journey countka. **» u^^fakirs and needy, Thn site

28. Covered with a majestic magninemt luah garden, in ih» whof that griwt city and

-"»»»tB

29. Amidst which (garden) thn budding known at lh. p^c,(M snail) of Raja Mansingh. el present owned by Rn|a UnoA„

30. Grnndaon (of Manalngh). was selected for the burfnl of tht

Queen whose abode ia in heaven

31 . Although Raja Jaisingh valued it greatly oa his ancestral herltaaa

and property,yet. he would have been agreasbl* to part with

it gratia for the Emperor Shahjahnn

32. (Still) out of sheer scrupulousness bo essential in nutters

of bereavement and religious sanctity (thinking It improper

to lake his palace gratis)

33. In exchange of that (aali Mnnzfl) grand pu!x*> ha (JaUbtb)

wna granted a piece of government land

34 After the arrival or the dead body in that grait diy (Agra)

on loth .lamadul Saniya

3fi, Next year that Illustrious body of the heavenly Queen was

laid to rest

a& The officials of the capital, according to the wyal ordw

the day. under the sky-high tofty mwuofouin

87 Hid (the body of ) that pious lady from the aye. of lb.>•*£

and Una Palace (Imaral-e-Aidishan) so inaK*^^ 1

wllh dor™*

38. So lofty that In ft* stature (it) l« • mw^rlal to II. «**••

of sky -dimension!

TT* T*| Mahal 1* * T«n|p*i. Pniae,

«* firm the foundation waa tad tnd

To m* *• (—* *UtU* "" **"** m<l d0ar "" """"

a,.hi»l«ii'j wife Arjumand Brno died m Burhimpyr

• «•""", ' _ „. Awn. Even ihis single deuil shooM

££ mTsfU c^ by a handy ready -made

™«J».n^Teta would be disturb and remove a body well kud lo rest

^ht" 72* U> Agra. *» miles away ! He wouldn't want

r^TuL-r* from one open g*v * another wuhout SQm*

"^™a commoner', body is not so trifled with, lot alone

££ M\*« and believed to be a very 'beloved' one,

-.thtt.

Zot tf Shahjahan had radly communed the To, Mahal ta

Such careful checking at every stage, so essential for accural

historical research baa been lacking in the field of Man history,

The body of Mumuo waa removed Cif at all) from Burnanpur

only beeauae Jaiaingbs palace had by that time been commandeered

for her re-burial En Agra The sit* chosen for her burial in Agra

bad immenae verdant grounds (Suhz Zamini - as the Badshshnama

terms it). Tbia shows that the place had alao a lush planted royal

prden around Mansingh'a palace. Inside those grounds was

lianaiagb't mansion (mamiV which was then in the possession

of hut grandson Jusingh - saya the Badshahmma.

It abould be noted that Raja Manaingh'a mansion does not

oaoaaaaruy moan one built by him. tt only means that during

Jatawgb'a times it waa known as Mansingh'a mansion because

Manaing'o was its teat famoui occupant. That was an ancient Hindu

buDdang thai had ultimately devolved on Mansingh, and then on

Jatsingh Hurt u must also be remembered that the Taj Mahal

did not nscMaaruy devolve on Mansingh through the direct line

AdmMon hi Sh.hj.We Q^ n*,,^^

of d«cent. Such manafona |fko ^hand™ by tnmafer. wlo .^ £*<•*^y^From time to time that m<imt Hk^ZukT"* * ttrtto^bands Iu1dwaa«ttune»undc^thec^M^

0nrf"l^^!, lnlo '"^»

loo as we shell explain her^furr. *^**fo***mnOn arrival in Agra. Mum1a%*i body *„ ^h^

dome of Mamringh'a palatial mansion Unfcr°™ ****** **

the a**b*om.. *rihr it tab .^^£T*' "*the Uke-over of his highly valued an***^£ JT"as a matter of great honour dona to him. y* out j^Zacruplca it waa considered fit to give tarn pJK* r

land in exchange. It Sa not known whether ih* *uTw2an open plot of land or rocky waste or . mere phantom nam.to adorn the record U> make naked usurpation look n»fwmat least on paper. Actually aucb [ice* of land doaa not

to have been handed over to Jaialngb. Making ennfuaksi

confounded historians have further assumed, baxlaaahi, that

Shahjahan too obtained an open plot of lind In ciehange. Why

should Shahjahan exchange one plot of land for mother? ir ha

did why would he not mention the location of the plot given to

Jgjsingh ? What is worse is that histonnna cite aorn# ipurious or

misinterpreted documents to say (hut Shahjahan Mchungid a gnwp

of mansions to obluin an open plot of land from Jaiainijh lo nuaa

the Taj Mahal. Would a stingy, haughty Shahjahan ataop to making

such an inequitable barter? Moreover the BiAxhahnam dasrljr

asserts that it was Jaisingh who was ghwi land whfls Shabjshan

got Mansingh's garden palace in cschange Thla it one man detail

proving how the entire Shahjahan legend of tb* Taj Mahal k wh^

fictitious from beginning to end.

Obviously thia exchange la a mere eyewaah Wh-^J h"'

with any equanimity a fabutoua building being aaahaniw

open piL of land? Secondly, the exchange•"£!£myth because the location and dimensknia of the p » _ ^to Jafaingh are not mentioned Thirdly, than "»

. ^between Shahiahan. an overbearing Maalim ™T' ^Jha*hU noble.,m^^^™^J^£!Z*thai Jttbiiiigh wan Jual ujvwrOTiofiioaflly itkipow"

palace.

Tlw Tal Mahal It A Trnnpte p^j^

ivm i«iic yw" i»«",'in,ly nlf l,ver Ul° war,J ^ bewi duP*d

ma bftfcrffl* Lhnl S«hi**",n ,»e^ frcd * V*1** ** open lBnd from

bind, Thla again should have Induced some re thinking at tewt

—aw* sfudcnu of history. Why should Suihjnhan, an emperor,

!!jto bee *n open plot of land from a subservient nobleman

to Shabianani own SgencratHovold capital ? Did not Sbahjnhsn

«a vast lands himsdf ? He robbed Jaistogh of a iriajmificent

jewelled pal"'* wnich WM oonaWered nt ^ bur> Ws *»uew in -

The naliice had » sky-bigh dome underneath which, the author

of the Bmlstuuutmfi tells life Mumtw's body was hidden (i.e. buried

)

from the eyes of the world by the officials of the realm nt Shshjahan a

command. Such command again was unnecessary unless Mumlax

bad to be buried in somebody else's property. The use of the word

*comm«Td" i» thus flfenificflnt* We shall show that IfH years earlier

Emperor Babur also refers to this domed palace.

This mention or the dome is of far-reaching importance to

La the false notion entrenched in Indian history and architectural

*nd avil enguwmg textbooks that the dome la Muslim form

of architecture. The Badshahnama clearly tells us thai the Hindu

palace taken over for Mumtuz'a burial had a dome. Incidentally

Ibe edifice ii also described as a "sky-high" mansion, though

those adjectives have been also interlinked with Shahkhan's courage

and valour.

Since the Ta.j Mahal has been admitted to be * Hindu palace

capped with a dome it thou Id not be difficult to comprehend that

the so-called mausoleum 1! of Akbar at Sikandra and of Mumayun

and flatfdarjang in Delhi, which have been often compared with the

Taj Mahal are all1erstwhile Hindu palaces conquered and misused

as Muslim tombs.

Line 40 in the above passage saya that the Emperor engaged

geometrician* and architects far the project. This does not in the

kaat prove that he had o mauauluum constructed from the foundation

upward, GuomctrttiiBiM and architects wore needed to plan the digging

of Uie grave to the centre of the basement chamber and raise a

JThii peha law tow mora fully dealt with to dupbtf II "f my book'Horn* Bhutan of Indian Histories! IWrrh' putdluhcd In July U*8.

Admlseton to Stahjatmn'. o*„ BwJ.hdm.nw

cenotaph exactly over it to lb, «mtr. of^ oct*™,, -on the ground floor and in ih» baaemwit ofi

"*"*'* ,ri*>m

Ihndu palace. The arahiiccta «nd inrjmet^LCwnm"nr,,«*»

to guide the removal of aom* marbl, .ton,, Z^L^ "^engraved on them In lettering of V4riow^ ™**"*•

Tba words -foundation *«, M" ,n |jw ^

Firstly, since a corpse i., alw»ys interred to a pit, roiHw do ih*ditch over the body ia "laytogthe foundaiion orthftgWP "

SooartlTIt has also a figurative meaning. By burying Lhe body in an uirwlti

palace, aahiafaan to a way laid the foundation of * Muittm grave.Such figurative but meaningful uh of the term

foundation" la not at all uncommon'laying iha

One could •*> for tnvtanct

that by his conquest* Napoleon laid the foundation of the F«whempire. Does thin mean that Napoleon ordered some digpnii tnd

brick, morUr and stone for the edifice of the Fnxuh *mptr»7

Similarly Shahjshan "laid the foundation" of his wife"* grave by

ordering some UuItdinK material bayiua* he lud chosen locommmilaer

a ready fabulous palace. It should also be noted that many Mujlim

chroniclers use that fraudulent term "laid the fourndoUon" to

suggest falsely that Muslim rulers built large buildings

.

It Is such logical and legal Intcrpretoilam we would lib la

commend to all hbtorkm . Hitherto they have been used to gloss •ow

Inconvenient words and phraaes, ignore significant passage*. maM

fanfjtttk assumptions, hover in a world of unreality m* tot

ordinary and natural meaning of words and phrawe. «hut

eyes altogether to logic and legal aittlng of evidence nd to put

pathetic faith in forgenea and falsehoods. S«h sUpnhoJ art

unsatisfactory methods will have to be aivoi up "H"*"^has to be rid of its many mistoken concepts and ihibboleti

About the sum of Tour million rupee. <^- *^ **"*

JSZLm* tells us was expended on the build.,,,.^££5to simple. At the outoet we would like to appn

^the weaknea* of Muslim chroniclera for tvtapcT

t tm^booal the glory of their royal parU.ni «** ^^^rtniirtof exaggeration we may arntu nn 1 h nt the wituaJ a ^^to beWmdod may well have been In the n«ghbou.hood

COM W

mlMon rup*»

TVrrtrArr we have to consider Another factor. In the corruption

rnmjwni during Matfiui times ti* estimates given to the sovereign

,di pro)*** included a Inrgc percentage of overhead,

rwuitofiwd profit* of Innumerable middlemen. Makin« due

allowance for soch infixed estimates we may assume that the actual

gawnsa should have been in the nigbbourhood of two million rupees

The tm millioo rupees (or even four mfltibn for that matter)

cnOd be «uBfly spent °" digging and filling up a grave in the basement,

r^gttf cenotaph in Lhe ground floor central octagonal chamber.

pwfcttf than with costly mosaic of stones to match and merge

whh the palac* flooring, barricading the hundreds of room 3.

ventilators, staircases, doorways, balconies and corridors m the

few -storied marbte Tejomabfllaya Hindu Temple Police complex

^d npsvN Bw K«»" » lhsh waQs " r lhe edifke The e°Kravin«

necessitated raising a huge scaffolding to the towering height of

lhe seven -storied edifice around its massive girth and its many

lofty gateways and arches. Such mosaic flooring and Koranic

engraving necessitated the removal of the stone pitching of the

Hindu palace at places and replacing H.. New stones had also to

be ordered to replace those which chipped off or broke in thi9

tampering and tinkering. Hiring of highly paid artisans, ordering

of stone from great distances and raising of a costly scaffolding

accounts for the expenditure mentioned by lhe Badstohnama.

We shall quote in the next chapter the French merchant visitor

Tavern** lav testify that the scaffolding cost much more Lhan the

entire work done. This would prove thai the work done was the

comparatively insignificant lettering at precarious heights on the

arches of the Taj Mahal and sealing six stories.

We wonder 011 what authority later writers have placed the

cost of the so-calkd construction of lhe Taj Mahal at anywhere

4 P. aa, Elliot and ftswwm. Vol, VI. It li stated. "P* &>cy also

mmrttoM the cuuxrrated cecum of properly and expenditure, aa to tnt

ijumtar of Hwonanti, bones, etc. and the cost of bandings* wid such

ttk*. to U* Uetnakr (of JchcnjfirJ translated by Price, compared with

Use man modenie *Al«n«iU jpvsn in Anderson*! extracts."

Admission In auhpihjin^ Own Ik.lrtmhnjm,

upto Rs. 90,17 mtulon («,. Scr^ind 17l.kh,)own court chronicler. Mull* Abdul H^n

*rtI,h,n ''

40 lakhs (four million rupees) . U ii «.«). km( u * * ^ *

the origin of the Taj Mahal,™* «TOt*

1

CHAPTKR HI

TAVERNIER

HAVING noted in the preceding chapter Ihnt Shahjahan a own

iwi- chronicler admits the Taj Mahal to be a domed Hindu palace

commandeered for queen Manual's buna), we propose to prove

to ihta chapter thai the French traveller Tavernier'* testimony too

fuHy corroborates our conclusion and proves the traditional Shahjahan

legend to be baadew. Tavernier visited India during Emperor

Shahjahan '• time. He has left us some notes on the Taj Mahal,

wticb should be useful in arriving at the truth about the origin

of thai mmHn,

Before encmning hi* testimony let us first get introduced to

bhn. The XUhtrtstitreeya Jnywkosh tells oa^

"Jean Baptist* Tavernier. a French jeweller, toured India for

trade between 1641 end 1668 A. D. Hi* travel account is mainly

devoted to com-naree. He used to aojourn at Sural and Agra (while

in India J He visited all part* of India, including Bengal, Gujarat,

Punjab. Madras Kamatsk, «te. He owned a vehicle. He bad toapnd Ba. &Dh for the curt and pair of bullocks. The bullocksad to cover 40 milt* a day for iwo months at a stretch. Four

•wajfh for the Journey from Sural to Agra or GolcondaI "pens* used to be between Rs. 40/- and Ra. 60/-. The

« good at Roman highways. European travellers fell

fa Hindu territories for want of meat which wasWa in Muiilim dominions. A good postal system was

Bulb thr (own-folk u>d th«r government used to provide

Jwr«a«a iJlnT SltEl?J? !£? *» * *"«**«*Vam *

lrtm **' *dasttv P«J». Pun* . 2 (India) 22

Ttwifrnlw

mprotection against highway robbery'.,

is iht lan- rf .

Rwamter ha recordad 'if, v., . tool uqm i™<**mkm

b*«M. k. k. »« r^^ mJTj^ZZ.'^- "•commerce was concerns ** ***«b*

In the above passage which tell. M whot^^^ _are three points significant for our discussion. On* i, thatiwlw»bIndiia(Hn«Ji»batw«en |sii in4,eatA^ . tottaJJ2it may be remembered that Mumtai had died ewneUm* hat.

J629 and 1632. Tavernier arrived in India nearly 11 vean afllrMuml*2*s demise. We shall quote Muslim chronicles to show thaithe mythical building of the la) Mahal commenced within < fe*months of her death. As against that we are going vo quotewthat according to Tavernier the work commenced and ended during

his stay in India, That is to say, according to Tavernier no workwas undertaken concerning Mum tea's tomb at lean for 11 years

after her death, since Tavernier arrived in India only soirain*

in 1611. According to some Muslim accounts which we shafl quote

hereafter, the Taj Mahal was complete starting from the foundations

.

by 1643. Readers may note this glaring inconsistency between the

Muslim and Tavernier 's versions. Some of the former say that

the Taj Mahal was complete by 1643 whQe Tavernier tdus as that

the work concerning the mausoleum was not even begun by at

least 1641 . We shall quote the relevant vcrstons lata*. Tht other

point to be noted in the above quoted extract is that since Tswmiar

was not a scholar, his attention was concentrated primarily on

wealth and commerce

The third point is that though Tavernier was In todta

intermittently until 1668. Shahjahan bad bean deposed and

incarcerated by his son Emperor Aurang** in 1658. That

*»y, if we go by Tavemier'a Kotimony, the work concerning

Mumux'a mausoleum commenced some time after 1641 and i

have ended much before 1658 whan Shahjahan become a Wpjj

prisoner of hla own son. But we shall show that Tavern*

notes that the work took 22 years lo complete That miens

even tr the work began in 1611 It coded only » I*3- J*

impossible aince Shahjahan was no longer oo tba thront sit

Such glaring anomalksj In the traditional Taj Mahal

Thr Tx\ Mahal 1b A Tempi* Ptkem

-trtl anybody's attention. Thai proves thai no

—^ hTCn done -prttai lb« *H*n of th«* TflJ M*^

- gdwljra has remained content with merely quoting

l^erel •**»'*** »fc« without ever trying to sort them

out or pwonal* them-

wr sh.II now quote* the fc»cjt*¥»**to Briumnk» for a more

itotwrh acouainuuM* *** Tavernier.

•Tarernifr. J«w Baptist (1605- !«*»). French traveller and

pioneer of trade with India, was bom in 1605 nt Pari* where his

nlwr Gabriel and uncle Machines, Protestants from Antwerp,

prow! the profession of geographers and engravers...His farthest

pot* fe this first journey was Isfahan. He returned by Baghdad,

Aleppo to Alexandria. Malta and Italy, and was again In Paris in

1631- In Sept. 1638 he began a second journey (1638-43) by Aleppo

to Persia and thence to India as far as Agra and Golconda. His

visit to the court of the Great Mogul and to the diamond mines

was connected with the plans realised more fully in hfs later voyages

is which Tavernier traded in costly jewels and other precious wares,

among the greatest princes of the East. The second journey was

folowed by four others. In his third 0643-43). ho went as far

arJsvB and returned by the Cape: in his last three voyages (1651-55,

IB7-6E. 1664-88) he did not proceed beyond India. In 1669 be

marred letters of nobility and in 1670 purchased the barony of

Aoboone near Geneva.

"The dosing years of Tavernier' s life are obscure. He left Paris

for Srkserland in 1683. In 1689 he passed through Copenhagen,

oo fanr way to Persia through Moscow and in that year he died

at Moscow .*

* shall analyse Taverruers noting about the Taj

to stow how. if properly understood and interpreted il

oowhukn that Shahjahan did not buDd the Taj Mahalrowandeared an earlier Hindu mansion to bury his wife

4a.

• would bite to point out here that the undue emphasis

• ' «». KacTdQMdU BnW*, ion Rd Vol. 21

Tavernier

Hthai hlatorians twve Umitf to put on TW*,unjustifiable. In Lhia conta*^ WCH|Jd^ ™r " ^ihaaay b

the wwickHo provides of the L.w ofTMA^T^V^ *ogl

of historical roaeancbere has been that they hwadOilfc!!!!*flUlt

ignorant or have shown completo dlar^ of tto t

"^and judicial evaluation of evldanet. The U* *^^ *

J*based on sound logic.^^^ tt "*"

IT a person were to approach a court of law for . d*Wi™that Shahjahan built the Taj Mahal, or, the basi, of Taw3.testimony both the plalnUff *nd W» plaint win t* thrown out ofthe court-

Thc court will justifiably ask that if the then Govamm«t ofIndia represented by Sjahjahan does not hove even a shred of paper

{such as design-drawings or account sheet* or on inscription) to

prove his authorship of the Taj, the plaintiff has no right to claim

any title to the Taj on the basis of some vague noting by a third

person like Tavernier from a distant country liie France «Ho chanced

to visit Tndia during Shahjohan's reign. Tavernier' • testimony wCD

therefore be regarded as third-rate evidence by a court of law whilv

historians have tended to regard it as first rate. This is an illustration

of the much leeway that historians have to mak» before dahning

to be competent researchers.

Even so we shall show how Tuvpmier'a noting itself <sTectiwtb/

pricks the bubble of the Sfeabjflhan legend. Thin is but nniural since

all seemingly divergent details must inevitably fit in with the Truth

Thia is what Tavernier has recorded' ; "Of alt the tombs which

one sees at Agra that of the wife of Shnhjahan is lbs most splendid.

He purposely made it near the Tkumcm where all fordgiwn come,

so that the whole world should see and admire. The

is a large bazar consisting of six large courts, all ***»"*£*

portico* under which there are chamber* for the use of mend

and an enormous quantity of cotton to

Riron or Aubonne, Tran.lstai from Uw ^3J,,ir.. * l>

wiih a blograptiial «k«^ o' » 8Utnor'

,

B0"*- SILdbj llasaianai

V Ball, ill!. F.H.8.. V li 3 Ul 1*0 edua». H*»* *

4 0o., London, »»»

m Tb* T»j Mahal !• A r<amjAt Pal**

f vkntvMA the commencement and noeompltehmeni of this grttl t

MM* on which Ihry expended 22 years during which twenty thousand

mm worked incessantly This I* sufficient to enable one to realise

thnl lb* <»« of it has been enormous, ft if said that th* scaffolding

Mintwet mtv* Mm* the entiiv work, because, from want of wood,

Ihey had aH to br made of brick as well as the supports of the

Krchw This has entailed much labour and heavy expenditure,.,

Shabjuhsn began to build hit own tomb on the other side of the

river but the war which he had wilh his sons interrupted hfs plan,"

We must examine the above passage very critically. While

examining' ,l *'*' must also bear in mind that the Miihumshtrefya

Jn}wnka<h quoted earlier has said that Tavern ier not being a scholar

was only attracted by wealth and commerce,

As pointed out in the earlier chapter, Mumtaz having died between

Ifi£5* and lfi.12. her body was first buried in Burhnnpur in an open

garden, After about six months (so they say) it was taken to

Agra, That means Mumtaz' s body was in. Agra at the latest before

the close or 1632 A.D. Now if we have to believe Tnvernier that

he aaw the commencement of the work (after hia arrival in India

in 1641 J the body M Mumtaz must have been lying in the openexposed to vun and rain for nearly a decade. Here we are alsoconfronted with another difficulty, namely the Inconsistency betweenhis account and Muslim ones. According to Muslim accounts, theearliest date by which the Taj Mahal was complete was 1643.

We want to tell the reader that in Lhis volume we shall notI even B single report or detail about the Taj Mahal story,U*f whether it is • concoction or a reliable piece. UnlikeKorfan. before us. we 3haH not brush awny the inconsistencies

' y • I account*, bi fad we welcome them to show how*»di and concoctions can be logically explained and*ixmdk& wjth lb* truth

^^"T?T,d * riffhi b ******* that Mumtaz's

to ^ to bund a nw ,«. MwnW, body would have been

TiV^mlof

M

laken to Agra for consecrate In the new vwnb nab altar . .**of 12 or 13 years, which we are told by Mm*

"V"? * "**

to build the Taj Mahal.* """^ ** *» tana «*

That the tomb was ready in the *ip. „ t mmmmAmiHindu palace we have already proved by quoU^^^ shahjiihan'i

own court chronicler Mulla Abdul Hamkl

The period of six months that had to elapse before Mumun'ibody was taken to Agra from Rurhanpur It explained by iiw tfnw

taken in scheming to confiscate the Jaipur mlnr'i palac* ,n A«munder the pretext of Mumlax'a urgent «-buriid In It. Since Rap

Jaisingb was a vassal of the Moghuls be was braw-bssten into

surrendering Taj Mahal for Moghul misuse.

On arrival in Agra, as Shabjuhan's court chromcler icib us,

Mumtaz's body was buried under the lofty dome of Mannin^'i

palace then in the possession of his grandson .lairiirgh. Aeeonfing

to that account, no time was lost between the arrival ef the body

in Agra and ita burial under the lofty Hindu domed palace Apparently,

therefore. Muslim accounts of the building of the Taj Mahal v*

all concoctions. We shall prove them to be so by analysing than

in detail.

Having buried Mumtaz's exhumed body in the Hlndn pala

at Agra, Shohjahan was not in any hurry to make faith* cbai

The workmen whose names occur in

who dug the grave in the basemen i.

Muslim nccounta are of tboM

erected a cenotaph « lh*

gro^fioor;^ Komnic««£ »J^*^end on ito arches and sealed sue stor.es. 1o W •*«

of designers and workmen found in the various account,

Aa for vernier's sta^c^h^s^ ^^ fl-|

and accomplishment * this *+£ ^^ „ ib

jjthe work was nothing more than

ffolding,m>eribitMe ™***

palace inside and out in «**•**"£' ^ seaWHWe^racta on the walls, and**£^£Z «« ff| clear from his very«^^ the ^Urr

the scaffolding itself was mort^ wp K< n ^odw I

would be absurd for any visitor iim

Th# T«j Mahftl 1* * Tempi* P*lao»

moiv than that of the entire work. The

* **^!!mlita«*far from eawedlng thB< of tnc hu,1din« fop

a* of lb* i ^""^ ^ fnrt (n fjnju«imttl. Contrarily, TavcmSai

wh^ *»J*. ^ p^^ ^^ T^t is emphatic proof

'

k.. eo^isKd of nothing hut the comparnUvety

^TJ^n« of the Knnn, «ng burial pit. and erecting

•"^ l^Zh We thus see b™ d Inconsistencies an4

^^^rL^^ -way with the help of the tn,th.

a, for UeiHm account being concoctions, we have . long line

„ ^It— l*e U. «. *' H. M.M * Tess.tori

S. N Sm' to ten u» thai those accounts must not be

ratal upon.

If Sbahjahan "purposely made the tomb near the bazar called

7to*n«an *fow atf fcrtw»«me. a> tfef <A* -"note nwU **»itf

wr vxtadmttYii." the question that arises is whether a reportedly

iMonsolabiy grief-stricken Shshjahsn would find a sheltered, quiet

poi for hi. vile' » tomb. If he really built one, or whether he

would behave tike a cheap itinerant entertainer? Was he in the

rtiow business to want to rig up a big show out of even his wife's

death and piny to the nailery 7

It is no wonder that eves the insignificant engravings on a

asmmmdwffwl Hindu palace shouH take 10, 12. 13. 17 or 22 years.

alleged in different accounts, because far from the prodigal Moghul

that Shahjahan b mnde out to be, be was a very miserly, haughty,

ovtrbarinir monarch. Even otherwise no Muslim monarch could

Tord to ipend fabulous amounts on the death of each one of

ha &.0Q0 harem- consorts and many hundreds of other relations.

War, the time taken in construction ts immaterial becauseMuinuz'. body »B safely ensconced under the dome of the

iL^'lt??? t"^* tti*wy. In the preraca Sir H. M. Elliot

«a»»i hZi^* *" "^ m in ,ndi > a« inipudent and

***l uvUUU mi Z **?» «*»* lh* M,,riim chronicler* arc

T«v*rni*T

lofty nnd majestic Hindu paloos. what did kt mutt*- whatW in*engravings took anything from 13 to 22 yean.? Ev«, th» -ivy

uncertainty of the periods mentioned In the nuimnma vonkw la

in itself plausible evidence because w« know from experience thai

when a usurped building (a to be altered to one* a sstiafiKuon nch

olterntlona could be spasmodically incorporated, over a protracted

period, in the building, according to the chanwnn mood of tha

new occupant. In this sense we say thiit all the pwiodi. hum

vQ to 22 years, mentioned by the different chroniclora mny be Ukcn

to be true- Reconciling these verskma we may Bay thia the tomb

mound end the cenotaph mosaic of Mumtax took 10 year* (becsuat

lhat is the shortest period mentioned by any writer). The Rgrank

engravings dragged on for 22 years . Camouniiglng Hindu bulldlngi

with Muslim lettering was not Shatyshan's Innovation. H hod •

hoary tradition. The Adh«i-Din-Ka-2op*i at AJnwr. which *w

cart of Vigraharaj VIshaldeo'a palace, bean bbmk lettering. The

». called Kutub Miner which is an ancient Hindu observatory tower

has also been similarly claimed for Islam with the legman of

islamic carvings on it. The so-called Humayun. ***"**

Akbar tombs, though earlier Rajput palaces, have met «HlMte

WMlth UK, pear. »-*-»«* f^ "» M^I*-> " b"

^d tta f»»o< Pwcock Tyrone («Uch«own tr»sury.

„, „ ^woiw,We would riso irne u, drw lh«

J-J" „„ nujuw.,

(which h»d ri> ^e »«rt

"J*T^ ,

°- n.*oo »*«•-

dl« T»j Muhd even before MumUB,

^ ,* u«, m«^«*

HO Th<? TnJ Mahal It K Tensp]* p^m>»

and that Siohjahsn's object in burying Mumtiw there w«preciwiv to cash m on the sculptural grandeur of thai dreamland

patoce.

Shahjnhnn k often misrepresented to Indian histories ai «

fabulously rich Moghul. This image of his derives from the belief

(hit h? buiH i number of cosily buildings while he actually did

net build even isingle Far from being monarch possessing fabulous

wealth Shahjahan could hardly command any resources worth the

mm* because hi» rnI

- year reign was marred by i« military

campaigns Shahjiihsn's relative poverty is fully borne out byTav*mi<T*> rrmsrk quoted above thai from '"wont of wood" the

scaffolding, including ihe support of arches, had all to be mad©of bricks. The reader may well consider whether a monarch whocannot muster even the timber necessary for a scaffolding, in

country like India which had vast stretches under dense forest,

can ever hope or dream of ordering a building as magnificent andmajestic as the Taj Mahal ?

TavemlHr's remark that Shahjahan had to use bricks even Losupport arches is of special significance. It means that Lhe ' "arches"

«d already. It may be noted that Koranic engravings on theTaj Mahal are made around the arches. When the original stoneslabs were removed by Shahjahan and were substituted by otherlab* with the Muslim lettering, the arches so tampered with had

be supported with bricks. So this part of Tavernier's observation» proves that the Taj Mahal with it, ^hed entrances existed

ev«n before Murmaz's death.

Tavemier says the T^aTMcao (i.e. Taz^Macan) is ato conriating of six targe courts he is obviously describing

E^?£L ***** *" «**#*« 1* Mumta.'. burial

,

^iJT^!!!y. 8CCOum •"«* aPI**r confusing, because white«s the marble building a

peripheral red-stone buildings as

'Taj Mahal"£•*** world derignsu. the marble building as the

"'

•hoping corridors constitute the

tor wrrouiwjjm, nBd.aioneTas.j-Abcaa". [,m •

It .. thai «*lr* J!™? "T**" ^nging * Jaisingh.

«P«ty - the majeauc magnificent marbk- palace

•ftyarnfar

with all iui annexe* that wtt commandeered t™ »,rod-stone corridors would have m facus steaefftw^ ^central marble building .lac they « "J^JSJ^palace. "! "

More we end this chapter, however, w, want u, wtlinn .v.

reader about the worth of Western acholars" or valKnV \mtimmDuring British ruto in India there wu a uiron* tendency to tZegreat store by the jottings of Western observers. That tendweypersiflte oven no* though we are free. But Rant, n.nwlf mEnijiahscholar, has mude some important obwwvatfcrnii, tibfcfe provide a

classic instance of confused minds

-

Tn a footnote on page 154 of his book , Kecoe observes,'

' Tavernier

commenced his first voyage in 1631 and after iravtHlna; from

Con3laniinoplc to Ispahan in Persia, returned to France in 1633,

He did not, therefore, see the commencement of tht T»[ tat ha

may have heard of it at Ispahan. His fourth voyage from IKll

to 1655 was to India, end it was then that he aaw tba aanpVuon

of the Taj."

Firstly let us tell Rcene bow Tavemier is nght Keena doai

not know that since the Taj Mahal was a Hindu mansion towas nothing for Shahiahan to do except to dl* a irencn in il* basemsw

central chamber, if at all, and bury the corpse nf Monitf-ita*

Therefore Tavemier need not bava been in India . IWJU.£-the "commencement". What Tavemier means by^T*saw the commencement and end of the^-^^££explained by «.. tblt ********'"^*** '

to inlay Koranic engravings at vanous^ * ^"^ ^Tnis work could ^ and •"«£*^ %L+ended while Tavemier was «n lnd,a there is notnav

Tavemier is therefore rightfoctoolt

Rut one interesting fact which^^£ 1***la that nobody aeems to know for carf-n ^ ^^ ^m in India and for how k*? ^^M b M-

IntermittenUy from Itfli te lbf«, «Intermittent from l«l u, !««

,

»-

be in India only «^|™IT^!rc- .utea thii TavfraJ*

other hand. Encyclopaedia Brii-nnJ« w.ometima betwran lb.JJ« ^^^^ to

TTw Taj Mahal h A Trmpta Pd^

India wnl <i"»« murmiUentty, This Indicate* thnt Tavernkr b

nal wy reUahl* AH that hi ^ ^^ * not th* Ln,lh «r th«

»M» truth If he w» in India for leu than four years (betwwm

1*1 itf* Including the months covered by the voyage to etnd fro)

would U he right for him to soy that "20.000 labourvra worked

incmaanUy for 22 years and that the work commenced and ended

to my presence" ? This indicates that Tavernier too has bluffed

the world or history regarding the TsJ Mahal by recording Muslim

bluffs which be only heard but passed cm to posterity as first hand

Information,

Tfcvenuers noting makes out four specific points, namely j

I That Shahjahan purposely buried Mumtoz near a bazar known

a* Taatmaam dc Taj Mahal) . 2. "Thai he could not gel any timber

for the scaffolding, 3. That the coat or the scaffolding was mort

than that of the entire work. A. That 20,000 labourers worked

incessantly for 22 years

,

Of the above the first three points clearly imply that Shnbjahan

look over a ready Taj Mahal for Mumtaz's burial. The fourth point

en which traditional historians have banked does not make any

tense when It is considered that a Tsvernier slaying in India only

for four years (1651-1655) cannot assert that the work which began

and endod in his presence lasted for 22 years.

Bui Tavernier's apparently absurd statement makes sense if

II is properly interpreted and understood, When he arrived in India

in 1651 Mumtaz had already been buried in the Taj Mahal for 20

yaw. The work of raising a scaffolding around the Taj and engraving

Koranic stanza* then commenced and ended while Tavernier wasin India. If that look two years Tavernicr'a observation thnt Mumtaz'slomb was by that lime 22 years old and the work (of the scaffolding

and engraving ) began and enJed in his presence proves to be singularly

correct. So even this fourth point of Tavernier's testimony whichwaa suspected to support SharuahjvTt authorship of the Taj. turnsout to support our contention that Shahjahan only usurped theTaj Mahal.

Ttvftniara observation that because of the unavailability ofumber &ahjaban had to erect a acaffolding of bricks all roundthe Ta/. and that th» work was completed alter 22 years indicates

TavernitT

that the whole or the marble Taj Mah.1 bufldlrn, aft*wao curtained off from public view for & L ** **Wl»

of bricks used as scaffolding. THall, to ^ IL*!™ ^ LB *""

bidden from the world Tor one wbok, g*^-. I'\™ **

that after a lapse of 22 years when lbs brink - ^S^^dismantled and the Taj Mahal came into view ones, grain thlgeneration started beEvcJng thai it was ShthjthaTXcommissioned it.

It was because of that brick shroud that we find punas Westernvisitors like Peter Mundy and TsverTOwmakingrainformgd, confuand

and aketehy notings about Shahjahsn being wipged in building a

tomb for Mumtaz and his employing of all people mainly m^calligrephers, and labourers to level tbts hiDocks on the outaldrts.

The skill of a historian researcher like that of a crime investigator

lies in getting at the truth from such a jumbled mass of Incongruous

details , Fortunately in the case of the Taj Mahal various oonLcaipocvy

observers have left us very important clues which help us point

out unerringly that the marble Taj Mahal was commandeered by

Shahjahan and misused as a mausoleum.

••a

CHAPTER IV

AURANGZEB'S LE1TER ANDRECENT EXCAVATION

In addition to the admission in the Badshahnsma that the Ta]

M;; i commandeered Hindu mansion, and TavernJer's noting

ihm th# Taj mansion was "purposely" chosen hy Shahjahan for

Mumiai ' t burial , we havetwo other piece* ofimportant corroborative

evidence. One it letter written by Prince Aurangwb himself to

bja own father emperor Shahjahan, and the other of facta discovered

in recent investigations inside the Taj Mahal precincts.

UniveraJtiM, academicians and laymen who have been

vociferously and adamantly asserting that Shahjahan built the Taj

Mahal, are unaware that they are all hopelessly divided on the various

details of the story For instance Mumtaz, the heroine of the story

is variously hazily believed to have died somewhere between 1629

and 1632 A, D Likewise the construction of the Taj Mahal by

Shahjahan (?) is equally hazily believed to have taken anywhere

between 10 and 22 years. During the British administration in India

the tendency had been to place more reliance on the noting of

a Westerner- when records differed. Accordingly the British

administration in India took It for granted that the mumbo jumbo

of Tsvrmier'a mumble that the work concerning MumUtz's burial

look 22 years deserved more credence to the exclusion of all Muslim

accounts. It apparently did not enter their brains that sinceToveroier

and Muslim versions at) differed radically rrom ona anothtr vHtl

neither bring able to die- any court document, they must nil

false Therefore somehow lb* British accepted a hodgepodge vantenof U» Taj Mahal, made up of spurious details culled at randomfrom European and Muslim accounts. Such an hybrid concoci

put up on a marbl* plaque outside the Taj Mahal" a garden gateway

proclaim* to the gullible Jay visitors that the Taj Mahal was completed

in 22 year* Thai the Government of India's archaeology department

-tfch hat draft* the plaque on the^ „f

iua*n- »Hould blundering m^ lb,^ *^^tborsWP of a world-class monument i, Wghly dapfa^,

* *"

.. _ ii^miAt h Lflken to havp .UkI mm***! *«**

u then Mumtas fojaken * have died iroun, m| MSieved, the period of 22 year* tfv* u. uq km D J"£"*E(l

which the Taj Mahal stood comply a^ck sna^ .JT^ firm in all lia grandeur and majettv. But the m.** „^ Archaeology department and the traditionalist Wstorun. w<*id

nave itt we have on record a letter from P>iw» Aunnp*b, of

t year earlier 1.9. of 1652 A. D„ scotching that d*Sm. Thwt l«ur

|9 recorded in at least three contemporary Penriin chronidw liUed

Adaab-eMamgiri (p. 82 of the manuscript wnh th* Nslkinal

Archives. New Delhi), Muraqqa e-Akhardiadl, md Yaidpatnmi.

(o that AurangKibreports to Emperor Shab}ahan thatwhik praceevn*.

from Delhi en route to the Deccan to assume chanje » fwwaor

In 1652 A, D. Aurangzeb happened to visit hla moth* Mumtaa's

burial place m Agra.

Paying due compliments and respects to Ms fittar fcnpaw

%flhiahan Aurangzeb stales to his letter "I reacted {AUmtaa,

fft^i on^Say- the 3rd of Mohanun Mataj. » «W

Jef n Badshahzada Jahanbani <U lb. ** ™*™by springtime verdure I^^/^Ji£»..everybody s wdl~being. 1 stayed in toe «»rd*a of Hata

the aacred grave which bad b*n « toJ~^ *na* «*

Those (i.e. cenotaph, grave etc.) "™* "^ * d** pte"

solid but the dome over the gravegfnQ^^

during the rainv - season on the "*££* «^f^royal rooms on the -econd «**•^^* to •»

and the four northern portions^*, rf a.W*"of the seven storey ceilings ^*VjJ»s *P «* f*have all asborbed water through «*j^ A* ta-»

»

the current monsoon season at **

got temporarily repaired. ^ y|nioB, .tool*'

mosque, the community haa. "*

Ihf Taj Mflhnl ! A Tr>mp»* Pohcm

,,*«,<* «**• I fed thnt the scc

Td ***

-^ gS ^1 more OH ^ ^j^ ^th mortar, bnek and

^^ I* be t^Jv rf blMK^r domes would save thes,

^^ ^Icadence. tt * h0pOd lbat Y°Ur MaJCSty

^*a?EmX ** «** n0WS^y aCti°n '

nrtrtjon of the building complex remains safe

nfTvmlff] damage.

-On Saturday «*> I *«** tbe *°* flnd "*" °" **"

a** (Dara) who also paid m a return visit. Then taking cave

0% i ***** w j*w (i° ** chu¥* "go;crr

5i

^jtow) on flunky and today tbe 8th instant I am bl the vicinity

on»»ipuf..."

Thus from Aurangreb'a noting it is apparent that In 1652 AD,

i—ir ut Taj Mahal bunding complex hod become so ancient that

H needed elaborate repairs. So what was carried out in 1652 A,

D. wai not the completion of a new building but Lbe repairs to

an old building complex. Had the Taj Mahal been a building completed

ia itiS) it would not have fallen to the lot of a chance, lone visitor

Bar Aurengzeb to notice the defects and order repairs in 1652.

The defects should have been noticed by the thousands of workmen

sad hundreds of court supervisors who were supposed to be builidng

lha Taj Malta). And since such serious defects had been in fact

naiad t yw before completion all the tom-lomming of the

"aa*ar-bu3d*i" or the Taj is utterly unjus Lined, Tbe builders

taj were no doubt maaler craftsmen but they were noththjaban'i contemporaries but Hindus or several centuries earlier.

imfleriy ft. was not Shebjahan who commissioned the Taj Mahaluna anricnt Hindu Un* likewise the Ta] did not come into

an Mamie mausolwm but as a Hindu tempta • palace.

latJfa

1

!!^^'IT"1 P0iot WWch """» fn)Tn Aunmgwb's

todUwTa) really been completed in I6KI A. D. the

J-wouW have b«*n hanged by the nearest trw

the memory of lb. deoaaaad^ by raising

AurangKb'a Tj***t And Recent EiarnioB

a building complex which Inked and ^^jh. (fictiUoua) completion. Aurang«b who b .ZllT W"*

and tyranny, would have thundered inathnm. aaai,!"^

in hup totter to Emperor Shabjahan. Inai**i\!tHZT ***"tike a dove and coolly mentioning th* k, -*„ *"r **** <**ng

out some urgent repairs. Ai toast this Inter of ahelp historians to correct their mistaken mtkmSZTL^of the Taj Mahal

™* ibaBl "* <**"

» .^k^AUrang2

°\?fOT *^*^ <*«* Taj Mahalas Mahatab garden, i.«. a Moon Garden, From thi. w. condud,that the original Sanskrit name of the garden turunda* the TarMahal alias Tejo-Maha-Alaya must have ben Chandra Udynn W«derive this conclusion from our research obaenration that MusSminvaders used to translate contemporary Sanskrit tomi ktoPmtaafter seiavre of premises or persons Tbe concept of viewing the

Taj in moonlight is, therefore, obvioosly of Hindu, pre-Shahjohan

origin.

Another noteworthy point in Aurengzeb's letter Is that he

confesses to a sense of mystery and wonder that whik the garden

seemed all flooded and the nearby Yamuna river was in high spiu

its stream yet flowed quite a respectable distance awsy from thw

rear wall of the Taj. We have also observed in our own day thoi

even at the peak of the rainy-season when one *** nothing but

o sheet of water everywhere the Yamuna still flows about 100 f«t

away from the Taj wall.

Had Aurangicb'a father Shabjahan commissioned lb* Taj Natal

the aecrel of the Yamuna stream keepina away from

shouldn't have been a mystery to Auranga.* beomit **

builders, if any, would have easily explained thessenrtto Au,

But apparently Aurangiebs sense of waadm* ™ »";

what made the Yamuna current confine weuJT -^ faj

regulated channel nway *™m lhlf " ^ -d technkaJ "WD

buflding-complex Tte*a^«-^JW|^of th«. un dfiOt Hindu builders of the Taj Mawu m ' ^^n

u.i tUuu wife unow*"'" •

temple pnlace, who. well aware thai tm-y^ ^ (unk i0§

construction of massive proportions near a i

-fl* Taj Mnhal la A Twnpl. Pik*,

61

-iw aide of «*» Yamuna bonk to conWnIg^ioft.lifct wdls <**

•Tfl^, tcVBlj rod carry lb0 w»«*r <™injy

the etream even I I Pf* (WOt *«, be*. » channelised not

oruy near the Taj but afl r ^ ^^ other oncjent ^^U» Red Fort to A*™-

.f4u

_llU4V masquerading na Muslim tombs

roysi mans*™, no- u"^^ JJ & nbut on the Yamuna,

in the nam. of It** iWjJ*. «£^ ^^^^bTandtc m**^ bathing ghsts topped with massive

"pTeTand mansions along the Gang* to V«n» « typ.ca,

L Because of that penchant of Lb* Hindus to erect building,

iTEJnTTwni-. Sua bad perfect the tochnkpic of

^Lninf *r*rion and flooding, Muslim,, beside ban* engrossed

5* *••«* md *»** were mostly uoeducat*! and were

unused to building near <*p«ns*> of water or by the side of swift

currents because, of their desert tradition. Contranly the Hindus

always created water reservoirs where there were none beforesUirtmg

major building projects. A* iUuatraUons we cite vast lakes constract«l

by the Hindus in Aimer (e.g. the Annasagar) and Fatebpur SOcn.

The VetUx got drained away during Akbars time because Muslim

occupiers of Fatebpur Sikri di dn* t have theknowhow even to maintain

the bundi of that vnst lake Tbe bursting and drying up of thai

lake made Akhsr abandon Fatebpur Sikri after about 15 years' stay

in t captured Hindu Fatebpur SikrL Readers who may be believing

that it waa Akbar who had founded Fatebpur Sikri may read the

authors book'

'Fatebpur Sikri is a Hindu city". Aurangzeb also

alludes to aecret rooms and royal rooms in the Taj mahfll.

Itai other important piece of evidence arises from some chance

digging conducted in the garden in front of the marble edifice early

1 tht year 1973 A D. U ao happened that the fountains developed

some defect U was therefor* thought advisable to inspect the mainP>(m that Uy Imbedded underneath. When the ground was dug tothat kvid some haUowa went noticed going down to another five

fw* Use fround was dug to that depth. And to the

• of all there lay at that depth another set of fountainsto**o What appeared morv .Igniricant was that those

Auranawb'* I***** And Roeeru Excavation

fountains are aligned U> the Taj Mahal, dedwelv inAintltu.tbe present building oxiauri even befor. **ZZ ^J£rountaina could have been installed neither ^ Shahiphan iwlsuccessors, the British, Therefom they were of U» prr a_ „yj"

era. Snce Ihey wen, aligned to the Ta, Mahal bjiDdlng It JLaipso facto that the building too pre-dated Shahjahan. Tnl. p|«,of evidence too therefore clinches tbe (hub in fvow of our«wdu8wnthat Shflhjahan only commandeered on unci«nt Hindu lanpia-wlBct

for Mumtaz's burial.

The archaeology officer who aupcrvEned that digging ww Mr

R, S. Vermn. a conaervalion aaalntant. Thia aame omnol made

another chance discovery. Once white stroOJng ataff-ln-bainj on iba

urrace near the so-called mosque and the circular well on the weetcro

flank of the marble edifice. Mr. Verms detected hollow Bound

coming from below tbe floor where his ataff hit tht terrace. H«

had a slab covering that spot removed and to hia aurpriw that

was an ancient opening, apparently nested by Shahjahan, to a flight

of about 50 steps reaching down Into a dark corridor. The broad

wall under the terrace was apparently hollow, From thia It to ckar

that the corresponding spot on the eastern fcrmra in bide, a

Similar staircase and corridor, at lis bottom. And God only knowt

bow many more such walla, apartments and storiei liaaeakd. hkWea

and unknot to the world. Thia also incidenUlly peart. <olhi

sorry state of research with<^**T*^***~"to have done either any•**^!™*^S%£of the Tal Mahal nor^-J^^^^1Zwhole Issuo. APP«**itly

emmaou* l^V"oonslder-Uona have Inhibited *^*j£££**conducing any meaningful research

^J******Such academic coward^ is highly «******<

%Several leading authorittea on ***£^ZZ++

B. Havell have held that the Taj Mahal ^7^* Ift*

Our nsenrch hiu. proved that U« ™{ ^lTtl^uirw

ln conception and en-nto nr* ** »m ,

^pte-patac.

before the Moghul emperor^^^ lUl to cor«r^complea. That Hindu alone p»sea- *

^ *ood 'SLTaj Wial and the .k.11 to**£"J^. W n^wm homo out by a comi«ir«Uve4y ««.

»The T»l M»h«l h A T«npl<i Pale*

^ ,„ -n .Hide «ntriW«l * Mr-O*"*"" J"«*Ml

. U?3S S^iS M«ih. «*. * <-*-*- <*««*<

m the writ*r of Ik* arUdo. Mr. Jagdeesh, early

ln 0. year >» • "JT-^ ta lts dome. He tried (o repajr

the «»«« ^ fflrtd nn ^^r. as the days passed

I^^eared logrc^ wider and longer. AcommJUwofengineer,

m"

with no success. Some fc*nl action was necessary lest the

enck widen and the dome crumble

White the authorities were in a fix, a nistic-lookinK Hindu

.^reached them. Hi* name was Puranchand. He told the

.upennieoding engineer that he possessed the knowhow to beal

the crack and wished to be given » chance. Since so-called modem,

bookish engineering expertise had failed, the British engineer

relucUaiUy consented to let the rustic have a go. In doing so Lhe

engineer had his own reservations. He could have the last laugh,

bethought.

Parent-hand set lo work wflh a group of masons to assist him.

He prepared some kind of s lime concrete and personally filled

it up in the creek. The mixture hardened and integrated itself with

the donw- structure eo well that within a Tew days there was not

the slightest trace of the crack.

Thii ukill of an obscure Hindu mason which had scored over

the classroom erudition of the British engineers became the talk

of the British bureaucracy in India and reached the ears of the

then Viceroy.

The Viceroy expressed surprise that an almost unlettered Hindu

mascn .could beat all hit engineers. This hurt the ego of the

department*] authorities who had till then toyed with the idea ofemploying Puranchand is maintenance supervisor in the

•^chaaoJofJcal department. The Viceroy "a praise had made themtofcri Mous of Purttochand. They were now determined Lom out of the department He was refused any employment.

iljetnbar \m began World War Q md ihe To) Mahal and«* mMUiKnance problama taemed to recede in the background.

AurnrtKWfc'* I***** And Racvnt Ric^u^T\

In ISW2 Hindu tender, Dr. B R Ambediumember of the Viceroys P.xecuUva frmrJn *' ** ,PW"**of Labour. Purenchund aaw , n(W^l^'J"***broken Hindi, Puranchand •crfbbtod ataUariAib

"K^*"1""** •"

hla frustration. The letter mad* |t dear thit* ^^^ **

the remuneration aa theamhiijan and •rtisfaetfcjn rftaadM^^a stately naiional heritage and keeping it h fin. M. , T"1

generations which impelled Pureed toIk^^Z^Zemployment in the upkeep of the Taj Mahal.

Dr. Ambedkar was moved by Purenchand's esmertne* Ta.former introducd Puranchand to the then Viceroy, Lord Ibiuthra*While informing the Viceroy that he intended to mpfay Punnchandas an assistant cnginner on the repair of hlnoric bufldingit DrAmbedkar also recommended him for some notional honour. TheViceroy agreed and conferred on Puranchand the title "Ratahob".

All this is on record, assures the writer of the article, Mr.

GuJabrao Jagdeesh,• ««

jtoUr Mundy'i E*tili!nc

ia

CHAPTER V

C PETER MUNDV'S EVIDENCE )

PtUr Mundy. in Riglfsh traveller, was in India from 1628

to 1633 In Mi diary now published under the title "Travel* in

Curat* and ^ I*08 " l«6?7,

% fedited by R. C. Temple, Hakluyt

Society, ft volumiw, 1907 - 1936, on page 213 of Vol. II) Mundy

obssrvts) '"There is already aboui her tomb a rail of gold. The

banding is begun and goes on with excessive labour and cost,

prosecuted with extraordinary diligence, gold and silver esteemed

common men! and marble but as ordinary stones. (Shahjahan)

intends, as some think, to remove aD the city hither, causing hillj

to be made level because they might not binder the prospect of

it...

Ttris is vrry significant passage and yet highry misleading.The havoc that such haphazard notings of contemporary Westerntravellers like tie Englishman Peter Mundy and the FrenchmanTavemier have wrought in the field of historical research, is apparentfrom the fact that those notings ore equally carelessly flauntedas unimpeachable contemporary evidence of the Taj Mahal havingbeen built by Shahjahan.

Wt propose to analyse the above passage and show how Mundy "anoting too support* our research-finding thai the Taj Mahal is an

lanple-palace commandeered by Shahjahan for misuse as• maunoleum

u w nave died somewhere between 1629 and 1632.

vast Taj building complex. Even tN,

digging of the foundation in such clow proximity of to, rf*r<_Burt unless water seepage from th. river Into ih, huMu-U first effectively prevented with strong miwnry ..ft,-c^iiojwhich have been sunk between the rear wdi ud (*» j^^by the andcsil builders of the Tij Hindu lemple-ptlace compki

And yet even within those short two y«n Mimdy mmuonaa gold pabsede etudded with gems valued at six tainted Umnasnd

rupees.

Readers and researchers may weB 'ponder over the fact whwhar

such fftbulmiB wealth could be left In the open with thmwnds of

indigent labourers working around and the dust of the masrfv*

digging filling and fouling the atmosphere? Are such «uUy sad

scintillating fixtures and furnishings installed liter n building is

complete or even when the foundation- digging starts? That sudi

valuable and resplendent fixtures were seen by Mundy around lb*

grave of Mumtaz within a year or two of Mumuu't death k *

dear indication that Munday had stepped under the dome and inside

the building of the Taj as we see it today. Twit such a bufldlni

Is implied within a year or two of Mmtfn'i **& ***1 ««<**

that Shahjahan had sefaed an ancimt Hindu temple-palace a t

unequivocally admitted on page 4flfl, Vol. I, or Shahjahan x own

court chronicle, thsBadahahnama.

Mundv mention.. To this *o Mundy pva M uwnhuta* *

Ml flfadn idol* xd the -b*"«- °'!,^rXt dlU-

JL. We bnve *. noUoed I*. M-«*>^^building* in the premise., b«na !T^We

..«*• y."The*, had

.

*» u, * T^'t^inTt.«—' " ** -

overwritten 1 *ve™> P""'" "^Tn^Ww-i"-**1**

Itae-Ml. domed.—tb«M« *"

l^1MW(,. jm h «*»

I*™™* very p«rtin«.Uy nnwd u«<

wM much mon, In-. Ihrt of th. »«" ^^^ «„

rurally.h-ctvmc^cnvtalUK.ia.F*

Tha Taj MahaJ U A TVmpta Vtiat*

*_,^^ He eouldrt I visualise lhal some Renerallons

***** iX,^ would be bluffed into believing that the Taj

1^LSTw* ""^ by ShaliJahan nimje5f TttV0mlef wd

. uyrrfy eould not possibly visualise such a fala.fiesiion of

^^o^dr^ therefore be more explicit* We ourselves vfciiing

a brildk* aa chance valors wouldn't be more explicit. For

^^ if re were to visit Bombay or london it a lime when

omebody has acquired somebody else's mansion and has enclosed

I to massive scaffolding to renovate it for his o«m purpose we

won't dare or care to ask him how he acquired the building, for

bow much, from whom, what changes he proposed to make, and

spend how much over it We would simply refer to it as his building,

Such inqujr.es are all the more impossible when a wide hiatus of

language, race, culture, authority and wealth separates the two.

Firstly a must be remembered that Peter Mundy and Tavemier

or for that matter any Western visitors to ancient or mediaeval

India were not researchers. They were chance visitors m a hurry.

Moreover they were poor indigent travellers who could not

communicate mtenstvety or on equal terms with Mogul monarchs

and courtiers. The alien visitors were completely at the mercy of

the cruel Mogul court for their sustenance, for favours, for

permission to visit royal precincts, for the amount of information

they could soUni or expect to get, and for the interpretation of

the information imparted in Persian

Under such circumstance* it is for modern research scholars

to bring to bear their investigative acumen on chance notings of

irioHon to mediaeval or ancient India. Modem scholars have betrayed

a woeful ineptitude in this primary quality of a researcher. Proving

very guItfWe they tend to clutch si superficial connotations without

bothering to interpret them in the context of the limes and

drcunoiitnost in which those observations were made. For instance,

in the cos* of Peter Mundy the most important fact is that he

wa» in India only for a couple of years after Mum Lai's death and

within tool short while he talks of very costly fixtures around the

PttUrr Mundy'fl Evidence

nAnother very significant obeemuon of P*„ uIfA .

Shphjahan levelling the hillocks on tha Tfc] p^rt**^ **Snnhjahan '

s levelling of some hfflocki vhuors to tha Til mi,!!man Btill remaining on cither tid* of ths ,„,, M (w^jj*the T«j. Those are all artificial hillocks rolled Mu <rf^ veJJ^excavated when digging the foundation of the wamnivi tempi*,pa*,complex by the ancient Hindus. Thia was a very common pmrtfct

For instance the ancient lowuahip of Bharatpur has t moat smnd'IVa A-.r4k AitU /lilt fiSf* tniilrtei-a tUA **..,.-* .. a.

it. The earth dug out for mnfcinit the moat wan heaped up ilnny

the interior to serve as a hairier and Mence work. Tha nnwwb3 the case with the Taj Hindu temple -pnlac*. Hntock* wars itMcd

artificially out of the earth dug from tha foundation trench*

**. ^nUnim r.rk acirtrta I kr-tftft ntfct*fi/MkA« nnmoltJ m no'! A,,—.*the periphery to serve three purposes, namdy a nmrV» dumping

ground for the earth, a landscape garden with hillocks covered wHb

greenery, and as a defence outwork to prevent enemy formaikiai

from approaching the Taj In solid array,

Peter Mundy1

a noting about the levelling of the hlllocka u> tha

exclusion or the mention of other activity k clwrly Indicauva of

the fact that such levelling of soma hlllocka was On principal Hong

that Shahiahan did in the eyes of contemporary obaarwrt Ho*

else will such an uisigoificant and«°««w^^iT£

in Peter Mundy '* brief noting about the Taj Mahal ?M ft**,

really built the Taj Mahal what would have «**^ *» """

Jir b'ke TavLier and^j£**££Zriver water from^J*J^^ElasM - *

were fashioned and hauled "^^^An*** «*»*«**

seven-storied structure*^£?£Z , Z*»" "

over 1000 rooms ^;^*£"E"***»'""»a massive wall provided with'^J*^™^ tha 1-vaBtof

the r&m of any ot tbt». ««* only m*

of hillocks. Why i ^ rf y* \rt**t

p^ Mundy also*^ "£,**. be **^up of the hillocks. Toe h^oxkawere

J» ^^^^ ^ *y

they might not hinder the p**P-«

^

^h «£*fact that within - couple

fyeara ^^^^

wen. levelleo to afford aw^i, ^44. All lbs

that the Tal building

rt . giimpa* « '« ^ that «•eonpon already****

The T"J Muba! I* A Tempi, p,,^

y the hffloeks and make the building,viaibl,

„ (*t lb* very obJ«* of the ancient Hindu bufldet,

lto* hillocks •«"»• fram Mundya noting,u,

j^j w be the target of * mnb'dous cncmy'a

wm converting it Into a Lomb open to

no longer had the need lo keep it out of tha

awf*

that ewwi the gem -studded palisade and silver

jsujdred thousand rupees wna Hindu wealthr

m taking over the Taj was Lo misappropriate

rrccted the gold railing, history would

3 w*o removed ft and with what authority when

dwmJmtT continued to rule Delhi and Agra for

after bim. Mum Lai's burial in the Taj was only

I of the game Her cenotaph was meant to be

carecrow lo prevent the Hindus from ever

LbH ancient temple^ palace. What Shahjahon

m the sacred spot where the Hindu deity

This done, visitors like Peter Mundy and

as far ringside view. Chauvinistic Muslimi noc-Muslim visitors completely in the

of the Taj. Even otherwise it has

r- W-s^m practice during mediaeval conquests

m and wealth and proceed to deal with

aparty. That is how whole cities like Varanasi,

annate mention in mediaeval Islamic

o*adaoad, Kiahjahanbad and Akbarabadana with the mediaeval Muslim court

*nd of Afghanistan . Persia and Arabia

otour so as Lo obliterate its Hindutransformation f the Taj Mahal was

» P*a» 181-182 of his book (tilled

by Holt, Rhinehart and Winston)°* flral anniversary of Mumtaz*• msuaotwm in progress hsd**** the entire court assembled«>y*l blood, grandees, and an

IVtrr Mundy(

i Evldwiw

7?

gMtcmblugo of roligiouB scbolnr» tadudW tbdkh* u.

wbo knew the whole Koran by hm* ^J^^,"* 1***pvci wth hJa presence, end u ihe emprm', ftf>T *T*

"*

Was present by imperial reque*. > grtttbanqu*^ gL^Jf^"the then nascent tomb, mi) gueat* partook „, , Vlri

™™sweotmituts and fruits. Verses from the Korsn mi«l tb,1 .™Z^ro offered for the soul of the *<*.] mid > hundred thouamn-lZwent m charity. In later ye*™ on othor mntmwry^ g^/^attended memorials at the incomplete cdifW whenw in Agmformally accompanied by Jahanam and tha hjmrm Tbn to,« tfegy,

occupied a central platform set up for the ocoalnn, w4 nmiitmti

concealed from public gaze by kanats. screens of «d cloth and

velvet, Noblemen gathered under pitched Lents,"

We wi'ih to make several observations regarding iht bovt

extract. Firstly, Hansen and ethers are wrong In calling iht tody

Mumtaz Mahal. Her name as given in the Badahahnuni ki

Mumlax-ul-Zamani. That Mahal suffix b tubsoquaat Muslim

forgery to alitcrate somehow with the ancient Hindu tarm

TejuMuha-Alayo alias the Taj Mahal,

Secondly, the fact that from tha very first year MnmtasYdaih

anniversaries were held at the spot with great eclat sad cantnony

shows that it was not a dug- up site which it should haw been

if the Taj had been commissioned by Shahjahao Even today kanitt

and tents vould have lo bo provided for if a large ^harfngware

to assemble at the Taj to protect than from scorching hast or

biting cold.

Hansen's and other writers" reference to *£*"«**conducts* are quite pertinent if ^"J^££Zaenac. namely that all the buildings t,^J^™^one called the Jamiat^J»j23^«- *»misrepresented as a mosque, and the cer

1 _

jnf^the marble dome had been endue* in .^V^,,^^for repairs and for deceptive, mlssppropniu ^^ miiuM

The central octagonal sanctum^T^ta ta osHnl p-rt

had been broken into and Mutnta* *s_ ^^^ ^^ „

in a trench. On the upper floors W"J™ ^^^ «

that none of the floor, may be left «** !f ""

pw TAJ M»hil U A Twnpte Pat**

gpwnil floor* were being waned up. Since thla

inVOlWd ^ ^ l^Uy ianvd and sealed, was being u*ed

**"* ^i^.nrrdibe.tety us*, the word cenotaph,*

though while Shahjahan was olive Mumtoz

jj

,ta plural te»^ ^^ ^^ tf u* Taj yet M other

p^Lmerled -W. tbe Mogul court kepi dying they too were

CZZ for burial in the Taj premises *» that the whole preancto

odJbe trad into • vast Muslim graveyard to rule out any future

poesflxlity of the prani** reverting to Hindu use. This fact rematas

hidden from the lav visitor and is unknown even to history scholar*.

17 they have enough time on hand to make a meticulous study

of the precinct* they may see the grave of Satunnisa Khanum (the

maid of Mumun) in one pavilion, that of Sarhandl Begum (a harem

qurcsi of Shahjahan) in another symmetrica! pavilion, and a number

of other grave* of other Mohameda. Ahmeds and rbrahlms littered

n around in various pavilions to the east and west. Curiously

enough those pavakma are all octagonal in tbeorthodox Hindu fashion

as i* to* Taj edifice itself.

When tuch extensive premises are undergoing Islamic tampering

from top to bottom to leisurely fashion over a number of years

alien visitors tike Mundy and Tavemier are bound to refer to it

i a mausoleum under construction. But it fa upto the modern

researcher not to be misled by those nolings and to understand

the full implication of what those travellers have said , In the proper

context and perspective. Researchers must also not forget that

Shahjahan himself has to no inscription claimed that he buflt the

Taj. Cootrarily his Bidsruhnama admits that it was Raja Mansingh'amansion It should also be noted thai in tbe whole of Shahjanhan'scourt record (here li not even a tingle scrap of paper alluding

to the building of the Taj and not a single blueprint of either the

whole bunding or any of the decorative jiands In it. The constructionwork that all and sundry refer to h nothing hut the graves, raisinga acafroWmg. leveling U* hillocks, engravlnga of the Koran on

• walla and sealing ofthe surplus stories . If this Is dearly understoodrvary student of history end visitor to the Ta] Mahal the riddle

fcahjehan bimaeir not aaying a word about building the T»jMahal tail other al.en, repeatedly referring to the building work

ppurr Muwiy'i Evidonei

would be clear in no time.

Peter Mundy who left Agra for Enda** -*u.M UmtaI•sdeathha3 ^eftaverycunchiogchW^!!! ,*1 *worth seeing in and around Agra mZ^^?*™***Bcbeber'a (I. e. Akbara) tomb, T** dJ^^""* «-

that Mumtos was buried to lbs spectacular Tejc*^™ jt£?tern pie- palace complex. n HmCa

A funny detail which emerges from the noting, of W^visitors is their confusion as to whether theterm Isj-^Uatalri,* l Cm.J MMIM r^. Ik. -...Mil. -MfMthe buried woman or tbe marble edifice or the adjumt baiar?

tea

"

CHAPTER VI

CSOMEENCYCLOPAEDIC VERSIONSD

EVEN though we have concluaivejy proved in the precedingptew by quoting SmbjahsD'9 own chronicler Abdul Humid and

freodb visitor "Iavernkar that tbe Taj Mahal is a commandeeredHands palace, yet in order to acquaint the reader with an thermuTationt of this bfind man's buff that has been going on aboutthe Taj Mahal for 350 years, we would like to discuss every aspectsf I

As part of audi a discussion we intend giving the readerre» succeeding chapters, a sampling of the diverse andstent vfrBom of the origin of the Taj Mahal, Let us first

rtsat the EoQvtepmedi* Itaianyr/c*' has to say :

Mahal, the mausoleum built on the south bank of theoutside Agra In India, on the orders of the Mogul

htbjihan in memory of hia beloved wife, Arjumand Banu»3ed afumio-MUid "chosen one of the palace" (of

haJ is a corruption). She died in childbirth in theBoi-ninir in 1631 after having been the emperor's

ompaniwi aince their marriage in 1612, The building™>oad in 1632, after plans had been prepared by a council

from 1«U.. Peraia. Central Aaia and beyond; theihe fmal plan i, given to one Ustad In. either Turkish

tough tbe maater-builders. masons, inlayers andthe material, ihey worked with, came from all

<*** A*a, More than 20.000 workmen were

l™*»**»*• mausoleum building itself by 1643,

*«X*ftZ*** ** ^w * ****** *

*** of a redaogle measuring 634 yds. by

Hi«al««, Vda.lHHiM.

334 yda- sligned North and South. A central aquar, wtrim

334 ydi, on e8ch Bide'keVBB " oWon« "» at tach en.nll

^ tbe aouth conslats of the sandatone entrance wte»ay^attendant service -building while that at the norh (river «d

ewiprisw the mausoleum itaelf,flanked on the west and task^

^ two symmetrically idiaitical buBdinga, the mosquem ha >**&(answer) respectively. AH b enclosed within a high red sandstone

boundary well with octagonal pavilion turrets at the comer* while

outside the enclosure at the aouth are ancillary buElaingi rock ustabks, outhouses and guard quarters. The whole complex ia the

begums memorial, It was conceived and planned as an entity,

since Mogul building-practice allowed of no subsequent addition

or amendment. Its northern end is the most si puficanl architecturally

with mosque and j&wab of red SQcri sandstone, with marble necked

(not bulbous) domes and architraves and noma restrained pktn

dura surface decoration, constrast well with the mausoleum of

pure white Makrana marble. This mausoleum standing on 312 |L

square marble plinth 23 ft. high is a square or 186 ft. with chamfered

corners and with a massive arch in each face, rising to 106 ft.

Over all is a bulbous double dome, supported on taB drum the

pinnacle of which stands 243 ft. above garden level. The »kyBne

rhythm is enhanced by parapets over each arch, comer pinnada

and domed kiosks over each corner. At each comer of the plinth

stands a three storied minaret, 138 ft, high to tbe crowning kfoik.

Inside tbe mausoleum is the octagonal chamber. embellished with

low relief patterns and fine pietra dura, containing tha e***-*of the begum and Shahjahan. These, of marble decoritai

superb jteni dun. are enclosed by an exquisite pert

marble-screen studded with precious stones. A vault .*

garden level, contains tbe true sarcophagi, Tha Mogul* «*_

lo have 'built like Titans and finished like goldsmiUw w»

iho Taj Mahal is their finest jewel/'

the reader may not* I

in the opening part of the extract,

explanation given of Arjumand Banu Begum • uuoT^^^j ho tin™ m«nm„ iKo nHnttwi one of the p*to» ,(

.lS. j of which t

Urlyshtnrtt*

title stuck to the queen after her death bo°^,^>4hin-, <inc-l

the title meaning the chosen one of w» ^ tBt

Mahal is a corruption) Thl. e*pl*n*^° cHaW} pgJ-o>

a. a. .. — .ifmln rana^BHlafi i

wat chosen' ' for the burial. We have quota!

The Taj Mahal la A Temffa Fab*

chrooid* to show that while Mumtax wm alive ber name wMfM "Mumta* Mahal" but ''MumLaxul-ZamanF'. Accounts tike

U* on* m Kntyriopmedm BrfWmica which presume that the torm

Taj Mahal" la a contraction of the lady's name 'MumLa* Mahal"*

are wrong. The tody's name was never Mumtaz Mahal. Muslim

psrtanc* foistod that name posthumously when she was buried

in a palace. Thus, far from the building getting its name from

the lady, it is the lady who has acquired the name from the

commandeered Hindu palace. So irresistible was the beauty,

magnificence, majesty and fame of the commandeered Hindu palace

thai Shahjahan's deed queen got a new posthumous name from

the fcinullaiing building.

The Eneycbpaeda places the death of Mumtaz in 1631 while

ww will show later that other accounts place it anywhere between

1620-32. So even the dale of Mumtaz'a death is uncertain. Naturally,

therefore, all subsequent dates of her exhumed body being carried

to Agra, and of the mythical building of the Taj Mahal are concoctions

.

This should convince the reader of the utter unreliability of Muslimchroniclers with regard to even such simple and definite mattersa imporatnt dates. This point also illustrates bow every aspect

of the Taj Mahal story is suspect,

The Encydajmedh mentions 1632 as the year in which thebunding of the Taj Mahal was commenced. In the extract fromLhe Mttemshtreeyu J/tymkosh (Encyclopaedia) which we are goingto quote hereafter the year of the commencement of the Taj Mahal

stated to be 1631. Such inconsistencies are inevitable when theinitial date of Mumtaz' a death is itself unknown.

Equally loosely, the Encyclopaedia Briuuwica asserts that * 'plansa been prepared by a council of architects from India. Persia.

Gentry Asia and beyond."

The above assertion need, to be closely examined. AssumingI ss the year of Mumtaz a death, we would liks to ask whether

!Lr*L ^ °f buUockc"rt *"d «*"d transport it was conceivablebatjjrchltact* in remota pari, of lhe WOr]d ^ ^ cbo8cn>uunt^d. explain*! the kings '. Idea of a fabulous tomb, a council•aUbUshsd to finalize the plan. the materia) „„, hboiir ^tieoU*and lbs building work b*un, j, ^iHn ^ yMr or^ ^

Some Encydopwdlc Vcrdoni

then a year? No scholar or writer seem. to have *>)*** «-diverse versions of the Taj Mahal to such do* smiting

**

We would further like to point out that the AfAtmrajhtr^Jnyankosh (encyclopaedia) to bo quoted later does not tn«u»1 council of architects but aays that, of several plani ortwyfrom different architects, one was chosen.

Another point is that Emperor Shahjahan' B own chronlder

In the passage quoted earlier docs not mention any blueprint orarchitect. He is right, end the encyclopaedic accounts fab* Because

as said by him, Mumtaz was buried in a readymade palace. If

s plan had actually been made. It should have been found among

Sbahjohan's court papers. But it is not there. The amount of

Rs, forty million mentioned by the Encyclopaedia Hiiisnnicst it

10 times the amount of four million rupees mentioned by Sbah^ahnn'i

own official chronicler Mufla Abdul Hamid tahori. quoted earlier.

The reader may note this as an example of bow the cost of the

Taj Mahal has been inflated in various accounts.

The Encyclopaedia's reference to ancillary buHdJngi inch n"stables, outhouses and guard quarters " is noteworthy, ftich

flncillaries are never needed by a dead person. On the contrary

they are always needed in a Hindu palace or temple

The octagonal pavilion turrets mentioned In the EncycJoptedi*

are a Hindu royal tradition deriving from the fomaytnt. Rami

is the ideal of Hindu kingship. His capital Ayodhys was octagonal

as mentioned in ValmikTs Rvmym*. Hindu. Sanaknt tradiUon

alone has special names for all the eight directions. It alw spscuT.

apeclal guardian deities for all the eight directions- A kin«|

n suppu

to wield authority in all the 10 dJracUoiw. These 10 am

include the heaven above and the nether world The pwnsai

a building points to the heaven while the buMng . (****£

points to the nether world. Thus an octagonal

*f^^ *its pinnacle and foundation accords with ite ™ u

.

^ntliMmthe king's or Cod's authority extending to all «" ^^^^ft fa. therefore, that orthodox Hindu <^?^?£,+**The octagonal shape of the Taj Mahal Iuk^ » mas0turrets provs it to be out and out Hindu in den*,

tradition an octagon has no significance.

r Tl» TVO Ualwl Is A TVmpfc p^^

wrote**** *rteW*» *» wroo« to tcrmJn»l tbo four m»rb\»

„d the TBJ Mahal » "fninareW.' Muslim minaret,

part of «h» building These ones which are detached

L it* m*m marl* *"*""« "* Hi"t,U pil3arS 0l" *°WPf3 "^;BOLbtc&ed minarets, In Hindu tradition every sacred plinth

i fc* f«awd up with cw™r towers lest it bo mistaken for

mid** let iu now compare the account given by the

fcfrwfanw J^jnafatfA (encyclopaedia)*

TV Jfcteafitow^* Jnyankosh say*" :

T» Taj Mahal i* reckoned as the most beautiful building

lbs worid. It b bested on the southern bank of the Yamuna

r. abort three mOea from Agra City- Twenty thousand workmen

vd to buSd it- The buOding testifies to the excellence that

architecture had thai attained.

giara, Kn*yrtopoHU> Vtrstana

b t6n7 A D, when Shabjahsn was fifteen years old (his

[arperor) Jahangir engaged him to Arjumand Bano alias

Mahal, five yean bier the two were married . She died

» Burhanpur la 163] A. D. Shahjahsn grieved her toss so muchthat be did oat attend court for eight days, Heused to sob inconsolabh/

aar Ma wt!e-

f tomb. She was first buried in Burhanpur, butodj was eahumed and taken to Agra. To the south of Agraimmft had some landed estate. The Emperor purchased

i and called for building plana from eminent architects.

»aa approved and a wooden model of it was gotmeuon of the building as per the model commencedD. and ended in January 1643 A. D. Makammal

I AMul Karvn were the two chief supervisors. The building.00 Afridi aaserta ft cost Ra. 91,700.000 and the

» TTOta** - Amanat Khan Shirari, Essa mason,nnuher. ZatmuEaand iWar; [smaD Khan Rumi•Up^nchJe ((fc) . j^^^

^y MM varieties has hm Used in lhe bui]dj

rtown.yWdJnj:RS) iro^^enueforthoupkoep>. ahnptuid garden."

Comparing itw two encyclopaedic account* obviourfon some of the moat himdy concocUona avaDafoiiithj^

^"*

^Ujt,,, wr find that they ,jn.uy difr*r ft™ ^XT*"4^The vacant estate referred to above 1, t rdac™,«*ptv*, .

SbahMhan a court chrome er assert* that & w« Man^tf,', loftypalace eet amidst a majestic garden that wai chosen fi>r Mumtai't

The Matentshtreey* Jnyankosh asserts that Shabjahan called

for plans from different eminent archilecta tad aetata! on* Aaagainst this the Encyclopaedia Briiarwica wanta us to believe that

it was a council of architect* who Jointly planned the monument.

Here we would like to ask which were the uxkdusctunil ftctooli

where these srcMtocta studied or taught? Where are Ihdr

architectural text - books to be found In undent or raediMyvd

Muslim literature ? As against ibis we can list hundreds of text*

of tbe ancient Hindu system of architecture and civil en$neering.

We shall also prove subsequently how tbe Taj Mahal nruwm to

Hindu specifications in every detail-

Another question that a true rweflrcher must ask Wmwtf it

whether even a single blueprint . among, may be, the drama wndered

.

is available among Shahjahan 'a court papers? Along with thoat

blueprints should tdso be tbouaaiuls of receipts givw for tbe material

received, the day-today expense account of the amount* spent

on tbe Tfej Mahal, and the labourer*' muiter rolls.How i* i

that not even a scrap of paper of the ktada de^rrib^d abov*. »

available ?

While the B*yctop*H* Britmnica mentions only« w«

refem.ee to it. mentions those of MakamTnal Khan. Abdul Ka^m

and a few others*

Budstehmtma, does not mention an*

icntfoned « 22 y«art toJnyankosh, like the

While the period of construction ^""""V l3^ in

an. Encyclop^i* ****** 1^^^ *m -

m , v«_ ,i« 1*1 *«r «i one of the many ""^

M V-11 «%^^ Jliiwrtw*, (hid

TavomJer while the biter on one

accounts.

Tiw Taj Mahal U A Ttetnpto p^

th_ -^ ifrnvkVHii* Mtwnk* somehow Choo^

h*w«« th* d*w •»•* "» differef1t «»wod*

IV) (ll tlM «> B*. M7.flO.OW. Wo ar* * „ loss

, ^ «, what authority «** "*** or dl*believe tb,

t/ rut*, four mflll* a*"1 * a^J^™'* ofncW chf»nrfc1or,

U may l» noted Umt both the Envelop***'* Brihtnoht and

0* JAAMiAirmw M**"* ** « "20 '000 1*bourers " A.

* shown ajrfl*- Jt l» Tawnier who claims that 20,000 labourers

«r»«njiloH- TNf fart Umi'u» encyclopaedias have to rely on

Tnwntar'i fltfurt »b«»*» that Siahjaban's court records make no

matins of n> labourer* or at tost of any sizeable labour force.

Tha it * Klarin* anomaly, Shahjiihan's court papers should have

hud regular muiur roll of the huge number of labourers who

am supposed to haw tolled for years on end in building the Taj

Mahal TV •bwncr of any such record is a clear indication that

Shahjihsa did ran bufld the Taj Mahal. He only buried Mumlazla • oammindorrrd mansion. TSvernkr was only a casual foreign

vidtor I ll« figure t* only beamy gathered from bluffing , chauvinistic

Mualim haimwson it Shahjahsn'* court who were interested in

•oortlng Mutlim "•chirvnnonU".

•••

CHAPTER VII

A RECENT CONCOCTION OFTHE SHAHJA11AN LEGEND

A REMARKABLE instance of how the antecedents of the Ts] Mahal

continue to be a "free-foT^all" theme for all write* even to our

own day is provided by an article published11in tht Hlustnted

Weekly of India.

We shall first reproduce the whole arude and then ottnnunt

on it- The article, a typed copy of which wai provided io us by

a friend, is as follows :

"TOE BUILDERS OF THE TAJ MAHAL • ANCIENT SCBET REVEALED

"TOURISTS come from the worM over to see the Taj at Agra

and all marvel at tbe genius of the archltecta thai could plan and

accomplish so lovely a 'dream to marbte" They wsrecoenna^alonad

by tbe Mogul Emperor Shabjahan to raise • mausoleum beflttfag

his love for Mumtaz Mahal, bis beloved consort; sod they «**

this Wonder of the World.

"Yet. despite sinuous efforts to discover a their ide**,

had remained a my**; wfld^ « "^"^^Swere abroad, Even Bcrnier (W *^> "J^J££ «the architect was killed left the secret of b* •* be

a rival to tbe Taj created. M^t*

"Rut the s<*r* H* at W^^^iTSTlbook discovered U* h ** ^^iL****-Bandore. The glory of buMng^.^^ * bis three

to a family of Lahore architects. Ahmad the"^ d^ur „

by Mohamad Khan. putflahsd «" tht UW*"

daUri April 4. !*»•

author bring Uihfuttoh Mahandis. himself one of the rhtfvhluciB. and ft •* «Im«* 30& v**™ old, falling ^j^ ** **>

ywr* of Shahjahan"* reign. * la*

H h» ban declared to be the only copy m o,e

tbt w*fl -known authority on thew matters. Syed Suleiman &vNatfvi, Principal. Shibly Academy. Azamgarh.

^,ib

a noticed"The book (a in Mahandis* own handwriting. As

from different verses, the author was a staunch followerc i

Shlkoh, finahjahan's eldest son, and when AurangTeb finally <£to power, after defeating Dam Siikoh, the author and his famii*wffcred. He sent a petition la the Emperor (page 67) bin oa "t

was not heeded the family had to retire into seclusion and poverty(page 68}

.

y

"It seems that the book was very secretly kept by the familyin far of Aurangzeb. as it contained verses in praise of Dars Shikoh,The lubeequent dates and writing on the last page show that thebook am brought and was kept in the library of the historical

peraenage Nawab Ebrahim Khan Hazbar Jung, the famousMohammedan general nicknamed Cardy, who sided with theMahtrataa in the battle of Panipat in 1761 against Ahmed ShahAbdall. The book has been in the family of the present owner for"wrations. but it was not noticed until Moutana Sycd SuleimanJidvi. lie well-known historian, author and editor of the Moariffthe monthly journal of the Society of Authors and Shibly Academy,

m, U.P.) discovered it and. on information gleaned fromW a lengthy Urdu paper on the builders of the Taj in the

Punjab University,

U* s!^*Vera<* °n tW° ***** of "» book described «" ^e aricle,

^P™** Sbahiahan, and speaks of his father Ahmed.

a^^ Ube unitl«e of the world), as supreme

mmUi ' Urometer, astronomer and prosateur. He was

bTiaT?^1 ** Shahiahaf>

'

s ^y^ Warrant, and was

91 Mb He di. i

™W Bt Agr* md **•^ Qmla fRed Fm>»<Jsof hk 7

,S49*

l*° yeara after tho T«J *»*» &&* Tbe

/"". C0 *WE**** ^ the Taj, learnt at his feet/'

18 to 17 vmr. ^ i

"* ^ M^aJ *as completed within

* Anumand Banu fc^-, death ^ not 12. 13

A Racant Concoction Of Tha Shah]ah«n Ufmtf

or 22 years as the earlier wenrfona baka.

We fully agree with the lea™* writar MrMohsmed Khar, ,w• "despite strenuous efforta to discover the Identity of tbt archil*that could plan end accomplish so lovely b "drew* in mirtAt UmIdentity has remained a mystery,"

That means tbal the nanua given In ibe encyclopedia, ^o^above are not considered reliable by anybody, Hod Um beenconsidered reliable nobody would have bothered to contuuuf tbt

search Tor the "rear names. The search will never ml bocnat

it is proceeding in tbe wrong direction. Tbia unending sardt aitself proof that Shahjahan did not build the Taj Mahal, Had ht

really built it. the names of the architects and all tbe* other valid

details would have found a place in contemporary chranicka and

bis own official chronicle.

But despite the unouthentkaty of Ihe differing names mentioned

by the encyclopaedias in describing the Taj Mahal, * do not hlama

the encyclopaedias. Their accounts art obviously based on the di*ene

imaginary veraJong recorded in a number or Muatfm uccoonta likt

Mohammad Amin Kazwim's BmfshahiwnB, Abdul Hamld lahori'i

Badstehnnm*. Inriyat Khan's Shxhphan-mtma; MohammadWWBodskahmunn. Mohammad SalihKambua Amfri-Sdih, Mohammad

Sadik Khan "a Sahahjnhun-aam». Mohammad Shanf Hamf

M»WwSal*tin; Mufanal Khan's TmKh-i-MufmHlL^^Khan'a MM-i-Akm. andabohis Mu«m J"^rn

'\^f^\Zinnt-ul-Tmirikh and Bai Bharal MoB.'s toWart tafltt-i*

and the Biwrn-i-AfUdi.

All tbe above Muslim chronicle are. ^^^/J^Elliot and almost all Western scholars. ' 'an tanpuM«^^^fmud.

•ff^iuii** ft

Snce the ******* "^J^i^'iao. hav

is no wonder that they, and through them»r™^but

in relation to tbe entire range or med.aeval iwwir^^ ^ ^

G^"« back to Mr. Mohamed *£££l .^ **~e«mining in thfa chapur. w^ BOJ

""^j,^

aa to their {architecta" ) origin bring foreign

Elan

Tlw TpJ MMiui la A Tr*n|4» py^

mmw tiiw «> •»«••* • U»fhlBWndnw,a

-Tha wn,j *'«**

ir+ftre In unto ** ""^ to to"*m lwn<" bUt to *U °r

*Jhnh^,h«n^

janMnmninm toriwdinf nrtAw. That it to say. even the laso

Muahm (or for that msU«- *** Hindu I MM bang mentioned

•r* pm.!u.i» mf nwtfl* guesses.

W» ash, whst right anybody ha* to make guossai when

Shah)ahan» own owl* chronicler mention! no designer?

••Rwi Bernier." "dds Mr Mohammed Khan. " notes only a

rumour that the archil** ™" WlM lest the secret of hLi art be

revealed and rival to the Taj be created."

'

Her* *r would Uk* to tdl all renders nnd students of Ttistory

10 nmnmlwr one lumdfenp of Western visitors during Muslim rule

In India The Mualim court being a parasitical graft deriving Its

ausUnant* from the rap of plunder and massacre, it exuded nothing

bui falaahnodt arid rumours. Even ordinary talk was nil bluff and

blunter The Western visilon at Muslim court* had willy nilly to

nexwd tha facile and facetious replies they got from hangers-on

at the Muallm court,

When, therefor*, poor gullible Bernier asked to be shown the

master architect of the Taj Mahal be was effectively silenced and

pu i off by being told that the designer was murdered so that he

may not build a rival Ta) Mahal for any rival of Shahjahun. A

myriad questions jump to the surface of our mind on reading this

absurd plea

At the outset, of course, we agree that the fictitious * "designer**

of thr Taj Mahal could be "murdered" with Lbe same facility with

which he was "muted" Writers of shilling shockers often create

and kill some of their characLera with a mere flourish of their

pon There is no rcw»n why wagging tongues at Shahjuhan's court

nead have been tagging in that art.

Ob* of the questions which arise is why was not Bernier told

at least the name of the murdered man so thai ho could have

recorded It for posterity ? Or ia it argued that even the name was

"murdered" 1

The second question ia, whether raiting a Taj Mahal it merefun ao thai anybody could get up and book the name architect

A Bcami Concoction CM Tb» Shabjsbn Ufmrf

for bunding another Ta| Mahal? W«s ibere a *»** rf g|fw_Muslim wldowera under 9|ah|ahan'a rule who *«, ksas,^-TaJmahala over the corpses of their own consorts to a« anook at auihjahan? Why .hould Shehjahen dread 1Behineventuality ? Who had the money to buud another Taj Mahal? W«are going to prove in the aucceadlng paga that em Shahjahanhimself did not possess the means to order « building half sa baaotifut

majestic and spacious aa this ancient Hindu palace-cum -tempi*

known to us as the Taj Mahal.

The third question is. whether Shahjahnn was playing to tbt

gallery and seeking a cheap exclusive architectural patent for tha

Taj Mahal in wanting to forestall and foreclose other damn, or

was he a genuine, inconaolably bereaved ipouae? One* we art told

(by Tavemier) that Shahjahan buried MumLai daw to a bsxar

to win public approbation. Then we are told that he murdered the

architect to prevent him from obliging some other likely grand

Moghul in building a rival monument. AH this makes ua wonder

whether Shahjahan was a dignified emperor or a clown of tome

Smkespearean play with his hand on a dead Mumlat's pults no'

his eye fixed on public acclaim 1

Yet another question Is, whether Shahjshsn. so anft-htsiiad

«s to squander all his wealth on a dreamland monument for tod

dead wife, would at once turn so wild and ueacheroui ss lo otctfe

the very architect who gave a concrete form lo hit dream

I

Another doubt which arises la.^*^^Kto live in sack-cloth and ashes after expending a» hi. «**

Immortalismg a corpse? .

•km*, to m> -*-rf-W.-»*"*—*

». „-. o< «* gynwiy« »« •-"*••""

•n,e<lc^«Uvl>-litaPP«>"cb • * '"^"-n,-! i» imi""^

KM Ttw Taj M*hal Is A Tempi* Palac

Th» rather of tb# article Mr. Mohammed Khm, claims that

"the ••«** has «i but b«n found" W* wish b* nadly had found

ft Wf a» rwiy to accrpt a part of lb* implication of his claim,

namely „ that all ihe books and accounts hitherto ascribing the creation

of thr T*ij Mahal to other Architects are false. But as for the second

part of hit daim, that his version t* the last word on the mntter,

wp Err ifmid ft is untenable*

Still, w* attach itreat value to hfs discovery of tbs manuscript

in the IFbntiy of Mr. Mahmud Khan of Bangalore, because it further

support* very firmly th< Assertion we had made long back. Our

aaaortian is that so far a? we know no historian or university has

**er damJ to bring together under one cover all the (fictitious)

accounts of ShahjahjuTs sponsorship of the Taj Mahal - No one could

ever hope to succeed fn such an undertaking. It was like trying

to fathom « bottomkss abyss of forgeries or fencing off an ocean

of falsehoods.

What Mr. Mohammed Khan has discovered, therefore, is nothing

but yet inotiHT fictitious account. Any number of auch could still

be discovered in any port of the world, because who knows how

many person* . during the last three hundred years* had their fingers

in this make-believe pie of the imaginary Shahjahan sponsorship

of the Taj Mahal.

The article Itself has the*

'germs"' to indicate that the "pie**

is stale stuff. The very fact that the book is s bodge-podge of

the praise of one Moghul prince and a claim by the author of having

been a master-builder of the Taj Mahal along with his father and

two brothers, and the fact of the book having been lucked away

m s cellar for fear of Aurangzeb - all clearly proclaim that LathfuDah '

a

accwnl deserves to be ranked no better than the other Muslimchrunidw namely as y« another cock-and-bull story*

Aursngufeb *w too shrewd, hardhearted and hard-headed anempmir Ut tolerate such fantastic and fictitious claims. We havequcitol Aufwipeb's own letter to that efTed elsewhere in this bookWb« ht knew from pmonal knowledu* (unlike modern historians)thst the Tsj Mahal was an uwrp*i Hindu palace, what Muslimmason or architect owld dare cany favour with him claiming tobt us a*M#r! h was Ub fact which ubviously led tathfultah

A Ikceftt CoeeosilQn Of Tha Sh^hm Ucn4I

Mflhandta to fe*ull* ihs tedium of an un«n^Ht^ .

WTn* Persian vine and tucking away U* book bi • c*ar to E5^d regale posterity. Ho does not aw* to havs b^m v»for here we are, confronted with his vmtan, and wfttfZ Mimplicitly m a aa the ultimate and exriusiv* ^prf lflrth ^JTlast won! on the Ta| Mahal, But alaa. even this hum. %w^an *nreceive by posterity coldly and dropped life a hot bride, it duto make any ImprasaidQ. How could It hope to, anyway 7 My venimof SbBbjahan's sponsorship of the Taj Mahal will hm to tot a

battery of questions - So Ahmad Mataandia" claim toohas been wfjerad

to glide silently down the drain of history by in unimpreawri posterity

,

unwept, unsung and unheeded.

Yet we are ready to concede two uses of the IjAhfuDah vmta.Its authoritarian claim is useful as a stick to beat the other cqtuDy

fictitious versions with, and to turn them out of the fkM of history

Its other use is that we see no harm in admitting tathfaDab

Mahsndis' claim that be, his two brothers and thar fstfwr Ahmad

were among those employed by Suhjahan si gravtriom,

stone-masons, scaffolding-ere^^

had those superficial changes made in toning a commandeered Himta

palace into a fjravelyard-

flere we also admit that the different names «vw in iha various

hand and

Muslim bxtib.in the sense thai persona bearing tbooe nana

nlavcd a role in turning the Hindu palm* Into

221£US ******««£—;[Zof which only * few hundred tmnm\ta*. com, down to

there to no iwnmi why they should be uitrot. ^^^^^But R is the n>,e tb* . beingfMI «

«

>*£^t»^L h why .he^ h«^:ZZ?l*^#"years, with the maak riDuig J^^Jr <***W MiM-

UP hy ^ther to par.de - the*l*£'*in admitting ril the imml«*«

^ ^.w „„*«

to be lh03e of the MB^^^„ flhWirrt^^r^tomb tronsforrwUon^'^^Sw-* J**""".^^truth moodhi ev^f^^^Tr . — ^^^^to one of .he tori* of ihe "«»** „„„ ^to^* rw**

A new finding , if U » **^!T*ttoloo^ end. of the older version.

Yet AnoUwr Confumd Account

CHAPTER VIII

YET ANOTHER CONFUSED ACCOUNT

M ICCXWSUNCS with our plan to acquaint the reader with*- wateaaaj; of the wide variety of the traditional, confused

of tor origin of the Tnj Mahal, we are reproducing here'w Dtohcr article

1

" which also appeared fn The Illustrated

The article rum thus ;

to* Taj Mahal was built, the many mechanical aidsbit ware unheard of; yet the extraordinary ingenuity

i amatractioi, and the high degree of engineeringM"i in fta design make the mind pause.

"»** ™kahte ware the talent and skill of the artisansM toia fabulous architectural dream into brick

ft long and 373 ft. wide was excavated

<ml "**"* ***** W8i "*• 1^ whole

-S.™ trmT* "2 ™ bbte ^ne fa Mniulic«» foundat,on for ih. three heavy structures.

"«. About 20,000 men were engaged on

i. J?mQi * tbe ^J WahaJ- 313 Hi

T^T *** *ilh hy^uhc lime mortar^T^^^the rubble masonry"» t«« marble facing was set.

*** «ri2 «ia^K*"^^ «n.

together end nlcflfuny tied with ujp |W(h ^ .

.

bo smaced .a to carry a atrong platform, 40 it 2! ****•' *roadway with o slope of I In ST), to i-™h t~._, '

."" *«!™" ^* mu* ami ,**for ceawinjctini

carta to run over it, and to bold dump, of matcrlaliwork- This spiral platform was coounuou, «* randome, and remained In position UJ1 u,8 work n ^^designed height of 240 ft, above ground level l^T* * ^wereengagcJ tobundtheacaffoldtagandpl^fo^.^^r;and 300 blacksmiths were employed on this pr^ ime^llength of the spiral platform was about 4.800 ft The mortar ihoisted by means of Persian wheeJa which w«e fitted on (ha snfaplatform. These were worked by bullocks and mules

"The materials for the massive work were brought from manydistant places. The marble stone was obtained from MsJerana in

Rajputonn, for which about a thousand elephant* wen engaged.

The maximum weight of a block of stone w*a abont J.S toot,

which is the safe carrying capacity of an elephant A number of

elephants were also engaged to work the pulleys

*'The Umber for scaffolding was brought from the Kashmir

and Kaini Tal areas. About 200G camels and 1000 bullockcarta wttt

employed for carting bricks ami light materials to the oon&rurtJan

site and about 1000 mulea for lifting the material! atoflf the tplml

platform.

"The marble stone required for dram and dome wu draaaai

on the ground and then lifted and laid in position by mama of

the pulleys.,,

"After the main dome and drum work was finished, work

on annexes and subsidiary buildings was uken in hand and coropkiad

In the same manner...

"There are four minarets at the four comers or toe Tal Mahal-

"The river Jumna was hair s mile away fromlb* *™^After the building was completed, theri»«f«"to How alongside tho Taj to add tt> tho beauty or U» lati

Contemporary Muslim »^«*"*? "^ELm **who designed and construct* Uw Taj Mshal. and^^ ,,.

quantities of precious stones used. H «PP" "AnRMmi Amor*

Afandi. of Turkey, was the chief dosignar mi «"

^TVlit^MT^^

of money, would be « ]«** « ,-present vajue

construction ™ "> post-mortem of the

n» account of how IK* *j;r

*• for a. an„_ ^ " *w "> »«™ii» ft.

• "wfcru ion,,." "M ««1»1 fa, to convert | m,

^^^.li^^ "•"*• 1» hdped covert the

Y* j^atbfr Confu*** Aoccont

°o n«wAad

^ for diverting the distant Yamuna rrrer to flow daw

^ fa, Mahal the less Mid the tetter, bow «* anJL Muslim regimes tacked all such ikffl The frv **** uj,,

, :. those day of incessant plunder and turner* eancsapai

J^e devoted u> teaching a few flliterat* fanatiea to read thtT.or»

We m*81 thflt anci™t ** ni*^**^ Maslm Iterator* bae as

nitectural teatis of 1U own which cooM akteast mak« out . prtaa

fide esse for the claim to any architectural or cM nxlwin

vjjl As against this, we have a whole lot of Indian, Haidi

Mjd3iwctural ctassaks which boast of akQta la afl asptcta of ml

engineering surpessing those of our own time*. So wonder than

that we see standing even to this day the majestic and maaan*

hill fortresses of Aimer. Jodhpur, Jatsalmer and Bflaner, at w*

as the wonder shrines of Remark. Khajuraho. Soraaath. Ajaala,

EBora, Madurai. Martand and Modhera, tn name ordj a few

Hindu forta and palaces always uaed to be b

for two reasons. Rivers provided a natural moat ai kaat oa

side and proved an unfailing, perowial source of water, T

of Msnsmgb CU. the one inherited by Wm and not

built by him) was. therefore, already erected on ibii

i «r

That palace is the present Taj Mahal and therefore, dhrofthi

river was oot of the question*

The ngures of 1 ,000 buBock-carWl.DOOmutaa and

2.000J

are too round to be believed- Moreover. aBowinf f ***™*,

eaggaration we concede tte d «£J^j£^| .*necessary when a huge palace compJei had w «

for transformation into a tomb* ! Iw uibT flattno^*

We. however, object to the word '«nin^?' ",^ilffar««t

The Taj Mahal has towers but no minium-There JbtfMm§ <f

between the two. MusEm ininareta riseJ/™^ ^ m ta

buildings. Hindu towers start from "'VtJL— aha*

'

so-called Rutub Minar CDelhi). the ao-calM j^Sflcri) the marble towers of the Taj Mahal sm

lower in Chittor fort. .

Mr. Mohammed Din asaerta that'

w^ ^ ^

and wtnnda as fresh « it was at the ^^ d a*

Wo ere in full agreement with thtir>gied

la*

But .ince he implies that the *

-- Th* Ti| Mahal b A Temple fed**

Umr, w di«»pw and wy Mutf U* temple palnce known ju the

TW Mahsl e»s«*«d ceniuriw More the Muslim invasion* of India.

In ihe comltullrm portion of ihc article tho writer lelis m that

thr pr**tou» vtoncs uw>d tn the Taj Mahal included MO pities of

cwrolkn fmm Bfl^bdnd, 670 lurquoita from Upper TOot, and

•o on. Here wr> would only IFke to quote ihc sagacious Sir H. M>

riliiM. H<* S»yf :w "The pretended accuracy and minuteness wilh

which the value of gold, silver nnd pnxious stones fs given and

the astounding eaggpraUorr dbpluyed in cnum^r&i £ng sums convey

to ihff mind utrong iniemnl evidence of fabrication"

Though the above remarks of Sir H. M. EUJoi pertain to the

many versions of the JAhmtgimamayet they havea general application

to nil Muslim chronicles,

W* would, Lherefor*, like lo inform the writer of the article,

Mr Mohammed Din, and other readers* that the very moiicu-lousnoss

wiLh which Ihe figures and sources of various stones are given

should arouse their suspicions A discerning and gifted historian

like the late Sir H. M. Elliot could with hia uncanny insight see

through all such concoctions.

The documents to which the author of the article refers, which

Mtefedly contain an accurate account of the amounts incurred on

the Taj Mahal, can easily be proved to be forged by the simple

fact that the expenditure incurred on the Taj Mahal varies in different

versions from four million rupeea to over ninety million rupees*

In bt&wven lie* the source from which Mr Mohiimniwl Din quotes

the expenditure to have been in the neighbourhood of 15 million

(a cron and a half) rupees.

The reference to the'

' Umber pasta bundled together' ' ta another

dittil which betrays the unaulhcnUcfty of Mr. Mohammed Din's

mxmx because Tavemjer has already told as that no Umber being

mD*Mt, aS scaffotding had to be of bncka and that la why the

o»t of the scaffolding exceeded that of all other work executed*

And above iD the gnatosi drawback of Mr, Mohammed Din'srtkk is thai he quotes no authority for his facts and figures.

CHAPTER IX

THE BADSHAHNAMA VERSIONANALYSED

THE SAMPLE versions quoted earlier should suffice to convince

the reader of the medley that is the Suthjahan \pgmi of U» Tai

Mahal, The more one goes into it the mare confu*d tint feels

As observed earlier, they form a big bottomless abyss which nobody

can fathom . From everyday experience we know Unita basic falsehood

la never adequately covered or explained by aubsequaii falsehoods.

Such falsehoods go on multiplying In bewildering variety. Thii is

exactly what has happened with regard lo the Taj Mahal.

After a general survey of the various sources from which

concoctions of the Sbahjahan legend of the Ta| Mahal h»v# sprouted.

we have arrived at the conclusion that Multo Abdul Harokl Lshuri.

the court chronicler who admit* the Taj Mahal lo be a HJnfc pokac*.

is the only honest one.

Let m, therefore, examine his cr.ron.cle s liUlr more ii v

this confusion about the origin of the Taj MahalAll

IfJB

14. *\ *7. Elliot A bvmm*. History, (hid. Vol, VI.

because historians completely ignored the wording jRl P*»

Vol. I, of the Bsdstehnam*. Perhaps hi. words got*»£*£they had all along fancied the Tsj M*W * * - <g*j£rniaed as . fabulous dreamed monument »*»-™^^find him * be more truthful and honest kt »^^L.

;

look st the account of the Ta) Mahal given to the *

have tended to tell us that Shahjahan ob^» J-^land from Jtosingfc and built a wonder "*"—

14^ J«in<b

Abdul Hamid with disarming candour *"V^for &, fabutou*

who wki given sn open piece of tond inj^; tnotitrsJ

Cnuuuil, **H m*nz3, imsa/*^'***™"! .V ^ * ma***-

domed pd.ee We are *o told ** *>^

MBTh* Taj Mahal It A Tempi* Palace

(»& atww) K""J«" irnuna ,l

ig.huhMi wanted "» *»M «iylhJn|t rf" """ wouW *•

^JT. -ft, which h»d a majestic palsc* Jading on it ? The

„* <* jt* demolition and clearing of its foundation u> dig

ILfr would b» stupendous. Carting away the debris, would be

uOarm Herculean chore. And would he spend all that time.

mm? and energy »hen be had another "grand" plot of land

which he « ***• ^ nj,ve ^ven to ^s'ngti m CJtcnanBe ' Besides.

what does the exchange show? Dora it not show th.it Shahjahan

wanted Jaistngb to fend for himself by building another residence

while Shahjshan made him surrender his ancestral palace lo serve

aa a ready-made tomb for hit wife, as well as by the same stroke

further impoveri&b a wealthy Hindu family and denude it of its

power? Was this also not consistent with thegeneral Muslim usurping

tradition in India and of Shobjahnn's own high-handed behaviour

wfth ill aid sundry whfch we shall deal with in a subsequent chapter 7

We would like the reader to not* that Multa Abdul Humid Lahorf

refer* to the removal of Mum tax's body from Burhanpur to Agra

la a very casual manner while talking on page 402 about somebody

having been suitably punished for incurring royal anger. Mumlaz'a

body is brought from Burhanpur and straightaway buried under

Ihi dome of a lofty Hindu palace in Agra, What does it show?Lahori says the expenditure estimated (lo transform it into a Muslimtomb. I.e. digging and filling up a grave, constructing a cenotaph,

seating surplus staircases and basement rooms, engraving the Koran,erecting s huge scaffolding) was four million rupees. We pass thia

figure as reasonable except perhaps for some exaggeration andover-estimate to allow for misappropriation by middle men. Thenfollows a long sUmoe.

Mulls Abdul Humid Ubori gives some names and details ofconstruction, on pages 322 u> 330 In the second volume of his

tfjAsAiwM. He Mart* from the "foundation" which is oftenm^rHkn^od u> mean the foundation of a huge palace. A grave

u> .tan rrom the 'foundation" beam* a dead body is to be

TH ^T.r^1 * "** lhul thc *"**"« brought

•will god masonry

Tb# ftottuhahTum* Vtnion Anajy*^

rupee, war. spent on the gray, (SlldluH

|. not surprising. Tne .animate fa, J*£ *T»*»' 1*mulion C40 lakhs) rupees, ducting the £ JT£ "" **'

the grave and the cenotaph from the ov^n rtptt* *»

the Roranie engraving U]^^the^Xl^re^h various odghta^f the **. ^J^^^We have full corroboration for tbJl ^.^ J^™"than thai of the enUre work. Here the coat of the .JfoidiogTKoramc engravings is seven Umea that of the grave and^TAs we have several times earlier point*! out. this dlaprcmortionst*expenditure on the scaffolding itself is proof enough that the mainwork waa comparatively Insignificant.

Some readers are likely to consider five lakhs of rupees forthe grave and the cenotaph abnormal expenditure, and therefore

would conclude that something else was buDt with that amount.

Such a conclusion is unwarranted, firstly, because Mulls Abdul

Hamid Lahori himself has given us correct Idea of the p»W*

taken over. Secondly, as we have already pointed out, Muslim figures

have to be cut to size by deducting exaggeration and over-atimst*

margins. The remaining figure would be reasonable because

demolishing the basement flooring and the ground flooring of a

palace and superimposing a grave and a cenotaph on them and

redoing the mosaic to match with the rich flooring of a Hindu

palace, is bound lo cost a huge sum.

The following conclusions emerge from what Emperor

Shahjahan 's own court chronicler baa recorded lii the official history

of the reign, Badshahnsma t

1. The Taj Mahal is s Hindu palace.

2, It had around it a majestic and spadoua garden.

S. The huge building complex was obtained in exchange

at ofl) for almost a song. U- •* bast transferrin! to ths own*

Ml. P. 714, Badjuhiwrt*, Vol. W. ataiasi •

"W. panj lakh rupaye bar rsutay. faun-wars. WWWaan bar ruje aameen dseda sismao ft* daada.

m

as

sna-

il *

TT* Taj Mahal T3 A TVmpU? P"lBW>

.mj fjihy because the location

*"^ '7; jt,H~ "<* mentioned. Most probab.y

• of ^ *<*« "V^ i4tt d by turn.ng Jasingh

mm blatanl e*proP™*l0n

The detail that Jaisingh wasr^pM IV" a,

^ ^ ^ w«i1thy -Ki*«a £««\ ^ i9 obvi()USly n

1 The Hindu palace had dome,

& Mumiai was buried. *> they W, under that dome soon

^ bar exhumrf body was .brought tan Rurbanpur to Ago.,

if at all

6 The csumaUd expenditure (to transform the Hindu palace

into Muslim tomb) was Rs. 40 lakhs, (tbe actual expenditure

ti unknown)-

: Of the above sum. Rs. S lakhs was spent on the grave

and cenotaph and the balance of Rs. 35 lakhs on the scaffolding

and the Koranic engravings.

8. Designer or architects arc out of tbe picture, since the Taj

Mahal waa never raised by Shahjahan.

9. Tbe Hindu palace was known as Mansingh's palace during

Emperor Shabjahan'e time though it was in the occupation of bis

grandson Jaijingo

The above account being fairly plausible fits with the truth

that the Taj Mahal it an ancient Hindu palace commandeered for

eonvmian into Muslim tomb.

Subsequent gueasn about the archiUct. and doubts such asitaat the figure of the amount spent on the Taj Mahal (Rs, 40to) >• loo bw. m altogether unified und unwarranted.

•••

f'HAPTEft X

TAJ MAHALCONSTRUCTION PERIOD

WE ARE going to show from this chapter oowerdi how thawhole Shahjahan legend of the Taj Mahal is baaed on fueaswaraStarting from the unwarranted assumption that Shahjahan had theTaj Mahal erected as • tomb for his wife Mumlai, every detail

has been conjured up by different writers according to their ownfancy. In the result, history has been burdened with a man of

canards which baffled all attempts at getting to the origin of the

Taj Mahal.

In thia chapter we intend examining the question of Hi actual

period of construction- Had the Taj Mahal really been built by

Shahjahan, there should have been no room or necessity for any

guess-work, for we should have had official record* of the

commissioning and execution of such a stupendous monument from

start to finish ? The absence of any authentic record is a glaring

discrepancy. Some documents and records which si times find

mention in some writings sre apparent forgeries because they are

hardly believed in by anybody.

If the Taj Mahal originated as tomb the date of

commencement should be related to Mumtax's death. But to *«

with, the very date of the death of this lady is unknown-

This is what Mr. Kanwar lid .ays" "Humla* ****£in 1630, the date of her death being 7lh June.

.

but

*J"*™^have erroneously placed the event in 1631

.

There la w.

in respect of the dale calculated; some um*» ™ "w

17- P. 29, Ihe Taj by Kanwar 14, paW** "» " *

Hqum, 57 Daryaganj. Delhi. Price R». ^

mTb» TuJ Mahal ! A Tvr,-,,,|., i^^

B-, Mumui. twfi l»» *ff* "" *>0U!d upon by Ouihjanan „*> mule mil in OcUUnoB accounts of Ihi origin of the rn

j

(rtjH ihrre cw l» woh * tamenHblr divergence on the

M# <i **r <*<*& T All » *» «w K *"* ta >huW ,"M,r-W d«*h

fenib wiuml >o SwilWlwwi- »" WM <mn of hb mnny ™nsoilj|

"

f temn iMllfckJ wfth «l J""1 ^A** 0,hcr ctalmanUt or the

canpN-or'i emnroua attention.

A* MumiJU was just one among thousands of the emperor's

far death could never calf for any special monument

Th# data of Muntil 't tftuth befog unknown we are al i toss

to know from where lo counl th* *ix months that her body lay

Oat |-nM» In Rurhraifwr Even that figure, "six months", mayiW ell be (Mi).v approiimate and not accurate.

Even on arrival in Agra,, we ore (old, Mumtax was buried "the

nan your" ' urnlw the dome of the Hindu palace. This makesUn data of her bona) e»m more vague.

In spit* of this fundamental vagueness we would hove uece|it<sl

ihr duration of the period during which the Taj Mahal who a-buildingthere had bean any consensus about it among historians.

OnfortuiatWy, tberf ia none. IjA us see ho* many versions there

raster*;** Jtymkosh quoted by us earlier says1 "

j£* i«W A That gives us i period of a liUle has than

owjmanod in UQ£ Mor. ,.„ " ™ a*J"' tn* Gilding was

*-^^^T^T^ ** * »* though** -VtZSTZiT ****"* <wnpW.." Unlike the

j * **** o^p^ l^^^^^ythernnusoleum""WntSI, stable, and guard and

B aVn A . .

~"

T,j Malml tJoturt/ueKoij IVriod

Ml(fuesL rooma T Was Mumt« ,tiu syppo^ . ^^BWfty th« bunja and escorted by tar** ^^^ J*™

B'' <»«*>*

a|* slaw expected to receive guests?'wmtaaaartti wm

3. Tavernier*B account runs oemplntdy <** «-versions which form the basis of the wicydnoBBdu

** *" Miulm

above. The Encyclopedia Britannia, account hTfcu^T^'^

of the Tavcmler and Muslim accounu taaamuchTit tar^"figu its of 20.000 workmen and 22 years from TavemWjZ^iwmving in it the 1

1 or 12 y«r period fanded in Mu.||m!^^^vernier aays" he «wH«*rt the ^mn,***^ ^

accomplishment of this great work on which they expended 22 yaaqduring which 20.000 men worked incessanUy.. Thi coat of it

|

been enormous.. The scaffolding alorw cost more than thr mowwork...**

Ever* presuming that TavernSer arrived in Agra in l«] ^ithe work began soon after his arrival there, it «hould hm kaUdfrom 1641 lo 1663. But, Shahjahan was deposed and impraoned

by his son Aunuigzcb tn IBSfl. flow then oould the work of tbs

Mumtaz mausoleum proceed until I9K1. i,e five ymn oJVr hii

losing control of stale affairs? And if, In fact. It did. what art

we to make of some Muslim aaounta whkh claim thai th* work

had ended in 1643 ? Then* agiifn, th« problem of UV commmoonmt

of the construction still remains banging tn the air.

4. Mr. Mohammed Dins article3 quoted earlier issffta. "1*1

construction of the Taj Mahal was begun in IG32 and »«) aol

completed 03 1650.*' Here again we come across the usual vajuan

Mr, Mohammed Din seems lo be sure only Of th* dei# wh«>

'

huflding commenced. If we take 1632 as the y«rdtmm****

then what are we to make of Tavemlcr's aiaertioii that to.

started in Ws presence 7 EvenacctptingMr.Mohanunrdl

of the dale of commencement we wonder why ba i

vague and unconvinced about the date «- "«•**• ^TTwaa complete? His version therefore glv» us a paw

wilh a big question mark thereafter.

21. PP. "Oft-lit, TreviHiin fndai. "*•' _ a, u*M

S3 Th« lllustraud W«kly cf todta da»«d f*

HITTm Tnj Mahal I* A Tempi* Pal^

T„jMJihal Cowwurtlon Parted

A VtC arwthwr version csKmjiU-s tin- TjiJ Muhal lo have boon

MihJfr «*f4nictfnn fw 17 ymra. This is from Mr. Aram'**1

book,

H# says* "Shnl'jnhao commenced building Hie Taj in lfi.ll, ihn

ih ytmt after hi» accession. Severn] di«signs wore propared bymontrr* nf Ihr nil from distant lands but it was Afandr* whichwju approved. From this a wooden model was constructed in 16.10

the very year of Mumtaz's death. The splendid mausoleum w«completed in 16tS, '

It » not even certain that Mum tax died in 1630, Even assumingthat the died In 1630 she perhaps died towards the close of that

year. In such • cue is it possible for llw emperor to make adecision to build a dreamland monument, have a huge amountsanctioned for ft t broadcast his scheme U> distant lands, have artists

prepare plan*, have them sent to Shahjahan, from among which,we are lold, he seJoct*d one, have a wooden model constructed,the necessary workmen collected, the bewildering variety of materialordered and construction begun, all by 1630? Ts this an ArabianNights story or history? Had Shahjahan the peace and securitywiiiin two years or his accession to indulge in such a sentimentalproject? Can things move » fast even in the best of modernadminsiLraUons blessed with swift communications and any number

architectural and civfl engineering schools where one can findi cluster of adept architects and engineers handy? Unfortunatelyiuchanomaliesgabrefailed to arouse the suspicions of any historian,

6. A Like version is also found in 77* Columbia UppJncoitanything. It ipmn to ^ , Bu|ff more gure rf

n£i£?i w™.Tl 8U,Us : '"** ^M *J Ma™ (builtim

) probably the most noted mausoleum in the world..."be arguments repeated above apply to Ibis Gnctuer

^tel^ how could calLng for mausoleum plans, selecting one.•rdartng the bundmg material. eto. all be done )ust in one year ?

_j«*nm<m. Jn^stencie in^^a^ md^^MVl^TrJ^

1^ %*££' ^"^ rt ** H,Wnfln

1W

nddla all wraJona or tho period of onwujrciion of u* T| MAccording to our contention that the u|Unwt,^ J"'

able to round .»ff «lUp|»rrntconli^iciioniU1(/,tQon|,

i' «

our eapHlnriion ' lHal once Mumtaz was burl* In tht.Wnd"^'the work of covering her grave mound wiib raMon J™"a e^oUph nod carving the Koran, dragg* on daXT^!spasmodically over 10. 12, 13, 17 or 22 year,. vntamJTZ^undergoes alterations, renovations or repair* till very «,Z*in the case of the Taj Palace) drag on for yearn by fiu. ^ ^aaccording to the whim of the new occupier. To thii ixunt the

is shade of truth in the different Vermont qwxed ibovs.

• ••

CHAPTER XI

TAJ MAHAL COST)

UJTE THE period of construction, even the cost of the Taj

Mahal }m been subject to vbruo generalizations ranging between

four and ovw ninety million rupeet-

I. TV lowed figure of the cost concerning the Mumtax

mmiokum is thai of emperor Shahjahan's own official chronicler

Mulls Abdul Hamld Lahori, He gives us only the initial estimate

but not the actual expense incurred, His figure is Rs, 40 lakhs

(four million rupees).9

2. Tbt Mahars$htmya jnjmkosh figure exceeds that of

Shahjjihan'* awn chronicler by one million rupees. It tells us that

the expenditure incurred on the Taj Mahal was five million rupees

fHs. 50 lakhsJ*

3 Mr Mohammod Din aays71

"It is believed to have cost

more Uitn crore and a half of rupees"

" That gives us the figureof over Rs. IS million. The reader may note the rising spiral ofotimite. &artirnf from a modest four million, we have alreay been*mi aloft to * financial height of 15 million rupees in the rarefiedluimphere of ethereal account. Even Mr. Mohammed Din is not

ire. Hs contents him self with saying."m0re than" Rs.

IS onto,

« ****» lo Keens » -The e*acl amount spent on building•^u nowhere recorded and the dala available Tor even an

ti ^^wwt^!?rnko*h m - vd. 13

* P- 1*,ftwIS ?/*£ *** D^iftbtr 3ttt infil . ibid.

<* Hl-tubai, '^ "*>* * K A Om^ Thtdwr-i Handbook

TajMahalCo* ^guoss<a hitherto made range from HKMiXJto i

)tmrffl

B secnum has noted* that "The mausoleum wAi ^ ^boildinr 1 cost Rs. 3,17,4#,02n,"

(J. The Diwwi-Afridi™ another historical »ork. estinuit* a(the capenditurc J to be Rs

. 9 crorea and 1 7 lakhs (R* .^ .7 miSkn)

7, On the other hand, Mr. Bayard Taylor, an American *fe

visited Agra in 1853, wrote in the New York ffenld Trilwc> a Sheikh who takes care of the Taj told me Urn the TsJ with

its other buildings cost seven crare rupees. This is however, quite

impossible I believe the real cost Is estimated at 1 .750.000 which

does not seem exaggerated/"1

g. Mr. Kanwar Laln writes : "Talkini of the cost of U» Taj

there are all kinds of conjectures and accounts, One estimst* puts

|L at 50 lakhs of rupees. This follows the mention of the figure

jn Abdui Hamid lahori 'a Badshahnem«. According to this historian

"the Taj was completed in 22 years under the supervision or Miknmst

Khan and Mir AMul Rarim, and the total cost was flBj lakhs

of rupees." This ua several authorities point out is ridiculously

low even for the comparatively cheep labour and cost of material

of those time.. . There are others- who accept the ******four and a half crore rupees as the total cost. !n hi. «*"««"

book on the Tb| ,Moinuddin Ahmed refers to a««^ 1^™*

Rudradaa Khazanchi - a treasurer - has grvenad^ •«**

of the espense incurred on the Taj. Ita - •*« F* *jj

and Id the last pie. Ti* total figure amount* to 8s. 4.IB.«L».

seven annas and pie» d* only . . ^

pot too «t of Ibo TH *W * •• f^VlSTrS

UU» i» Just by way of « slight («*ul com*"™-

a. P. 6*. ttanbto A W-^St^ t ^sr. i* W"*by U. W. W. H. ai-Miaii. B^busbrd by

at Mufid-IAm Presa, Lshnrr

30, P. 184. R«ne*s H»nduoo»t,Wtt-IW' „ , lj ibl4-32. P. 10, Vh> TV by K*"»»f ""• ,w

The Taj Mohkl h A

rtf

_ ^ RodnKlM Khaxanchi calculating the coat of %*, SJTu» >** *

*

n* ^\»\« ih°*>* *****«

r H M EMoi ihrt sycophant chroniclers added mh^/frtoi iWr rorUlc imagmaUoi to impart to their nciii^

^rtiitodchtfrebablMy.

Any jinifYe- *P«* °r lb* Taj Mflhal^ "** °f tb* ^ «*

j^ con , , discussed heretofore should bo enough k>

onrin« *** "^^ ^ lb° Shahjahan ,0«CTld *» «l> ,

ancoction trom begining to end, Here we have seen bow, without

my boini to **** wJlh 'numerous writers have indulged in

intsponsiWi' speculation in trying to figure out the real cost of

lie Tnj Mahal tncumd by Shahjabsn, But they wore oil destined

to come to grief because ibey have all been working with the wrong

pmnis». Hod Shahjabnn really built the Taj Mahal the coal would

have been on record, leaving no room or need for speculation I

Besides the actual cost of the project there is another Interesting

alidelijfht to ;l. Visitors to the Taj Mahal and lay readers of the

Suhjahin legend or the Taj Mahal take it forgranted in their Innocence

thai Shahjahan must himself have financed his wife's mausoleum.

But our contention that Shahjahan was o hard-hearted, stingy,

lecberoui monarch hardly to be bothered about or moved by the

death or one or his 5,000 consorts, is amply borne out by Guide

W the Taj at Agra* The Guide remarks, "The native account

of tat cut of the Taj gives Rs. 9fi,55.426 as having been given

by the Rajas and Nawabs and out of the Emperor's private treasury

Rs. 86,09,760..

i one little grain of truth in the above report. It is

Jar from cresUfig any dreamland monument for his dead wife,ban merely uaed the occasion as a lever to force a Hindu

£*m out of hi* wealthy mansion and, adding insult to injury,

»y Jtym and Nawabs bear the major financial burden In

*^^**^l^tN« luiilflioftl(IIIlb .

^nation of the two amounts mentioned above would

too*, instead of mentioning round figures

Vlawn p*U i^ I.***T'J " Awa *c"»l>ll«*»>. prf***1 at **

. i*»n, by /iimuuleen,,

*-i Mahal Go*L

HI

V having been contributed by Shnhjahnn and QW *W ,

restively, we are confront with two odd amoc.au „ 2May were lifted from a modem commercial bul.net tbeet ,

contributions by various parties a* worked out to odd mp**.

Another point to be noted la that Shahjehtn's contribution marhe a concocUMi figure. He was too proud, prasumpiioua/bm.^bty

overbearing, Stingy, hard-headed and hiud-heartea a monirch to

spend even a farthing on a burial when he coutd extnet in* wtin.

cost from other subservient rulers. Even the amount that 0* other

rulers are supposed to have contributed leemi flctitkwa tasutt

Bccortlinu to Sbahjahan s own chronicle the entire «*t did mt raxed

lis. 4 million while the contribution of the other niters, mmltand

above, ia itself almost Rs. 10 million. So the conclusion that rmrfyi-*

is that if at all the actual cost incurred in burying Mumiarin

a commandeered Hindu palace did amount to Rs. 4 million <mn

that was extracted aa a levy from Shahjahan' a vassali and iubjcdi,

Moghul rulers considered themselves to have a divine ngln to 1iv»

off the earings of tbeir Hindu subjects.

Far from building the Taj Mahal at his own cost aabjnhan

was so stingy, cruel and hard-hearted that he got evm U» minor

work of Koranic carvings and sealing of superfluous chamten

the erstwhile Hindu mansion done (fratis by flogging- ftiUwn

This is recorded on page 14 of Guide "> the 7k, at<^ <£""

by Asecaoodeen in I^borel as under :

'^|^""£*£.Jd very little payment made In ca.b to th.

»J«—^

were said to have been employed for 17 years. *• **^of cornwas cruelly curtsied by

rapaciouaofficW-pbced^

Apart f.m the"^^aaffil^ Udiscrep^incy in the above^JTJ^ 1jmW- for 22 y—20.000 workmen he has said that we

^^ ^ ^ maihtf

but the above account claims on y U y«_ fT0UfldJ „,

instance of the confusion and bluff^£^lradiyOTIilaccountooftbe^»JnceU«y-

rt

kbottr ,a.

Keene notes on p*ge 1M of bis M-Jj* ^^«forced, and but little w»sP^^S. dlU* **£daily allowance of cash—f^EJjS*—« •*

**

their dislreaa and so frtgnum

, ,:™* Taj IM«' '• A Tonpfa P*^

they rati* hiw cursed lh# memory of Mumtmt and cried om mitwr despair I

"Have mercy. Cod, on our distress

For we die, too. with the Princess"

9nof the mortality rate was high it is no wonder that ^^few days a new s*< of workmen had to be found to toil at the

starvation level, ft is also no wonder then that the total numberof labourers on the muster roll, by the time the engrnvinK workwas over, numbered 20,000. And most of them must have died

from starvation and whipping. It is also no wonder that the petty

work dragged on for a period ranging between !fl and 22 year*according to various accounts All this was natural when everyday of iheyw a body of troops had to be sent out to find workmenof the required calibre and literary and calligraphic standard, houndthem and whisk them away to work without wage under the crackof the whip and gleam of menacing swords. It is no wonder thenthat they wailed, rebelled and either died or absconded. Could amonarch who has no money or heart to pay poor labourers their

wages ever hope to build anything, much less a fabulous buildinglike the Taj Mahal 7

Tbe despot at whose behest they toiled to make a Hindu mansionlook like a Muslim tomb hardly cared for thar lives. He punishedthen by amputating thar hands for the crime of demanding even

The hands were amputated obviously to teach themuw that licy may be permanently incapacitated from earning

by practising their carefully cultivate skffls overand of which they were juatly proud and which they

«dy to waste toDing gratis for „ siim m<i hard-heartedmonarch. Mou of lb. .killed artisans being Hindus, lolling

ZST* *°m Shah|ahan r*lamic meril accordin*

of i2tll!f hdto ''^ *° *nU3n!, ** pagc l7) 8 meoUon

Some JSurojxsm writers hove made

" ** ****** to harsh treatment. *

woo ant ousity enamoured by the

^han-Mumi** romance fton-mutf^

., .fulWi1

^ " ,wdd" ** W per ,,',„

h'v ''"•-.

^Ursb a* to spoil their amorous, n*^*^ * **!^nr* by baadeas accounts of Sfoahjahsn', m,rity ^ M«they

have felt compelled to record it despit, t^r J^IJ?"*„tplaced f«itb that carnal love and diaamsolata

( t )^JT^ilecturol and financial wonders like the Taj Mflhai

placed f«ilb thai carnal love and diaconsotota ( ? ) ifJ^T^ilecturol and financial wonders like the Taj Mahal t,

^^b that the European aehotirs have laid the da™,** J*T- _» U~rsA mnlfirnrMirarv informal Er.*,

qo first-band contemporary information,

Even Muslim Bources seem to corroborate Uw wnpmatton $hands but with a little difference. They give a »eau>nmiairt,c twin

to the fact of Sbahjahan'a cruel mrimtag or the Ubowm, Tbay

suggest that Shahjahan amputated the hands or skilful uuuaa with

the 'laudable" object that they may not lend their srsvioa to^other person for erecting a rival Taj Mahal. No one teani b bmanalysed this silly legend. Rratly, could a monarch with nidi >

highly 'refined' aesthetic sunae as to conceive und build (hi Taj

ever bave the heart to treacherously ate away tha havls which

toOed for him 7 Secondly, would a monarch diMomwUiU la ba

bereavement be ao stone-hearted as to maim thont who bnttt •

tomb for bia beloved wife? Thirdly, is commiriontnif a Tsj Mahal

such i cheap joke that anyone- with a dying wife «nAA iwuaoa

the same set of labourers and order lh«n to buiW a rival TiJ Maha

Who would have the money, similar legendary Vw tar *

and the power even to dnsm of • Taj for bis own ^J*T*Ibe romantic twist given to the creel an^tauo, » * brwsH««

concoction whichr~*^£j£J££*Mahal, and with naive scholars. It is nattemi*"' .,

taf—ua

cruelty in ordering the alterations to a^-rj^out gratis, in an aura of romanUc nons^ ^ ^to subdue the workers who used la «*> '"

ot being made to toil for no return

i ifltih* work done*'""w-

Incidentalh/ Shahjahan ' attempt to get ^mnpdH, tb* concluston

.fldlaaajrations alone also leads w^i|t*^*tfoM

w ',™work amounted to only engravings and ouwr bypi-«»;

buDding, No one can hope to build -^^qw ~*mere austere muel to lh# workmen

*nffjr2i w,

«* crack of the whip and Hash of the

TV T«J Mahal la A Tempi* f^^1M

i u—,d is that Shahjnhao Intended to buDd^^M^r *** cm *t oth*r side of u»

"*'"T^/iTpT^ ^om, !*• - Lhe ajQ

^.Tof^n- *. the Taj Mahal was a Hindu

»L~ ,-t Proved during successive Muafim

S* as-*-- Now thos. «ne Hindu m.ns £ « «"«*

rSL Action. Sine Sbeh]ahan did not build the whit*

ZJbleTaj Mahal th^^noqu^^^* d^sming u, build i black marble Taj Mahal. In corrobonben

*, que-* Keen*. On W 163 be observes. The cenotaph of

Sbshjahan 15 conjectural to htf* been unsymmetncally placed here

beousr be could not complete a mausoleum he had contemplated

for himself but of this there » no «U»hle record." This shows

that no matter which deiaD to the traditional Taj Mahal legend

we try to nick up for closer examination it crumbles to pieces

u i bopdess and atrocious concoction.

•••

CHAPTER XI

L

WHO DESIGNED.WHO BUILT THE TAJ ?

SINCE THE Taj Mahal is an ancient Hindu building, my warth

for its designer amongst the contemporaries of Shohjahan wu bound

to Vend to disappointment, and so it baa. Despite uiiduouj research

and wild guesses all that has come down to ua Is a large medley

of names all equally confusing and none qualifying for unnnimoua

acclaim as the master-designer of that wonder monument Lb*

Taj Mahal

-

tet us here take stock of the different efforU mad* to Identify

the designer of the Taj Mahal.

1. 11 is worth noting that Emperor Shabjahan'a court cbronldar

Mulls Abdul Hamid makes no mention of any architect. TWi is

but natural because be at the very outset, in **^ M"*Vburial, admits thst U» mausoleum is a* P««. *"*»™**

.hen used for a tomb requires no fresh arch,t*t. »"££therefore, quite to order. Subsequent writer* bad no right u> ma*,

their own guesses. o

K« I*. «~U— * <*" "fZJ^Z*JZ«—h **• «- ?e-eme^eeto write the histroy of the Taj in tne on

regarding a designer . a significant.' ^2. The *««*«. f£*Z*J^.J*--

This lends great fore* to our contention w»

enough to get the prisM «^rfld inl° "*"

W P. 161. ^'? ff^'J!!t^ **->** *3&, PP 16.36, hhbaeittoWv^'

IK

Tbe Taj Mttiial I* A Ttaap|« p^^

^ r^^m^H Sriannk** prefer* to bo sw«*ly v^,3. TV ^O^ ^ ^ prtparpd by . council cf

by saying "*f , rira it passes our comprehension

*"*"*'* J^l™ of scholar* «U over the world allow*

HtT^l abort of thorough r^rcb fat* all aspec* of

tbt Taj Mahal-

4 We bw already *en bo* B^^-^^ b*^told Lhrt the desigiw of Ibf Taj Mahal bad already been lolled

m «. that the designer may not oblige any other potentate

oLl tbe.beuxdiiy of this- Moreover, even though kflled, thedesigner |

name could very well W * * all there was any such person.

In fact, ba death would hive made his name immortal.

i. According to Professor B, P. Saksena,77 "Though there is

» greet unanimity among writers in the estimate of the beauty

of the Taj their opinions as to its origin and style differ widely.

Seaman In bis Rumbles una* RtxoflectiQas makes the fantastic

lugfestioo of lia having been designed by a French engineer Austin

de Bordeaux and by a ridiculous stretch of imagination identifies

him with Usiad Tsa. But the suggestion Is not confirmed by historical

evidence. Vincent Smith, relying on the testimony of Manrique.

ittributes the origin of the design to Geronimo Vironeo. a view

which u rejected by Sir John Marshall and E. B. ITavell. .

. '

'

6. Keen? observes,* "The names of the principal experts

enplayed, headed by Mohammad las Afandi, are given in a Persian

maauacriptenUtkdtbe Tarikh-i-TajMahal possessed by the KhadimsdiUry eustodiajuof the Taj. Tbe authenticity of this document^hsi *******." The reader may therefrom note that

Im Afandi that u commonly paraded as that of the master

;

of the T*j Mahal 0^,^ ,„ , forsed documef]l ,t W8Si*tamfore. but natural nobody »hould believe in it.

**• t*M la. I. a fictitious character, his "native pj LK..1' IV

Who De«l«B«d, Who Buflt The TiJ 1

in

fMfl wfoualy m Agra, Shim and Ifcm ttar9pmtt j%b j)M

—yt*Mr. KanwarLal.

7. Mr. Mohammed Khan', .tide* <#** b «m,d^adds a new name to the oonuwtam* for the honour of IhmnmhIhe Taj Mahal. That nam* la • Ahmad Itabanft (end hie thn*tonal.

Thii wild chase for the trchit«l of the Tij Mahal through a

forest of nimourshMprcceeoedmemlyforo^^arny^nwiUMW

anybody becoming the wise- for it, Tired or that awdatg man*,

scholars of history had resigned tbeoualva to Wnnj it « that

and quoting the several names m just » many tliamaUvei to chm*

from. Thus neither In the matter of the coat, nor the period «#

conjunction, nor on the name of the dengnerii there nyurwamky-

Oo the other hand, a wide variety of *h*m§tiv« is jowtioned

Thia could only happen when the very bans of tbt search and

research is faulty.

E, B, Havell observes. "Some Indian records of the Taj mention

the name of one Marmu Beg as the principal moatk worker, bat

in the list of principal workmen given by the Imperiii library

Manuscript, five mosaic workers from KanauJ all withJWatmare entered.. The beat Agra mosaic workers of the pratmt day

§re also Hindus...""

The above passage ia very reveafingb many napeeta ktttjJU"

&e utter confusion that prevails about the«^*'££connected with the Taj Ufai.M «ft— f^'STT.of repeated attempts over generabons to

f" "gT^-,

have resulted in E«it>pean schobra tryu^ ^ fflUhtjJJ^nvtai-fc

the.rtl^intheTaitorVer.hmen^

MuaUm accounts have persisted b u«ertbi ****£ ^ ^in U» blanks. In this welter the^f^^p, could w#artisans mentioned in the ^P^Jf^JL hrfore Shri.jab».

be those of the orfcfaul workmenwho, ocnton-

buOt the Taj Mahal.

36, PP. 42-43, 7T»W bjr *«*/ Uj« m

41. P 1047. n»t '«* Orf"!^^% a* *»*—*••diUd by Jam- Kno-1-. «*»•^^ "^ W

•to Tij Mahal I* A Tempi* ft,^

. ^i "th* best Agra mosaic worker* of

Hi**'* <***V",

7 Hindus' clearly P^vos a long tradition

^ pa*** day •*»rf whfcfe ^ ThJ Mnhai b the Hne*

^ong f* Hi,,du,fl'L-nberwl thai with the start of Mualim

***mfl " * m1^nXn« hi «" «*«"«!•« halt.

•"•^Jl"* "L. tfohDtnud CtaartT" far** b* ban.

ajbjrvw «*«!'"", ^ 1{indus lo dust and Maluwcd them6bmfVtd

ZJZnin bv Alaptagin .Snbuktagin iind Mohammad

^^liTTur^b. Tbm*ft*r to tempo .(.teed because

M n^were ferreted out of their homes and town, Vk.

SL and pou off and on. What scope™ there than to cultivate

Z«* or preset any studies ? If then the best mosaic worker*

in Aim are still Hindu*, as testified by Havell. they could only

b* descendant* of those who built the Taj Mahal before the advent

of the Muslims in India. This lends additional force to the conclusion

Dial theTaj Mahal is an ancien t Hindu building and not a comparatively

modem tomb of the Mogbul times.

Thai the Taj Mahal is not the only monument falsely credited

lo Sbahjahan, i* apparent from another of Havell'* observation.

HtveD says , "In my opinion the Delhi petm dura (the figure

drawing of birds inlaid in the rear waD of the royal balcony in

lb* thw*nil-Am. Red Fort, Delhi) has been wrongly attributed

to Shabjahan'a reign.. The naturalistic representation of birds and

anknals was a violation of Muslim law. The strict letter of (Koranic),

law forbade the representation of the likeness of anything which

» in heaven above, or in the earth beneath.'

'

Snoe the p/etra dura is an integral part or the Red Fort, and

not an after- thoughtor a sobaequcnt gran§HivcJU , In effect , concedes

that Um Red Fort In Delhi, commonly ascribed Lo Shahjahiui, existed

to pr*-Mu»km time* when such figure-drawings were not only not

Uhoo but considered easential decoration in royal mansions.

The authorship of the Jama Maajid in Delhi and the city of

« f MHi. 7a. tm C^twy «rf */ter. Vol HI. Ibid

.

V«» DHiPwd. Wbo BulU Tt» Ti| T

tw

dd Delhi itself hsa been wrongly credited to 8h.hi»h« tw_^ „, iota of proof behind those assertion. £1^^ *

T/ Tfw8Uih^c 77 from *»&*• «« «S

showing that he commissioned lb* T*J M»hal *nd tba *** buildinv.scribed to him Hod there been any *uch proof inert would armbeen no need for any history scholar* to advance their own guess**.

The pitiable state of Indian history in which basdat* dalm*

made in mediaeval Muslim chronicles to ancient monument* hav*

been left unchallenged, arises from the diBintereaiedneai of Indis'j

erstwhile British rulers to subject them to a thorough check. Snot

they, as rulers, manned the educational apparatus in India, no

Indian dared refuse to toe the official line lest be be dental meducational degree in history and consequently be disabled from

earning a Uving- Those not studying history wen? in no position

to know that the Indian history being taught to generationj w*a

all perverted and distorted. Thus historians or otherwise. Indiana

lacked the capacity to challenge the history being taught to incm,

Subconsciously the British administration in India wis,, bowwtr,

aware of the falsification of Indian history on a very targe teak

Therefore, whenever claims affecting their interest In andenft

building* were advanced they, very officiously, ordered tnvesllgataaa

knowing full well that the result would be favourable to ibcm

OnesuchinstanceisrecordedintheT^^^ArrtmtoW

Society of Agra<" It Is a note on the Mubarak Manril or Old Oj*Ujiti

HousV; by The Joint SecneUry. He records. "Hw^ o-£„ If** and report whether the^^^(Tstom House in Balliganj was^V?T?£ZZor not. 1 be« to sta^ as follows =^^^^ . »

not appear to have been origin*."S^-"would seem that the building was^ ™*

Awiflf«h

cons^uenceof ita being^f^^TZ^^ "

after hearing the new* of the victory ^^mthe Dcccan. . There are signs ***** ^£lay* *«—set apart for prayer but iM. it wB bo found bss

by the Mohammedan emperora-.

44. Tnometton* of «*e *•«<

1878.

iltf«v«rw/*^ a^4^, •JatjaW

*****

• *r*f*rt*nil*rty noteworthy. Thua ^

Ji * &»*. * «*s^y " 8ndHU *»ipw*

Bffusii as successors to the Moghub.

^J^d fa the on*" af dl «*tam mediaeval

fJTaove »** **** ori»mted « RaJPQt

' ^Lnpto. & ****** *** ^^T*^ they

jjind mem1***- tombs and fort* buflt

I

&&* spot* in fi^ * *V roadsides

- „miiirrt' of or super-impositions on ancient

of the ta* af incentive wbkb prevented British

^^trtiap the history of India's mediaeval

. tfaacn acquiesce in Musfim claims, is provided

„ </ lae AtAse«*e^QB/ Society of Agn." July

* Igfc Tbit voiimf. tombing Salimgarh. says, "In

fc yojfe-i barracks and overlooking the great courtyard

Ha Hav-i-in'

ft»*e Agra Fort) is a singular and apparently

It » ornamented in a sort of Hlnduised

,Tradition has nothing to say beyond

I

cao get several revealing clues in the above

RrscJy. it ecofeasn thit whit are known as Salimagarb

are both ancient Hindu buildings because

niere would never tolerate Hindu ornamentation

they ordered, if any. What is more revealing is

pans of those buildings appear superfluous and

•canee those buildings were usurped. Conquerort

•» at § fcae to explain away the significance of

it af captured buildings according to their way of

*^P *wa baDt by those professing a different

^^ ' *** ** euch gknng inconsistencies, anomalies and

i^ .'"tore of every single mediaeval monument

' *«* arijRog from lack of incentive *bich

tons inquiring into and writ**

*«7~

Who Derfgned, Who Bufh The Tu] T

Lbr true history of India's media**!) monumaBfabeing subservient to the British dared not ZT*,

*****

A document called the TMrith-i.jy j^yibe ongm and mstory of the Taj Mahal, had b^T^ZTlpossession of the caretakers of a* ^^ Aa^^newspaper reports that document has hew bem ,**« ^ 4to Pakistan- Kern* Handbook states. 'The suihaitidi* of i&document is somewhat questionable.

'

' Obviously ht baa u*d U»word "*o^lewhat

,,out of a sense of modesty and caution/ What

be actually meant to convey was that the document was an outright

forgery. Even oidinary judgement should teg us that u» need for

a forged document arises only when a false daun is to b* naked.

Had the Taj Mahal been an original tomb the nted Tor s fo

document would never have arisen. The existence of such i

is substantial proof that when the Taj Mahal was taken from its

rightful owners for being convened into a tomb or even earta*.

its original papers were destroyed and replaced by false document*.

That is why no aspect of the Taj as described in tba irs&uonal

version is free from doubt and suspicion.• ••

4*. p, 152, Kocnc't

CHAPTER Xll!

HIE TAJ IS BUILT TO HINDU

SPECIFICATIONS

u.smi PAIXUS of old u*«l to be built in the mkhtrf busy

VX t» »km blO account wh« »Wl mediaeval monum^

ta India wr i -nth «h* n«*,uer*rf* « i«nbi and mosque*.

*w all »nrMHii Hindu uimplw and. pdace*.

Tt» Hindu kin* and hfa nobility being the AW buyer* of the

pnfau at lb* choloeal merchandise, prince complexes often

provktrd Mranunodiiiion for bazar. This applies to the Taj Mahal,

nd la UatfinVd Ui by Tsverntar.

Tnt vary Wm Taj Mahal means a "Crown Residence" or a

•own among raridenect. " !l doo not in the least signify a tomb.

A Ujnib and palace are a* different as heaven and earth. Had

tiv word* "Ta) Mahal" the least sepulchral tinge, nobody would

aev« dan*3 nam* any houil aa "Taj Mahid Hotel. '* for. which tourist

would har to uv.. m a Grave Yard Hold"? But tourists are attracted

by the name Taj Maori precisely because the name connotes the

gtory ana* msjmty of a palace or temple and not the silence and

gVaom of a tomb.

Mogul csari record jtadf never uaea the term Taj Mahal becauseJawwarit Tejo-Maha-Alaya. ShahjMhnn rmn-ly GlJll the

Anna*) building hi* wife UKOb whOc Aurungwb cribnwaner'. mausoleum. TbJa In further emphatic proof*Mw »• m* the author of the Taj Muhal

nm u. oikdu, t,j Mahal (^ mjflM} ^ rowa of

-^ x,] Tj flulh To Hindu 8p»riRation

ibopB forming a bazar within lis pr«clncU k raoomao by Tav*nia»

g^p of those same shops are at prtsmi ©ccopJai by » cunaan^ picture- postcard eetlera and dcrier* in curtot and by meaaBanj.v-T«I Mahal.

Here we must also recall that the Encydopertin BritannfaMm^onu the ancillary buildings of tha Taj Mahal compkx tUblaai.

guest houses and guard rooma. All Una* naoaaaarily form put

of s palace but not that of a mausoleum

.

MiHleadinR notions that mediaeval buildings ire Viiuliin

constructions, simply because they appear to be tomb* and mowpwa

and because long association and tradition ascribed to them Munflm

origins, got rooted in Indian history- Yet Western scholars cam*

very near the truth in asserting that the learning Mudim bufldinga

yrere "built ' with columns* panela. beams. bratAeta and evervtnmi

else belortging to earlier Hindo buildinga. We qunU a typiad

obeervotion of a British scholar. Be writes: "Earlier Muhammmdan

invaders before the Adfl Shahi under Karimuddin about laiBfcad

buflt s mosque in the fort of Biiapur. constructed out of n*r^ahns. How far the pOlars used there by them** i«ta

other buildings we are not informed. It wouM^^that it consists partly of the portico of •*"^^b not incompatible with^^^^X^^rromtbeori^P-itlonsand^doptedtothar^

Tne above e*ract shows that the uuth^£«1**conn,^,*«^^^^»lhal ih^ were irtside • M^^^"31 «* ***their reasoning faculty that the^ ^^^v**- A^inside e Hindu temple or^^^ pr«ume. W*^every mediaeval building . theW^m echo P ^ ^been built from debria of an^^^ ^l ««*- •*

WT the truth. It did-^^^ from^^not build their iemplea and *^%£^ ^da to be fc-#

atandard.^ p.lWa. beams, Wdi a rnftnt| tHl and used elsewhere * ^^g canb.

erects from the debri.«f»^S»* budding

«aib.trea^

•uchmateririafterdamoUshmg^^

^,e TH( Mahal h A Tempi*. Pai^

T*

ff imi! few* in th* l,r0CCH* md w<mM **

Tto par* ««W CWP orf dFtnonsic)rl9 different from those

a**« for «*rimg » "d wlw W0U[d to quixotic enough I*

of thr building dcmoi*^ il3 mai^aJ to another nlact

»Wi^ to

J7" Jnt . ea«.ining bewbclw U> *>rt them

^733^ "—* or lb. problem may to

ianks have to number itose planks *** *** sPcaaJ maridnPtTindica* lhar upper aid* «»d tow * *uter s,des

*Un,ess **

ptafci art thus placed ^ ^cir 1"*^ order lhe shop cannot **

wcun-ly shultend. When ordinary shuttering with readymade and

vd *fluing plants by a man well-versed with the job through

everyday practice become* difficult without proper markings, could

bujte buMngs to raised in all their perfection nnd artistry from

medley of confused debris of a demolished building carried

aiiewtort!

Moreover, evwi that would be impossible because presuming

that itoottor maloriai remains tolact. would it not need a foundation I

So tto simple truth is that lhe Muslims did not construct anytoBding »iti Hindu material. They just stepped into a Hindu templeor manaioa tod put ti to their own use by burying somebody Init. throwing awty tto Idol, chiselling away Hindu ornamentation

Jutering it ovrr and by engraving the Koran over it. Thison wby mediaeval Muslim tombs and mosques look so

•^10 Hindu tempi* „„ mnmim9 ^^ |( ^ ^ ^

•IS^****"** •" »*"•• buildings to be genuinely

cholar? haveconji

-j:Uin* and injects

** ~enJnir^U!5,lb00k, 0f "*»*. architecture and

"'* eji Ul||| ll^fjM*! m\ I A-L

Ti|M^a,u«_nQ^2|

Wh^ ^ ""P^^^y described tto"^iummaiion of the fndo-Saracenic

- rn —• Hivjummjj ail iftese buMuslim tot bufli in tto Hind u siy|e Wrabw"P whota IW^> „» „

w«3wm .cnowrs nave conjures

«** tflJZl J"**"*"* •ncWUelitt* and inject it

1Yw T^ I* BuJH To Hindu SpBdnaUnn,

ajtyje of architecture. *g dream m marble

etc. etc. Ho* very miserably mWaadfog aD thi* !!T'" ***"

^ may now be gauged from mr^ ^TT***not a 17th century Muslim tomb tot «, «^m <!

" *tho 12th Century A. D. later convert by Mus,lrnZl^ *

. palace, and reconquered by tba Hindus. ^rdsT" t!

.bsurdity in beUeving that medisBvui MlnUTO w|d ^^*

grtd tomba with atone obtained by demolishing Hindu teroptomdpalaces. The absurdity is that mediaeval building, tr.

|

Urick and lime inside. Stone only formi the outer pSkhtng. Just

as one cannot steal an egg shell or a coconut »htfl ud bops to

make an egg or a coconut out of it. aimilariy It Is absurd lo aatnt

that alien inuslim rulers could strip Hindu buildlnan of tbctr «on«

dressings, carry aB that stone in a confused taasa «3a*whert mdthen rearrange all that stone to create massive, msgnificmt mdlusting buildings out of material carved and designed by Hindu*

centuries earlier to suit their own shapes, patterns and uws-

We have no intention . however, of blaming ttoWfatera schoans.

They were intellectual giants and paira- taking aadrniiams, but

being foreigners they had not been fully exposed to tto malpr«rt*»

of Muslim rule in ksdia. As such they lacked certain anww*

of personal experience of conditions in Indian history. B«n »!»»

most of them, as observed by us before, cams very mar tto truth.

One auch was E. B. HaveU, a great architect and one endowad

with a deep insight.

Havell has debunked the claim Ibat tto Taj Mahal is ttojpnta

of any non-Hindu architectural style. In discussing *«***•

of the Taj Mahal and the claim of some ****** "™named Veroneo may have been it* designer,**"*

JJMr. HaveU thus : -So ifVM was so deeply^ M-£craa tradition that he could d^gn **^ *T2»% J**laid down In the A*. ***^J%Z$^ Tbj *^craftsmen would not have been ua. ^c u

o&trvcut

and the dome of Ibrahim's tomb (in^'^V^ dimwsfa-.

on the some principles. They are wtfy ° „__ ^ ^wunand a fact unnoUced by Fergusson **w^ ^^ croVW ,

of both correspond exactly, except ^ tb# „

T^j aL Agra topers more finely and In* »l

1T» T»J Mabel It A Twmplw PaiMtmm«f th* dams ar* inlaid ina** <* ^n* ed*™*- The Taj Malm

r*hc* *ocUr *"* • **>""* "? on* wouJd expeCt to ta Crwl*1

by » group of master builder* inheriting Lhe tradition

ofMM n' Hindu bonding,. The jm which consist, of ,

central *W chamber surrounded by four •mall domedeha^bera,

Mo*iih*P»«iof-n Indian pancharaina, or five-jewelied temple.

proU^vw I have shown elsewhere, ia found in the Buddhist

temple of Ouuidl Sewa in Java. . and in the sculputered stupa shrine*

of AJants, Neither Shahjahan nor hia court butldcn. much less

m obscure ludEiui adventurer, can claim the whole merit of its

MiHaimnr""

How wry clear is Mr. Havell ta bis assertion that the Taj

Mahal i* built in the ancient Indian. Hindu style and none of

Shahjahan 's contemporaries could design or conceive of it.We regret

that Mr, Havell was unaware of the admission in Shahjahan 's own

official chronicle, the Badshahntima, that the Taj Mahal is an ancient

Hindu mansion. Had that confession come to light in hia time he

would have rejoiced to find his architectural conclusion fully

corroborated by history, and he would then have been acknowledged

u an authority on Indian architecture far superior to Percy Brown

or Fergusson

.

Incidentally, we would like the reader to note here the great

Mr. HaveU' a observation that the dome itself and the inverted lotus

cap over it. are very ancient forms of pure Indian , Hindu architecture

dealt with in the Indian ShBpa Sinistra which originates in untraceable

antiquity.

The Indian ShBps Shasira in its bewildering ramifications needs

to be thoroughly studied and researched. In order to present a

panorama of the ancient Indian Shilpa Shnsira we refer the reader

to th* chart at the end of this book, showing the branches of

the ancient Indian science of engineering, as compiled by a great4*

ff.Fp. M-4& 77w Tij by Kar,war Lai. ibid.

4» We muui brrr record our gratitude to Mr. C. C. Jothl for lendingin U» audi obwi and an aocount of the lata Mr. Vase's life and workJtwdet, huj trtw to Mr. Juahl't article on Mr. Vom» in the MsrathJ

S*-^' "*'** 'su"Br P***"- dated March 2tt, IW& Another article onVan, by Mr V M Tambat, appeared In the Dtwal laaue or the

UaratW BKmlhly ttaftirafenn/ \1kja.

XV

Tto Taj la Bultt To Hindu SpedJJmtiona

indologiat and engineer Raos&beb K. V. Vta. t r »g|VB the reader an idea of the thouaanda of veLT^' ™* mpenance, P™^ce and ^holarahlp that ltebehinilInil]j? "^"^"dmansions, ghota. palacea. canal., bridge* and fol^!*™

11'"-

tbe prettiest buildings that the andent Hindu £J£**produced namely the Taj Mahal. After c*n*£Z££genealogical tree of the Indian auipt Shum, the nader wvliVZhow puerile and hasty has been the notion that it *i> Shah*!vtbo commissioned the Taj Mahal,

The late Mr. K. V. Vaw. an authority on indent Indian

engineering and arehateeutre, was bom in an indigent famfly on

December 16, 1869.

In the year 1831 he qualifed as a CM Engineer from the Poona

Engineering College, Poona, India.

Indicating how he turned towards study of ancient Indian

arehitercture and engineering, Mr. Vaae once wrot* in the Vedk

Magazine ( published from Lahore, now in Pakistan) :

' "I was much

surprised to find that during the whole course of my training in

engineering there was no mention of any Indian author or twos

or formula of engineering subjects (though) I had knovrn eminent

men admire (ancient Indian) buildings, sculpture*, forts, canaJa,

guns and pillars. I therefore made up my mind to iw bo* to

matter stands. .... I know the names or about 400 ted* of artsW

I read fifty."

While laymen have been flkgktiy and igncrantly •*»*«'*£

the Taj Mahal is an Islamk-type building, renown-*£M£ **

the late Mr. E, B.M and welt-known^^^B. L. Dhama. a rehired^^^ZT^XXof the Archaeological Survey of hdb. *"">** «and emphatically that the Taj MA- I--TZl^bunt according to the orthodox and class* ffln* > >

observes "Neither the ^J^^J^Z^ » •*^jltaatrt^J

, Ifctia**"1*

m t ««., m iny account

nor tbe exact .mount of money tP** *Vng ^ u. -

anywhere... Foreigners WJ*" yt*4<*i«***«»of a true and correct estimate of fart--"of a true and cornea«——

^^rtioMP.is wholly indigenous in form and prop

Th* T«j M*hit ! A TVmpk* Prim

ban* b«n ihcwou*{hI> versed Is the lor* of Hindu sbsrtnia. n veritable

pundit indeed Tb* TSj both fn body snd soul is essentially Indian

in concrptian. indigwioua in origin and savouring but little of

extraneous or outside influence... One bus onty got to no© that

It btart Qw stamp of a culture and outlook wholly native to the

cor* Three phases Cnamrfy square. octagond and circular)

nprBacDt the aspects of creation, preservation and death which

in turn is symbolic of the Hob/ Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and

Ma**-^ , The architecture of the Taj is derived from the Ix*us

the most sacred flower of the Hindus.. The whole architectural

ornamentation and composition are indigenous and derived from

ibar prototypes found in the ancient monuments of India which

precede the time when there was nothing worth the name of Arabian

,

Mualm or Seljuk style architecture.'

'

• ••

CHAPTER XIV

SHAHJAHAN WAS INNOCENTOF SOFT FEELINGS

ASCRIBING THE creation of the Taj Mahal to Shofyuhan imwnij

lo crediting him with Romeo- like constancy in love to Mumtai.

and the soft heart of an artist. Far from that, Shahatahon ma

tt hard -hearted, haughty, conceited, bigoted, atingy, fanatics], cruat

and lecherous tyrant. And Mumtae *u a perfect match Tor him.

Maulvi Moinuddin Ahmad says* "European hiatorinii htvs

sometimes charged Sbahjahan with bigotry traced lo the rountainhad

of narrow-mindednesa in Mumtaa,"

Havell observes.'4' "The Jesuits were bitterly P*™***

Shahjahan. Only a short time before her death. Mum* MstaL

who was a relentteaa enemy of the Chmtlaw. WI

****

Shahjahan to attack the Portuguese settlmnsnl is Hooglitj.

,n theM» of ibr^*-^*2i—i,s stated," -Many times did^^^^^^-1 *priest* to become Mohsmm^n, <™J^£j£L*overt^) Shahjahan™^^£^rt ». •*the priest U he exited Ite-*^^ ^rt *again,* the worst outlaws, that of b«n«

elephant*/'Mfl|hul

«*p««rt

Reene say*. "Shahiahan **-" „^ **

in autocratic pride, and was *» *** ^^ » ***throne by murderin* ail pot-* rivals-—

zr***-**"'*'

W P. 1041. Tt* ti** L^t.& At*****

January to Junt, 1B». ,bW -

»:n

lb, Taj M«hal la A T«mpl# P»|*»

Shahjahan penally. *** ™«turt? *" unbend,"« ,,nd "***

B-b Mull* Abdul Hamid s officii chronicle of Sbahjehan's reign

,-Jdi to conncciton with the conquest of Daulatabad that ' Kaain,

i and K*mbu brought 400 Christian prisoners, male and female.

mw and old. with the Idols of their worship U> the presence

JT^ fiulh -defending emperor. He ordered that the principles of

lhe Mohammedan religion be explained to them and they be called

upon to adopt ii. A few embraced the faith. But the majority in

perversity and wilfulness rejected the proposal. These were

distributed among the amirs, who were directed to keep these

despicable wretches in rigorous confinement. So it came to pass

that many of them passed from prison to hell. Such of their idols

as were the likeness of the Prophet s were thrown into the Jamna,

the rest were broken to pieces."

History is replete with descriptions of Shahjahan's cruelty,giving

a lie to the average text -book version of his being a man of great

artistic taste and a devoted husband. Cruelty was Shahjahan's

congenital trait. It manifested Itself from a very young age and

won for him the unenviable epithet of being a scoundrel of the

first water, from no less a person than his own august father,

emperor Jehangir

Shahjahan's villainy manifested itseir from a very young age

towards even his kith and kin, not to talk of strangers. This may

be illustrated by a typical passage on page 25 of Keene's Handbook.

He observes that Shahjahan "in open rebellion (against his own

father, emperor Jehangir) seized Fatehpur SSkri, and sacked the

city of Agra, where according to Delia Valle, a noble Italian then

on a visit to India, his army committed fearful barbarities. The

citizens were compelled under torture to give up their hoarded

treasures, and many ladies of quality were outraged and mutilated."

H is t great travesty and irony of Indian history that a ravager,

torturer, molester, extortionist, plunderer and destroyer should

be paraded and praised sky-high as a devoted husband of Mum tax,

oonnaiasur of art. a patron of letters , a conceiver of beautiful

bufldinp and the luhorer of a golden age. Thin la an insult toih* totefliajem of both teachers end students of history

-

ahihJahflJi Wu Innocent of Soft Tvtj,\ n^MA

In a footnote on page % Keen. *Hu "«j..w vhis younjccst brother Shahriar. and the two!

m t° d-fe

uncle Daniel.H c ia also credited by mm* ki«

^ hl" t***™»»

of hi* eldest brother. Kbuaru."""•H**™*** d, murder

Shahjahan's phenomenal lechery mA^ unftin_wife Mumtaz's health or wdl-b^na »m ZL

™

nwn» *°r «a

her to earth by inflicting on her uZZT^l 5 T"of teas than 18^ ^]Ung ln ^^ J«.£list of the 14 children MumUa had to o>W to s^L* j"Jrecord period of less than 18 year,. ttnti, ^ M[Vff^ **

and death said "no more hereafter/' .ppa*, m „ rvtMm Q0page 37 of Keene's Handbook. The formldahla list which read,like family planning in the reverse. Is as undrr -

I. Hunci ffls

(daughter), bom 1612. died 1615. 2. Jflhanara, 1613 - g dant>t«rwith whom later Shahjahan is reported U> Have develops* Iftdl

sexual relations- 3. Muhammad Dara Shako, bora 1614. 4, MuhammadShah Shuja. horn 1615. 5. Rosbanara. a daughter bom 1616, (L

Muhammad Aurangzeb, oorn 1617. This Aurnngzeb it a cursed name

in Indian history. He followed his father Shabjahnn't asamplg of

murdering or maiming all his rivals. 7. Umaid Baton, bom 161

died 1621. 8. Suria Bano, born 1620, died 1627. '> an unnamed

son was born in 1621 and died soon alter. 10, Murad Batab. born

in 1623. 11. LntfullB, born in 1626. died in the falknrbit ft12, Daulat AfzaJ. born in 1627, died the following year 11 An

unnamed daughter died aoon after Wrth In 1628. 14- Gauhnj*. •

daughter, born in 1629. It was during thb child birth that Mumta

Here ia what Emperor Jehangir has to soy nbwi hi. own «on.

Shahjahan."8 "I directed that henceforward he (pm*» Sb*fc|»

should be called a'Wrrteh ' , and whenever the word *Wn h » m

in this ttoilh«m iUs be who is intended ... -fta ps> c«

all that I have done for him nor can Irecount my «"

^

or mention the anguish and weakness which eflmj I«"»^^

during these journeys and irortbuiga whkh U J ^ y

in pursuit of him (a rebellious pnnce Sh***"

my aon.

'

"

&2. P 2SI KUIoL A Itowio.. Hisi^Y, ibM. W. VI-

•fbe Taj Mjihal I* A Twnpto*.

w a** of anything,Shahjahan *u a deBtroVIJr

dicier Mull* Abdul Hsmid Uho*

idol tempi** had been begun.

but remainedk»d t**

Z"^ arest strongholdof infidelity. The infidel,

rf"«Jwin# them. «• "i"1*' lhe d*fen<*<*

^, x- Aaa*** * ^ * Benares. "<* throughout all his

J£ ill temples that had been begun should

i—^ '

rtnow report from the province of Allahabad

* ~ ^k> bad b«n destroyed in the district of Benares.-

oaehijions from the above passage. Firstly, we

-own! principle before student* of history our

S» i destroy*- is never a builder, secondly, tbe words

destroyed"

' are to be understood in a very qualified

Haidus were ousted from their temples, their

twn out and the same buildings were used for

i * tba practice of India's alien Muslim rulers which

vi* r«ry mediaeval tomb and mosque looks bite a temple

LsT» book notes.M "Shahjahan was professedly

, mi probably at the instigation of Mumtaz Mahal.

the detraction of Hindu temples.. He had broken

of tbe Christian Church at Agra..." European

and Manned . describe numerous scandals

private life of Shahjahan, and depict him as

whose only concern in life was how to indulge

f and monstrous lewdness. According to them

ey bears in tbe palace, lhe maintenance of a large

jpra by the state, the presence of hundreds

» the seraglio, were ao many objects for the

fcahjafeen luat. Manucd says. "It would seem

aiahjahan cared for was tbe search for womenIk also writes about the intimacy of Shahjahafl

ate Khan and Khalilullah Khan, and says that

2 H\^£Z t

z-,Hb*nr- m

- Vd VIJ

m ? » 2* " ** *""" W. <bld.

Sbuhjnhnn Will Innoenro <jf Soft FWLn^

II became ao notorious that whm lbny

w loud voice cried out to jnftr Kh n*?^fc "»*<*worn

Shahjahan, remember ua ^rrakf,Ml*went by, they shouted luncheon" n7*!!" "^""kb K

aueecmr usT'

and when the wire orlAincheon

Bcmler remarka that Shahjahan hadManrique speaks of Shahjahan's violatl*. thTrtT,

** "^of ShayisU Khan with the ^stance oftoi^LTZZf **talks of Shahjahan 'a incestuous connection wf ivhTj" .

««»>...

B<*um ... Tavenu-er writ* in the^^^^T- 1

jbt names of Akbarahadi Mal.1 and T^'utLTuTZfavour^ slave pris of ShAJta... By far u* mort ,££"pinestion (») that he had improper relation, wvtb hi,2Jahan Ara. Bermer says -Begum Sahib, the rider d.ughur ofShahjahan. was very handsome and of lively puts and pmionaujh.loved by her father. Rumour has ft that his attachment rnfrpda point which it is difficult to believe, the Justificiuan of whichhe rested on the decision of Mullahs or doctors of law Avoidingto them it would have been unique to deny tbe Kin* th« privflcp

of gathering fruit from the tree he had himself planted.* Vinwot

Smith has it that "the earliest evidence of this rncestumu connection

is to be found in De Lael, and that it Is confirmod by Thomas

Kerbert.,,

Let us now see what the Mah&rashireeys JnynnkostF has to

say about Shahjahan 's demeanour, "Shahjuhiin (I6BB-165A) the

fifth Mogul Emperor t Shahbuddin Mohammad Kirrni aBn Shahjahan

was the son of Jahangir Salim from a Jodhpur princess, Hf owe

to the throne through the efforts of Nurjuhwi and Aatf Khan Whll*

his father was alive Shahjahan rebelled against him twice or iWc

but without success. On coming to the throne (162»

all his (near) rattans. Defeating Shahjl is 1637 !»«•entire Ahmednagar territory. He used to lake sp**Mlp »*-

against Europeans coming to India and he n^^^meddling In religious affairs. On lb* grai* ""JTjailIndulged in religious P^raecutfonSlw^ato^taae^^ ^their settlement on the bank, of lhe Hoojn£ .^ JiMpiabtf

had all their property confiscated. Ho tries w

from the Persian* but didn't iucceed.

M. P gr, IWd.. i^* ihM,. Vd *

I*TTw Till ^''i'""l' I" A T.-ntijti, 1^5-

Tt* .bow iriirt «f Shahjahan"* May Hid rally fe onou^

« .11 Mlk of Shflhji.han'» luivlnir hud any ipociol auachi*.,*

Jdiunn «<» ib* i»-v ***• *lKU,r* ™a 'i™*1**™ or

hTrlrUnr, and •ill**- «d <*"» whlch bfl u*d to^ him^wfth for InwuKtanH* mud iireUlfeaUon.

Km- from MumUii's death bereaving Shahjahan. the 1nll*r mnde

hit wifr a potlHcsl tool even in her death. He used her death as

mnvmltvil prrf** to roquisiiioai Jalslngh's mngnifke-nt hereditary

mbx* ihmfcv donudlnir one more Hindu of his wealth and power,

alnct Shahjahan hod a deep haired for the Hindus.

By hi* very nature stingy, conceited and lecherous Shnhjahw

was the last man to sp^d uny money on such sentimental project*

u building n tomb for one of the many women ho flirted with

whether in his hsrem or out of IL.

like all other so-called Muslim tombs - i.e. Hindu buildings

used by Umnti find as residences and later ns burial places - the

Tai Mahal too is not a single tomb but an ancient Hindu mansion

roiured to on Islamic burial ground. Besides Mumiaz, Shahjahan

himself tie* buried by her side* But that is not all. There are two

other graves in the same precincts.

Mr. Kanwar Lai observes'*. "At the other end of the Jilokhana,

towards the east, them are again two buildings. These are the

tombs of Sotunnisi (Khanam) who was a favourite attendant of

Mumtax Mahal and who was entrusted with the task of looking

after the temporary tomb of Mumlu Mahal at Burhanpur.... Similar

it the tomb of Sarhandi Begum, another of Shahjahan °s queens.

The two Structures arc built exactly alike."

About Satonmsa Khanam " a tomb Keene observes on page 1 61 -162

of hit Handbook, "The body said to be buried therewas of Mumlas's

dawofciJ maid The tomb I built by Shahjahan) is said to have cost

R* 30.000. She died a childless widow at Lahore in \M1. The

garter it Agra known as Chilli Khana (a corruption for Sali Khans)

•at founded by her. The tomb proper consists of a high octagonal

tf» round a central octagonal mortuary chamber. That Taj I*

« good authority, but the special assignment to her of this

Uwnb has no better foundation than popular belief.*

flhiihjohun Wren Innoamt of Sefl P<*|n*ii

aThat nhows that liko every other ,j«afl v*_

legend even the Satunnlaa Khanam tomb I. i~T"* T|

* ***tomb-like mounds were erected in usurped Wxrf

M100Cli0*' W ""*

Hinduo many not reclaim and reuse tho* buiJm*n*iutt* *»*

Knew of the Hindu weakn** of not disturbingrS?^ lfa* 1*

.Itos. So. erecting false oblong gravel^ moundiTj'f-r"1^

a strong mfliUry contingent or planting s icarwtm LPQ,U,,,

practically nothing, it was a simple device . ttiaw ***

claim Hindu buildings for Islam, and ,t m^ZTllat this distance of time scholars Like R«ne find thai u»

*

tomb may not contain the stated corpse.

But there are also other details in Kane'i noting which anworth close study. Firstly, who would worry about carrying a metmaid's festering corpse all the way from Lahore lo Agra - a ^-~Trof about "100 miles - in those days of pedestrian transport 7 Secondly,

why would Shahjahan spend Rs. 30,(100 on It when be modelhoMianai

of labourers slave on Koranic engravings and sealing the wperiluota

apartments of the erstwhile Hindu mansion, without paying Own

even a single pie ? Thirdly, how could s mere maid found a totality

named Sati Khana in Agra 7 What does founding mean 7 IhtMKhana is the ancient part of Agra reserved for Hindu wxnea fMif

* *Sati "i.e. burning themseSvea on the pyre of the* dead hasbsads-

This shows how Muslim history has made fibukaif chums to

everything in Hindusthan in the name of even lowly ©an

buiqa-covered Muslim maids, potters and water- carriers. Tosri

Its octagonal shape clearly tadicato thai a inn enwMe

building. Fifthly, did even the maid's lifetime waste saw

so much as Rs. 30.000 to justify that much «***•tomb? Was her house worth much more tf even

Rs. 30,000? Has the emperor Shahjahan» ** «--

all the maids of his court ? Would as^"J^ , «m

.TalH***

as Shahjahan spend the princely sum

maid's tomb? And if 5.000 harem awaan

r *. IV Ta/ by Ranwt* Lai, ga&.

of 10,000 maids, could Shahjahan ******

each consort, and s subsidise «*W>—

^

Here we would Ilk* U* «*" " ^^ **his Ufe Shahjahan had notbiral •»» ' ^^^ wevery inmat* of hb harem f"*i msW

f /**

r

i»

he* oom*

TP

The ni u*h.i i. A iw^

^ w, qu«en, SiHwidi IkKum and Muim*-.

^^ te wwtkat structures? Did he want to dishonor ?«« m Mr** by reducing her to the stilus of the maid.^ *

L myt) status * ** **** c*P|anBlion b^ tbc Hindu N *

--p** camm-nd*^ by Shehjahen had many towers, p^j,^

^ ap*imcnt- Snee II was all "grab and use- aff^ ^.ynuwtncal i|wtiw«t» were used to bury a queen and a m^Jn. r«p«*lwiy,

Had Sffhendi Begum died earlier and Mumtaz laLer, our history

booki mty hive rapturously described a concocted romance between

Shahjahan and Sarhmdi Begum to justify hia building of the tyMahal » a fabulous tomb for her. Indian histories relating to the

Uaafca period are. therefore, false assumptions, later stuffed with

concocted descriptions to justify and explain sway those fantastic,

Dagfcai, bsfffiiw, and absurd assumptions.

•••

CHAPTER XV

StlAHJAIlAN'S REIGN NEITHER

GOLDEN NOR PEACEFUL

TO CONSIDER Shahjabun^ reign a golden and peaceful period

hlHtorv as is commonly asserted In aU account* of his nils,

LhlinK him to build tombs, mosques, forts and palaces plore.

TttrLto of the truth. His was one of the most troubled nfei.

w ta iustifv the false credit given to him for constructing

Fort and the so called Jama Masj.d «n Delhi.

We have already noticed bow an *«****^£;Z JLnt <S oer^ent non -Muslim residents of Indts.

subjects -^CV ^f Tn^Thevwrntortui^findpcn^were subjected to beastly tyranny. They**^"

W(rnf¥,dtai

and their temples were^*^JZ££** *«***« how Shshishan murdered all to r**m£^* any claim to the throne or quests »«££**». »

Can the r^ime of a ruler. »**^£X„~-termed a golden and p*o«aP^^ «*.' On H *

ia safe and the life and PW*» * ™^ ^ding «" sad

a golden and peaceful period if H

rcvo1U?-,«,*! and far-

l

J*

SKahiahan had «^" 1*^™* ** **»*"vision to build the magnify bu^ ^ ^^ao-calM Jama Masjid in WW. * **^ „ ft^J

Shabjahan did not ^ "%£*&»» * "^jU^folding for Ju™tte» 1" * ^ ^ h*** *

to talk of his ever *«*^** u*.We have Tavemler'. *******^ ** 0**"

"Shahjahan a*cend«l the throne at Agra on ah February l^.,,,

Artwlfnit to <h* AIVW& Vsm* of Mohammnd KarJm.*Shahj

to* rff<tiA* control of the throne when he fell ill on lBlh SepM*^]«7 ind hw sons rose fo revolt, fighting against on© another tl

jiffl iht crown

StthjahnrTs reign thus lasted for 29 years and Sevan month-

The whok» of this period was full of incessant wars, rev ju

nepnessivf campaigns and famines and the reader w\]t ftn^ i .

• year to year Account of Shahjahan's reign which should

to refute effectively the traditional concept that it was « M -^

of peace and plenty during which all that he needed to do to beguilethe tedium of every hour was to make love to women and sodomiminions and raise huge buildings as though through sheer magic

The account* as compiled from Elliot and Dowson's translationof e*irarts from Bsdshahmm* by Mulla Abdul Humid LahoriatM*™*™byInayatKhan, Badshahnama by Mohammad WarisAwr-i-A/ft by Mohammad Xambu and Shahjahamtami byMohammad Sodik Khan, is as follows :

»*!!£C"m|*fgn^^ Jahan • ** *» fought

^ultp^a«^mtrtT S imd rc'atJ0nS hdd "»""»

**• - ^.ooZlT^^ Wilb hf3 tw° *" Vita and

6 A campaign waa^^ Upon and kiJIed -

J*»". around Da*^"^ 1

"!! *lta« N^ Shah and Khan

— <^rod "*"*«*» «* Ma^jira fort. Mansurgarh

J? •* 6 *. BHaTa^ZT— — -

ShaM***1

•

t Roltfn

IS^liher OoW"» Nor FtoeeM

4th y**r of the reign. Khan Jahan look to night

00

^ ** "Ujiain and NavW. Nearly 4(10 Afghana and 2tt)

'Pl

his force were slain. Dharur fori waa captured.

in

torende Hying between Ahmednagar and Swtajair) was

***t

f rt of giunda, about SO miles north-east of Aurangabad.

a Kandhar (25 miles south-west of Nanded and 75 miles east

of Dharur) was taken.

10 operations against Mohammad Adil Shah of Kjapur were

updertaken in the 5th year of the reign.

11 The emperor returned to the capital, Agra from Burhanpur

after a long stay, tired and angry, because Azam Khan had proved

ineffective in rnansgmg the affaire in the Deccan.

12. Hugli fort was captured.

13. The fort of Galna was the scene of another campaign.

14. In the 6th year of the reign Bhagirath Bhil. chief of his

tribe in Malwa, rose in revolt.

15. In this same year an extensive campaign was undertaken

to destroy Hindu temples.

16. ftaulatabad was conquered.

17. Kasim Khan and Kambu brought 400 Christians under guard.

The prisoners including females were asked to turn Muslim

torture and death.

18. In the 7th year of the reign, Prince Shah ^T*£against Parenda fort. Many engagements were fougti

neighbourhood

,

19. Jhajhar Singh Bundela and his son Bikramajit^"^'^The campaign against them centred around Bhandi-r. ^^^Cbauragarh fort. This campaign, like many othera.

tale of brutal torture by Shahjahan *s forces

20. The fort of Jhnnsi was captured-m-Bulitta.

21

.

The imperial army was despatched to subdue tb

jbi Taj Mahal U A Temple Pul**

- j^ nigt, the vmprror himwlf proceeded

fi |o**"**•*^h, -ampaign to reduce Kandhar, Manded.

'

nhRgtfbi^le, Junnar, Sangamner, NaaiK,

Wa?

d Khan Zaman headed campaigns again*J"h*n

^Lftl al Udgir, Indepur. Bhalki. Kmyun,p^atai war

m

KX»r. BsUj7h

WT^'"^»u«Ban Kha" Zan"m mU,rCd BiJapW

ro»r«jhe*v. Tlj^ md destroyed every inhabited place he

urriiariff and F*™83dsfmhnm)g f Abdul Humid. Kolhapur

flim* *"''T^li and Hsibatf were plundered and the fcrta Anld,

w «P^r*d_ W_J ^ from n^^b-d) were captured.

31. fclhtlOUiyear <rf the reign. *• fort of Junir was captured.

A.ii of Sh.hu through the Dakhm across Mahul, «ndM^mil-* wnwfar along with tbe young Nizamshah. Tbey

!1J^* to surrender forts Junir. TryTnbak. Tringahvadi.

Brii, Judban, Jund *»* BBS**

K . its* Bunddas row in revoft under Prilhviraj son of Jhajhar,

wto hut escaped earlier massacres

26 Zifar Khan, governor of Kashmir, was ordered to proceed

qpbui Tibet, with 80,000 horn and fool.

2?. In the till) year of tbe reign Kandahar and other forts

28, Ruch-Raju ruJed by Parikshit and Kuchblhar by

Lakatoninarayan rose in revolt.

29. A campaign was undertaken in Raglan area comprising nine

forti. %\ pargxnai and 1 ,001 villages

.

30. to lb* 12Lh year of tbe reign Manikraj, Raja of Cbetgaon

w» subdued

31, A punitive expedition waa sent against Sangi Bemkhal, rutef

of Gnajt Tibet, who had seized Burang in Utile Tibet.

In the 13th year of the reign, an attacking fore© advanced

mm Satan agiimrt Kandahar. Khanshi fort near Bust waa first

captured but lucr abandoned.

33 Prithvinj. >on «f Jhajhar, was captured rid imprisoned

toGwiltof Ftirt,

ganjahun " o ftefcn NeiUwr GoJdm Nor Fannj]U|

w ,in the 14th year of the reign, an expedition wm mm to

^jmtiae the rebeBoas Kalis and Kathia in Gujarat and main* fa

Jam f Kathiawar.

35. Jagat Singh, son of Raja Baau of Kangra, lod a revofc

against the emperor.

38. In the 1 5th year of tbe reign, a campaign wm launch*!

against Jagat Singh. Mu, Nurpur and other forta were captured

37, In the 17th year of the reign, iba imperial farces had to

be sent against the Raja of Palamsu.

38, In the 19th year of the reign, a campaign waa undertaken

against Balkh and Badaksban which were key* lo loo acquiitioo

qf Samarkand . Murad Baksh was sent with 50,000 horse and 10,000

musketeera. rocketmen. gunners, etc. Tbe emperor himself bad

to proceed to Kabul. Tbe fort of Kahmard was captured,and Kundn

and Balkh were conquered-

39. Saduuakhan had to subdue rebellious elements ta U»

conquered territories.

40. Aurani^b, who had been sent to the

^"J"***had to surrender Balkh and Badakahan lo Nazar Mabamad

and retreat in the 2flth year of Snatajaban'a rcgn,

batlifts

.

ajaintti of tout

42 . People to the territories

f£*JW by

destruction of their crop* and *^*J~Shahiahsns armies in the 2^^^^^ ef*

43. The Tibetan campaign result* ^ wat ata

M in the 2Mb year of ^^^^despatched for the recapture of Kan* • ^^

years of tbe reign

.

^ »o *****

45. In the ** *»*> Attttml *" _^and chaatise the Bana. ai*i'*'<

n m

IC The Taj Mahal In A Templt falto*

for thr caplur* of Golkonda wnd Hydrnrtttd-

4T la lh* afUi y«r of hfo reign, SHnhjahan ordm«d hit son

Awannb to lead a esmpafrn tg&inst BJjnpur.

« During this period which marked the end of Shahjahan 'a

bwibTed reign the Imperial army had also another irrepressible enemy

in Rnj* Jaswant 55ngh

Incessant wart, revolts and plunder with the consequent

dislocation in all productive activity and destruction of all produce

reduced Shahjahan 'a helpless subjects to acute distress Here i»

a sampling of what horrors and privations they experienced.

The description Is taken verbatim from Shahjahan 's own official

chronJcler'a account, namely, from the Badstehnmm of Mulla Abdul

Hamid Lahori-

Mulla Abdul Hamad Lahorf begins the account"5of the fourth

yau-of Shahjahan 's reign. I.e. 1630. (the very year in which Mumta*

ii believed to have died) on page 338 of Vol. I. On page 362 continuing

the narrative'* or thai year of the reign , he writes : "In the present

year aba there had been a deficiency in 'be bordering countries,

and total waul in the Dakhin and Gujarat. The inhabitants of these

two countries (regions) were reduced to the direst extremity. life

was offered for a loaf, but none would buy: rank was to be sold

for a cake but none would care for ft; the ever bounlious hand

was now stretched to beg for food; and the feel which had always

trodden the way of contentment walked about only in search of

ujilwianoe. For a long time dog's flesh was sold (03) goat's flesh

,

and the pounded bones of the dead were mixed with flour and

•old. When this was discovered the sellers were brought U> justice.

DmuuiUoci at length reached such a pitch that men began to devour<*ch other, and the flesh of sun was preferred to his love. Thenumbert of the dying caused obstructions in Lbe roads, and everyman who** dire mifferinga did not terminate in death and who*atn*i (he power to move wandered off to the towns and villages

eountriea. Those lands whieh'had been famous for their

» and plenty now reUm* no trace of productiveness..

« *? IBS, IWd,64. lL.d

IO, -.*. RHktn N^tPer Golden Nor Peacefulgtfhjsban

"^

emperor directed the officala in Burhanpur, Ahmedabad and

country of Sural to establish soup kitchen*."

One can well imagine the diseases that may have raged becautt

of dog» A«b ^'"8 B0ld ln plBC* ** muU*i. wn't flesh eaten

by bis parents and pounded bonea of carcasses being mixed wfth

grain flour-

Now iL is up to the reader to figure out whether, in such

vear of acute distress, Shajahan would ever launch on a fabulous

project tike building a monument over the body of his deceased

wife Mumtaz? Moreover, such distress was not peculiar to the

fourth year of the reign. The author of the Badshahmm, m the

extract quoted above, begins with the words "In the present year

also" which show that famine was endemic. What monarch darr

win a massive monument in such conditions I And how would

he have the money or the workmen to build an expensive memorial

lo love when people were dying like (lies 1

It should also be remembered that in the heyday of the Moghul

dynasty , from Babur to Aurangwb. Shahjahan was the only monarch

who was deposed during bis life-time and died a prisoner of Ms

own son after nearly eight years of incarceration.

Had Shahjaban's reign been marked by peace and pkn>

news of his illness would not have resulted in open revolt by

his sons and other subjects. But that such ^1™*""***''

upheaval did take place only shows how bis entire bees*

realm was seething with trouble and discontent »** *rf

Aiamgir Nama of Mohammad Karim W« «o_ ^

ShahjaWs inglorious reign : "On 8th of W**"^(v

emperor Shahjahan was seized with illness, m

m

^^a long time, and everyday he grew walker,w^ ^^to attend to the business of the -»*!"*g^ an-occurred in the administration, and groat u

fnVtM Dwthe wide territories of Hindustan. The un^f"^

(lhsua»ll«w*

*1ihU*wi*flWSliikoh considered himself heir-apparent

want of ability for the kingly °mw' ^J^dign

of greediness to cut the

suited for his unworthy person fl£ **— ia*

66. PP. 178-179. fotiJ.

TbtTij Mihd b A Temple

Ml

^.^-m, oij^tetai and rcWUoui n«n «iirf U»ir b^«^^ri of u» *»*^ ^^ (jde> xurtulmt raiyiu refused to

in Bents*"-

"

. , ,

k **h tohsn" reign hri be» the **»» period that H * wrongly

.J^HoW been, «* I** eta »d countrywide rebellion

ST*« ta enip^ •*« b. fefl 01. To. PtaW ****

^proves beyond «H doubtU^dlmtintnwi.diwrder. punitive

i«J«rftn«-. option, mass*** n* unmorahty marked

Sh^Zi * entire I* ^ TO wb* .tantenuneni aeething

HodTbb oppress** Wd «mif»ted itadf throu«hout " realin

s. soon as news of hb Alnessw known. Had hb rule been wis*

and beoewbot thepm of bis Alness would have evoked a touching

response from bb subjects- Far from thai even his own sons rose

m open re**- What F***** indictment could iberebeof Shahjaban'e

(mbJrukJSuchTOOOtthecsjewithlndb^^^

the; totfood fathers, benevolent rulers and noble human beings.

Even the ouiek avrvey made above ibcrws thet in a 30-year

nap Sbafcjaban conducted at least 48 campaigns which gives ua

an average of mom than one and a half campaign* per year. That

means Sbebjahans entire reign was marked by unceasing warfare.

And yet current historical tests assert without any Justification

that Sbabjaben's reign was a golden and peaceful period.

to addition to such incessant warfare, various regions under

Sbabjehan's control were often subject to famines. Far from being

a peaceful and glorious period, therefore, Sfoahjahan's rule was

one of the most horrid periods of Indian history, Tfcia knocks the

bottom out of the concocted descriptions, unsupported by any

evident* » documentary or tircumstantbl. ascribing the authorship

of the so called Jama Maajkl and the Bed Fort in Delhi and the

Til Isabel in Agra to Shahbhan.

ut hia memoirs alludes both to old Delhi and Ha

Tamerlain »u in Cfld Delhi in the Chrismas of 1398.

*tiwt 30 years before Shshjahsn came to the throne. Tamerlain'(*> Swiday a was brought u> my notice that a great

a*fcb*ii'e B<*f» Kdtta- Ccadea Nor VmcthA

number of Infidd Hindus had assembled in the UatMl-Ja^ rf

Old Delhi carrying with them arena and provttoona and went Breaarfet

w defend themselves ' This gives direct lie to the ataerUoi

g^njahan huflt the Jama Masjid and abo founded CM DaThL

Tamerbin abo specifically refers to the fort of Old n^ n*

^y, .* "With my mind no kmger occupied wHh u» dcatrsetion

of the people of Delhi I took a ride round the due*, Shi to i

round city. The buUdinga are tofty. They are furrouidej byfortifications built of stone and brick, and they are very strong.

OJd Delhi abo has a similar strong fort, but it n larger than thai

of Sri . From the fort of Sri to thai ofOW Delhi which to a eoftsUenbaj

distance, there runs a strong waQ built of stone and cement The

part called Jahanpanab is situated »n the midst of the inhihrted

city The fortifications of the three dtiet have 30 gates, levot

on the south bearing towards the east, and six on the north toot

bearing towards the west, Sri has seven gates, four towards the

outside and three on the inside towards Jahanpanab. The formations

Of Old Delhi have 10 gates, opening towards the interior and sosnt

towards the exterior of the city.. I appointed an officer to protect

the Musalmao quarter of the city.."

So 230 years before Shshbhan. we have fab own aoessbr

Tamerlain meticulously referring to Old OeW, as fori, tb

gates and the Muslim localities, namely, the area around what

now the Jama Masjid. It b surprising how daep*e lb*

description. Indian historical tarts bbtiwtfy sssert that afl las

buildings and OW Delhi itself were raised by Stohjsban

This is <b*r proof of what Sr H.M. &*££%£"impudent and interested fraud" of mediaeval I

When the founding of the dty of OW ****** *mmof the CRed) fort of Old Delhi and the ""VT^

, a b a*

have been falsely ascribed to Siahjahan.- '"T^. o^fed

wonder if the

to him.

Mahal to Agra too has a**av

•«•

^ m. pp. m.447.iwj, w^JRS:«7 PP. 447-448. Ibid-

CHAPTER XVI

BABUR LIVED EM THE

TAJ MAHAL

IT IS sometimes innocently astad by history teachers that if

the Taj Mahal had existed centuries before Shahjahan. how is it

there are no earlier references to it. There are three anwsers to

this question, firstby. the Taj Mahal, being then a palace and not

« monument open for public inspection as it now is. used to be

closely guarded - It was accessible only to the elite and then only

on invitation or conquest- As such one cannot expect the same

prolific references to it as a tourist attraction that one comes across

in these daya of publicity and modem communications-

The second answer is that ancient and mediaeval India teemed

with mansions, palaces and temples of bewildering and bewitching

variety, so much so that being all very spectacular, one could not

be diiiinguiihed from another by mere description. All that could

come down to us or could be recorded by any visitor is that "they

aw of indescribable beauty" or "wonderful, attractive,

magnificent." For instance, in India under British rule there were

about 668 native ruler*. Moat of them owned many beautiful,

luxurious palaces Can any description distinguish one from the

oihtr tpedflcally? Would not those who happened to visit those

• merely say that they were magnificent ? Similarly, mediaevalrantdaa are full of praise for Indian mansions and palaces, but

Tibtaro is how to icfl one from the other at this distance

It may also be remembered that their ownership andillties and roada keep changing with every historical

I pnawiU mother difficulty in identifying a buildingtoday with iu mediaeval address and antecedents,^ate provide by the description in Muslim chronicles

*nt Krishna UmnU* m Mothura which Mobiimmad Ghswd

fkbur lived In Tha Tto] Mahal

wya could not ham been completed ev« i„ »„ta Vidfcha (modem BhOss) which could J»5n ' "* *«WTo those who ask us why w* find no menu* i**™ *" *"»••

before Shahjahan we Wftu]d l£ke to w"

"* ** Ta| M*h*l

magnificent temples in Mathum and VMlaha fi a™^ * ***

lbs Muslim invaden,? The MWr fl mm2 1^°"^^descriptions have been lost or nobody bothered i/ u

^ **rtl*mention of them because India teemed with •uth'teTf

'^in one sinK!e city, powerful and affluent Indian rulm baaT-Ss dozen palaces, all rivalling one another m beauty KAHow then could one be distinguished from the other En «*.«descriptions? The record* if any woold only refer <« ^T. ,palace one or the other.

Despite wch very good reasons for not expectingmy kfentifiiUe

details in earlier records or what is at present known at Taj Mahal

luckily. Babur, the founder of the Moghul dynasty in India, *bowas the great great grandfather of emperor &ahjah«i, ha» left

us a disarming and unmistakable description of the Taj Mahal, if

only we have the incarnation and insight to grasp it- $> our third

answer to the question why no mimtion Is found In earlier chronlcla

of the Taj Mahal and other buDdinga is that though many • Mm*

there is a clear mention of such buildings, our ihusb baauiubsd

by traditional tutoring fail to grasp their ligniflcaaw, Such k tha

case with the Taj Mahal,

On page 192, Vol. H, of his Memoirs emperor Babur tdls na."

"On Thursday (May 10, 1S26) afternoon I entered Agra end took

up my residence at Sultsn Ibrahim' % pulace-** Later on p*ft

Babur adds :' 'A few days after the Id we had a gr*t f«

U. 1526) In the grand hall, which is idornsl with^PJJJJ

or atone pillars, under the dome In the centte of ^«* '

palace,**

^^

rbrahim Lodi at Paniput. As such he <

€8. Pp. 1H2 and 261. Afr^M^Aft*„? .^JL^atai 1to»of Hindustan. Vol. II. wrltwn hy ^stf {\rVf . -nagutai sad ***

Tbwdatad by John Uydm and WW« £*«£^ Ut***by air Lucas King, in two whiaw. Huaa|*W mp*™, ittsn.

Tht Taj M«h*l In A Tempi* h,^

Mch ibnJiim C00. Mnuolf an alien c^queror, ^Bibor, ihsrcfor*, cells the palace m Agra which bt

Ibrahim's palace.

Bofljir>g ii Babur soya that the palac* is •domed with

*V of fton* pHta*. This ia a dear allusion to the four

talTomiinv^ towr* *l tbe C°mCra °f lh° ^ Mahal tShAh '

&eo describes a 'grand bflB" wbIch is obvi<W3,y tbe magnificent

'

^idj no* houses the cenotaphs of Mumtaz and Shahjahan,

m farther tells us thai in the centre it had a dome. We know

tfatf the central cenotaph chamber has a dome. It ta said to be

ontnSj situated because It is surrounded by ten rooms. Thus

a dtar that Bobur lived in the palace currently known as the

Taj Mabel from May 10. 1526. until his death on December 26,

1530. BtennittenUy. That means that we have a clear record of

the existence of the Taj Mahal at least 100 years before the death

of lfunjtaz (tbe so-called Lady of the Taj) around 1630. Despite

aadi a dor mention our histories and accounts of tbe Taj Mahal

the verb] over blandly assert that tbe Taj Mahal was built as a

ta-nh on an open plot of land by an inconsolable Shahjahan lamenting

the death of bis wife.

mention of the Taj Mahal is, therefore, the fifth direct

proof of tbe Taj Mahal being an ancient palace. The first four direct

i the mention by Shahjahan 'a own office! chronicle

Taj Mahal was Mansingh'i and Jaisingb'a palace; a similar

by Mr. Nurul Hassan SSddiqui on page 31 of his book

jf Ttj, the statement of Tsvernier on page 111 of his

a lotto that the cost of the scaffolding was more than

•entirework concerning tbe mausoleum , and Peter Mundy'iaatnajnai that the Taj was a spectacular edifice.

way (hen be asked bow the Taj palace which was under

» of Empcrw Sbabjahan'i great great grand-father«d out of the famfly

+

i possession and waa owned to

*"*• by Jaieingb ? Tbe explanation is thai Babur'a^be« bereft of aD bisfather-8 (Babur's) conquestsd to flee a fugitive. He did return to India but

«*» of hi. conquest of Delhi. Soon after Babur'i

'B,-a» Stories, dtiaa and buildings passed Into

ftabur Uved In Tha Ti] Mahil

Hindu hands. Among thme wwt Fitebp,jf awMahal. It may be recalled that Akbar, the

*****«•Tii

to begin all over itgain.He had ia wf„ ti^^ of **», M

against Hemu. Hindu general, birfc^^^,)J^ ,l p»««f*

Delhi and Agra and Fatebpur Sfaf At 1^*7°* pw,""iou *at Agra passed into the possession of the Jaou tr

*** ^ MaIwl

which was later forced to lend its daughterV J at™ *"*»

Manaingh,a scion of tbe Jaipur royal houae, who

^ ' **-«nd a vassal of Akbar, was tbe owner of the Taj Mtoai*A^**

1*7

to the Badshahnams it was from Manainuh'. mnH 7^"*that the Taj Mahal waa commandeered for buryingmZ^"'

Vincent Smith* teUs «a that "Babur..^^ m^a peaceful end in his garden palace at Agra.- Thi* a*m k^2proof that Babur died In tbe Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal i, thTafopalace in Agra which had i spectacular gardtn. The BtdMhthJLrefers to the garden as ' *»te zamini

'

' meaning verdant, ipabtxi*

lofty, lush garden precincts.

Babur, being a newcomer to India, still retained a noaudgio

attachment to his West Asian homeland . He had, therefor*, exprwatd

a wish to be buried near Kabul. Accordingly, hii body wta carrW

there. But for this fortuitous occurrence, according Us ih* bafaBL

of the usurping Muslims in India, he may have bam burial in

the Taj Mahal where be had been living ai the Uma of his data.

Had he been buried there, our histories would have lustily dwcriSwi

Hunwyun s greet mythical attachment to hit father Babur, tmtuda*

him to "bund' * the Taj Mahal as s wonder tomb for Babur.

Again, ir Instead of Mumtas, Shahjahan 'a other quern Prasad

Begum, who at present lies buried In an outer snenma*

Taj Mahal grounds had died to 1630. aha may hm bean

in the central chamber of U» domed, usurped Htadujnaa

In that case our histories would have contained ccncocteddascrti

of Shahjahan 's infatuation for Sarhandi Begum instead of f

Thus the Taj Mahal once bareh/ missed beingJ™^^^tomb In 1530 A. D. and once again barely

to posterity as Sarhandi Begum's tomb over , hundred>«r»War.

m. P. 90. Akbir Urn QwtMvM* Vlseeaiea*"

T.'I'JM

Hw T«J Mahal \B A T*mp|,in - ***

«,rt thy flrrf. Mc*hul emperor Babur lived and died m u*

y M>hgu * further confirmed by his daughter Gtilbadan Bq^riVio«M fto**rV>dy> ^ lhe chromc!e ^M N""10^" Noma (Th,

HWory ofHumayun ) translated into English by Annette S Bev*^

On pages 1 09 and 1 10 of the translated version. GulbadanBe^

rtcordt to* (Babur's) "death toolt place on Monday, December

J8, 1530. They brought out our paternal aunt and our mother

an the pretence thai the doctors were coming to look. All ro^

jbey took all the begums (harem women) end my mothers to

th* Great House." (A footnote on page 109 describes the Great

Rom* u a palace.)

"The death was kept concealed. On Friday, December 29. 1530.

Humsyun mounted the throne." A footnote on page 1 10 says,

Habur'a body was laid first in the Ram or Aram Bagh, on the

opposite side of the river from the present Taj Mahal, Later it

was taken to Kabul,"

The above passages make it quite clear that Babur died in the

Taj Mahal. When a was known that he was dead, the harem women

living elsewhere were brought to the palace called The Great House,

he. the Taj Mahal.

Liter, in order that Humayum had to be crowned in the Taj

Mahal. Babur' a body was removed from the Taj Mahal and was

carried across the Yamuna river and laid in the palace called RamBagh alias Aram Bagh, This explains the belief among historians

and archaeologists that the Ram Bagh palace in Agra has something

to do with Babur s death.

Describing the preparations being made for the wedding feast

of rEndal (son of the late emperor Babur and brother of emperorHumayun) Gulbadan Begum wriUa. "The jewelled throne whichmy lady bad given for the feast was placed in the forecourt of

(Myrtle) House and a gold -embroidered diwan was laid in

<on which > Hia Majesty and the dearest lady sat together. -

«» largt octagon*! hall (of The Mystic House) was ae*

ad throne, and above and below it were spread out hanging*«h"*ta*d with gold, and wonderful strings of pearls,

"

Babur Uv«l In "Hi* Taj MihU

151

Ttie ocUigonnl hall of the Mystic Hou«» to obvW-k, lh-^onal ball of the Taj Mahal in whkh . h^^^^Shabjahan raised the tomb of Mumlaz, and in IfiflB Auran«-

his father emperor aabjahan. The Taj Mahal i* catted ths U*House because it originated as « Shiva temple repW with VWmotifs. The some building was also called the Great House banH was s magnificent royal residence.

•••

CHAPTER XVn

the falsttv of mediaevalmuslim chronicles

Sa H. M. BLLOT, a 'well known historian, has observed In

the preface to ha eight volume study of numerous mediaeval Muslim

/frqfl^fi^ that they art an * "impudent and interested fraud.'" He

fogy joittftfB his conclusion by his comments during the study

of Ihose cbwiicks. Here we quote bis observation regarding Muslim

chroRtdas which purport to record for posterity events of the

towth-gtnersijan Moghu) emperor. Jshangir, Lay readers and even

mt*~*» of history have been kept blissfully in the dark about

the utter unre&ibility of those chronicles.

It should also be remembered that Jshangir was the father

auihjahan whose authorship of the Taj Mahal and the

are challenging in this book.

Sr H M Elliot's observations about the Jahangirnama apply

forcefully to aD mediaeval Muslim chronicles. They are all

exam niet of gross exaggerations, false claims, suppressions

rath, and blatant misrepresentations. For instance, wherever

they my that the Muslim rulers destroyed temples and built mosques,

tbsc they man i> that they just used temples as mosques by

and throwing away the icons.

*bare#er Muslim chronicles claim that Muslim rulers or

foonded towns, built forts and constructed roads and

dug wdhj and tanks, their claims are invariably false.

to India to enjoy ready wealth and mansions but not

U. Neither did they have the time, money, patience,

id. seaman, akfll. resources or personnel to attempt

* o*Bstnictioo. They do not have ev«i a single treatiser "ir|"- m "»«hatval literature on any architecture of their

to tot

fbe Twidty Of Mediaeval Mujdjjn Ghrtmldt*

AD tbe above observationa are fully flltm^ h a „ofa appraisal of chronicles concwnFn- uc

la

EMebeerve*-

'' «**nini ash**-, ^ *

whichbf the

•There are several works wn,,,,,

Autobiographical Memoirs of ibe Emperor Jahanidr ^confusion in their titles.. There are two distinct aJWi--Memoirs which differ entirely from each other. MajorM*!™**one. Anderson wrote upon the other. Tt wOl b* _» „i« ,*„

... . u ....w ^» «« that iheni

are varieties of each edition.

"A few instances may as well be adduced, to ahaw uaiexaggeration of the Ttotic-i-Sttim-ShalP

"At page 2 of Major Price" 3 translation it is gaid -Qn us*occasion I made use of the throne prepared by my ftuw. ^enriched it at an expense without parallel, for the cdebrttkn of

the festival of the year, at the entrance of the Sun into Aria,

In the fabrication of the throne a sum not far short of lot kroun

of sshrefies, of five mjthkals the sahrefy was expended in jmlsJone. a krour hang the term of an hundred lakhs, and 1 lakh

being 100,000, independently of 300 mauna of gold, Ifaitoatant

measure, employed in the workmanship, each maun of Hind bskw

equal to ten maun3 of Iraq.

"The translator converts the value of Jewell alone into 150

millions sterling! an incredible sum, as he justly observw; bat

the more sober statement of the Tiiak-i-JdmF* *9* '<*** **?

lakhs of ashrcfies and fifty mauns of gold. Hifldujtani me

and there is no mention of the throne m U» aifthwtfc Maim

"A little below we read, 'having thus

*"*^^™J^throne or my expectations and wishes. I cause ^^crown, which my father had cauawi to be madtsl '

'^ ^

of that which wss worn by the great kings ofF* "Jv^j^^before me, and then, in the presarwofthe™

tolhf .uHay

having placed it on my brows, as an omen"T^^ of s ft*

and happiness of my reign, kept ft w^ ^ (r9m *«

astronomical hour. On each of the GBJW* ^ rf ^a single diamond of lbs value ofw

— —n3^c-70. P. 2M. Elliot A Dawaon, &***•

71. pp 3b? -am. n>w

The Tii| MnhflJ In A Tempi* Pilac*

of flv» miiBkeJs , i be whole purchssod by my father with the resource

of h* own government, noi from anything nrennng to him by

inheritance from hi* predecessors. At the point in (ho centre of

thr lop pan of the crown *«s a single pomi of four mithkaJs,

of the valor of on* lakh of oshrefies, and on different parts of

the same wrre art altogether 200 rubies of ono milhkiil encb, and

wdb of the value of 6.000 rupeeea. Altogether this superb symbol

of supreme power may bo valued at two millions sterling. * In the

smaller work and in the authentic Memoirs, (hero is no mention

of this oosUy crown.

' to page 5 Jshsngir says he remitted certain sources of revenue,

'which yielded to his father no less than 1600 Hindustani mauns

of gokL equal to 16.000 mauns of Irak/ The Tuzak says 60 mauns

Hindustani, and the authentic Memoirs give no sum.

"At page H be says that 'the workmanship alone of the citadel

of Agri was completed at the expense of not less than 180 lakhs

of ashrefies of five miibkals each.* which the translator with a

not* of admiration converts into 26.550,000/-. The Tuzak gives

only 38 lakhs of rupees, and the authentic memoirs 35 lakhs of

"At page 15 he says that the temple which had been built

by Raja Mansingh and which the king demolished for Use purpose

of railing a mosque on its ruins cost in its construction nearly

36 lakhs of five mithkals ashrefies' which as the translator says

is 5.40.00,000 rupees ! The Tuzak says only 8,00.000 rupees.

"At page 32 he sends to Shahzada Panwez a chaplet of pearl

of U» value of 5.00.000 rupees The Tuzak says 100.000.

"M page 34 be says "that Daulst Khan left at his death propertytqehalent. ecoardjng to the translator, to 120.000.000/-*, The Tuzakays only 300,000 tumans of jewels besides gold and other specie.

[

P*K* 37 be putea 'that the property of his brother DanielMWUd ta Jeveb to five crore of ashrefies, and two crore in

of the aatn* currency of 63.000,000/ - sterling.

' The Tuzak* ellaot at to U» amount

tl the tiara of Hlmu is aaW * to have been set with

Th* Natly Or McdlouvoJ Muslim Chronldw1GB

Of sixty Jaca of uahrefiea or 6.40.000/- sterlingl' Th* -tw,.^ 80.000 Tumans, * "" ^ak «»

•At page 67, in speaking of the preparations for lHs a,™,*f his son Khmrru, he says. '40,000 horses reeding m hit

stables, and 100,000 camela were brought out and distnTwtld

1

Tlje Tuzak has nothing on the subject,

"At page 79 he says he 'delivered to JimeO Beg ico.ono ashrefiei

to be distributed amongst the Badakshanians, and that the ordered

60,000 rupees to be distributed among the Durwaiahee al Adjmeir.'

The Tuzak gives the sum at 30,000 rupees, and mentions aotUag

about the donations to the Badakshanians.

"At page B8 'the Jewel chest of Khossrou it said to have contained

18,000,000 sterling !' It must hav© been s pretty large M heavy

one to have held only £ lfl.000, and the Tuzak says nothing abovt

its contents.

MAfter these instances of exaggeration, who will believe this

valuation 'immoderately augmenting the numbers of all things'

There are also other additions and omissions. For instance the account

of the rebellion and capture of Khusru varies in several eaamtial

particulars (in the (liferent copies) aria at the conclusion of that

occurrences , instead of Jahengir's returning to Agra, be pis to

Kabul, as he is said in oil other histories to have done

"Amongst other omissions, a very striking one it thai not

only is there scarcely any allusion made to bis propensity to druibng

but he speaks with pious horror of this disgraceful wtdicuon I

his brother Baniyal; whereas In the true Memoirs then

many drinking bouts noticed, as in the Memoirs of Jahswr

grandfather Babur; and the extraordinary potatiorm to wto

confesses would have shamed even that liwnodersto tope

M KKot'i ob*rvtiJo*Above is just a sampling from Sr H

made by him from time to time to prove hfscooclu].ionU»lMUj '

iiiatitr uy mm tram unit? mj ujiww r it ^ w0g^chronicle* are atrocious concoctions. We would

^

*—observations of our own since there are many pot

the notice or even Sr H. M. EOfctf and other «*

of hie type.

Every student of MuaSm chronicles and ^

m

The Taj Mahal la A TVwtipi, p^

mmmu* wouM do well to qu«tton the wry basis of nil M8wrtintU|

—artrf to him end care^y consider whether they »r* corrobomMoiher asdependnni evidence and aw stand the scrutiny of |agiCi

For mjuKv. b the estwts quoted above, il may be noted ih«

ihr fort r* A*"™ if * ^ Mdcnl Hindu dfJMld The emoting

mnoooci in Muslim chronicles as having boon spent on it were

m^y for repair*. That expenditure was grossly moaned ami

MX report were misrepresented as actual construction f lne

fort Whai a more. *ven the amount spent on those repairs was

„&#%*& from Use dtfamry by means of a special levy for their

own tatnrt m& effective suppression and slavery

Where Jahangir is said U> hove destroyed Mansingh's lemple

md befft mosque over its ruins, all that the reader may gather

'rom K 'a that Jahangir had the whole temple staff driven out

or converted to Islam and Muslim group installed to throw away

the idol* and use the same building for Muslim pniyers. The paltry

ispent on it to uproot the image and repair the damaged flooring

grouty exaggerated and the whole operation misrepresented

at the building of a mosque. This has happened throughout India

la the entire mfllenium of Muslim rule.

Bert it may also be noted that Mansingh was Jahangir's own

'-to'law Bid a Hindu courtier who had incurred the odium

j military' campaigns against his own relatives to consolidate

Mogbul role in India. And yet Jahangir had the fanatical cheek

to destroy temple built by his own brother-in*law and staunchest

of supporters. If such was the condition of one of the highest

f accruer* closely rebnad to the Muslim sovereign by blood ties,

«e may wefl imagine the plight of those Hindus who claimed neither

power mi position nor royal kinship.

rhr crowns, thrones , dties, forts, palaces, tombs and mansions

m senrfrtigns and nobility are claimed to have constructed

Q***rfe>* concoctions falsely recorded in ink by the facile

'***im scribe* intent on making easy money by currying

"aw tooted, usurped, commandeered and

rum pre -Muslim Hindu rulers. Muslim chroniclersduo of thaw captured or looted townships or buildings.

T^e FuWiy CM Mi-dU^o] Uu«Um Chroridm

perhaps Moated them a lot,and rocordBtl them, it th* «», Um.

^representing that the crowns, thrones, building umtatubridges, canals etc. were constructed by thdr rwpertiv* Muslimpatrons. H Is such overlapping prevarication which hat fh-w, n>jucb fantastic versions thai the so-colled Kuiub Miner was perhipbuHt by Kuiubuddln alone or by Altmash singly or by both of

them and Mlnuddin KhHji nnd Feiwahah Tughlak pertly; and that

the cost of the Taj Mahal may be anywhere between four end over

90 million rupees). In such cases the very basis of Muslim assertions

is misleading. This the reader should be clear about in reconstructing

the story of the Taj Mahal.

It may also be noted that ,1ahsngir was the father of Siatijahun.

If Jahangir. as we have noted obove, has been brandwl as e notorious

prevaricator, his son Shahjahan was worse. Shahjahan hieed the

services of Kamgar Khan to forge o now chronicle or Jehaniir's

reign three years after the letter's death, to carefully eliminate

from Juhiuigtr's own chronicle all adverse references to the rebellious

Shahjahan when the latter was a prince. Testifying to this, St

H. M. Elliot observes P **He (Karrfgar Khan) was At last induced

to undertake it (writing a spurious history of Johjingir's reign)

at the instigation of the emperor Shahjahan in ths third year of

his reign."

Jabangir'a chronicle contains many flattering references to bis

father Akbar Jahangir invariably professes to be s very obediant

son overflowing with fllial affection. For instance, he claims to

have built o tomb for bis father (which bo did not). He »yx

when later he used to pass by Ms father*! tomb b* *"

intended (sic) to walk barefoot, &ch •enUmen'al Ms*

mushroom throughout Jahangir** chronicle of his reign W°J*to be taken aa nothing more then attempt* to wtwoflsgs Jaw V

atrocious behaviour as a faithless, treochcruus son aw "* ^Akbar ha-p himself described how Jahangir w^.

"J^y, friher

Later when Jahangir did not succeed in secretly (v™^^ to

Akbar. the former started an open r^L ?^ jwj^ »* dssth-

make Akbur a prisoner. h« would have torture ^ wfft#r

And yn i h* whole of the MlangiirtMm exudes

leaving been a doling son.

73. P, 340. ilrfd

:.m

n* t»1 MaM i* a ^v'mp•* p»i*»

-j i hi. iruSL and had further iwrfuctcd

^KJ-h^WW inherited *££ ^d vll!in« to obligo

* ,* *»! *» bo* °;f^ unu, which wnuld rqirMnt

Ufa, by *»Mi* «y """*** <,f32 mCmsrchs I" the world Thai

b „hy w* find our Uttta,k»d

^ ^ ^ ^ ^«| Shi*j*h*n h-vmg bum H»_ *

]hJ ilgdf _ Student*

and tan ItajU in WW ad "**^UWstory and visitors to

of hUtory, scholars who U**rf ^^ traditional Muslim

monument* shnuVd not bebeve £«

_

suDJecting ever? assertion

*-™r«.^iI*-^*^*by Independent verifying

to d-»«*«*^r^ "ioy *-<** trough

of the Taj Mnhal,

CHAPTER XVDI

THE 'LADY OF THE TAJ'

THERE SEEMS to be lot of confusion about lb* very name

of Shahjahan's wife who. we are told, lies buried in the central

chamber of the Taj Mahal

.

It could be that the appellation "MuroUu Mahal" got affixed

to her only when she was buried in a Hindu (Crown) palace which

is what the term Taj Mahal' signifies. So it is not the building,

as is commonly asserted, which derives its name from Lhe woman.

It is vice versa, namely, that the woman derives her posnrmmoui

title from the magnificent palace in which she had her second burial

This conclusion of ours Is based on Shahjahan'i own court

chronicle, the Badshahnama, which says,*1 ""OnthelTthZfl-i-Kada,

1040. died Nawab Aliya Begam. in the 40th year of her a|ft... She

had home him eight sons and six daughters

Maulvi Moinuddin Ahmed observes7 * that her original name was

Arjumand Banu Begum -

It would now be pertinent to inquire who this io catted "tody

of the Taj"' was; what was her status in Shahjahanp

s household.

what was her ancestry and bow much was her worth in SbabjohaiTi

eyes?

Arjumand Banu was the grand -daughter of Mina Chta

the Prime Minister of Jahangir. and one of his father* in -I

It needs to be pointed out h that this Ghiaa Beg **

waiter in the Persian court raised to prime ministership

Moghul court because his beautiful and Influential *">&" "[

to become Jnhungir'a mistress. Thus bis grand daufhUi

suss Arjumand Banu Begum was a commoner by oirth

t.\ p. 27. ibid., vol vn*J4 P. 3, Thr Tut *nd Hi Environ. lb«-

Arjumand JhBo'» '«"*" »» Khwaja Abul Hasan (alilo k

M Ywrnn 4d Daum Asaf Khan) and mother, Diwanji Bc^m. ^in IftH^. Muml*i was married to Shahjahon in 16|2.

fifc Wf||

tbw1^ore is wlu> Swjahan was 21 years of age at the tin*, Qf

Uwr marriage. Bu* she was not fihahjahans first wife. Shahjahan',,

first wife, the queen, was a great grand daughter of the ruler of

rVsia Shah Ismail Sifwi Siahjahen had numerous other wives

and thousands of consorts. He not only was married before taking

Mumlax as Ws wife hut also married again after her death. I„

brtweco these weddings he also used to take consorts by the hundred,

into hif harem. It is. therefore, futile to argue, as is traditionally

darn., that Shabjahan was so devoted to Mumtaz as lo lose ail

inleresi in life after her death and that he, therefore, perpetuated

her memory in a magnificent monument.

The ado that current historical texts make about Shahjahart'i

mythical infatuation for Mumtaz is not justified by the historical

records of those times. Mumtai was apparently so insignificant an

inmate of a harem teeming with 5.000 females that no historian

has bothered even to accurately mention the dates of her birth,

death or burial at Burhanpur. in the Taj garden or under the Taj

Mahal dome. This is borne out by the following extract :

,s"The

building of the Taj was commenced in 1630. or one year after the

death of Mumlaa Mahal. The date of the completion of the buMng

inscribed on the front gateway is 1057 (im). It thus look 18 years

to complete. The cost was three million sterling.'

The above passage varies considerably In its details about Mumua

and Taj Mahal from other accounts quoted heretofore, ft impba

that Mumtsa died in 1629 while others say she died in 1630 or 1 631

of 1632 A. D. The figure of the cost too is altogether imaginary

since It quotes no authority.

75 Even Mumtai' year of birth, like every other dat-U.**J^ b

b* ffctiuoui According to Mull* Abdul Hamid Lahori, I" **.., ft*

this chapter. It-intua Mahal was in her fortieth year **MJl£?

t^ ,* Inn . . S_ _ _•_ InAMn i'lrrl •PC"' *" >a a

aba roust have been born circa lfij*>>aba 4i«d around 1KJ0 she roust have been born ara .-—

^ ^ JfiWi

MauM Moinuddina book ine data of Mumtai' birtbj" *""- tf0W» « ... . ... .. . - r* /„*/.« with on aceow** v u

Court mtf of t/w Modern City of Agra by Syf i". ^ ^njni

m y 1 16

* mt urn* w<S of U* Modern uty oi ngrm **-»—, ^ jft

(Khan Bahadur), printed at Calcutta Contra! Pnaai w». *

ft ., Cakaiua, im.

T^.ljdyQfTtwTil'i .ii

The author ia wrong In believing ihat IQ57 a H nam * »inscribed on the front gateway marka the comwk*L !r!j *

Mahal. It only implies. If at all, that tha Kora^^^^Hindu palace waa completed on that dale. The toarribar itm!silent precisely from a sense of guilt. The turmi» ^ JJ5Mahal took 18 yeara to build is apparartly baaed on thia data|a therefore wrong. The year 1630 AD. bdievad to mark ih,commencement of the construction of the Taj Mahal is ebvjooshmistaken because for all one known Mumtai may have bean ahvauntfl 1632 A. D. And then it should take at least a year or i^>to discuss plana to make drawings, acquire land, onj^ TOileniKhire labour and begin construction. This venrion too. thamforeprovea how the whole Sbahiahan legend of the Taj Mahal ia all bluff

and bluster. This 18 year claim also conflicta with Tavcmiert claim

that the Taj Mahal took 22 years to bund.

The traditional myth of Shabjahanj disconsolate grief far

MumUi is a typical instance of arguing backwards, which is fallacious.

The myth arose from the belief that Shabjahan was lha builder of

a grand tomb called the Taj Mahal. To prop up and rusialn that

falsehood, other myths were creeled. But the mytbj art mutually

contradictory and inconsistent as all falsehoods an bound to be.

The myth sought to be pricked here is about Shahjahtfl'i fpadal

and exclusive attachment to Mumtaz meant to justify rtjstntf an

expensive momument in her memory. Had he been *o attached then*

would have been a mention about It in hintorioe. &it the™ la not

aword about ii anywhere. Theonly special runwnoe, if any, mentioned

in narratives of the Mogbul court, relates to Jahangir and Ma com

Nurjahan. As regards Shahjahan, tradition first starts frem t &1*

premise, namely that be built the Taj Mahal at a tomb,

explain it away - i.e. justify the huge expense iacurred on it,

ita beauty - it Is presumed that be must have bean grattiy i

U> b«\ This is what we mean by "arguing backwards-

During the 18 yeara of her married tif* «• ****

w—^ whom seven survived her. That meant in i ^ j^^^lshe free from pregnancy, which shows Shahjahao^

for his wife's health, so much ao that tiumutomm

last dehvery. She waa then only 37 ym* *W

Burhanpur her body was burial there Had Sha J

anarb*

nadb*

m Tb ''-'i ftblui b ft'?',

,,„.'. Paiift

for h#r. h* could hiivc built a monument whore his wife wai riret

UirW.SstiTionths Inter the body wnsfnhuincd, which was a sacr-l^ps

and violation of ito* lonw* of Islam, tt> be taken to Agra As «

m*u<r of faei ff lh« Trj Mahal took 10 to 22 yeora or m to build

according to traditional fiction, why was the body carried to Agr»

torn the original place of burial within six months of the death?

Whit wu the hurry?

Another interesting fact far that even in tlw precincts of the

Ttoj the body waa again faterred in a temporary tfrsve for another

tdx months, Thereafter it was laid where it is supposed to lie now.

These are very important facts which need la be carefully exnmined.

Had the Taj been really built by Sbahjah&n over n period of 10

to 22 years employing 20>OQG labourer* one can imagine the heaps

of building material lying ail around with the large labour force

wandering all over, fn such circumstances would it be possible to

keep the body of a dead queen righl there to be trodden over by

an army of humble labourers. In the dust and din of a huge project 7

[n our view the rational explanation fs that soon after MumLnz'a

dntb she wbj buried in Durbanpur - the town in which she died.

Sxmonths later when Shahjahan visualised the possibility or ousting

Jaisingh from his resplendent hereditary palace, using the death

of his wife as a lever, he kept exerting his royal pressure on or

browbeating Jatelngh out of his luxurious ancestral home. SnceJaJsingb could not be so easily prevailed upon, Shahjahan had the

body of Mum tax brought from Burhanpur to serve as a sort of

an ultimatum When the body itself was there as sn handy asset

for the emperor and the entire Muslim nobttily to browbeat Jaisingh

with, could be hold out any longer ? He had to surrender his ancestral

palace.

V/jihin a few months its central octagonal throne chamber wasdug up. TVo trenches were made in the basement, and Mumtaz'flexhumed body waa interred in one Above the basement in the throne

chamber two cenotaphs were raised so as to be directly above the

fravw in th§ braemem. The other trench in the basement wan for

f preceding Footnote m hw ahown how Mulli Abdul HamMtha UumiMz waa in her fortieth yw (and not the thirty- wwniMwf IN.

n» "Lady of *n» Taj*

Mlghahjahan .

Tho cenotaph obova hli tfmrfi „wen with that of Muxnt^ beau*, J?l IT**-

100"***-*

couW «urf!y be buried h th. opm tr*,* JT£*^ *"». *disturbing the cenotaph ibqva. Thii wH n __"** "Wtt*burial for hJmadf alongajde Mumua *hmhTT^

**"*'' ***hli *on> cared for him. Th« cenotaph. M u U

* BtF* «throne -chamber above the baseman b* ,,,„,

"

lay underneath, otto™ uw the main^ d]|||fvW ^ .J"*"

purpose, tbweby violating their wincUiy

Ntcoolao Manucd, a Va^, h hta ^^ Qf g^^court, to which he waa » wRo^, my9 *

•«iWt(1^7Jleast doubt that if the Pbrtuieuaa* had nathed lha mm I

lifetime of Taj Mahal (Lo. Mumt**) ^ ^^^ ^^^whole of them to be cut tola plates after grot tonum AI u»same they did not escape a auTfidcnl amount of auffanng; mr*abjured their faith either from fear of torture and of death or ihroaab

the desire of recovering their wives, who had been diatifbutad brShahjahan among hia officers. Others, the moat beautiful nowthem,, were kept Tor the royal palace

'

Thus neither by lineage, nor by any oidotrinf quatiuai. physical

beauty, special attachment and precedence of rank fbccauw iba

was not the first wife, nor a queen in ber own right ) did A/jamani

Banu Begum qualify for the distinction of a oniijB» wpokhn

Both Shahjahan and Mumtai were, that. attnjneJy bar*

wicked and not tho lender Romeo and Julie* type of pa> that U»

misled public la made to bettm.

In April 1974 when I negotiated wilhapbo««raphw-

for a photograph of MumUtx'a lomb tbfff. hi taqobi

1 needed an exterior view of the building or of ibt (n?

Tout indicates that even in Burhanpur MunU«J

inside an usurped building though aeeounU that *

to ua have all along claimed that Muwlaa ** * *

garden. It m pparenl. Iherrfore. thai «*"£buried in a garden puace to Burhaojair •»

aeoond time in • garden P^» + *<"• "

M 78, PP. JTO- listeria do Mcr*Maauerf,

oryopdlaa1.l»^l» l

I*Th# T*J Mahal t» A TwnpWp^

TTJ. h yr* ir^thcr imporuint detoil which has boot withheld

gullible poWie for lhr*# lon« <*muriee. This also musing

^biatorisn* hr* *« •cceP,in« Mup1i,n vcra,ons ""verified and

ufUnvaetignted.

Sahjahan managed to bury Mumtax in a ready mansion in

Burhanpur first, and second time in a bettor mansion in Agra just

to deprive the Hindus of two of Uwir andenl palatea. Thereby

Skahjahan succeeded in defiling and misapproprittUng two Hindu

mansions in two different and distant cities with one corpse.

In both cases historical accounts glossed over the two buriab

by vaguely alluding to Mumlazs burial first in o garden in Burhanpur

and acme months later in Manaingb's garden in Agra, carefully

{r?pr^Kng the fact that at both places she was buried in the mansions

situated In those gardens, later, on the sly those accounts added

that Shahjahan spent millions of rupees in raising the mausoleum

in Agra* namely the Taj Mahah

Had Shahjahan ever any intention to build a fabulous building

over Mumlaz'a body he would have done so in Burhanpur Itself.

He wouldn't incur double expenditure in first raising one mansion

over ber body in Burhanpur and later another better one in Agra

and yet leaving no expense account of either. Did not Shahjahan

have better or more serious things to do than trifle and fiddle with

the corpse of his departed consort and keep experimenting with

epulchre-building in distant cities

!

rotre is one other important aspect which seems to have escaped

nwrybody'a attention. There are two cenotaphs in the Taj Mahalthe name of Mumtaz and two in the name of Shahjahan, one

cb to the basement and upper floor respectively. Why fournoMpha for just two corpses ? Does not thai little detail indicate

a fraud hiding something ?

two of the cenotaphs must be fake. If so. which ones)

The two CHiottphs in the name of Mumtaz were obviouslywry the two Shadings Cone each in the basement andfloor r«p«c!My). That indicate* either that Mumtai

l.all buriad in the Taj Mahal or that her corpse in the basement

J»bwt laid over the Shivling. But even the basement

'«bov. tha river level. Therefore Mumtaa't body couldnw nave boart bunad even jn lne basement •••

CHAPTER XIX

THE ANCIENT HINDU TAJEDIFICE IS INTACT

THOSENOTaMetogrtridoftheU^iUKVftlnouonofs^i^^^

sponaorahip of the Ta} Mahal are prone to argue, em after routing

the foregoing evidence, that Shahjahan may have taken over a ready

Hindu temple palace but he must have completely damoGincd ft

and erected a tomb. This Is not true. The Th| Mahal utewit today is the ancient Hindu temple palace except for fair nrpwficid

changes made in il by Shahjahan. The first alteration ht made

was to dig the basement central chamber floor end afUtr burying

Mumtaz, raise a cenotaph. The other alteration wis In *he antral

ground floor chamber. Here two cenotaph-humps wens put yp by

Shahjahan ao that the Hindus may not reclaim the buSMing. The

third alteration made by Shahjahan was to get Koranic extract*

engraved on the walls of the Hindu pnlac*. Th* fourth dan** b»

made was to have many staircases, ventilators and chimbm in

the basement and upper floors sealed with und. brick and Una.

Prom the above, the nader may have noted ^*^?did not make any structural change or^^^mZTherefore, the reader and the visitor to theW"J*£EII as nothing more or less than an^ "^I^Ecomplex By mistaking it M. I» »«*• "«*•T™E,tend to concentrate thdr*^«*"^'££Lto appreciate the building in .U it. vetoes*.^^^

The Taj Mahal, when viewed as a^jJ*'J^^anil mart*

attention in the following manner _^ f|n|etBrt *edifice. TbJs bus at least four storeys in in* ^^ .

In the marble floor is • central chamber«"»^^ ^The central chamber now haa **°

Hindu Poaook Tlirone, u*u£*•*—*''"' to AA

m "H>* TBj Mahal h A Twnpfe p^

forg** 10 go round the 10 chamber* which surround the cen

f»wuq>h) chamber. Thus in the marble structure itself, ^should be HT83 rooms in the basement, It an the ground noor

and 10 in the UPP*»* s**^ CU. the first floor) since the dome

nam high above the centra] chamber. Thus there should be in ah*

II 10 rooms in ihe three storeys of the marble palace. The fourth

tiorcy comprises of a single hell inside the hollow marble dome.

That makes it a grand palace suite and not a one room tomb as

many visitors imagine it to be in I heir hurry.

2, The second significant feature of the Taj Mahal is the

two -storied buildings on its right and left flanks. One of them

la now mistaken to be a mosque and the other is explained away

as a superfluous counterpart. These two were edifices for the guards

and for guests and religious ceremonies,

3. Around the marble edifice is a huge redstone paved courtyard,

tinder it is a huge basement containing scores of roams. The public

should ask the Archaeology Departmen t to have the basement unsealed

and thrown open to the public. It is likely that the sealed roomscontain some treasure as well as idols and other tell-tale dues10 the building 'a Hindu origin. If a small fee is levied on visitors,

Ibe collection will easily pay for the maintenance of the cleared

Daaumujl.

4. At the four corners of the plinth of the marble edifice arefour towers which when lighted up at night, used to set off thebuilding in on enchanting frame. An inner spiral staircase leads

> the lop of each of the four towers. Visitors to the Taj Mahalft«n vehemently assert that the four marble towers at the plinthmen are definitely an Islamic concept. We wish to tell them

that, far from being Islamic, those towers themselves are anmponant Hindu characteristic, in 8upport we ^ fi footftoUj«**** W2 of ifcem*'. HMboak. It says ; -Cunningham writes8-Ang this mauaoleun (i.e. Humayun tomb) that in this tomb

wefir* „* ,**«, allied to the four angles of the main building.

M™^Ti,Trtam innovilUon *" the Mohammedan architecture

untfl « culminated In the graceful minars of the Taj Mahal."^ V""** «<*«* «y- that the four pillars attached

Tl* Anotant Hindu To] Edinc* I« imuin

to the corners of the Humayun tomb, ml v*Um.

^er rf the Taj Mahal, are tm-Wamlc [rmovaUonT,***

tbey ore of Hindu origin. This finds corroboration" °lh,r **"*

practice of raising four banana stumps as towwa u it*Z *-"**

Puis altar, and raising towers at the four comara aftaltar.

* "* *****

The footnote also highlighta the flaw |„ t^ Uunttw of w-te»scholars like Keene and Cunningham. Percy Brown an* p*™^While discussing the individual traits of the s^caltaj mo**!* mtombs they concede that they archil un~la!amic. Hindu inula. Andyet they blindly believe that the whole building l9 Qf MulBm Ql^aVisitors to the Taj Mahal (fa Agra) and FibiVa-Makalwi fin

Aurangabad) and the Gol Gumbos (in Bijapwl must n*!i« tan

they are all misappropriated Hindu buHdlnp and must, thorefi™,

jettison the tutored and wrongly implanted notion that tho four

corner towers are an Islamic speciality. On tha other bind It a

o Hindu speciality. In Pilani (a town in Rajasthan) Mm planUa of

every public well has Lowers at ita four corners. Archaeological

officials, teachers and professors of history, visitors la matuunaoti

and official guides thus seem to be Ignorant of the imjdicattai et

Cunningham's observation, though they considerhim in 'auifaadly'.

5. Enclosing the marble edifice and the garden n front is a

redstone wall. As one faces the Taj Mahal, on iht Ut band i

in the redstone wall la a multfstoreyod well with apart**

every storey. The well used to house the paJac "***,"

its rooms This arrangement came handy for irt^m*J"T£

in the well if the enemy surprised the occupanU In**

the treasure used to remain secure to the^<™^^intruders who could not easily run a*ay with i

the narrow confines of the well spiral

^ ^6. Along the redstone wall on the firth* **

o^

marble edifice are long arched corridors. ^^7. As wc face the marbk, Ta)J^^% *, p**-

entrance to the garden, on the nKbt hand

wall is a huge quadrangle of rooms- ^ m«w^8. Outside tho garden is a^^ •** * *

corridors and scorea of rooms 1

Tb» Taj Mshd ! A Temple Palu^-

. p^-Aion «rm for roya! K^*** "ivtn* wlth^ ^""^ and

jn^wnUn^^ H to in tMs quadrangle thai the cavalry „,,,

*« wcoct wwrnpanvinK courtiers. princes and rulers used

tar up to mrte w«y R*« important personage to alfght from

hw mount md enkr the towering garden entrance to proceed to

the marble Taj tomF3* P*1**'

9 Ouiside the redstone wall are many annexes for aides,

penuries, princes and the ruler"* near relations.

10. In the eastern side of the redstone well along the river

re two huge towers containing scores of rooms in their many

storeys- Sewer water now -a-days swirls in eddies around one tower,

which is lady to damage its foundation in the long run

1 1

.

In the redstone quadrangle outside the garden are hundreds

of rooms and stables for infantrymen and their attendants

12. Around *hto palace complex are weO built rows for shop

stalls which Tavernrer has described as the Tnsiwscsn.

CHAPTER XX

THE TAJ MAHALHAS HINDU DIMENSIONS

THE TAJ Mahal has temple-palace dimensions and attribute.

Its numerous gatewayshave spiked doors. The enttrebuilding complex

encloses over a thousand rooms, a multiatoreyed well and pleasure

pavilions.

The majestic approach, flanked by arched redstone corridors,

to the Taj Mahal is typical of all Rajput, Hindu royal buildings.

Many such arched corridors surround the Taj Mahal garden rod

the outer quadrangle. Between them they enclose hundreds of rooms

used for housing the temple palace staff and alao animals. Muslim

myths explain them away as JHo-Khma or pleasure house with

the built-in absurdity that a monarch m cruel, miserly and

overbearing as Shahjahan would ever condescend to erect luxury

rooms for all and sundry to make merry over the tomb at which

Shahjahan himself Cwe are told) wept bitterly day-in-and-dayout

from 1630 to 1666. Such a majestic approach may still he

outside all ancient Hindu temples,palaces and townships in Rajaslhan

.

Behind the temple palace was a paved river bank known a*

"ghat" . A part of it still exists. Gateways of the Taj Mahal (ntf

barred) opening at the rear provided for the Hindu royalty to baU

at the river and go boating.

Among the many buildings in the Taj Mahal oompkato

of Hakksr Khmas (Drum Houses). Besides being entirely "

Rajput style, as at Chittor. Gwallor or Ajmer. the Drum

are further proof of the wiLhor's thesis. Any kind of

atricUy forbidden in Islamic religious placed Even <***

drum house Is ever planned to disturb tlw graveyard

departed souls. But m Hindu temples and palaces drum

Th* Ta* Mahal b A TVmpj, p^

«, on mdi»p<n»W* appurtenance. Urania and shchmri minie Uied

#bpr m tb* dawn, announce royal arrivals and departure

^jeonw gwwts, proclaim festivals and rally the citizenry for royal

proclamations,

We hive alrtwSy quoted the Encyclopaedia BriUrnniot to say*

ch , outside the enclosure al the south are ancillary buildings

,gdi as stable*, out-houses and guard quarters.

"

w •Myhe Tasimocan (Taj-i-Macan, i.e.

m

Tsvernier has also

a crown mansion) is a large bazar consisting or Slx large court*,

all surrounded with porticos under which Lhere are chambers for

the use of merchants."

'

On (Op of all those buildings are huge terraces and galleries.

Ff visitors to the Taj Mahal realise that it is a temple palace they

would no longer be content with having a hurried peep at the

cenotaphs. They would then rightly want to amble along thecorridors,

over the terraces and inside the labyrinthine basement. Government

archaeological officials, history teachers, students and lay visitors

med to be properly instructed to view and study the Taj Mahal

a a Hindu temple palace; only then will they be able to appreciate

its real beauty and grandeur.

The locale of the Taj known as Jaisingpura and Khawaspura

encompassed numerous buildings. The area around the Taj teemed

with mullistareyed buildings providing living accommodation for

guards, army detachments, stewards, waiters, caterers, ushers and

other paraphernalia which wails on royalty. There were, therefore,

in that area a bazar, serais, guest houses, and roads connecting

all these. All those buildings are mistaken to be mosques and tombs

from the lime of Shahjahan's annexation.

The dimensions of the Taj and its accoutrements are those

of a wealthy temple palace, and not of a sombre tomb. In support

of thti we quote here at some length extracts from MaulviMoinuddin s

book:

"to Tront of the magnificent gate there is a spacious platform,

211.5 ft. in length and 86.75 a. in width.. The plot encompass*

TV P 7M. Encyclopaedia Hntonnica, ibid, Vol. 21

». Pp 10MM. Tnvtis in India, Ibid. Vol. I-

Ttae Til Mihnt Hu Hindu Btmmitont

by the four walls is rantangfe l$m a ion* «-kni 1000 ^ broad east ind w«i, with .^I^T^t^„, yd*- or a little more than 42 acre,. Tbu gs* . looVifc

-TheentmnM Is 1D.5 wide. Tfte gate bmid^ran .dloy»n^of eight different metals, and is studded with bnm tmfo him*In, The area inside is an irregular octagon wiu, , n^^ fl f

Here we want to point out that the octagon*) shapeb i ipedfiaD,traditional Hindu shape. The octagonal design is oteo drawn batone powder In front of entrances to Hindu boroea. Hsnd fsns

in andent limes used to be of octagonal shape. Paper limp* bung

during the Deepswali festival are of an octagonal shape.

Special eight metal alloys were known to and mmuTartund

only by Hindu smiths as is evident from the famous Iron pSkr

in Delhi, the shaa lying in Dhar, and a number of other Initanon

A tomb is open to fakirs and the poor all the 2\ boon and.

therefore, needs no doors studded with nails. Only a temple prince

or fort door has polished brass nails hammered in forftitngthmlng

the entrance against possible intrusion.

The Maulvf further says i

"A flight of 17 steps takes one to the second slortj- Gdof

up 17 steps higher, we reach the 3rd story contalninj (tw»[mrtnmu.

The apartments communicate with one another by a gallery running

through. At the corners of this storey there are oclafonal roans,

each with four doorways and one entrance to tht staircase **>!

up.

Of the four staircases two go down to tha Ural floor, lbs ou-r

two are closed (halfway through), _

"Rooms at the southwestern corner hmiii *fc™J j*££

while In the northeastern rooms the stairs are Inte p<" ^A gallery affords communicaUon between the -Warn*

passage has a branch leading to thu staircase. ^"A flight of stairs consisting of 34 ""j**^^ ^u^t

top. Here there are tour towers •^/JT^Lfct wpH **eight doorways. The towers are crowned

brass kalasea,"

m Tha Taj Mahal la A TVmiJn Pul«*

The last word •kiilftKar above should be noted. This word

la ivr«wtf<d many timre in Maulvf Moinuddio'a deecripUwn of Uie

lij Th* word i* from flsMfcrfl Il could never Ret into the Taj

pronim. *rp*da?ly in Muslim narrative of the TbJ unless it has

Immi hovering in the Taj fa pre- Muslim Rajput tradition. "Kidsa"

signifins « shining pinnacle usonlly of brass or gold- The reported

use of Uw word "kales" also prows that the monument te •

Pit Muslim t«nPk palace. The word "kalas" only occur* In

conmcUfm with towering and magnificent temples, palaces and such

other Hindu monuments.

It most also be noted that thfi four octagonal cupolas nestling

round the dome are of pure Rajput shape. Those coping the four

towers at ih* oomtrt of the Tiij Mnbal'a open verandah nre also

of an entirely Rajput design.

What about the dome, it may be asked ? The presumption that

the dome is a Muslim invention b baseless. To call the dome a

Muslim creation amounts to linking it somehow with Prophet

Mohammad's birth. Whet possible connection could there be between

the dome as an architectural design and the origin or Islam ?

In the one of the Taj Mahal we have already quoted emperor

Babor, Shahjahsn's court chronicle • the Badstmhnama - and the

grmt Knglfsh author. Havell to prove that the dome is b Hindu

constructJons! form

The Kaba, the curreut central shrine of Islam, itself is nol

capped with a dome.

The Hindus alone have spedsJ namea for eight directions namely

the North, South, East. West and the other four in between them

designated by the Sanskrit namea Eeshanya, Agtuya* Nmntya

and Waysvyw - It is those which octagonal Hindu palaces and temples

like the Taj Mahal indicate.

Rrferririg to some 14 basement rooms behind the royal graves.

Maulvi Maifiuddln ssyain

in rua book. "The list two rooms have

ptvuirea peeping on to the placid stream. It was these openings

that brought to light the existence of the long hidden chamber*.

PI P 37, Tt» Taj intl ft* Environment*. Ibid. Actually there are 22

ISJMM

TT^ TnJ Manal tba llkndu raroenajon*

171

Tho mouths of the rtaireaacs Wnre ini|l

ja hllfd to find out why these undrrground chamW. **" H^* * ••rabufli

That even a Muslim like the Mauivi I

why the underground chambers exist in B **&££**the whole Taj legend la made up of ineongmmt bit* upalace any number of underground chambers ** a*enw^LZ*use but are indispensable. Such chambers areuwd loai***^

™,-~ Vilrlc friimrlR imiiriurm w.™:,_ _. • .treasure, hide friends, imprison enemies, and Tor ceremonji

talks etc. In a tomb, basement chamber* ire redundaaL

The very fact that those chambers have bam wattad up mlrendered unoccupiable is further proof that one* it* mwram-Jtt

waa converted into a tomb Shahjahan did not *ihI viaiujra or

caretakers to use the premises for residential purposes. Superfluous

rooms of the erstwhile temple palace had therefore to be waDaL

On the same page the author Maulvi Mofnuddtn further observw

j "From the existence of the sand, apparently of the Jumna, lying

thickly on the floor it might be reasonably supposed thai ibara

was a ghat or landing place on the spot, which however wis diiuaad

subsequently for some unknown reason. The real object of building

them remains then a "mystery"

Many such features are bound to be s "nvysUsy" to those

who study the Taj Mahal in the mistaken belief that it oriajnatsd

as a tomb. The entire mystery clears up into remarkably cohsna*

mass of meticulous detail the moment it is reaHiod that lbs ft

Mahal originated as a Kajput temple palaca several antra befort

Shahjahan look it into his head to convert ft into • tomb.

On page 38 the Maulvi ssys. " To tba wart of *******

is a mosque which has room for a «**to f X« IB I

We wonder what significance, if any-^V^^SmThis again shows that .he guard room flanking^^^of the temple palace is today pointed out j*i

J!T"£gWlfjl

been a mosque It would have providedJ™^^figure of persons, like 1.000 or 10.000, not IM

539 '

rrtrnersoftaeoll*lWfl,l,d,fc

The four marble towers at the four corners ^ ^^or the Taj Mahal were both the wtu*ww -^^as well as lamp lowers. At night the on***

mTtofl T»l Mah.l la A IVmpk I

1)!,*,

framed' " **> Lbo*° four towwri b°«r»ng thwr light*UJrt! lO BJip*""

htfi up I" * J«* ***

Blifld sdburrnts of the Indo- Saracenic theory of architecture

—n la the unaware that towers starting at ground or plinth lovd

P chimneys of brick kilns, are a speciality of indigenous ancient

dun rhtecturr. Saracenic minarets begin from the shoulders

of biddingi as In mosouca- And usually such minarets are not

hollo* from within and hive no stairs- This is one of the grounds.

amrttf othw voluminous evidence, which disproves traditional

Muslim claims to the so -colled Kutub Miliar and the four towers

of the T^j Mahal.

Marking every plinth, connected with service to God, Lhe king

or the public, with four towers is a universal ancient Indian custom.

Cunningham's observation that it is in Kumayun's mausoleum

thnt we first see towers attached to the four corners is typical

of the nsjvele of British scholars . Far from reel Islng that the so -called

Humsyun's tomb is an erstwhile Hindu palace in which the

•ward generation Moghul emperor Humayun has been probably

buned they start with the assumption thai the massive building

was erected to mark his burial spot. Then they note its four towers

and characteroe than as innovation 9 in Mohammedan architecture.

And then they imagine that these towers were evolved and were

progressively moved sway a Ultle bit from the main building after

the death of each successive Moghul emperor so thai by the time

of Mumtaxs death they reached the plinth comers. If that wis

to. where are the missing links ?

After pointing out the absurdity of the assumption of British

scholars misled by the bluffs of Muslim chronicles we would like

to draw the readers' attention to the grain of truth in Cunningham 'a

obaarviiion

Cunningham Is absolutely right in noting that lowers at four

of buildings is a non -Muslim trail. If they are found it

l*» fear comers of the so-called Humayun tomb in Delhi, and

th» pUtilh corners of the so-called Taj Mahal in Agra, that is

both art commandeered Hindu buildings put to Muslimuaa

Tsl Mi»M>l I'** Hindu Mnwratonat** tut

^bij,, the building on one flank of the Taj b> caJlod , ^^^^t on the opposite side is justified u „ UBdm ir*»SLsymmetrical adjunct termed by the non-deacript word "

farst

moaning ' 'reply." Thus, hard put to explain cwiy ih* ^^parta of the Taj, fantastic explanations have been pifcd *m^lhe other without any consideration to their mutual consistency

or balance with the result that at the least prodding its aevem]

links fa" "I*""1

Continuing his survey of the Taj precincts. Ma'dvi Mofawddln

Ahmad says*1in his book

. "

'Adjacent to theback wall of themosque.

.

is the Basoi tower." He is at a loss to explain its significance

or purpose. The word Basal derives from a Sanskrit root signifying

residence. There are many andenl towns in India, called Basil

When the Taj Mahal is known to have originated as a Rajput police

several cen lu ries before Shahjahan , the Basal tower is easily explained

as a temple palace adjunct.

Moinuddin states on page 60 of his book that ' according to

the Badshahnama the enclosure (in which the two cenotaphs are

located) was completed In 10 years at a cost of fta. 5O.0OD. H

hud a door of Jasper, costing Rs, 10.000/

'

Obviously a tomb usually frequented by faqjrs and mendicants

does not need to have a jasper door. Such rich and expensive doors

are meant for living monarchs or divinity, not for dead bodies.

About other buildings in the precincts. Maulvi Moinuddin'i book

says on page 61 4

* 'The place between the chicr gala of the mausoleum

and the grand portal was known as JUo Khana... A great portion

of the splendid buildings that formed once a valuable appendage

to the Taj. has fallen down.... The area enclosed within

walls or the Jilo Khana was occupied by 138 rooms of which only

76 remain. Near the garden wall there are two Khawsspunss \

enclosed compounds) each containing 32 rooms with

vestibules for the uLtrodnnta (At present the Western

rulod with flower pots. Half of the other 'Pure" *• **

s cowatobh ) Th« cowshed continuing to our own i

T«J Mahal precincts is another clear IndicaUon of its Hta*» *

82 P 3ft, Ibid, Ho mean, live mulUsureyiil nnian*

rivsr aid* An J of the ao-cal'li-d mraq"

m Tt* TbJ Mfthul U A Tmnptop^ OH^ tfihaJ Ita* Hindu ttrnmrfoni

ITn *al*nwni *«?d» to ** carefully ommlnod. It ^voai m V€ry

dmr todkmtion that Um Tfcj pnodncta conaiatad of numerous

buAcftr-jp. *hw* w four »tor?y» high, consisting of hundreds of

room* AoCDmmodttLion on such a grand scale cnoompassinu several

bundrnt rdoms la never part of a tomb but is always a necessity

vhm ihr c*ntm*J building fa a temple pulace.

Tht suffix "purs'" is a definite hangover of the times when

(b# Rajputo occupied the Tej Mahal, because pure" in Sanskrit

signifies a busy locality, not ihe eerie silence of a graveyard.

Kvw the syllable,iIOlBwas'

,

forming part of the word

"Khirwaspunf ' haj a Rsjpul significant*, since "Khawaa" were

dependents of Rajput ruler*. The very fed, that the annexes of

U» Ttaj form part of Khawsspura proves thai white the Rajput

ruin* lived or worshipped in the centrally situated Taj Mahal his

dependents used the annexes.

Evwi the eentrs] basement chamber of the Taj Mahal wasmagnificently embellished as it should be in an expensive temple

palace. But »nof the edifice was commandeered for conversion Into

a Muslim tomb, its basement had been barred under Muslim rule

to non Muslims, obviously because the secret of its non- Muslim

origin should not leak out, Francis Bernier, a visitor to Shabjahan's

court, was refused entry on the pretext that being a non- Muslim

his entry may defile the place. Bernier testifies to our observation.

He says*\ * "Under the dome is a small chamber, wherein is enclosed

the tomb of Taj^Mahfl. It is opened wiih much cermony once

in a year, and once only, and no Christian is admitted within.

Jest Ha sanctity should be profaned, I have not seen the interior,

but I understand that nothing can be conceived more rich and

munificent/' Bernier also tells us that Shabjahan was not affluent

in spu* of his stingy nature. Bernier notes.** "Shabjahan was a

great economists, who... never amassed (more than) six crore

rupees

3*. ftawfr to tfitMogui Empire by Franda Bender- TrustedIrHflf Brack, in two Thames. Wiiliwn Plckeriryj. Chancery 1am » London,

at p ai,n*d

yflA tales of U» fibular richtt of^M<*«1*

no doubt collected hug, .^ ?^<1Ipdjgn mmm openly or by flewitw th^ 1^"ty

m

-iorfouf<*** «» ™*w- Ytt they o^aTJ 1^1^^

ihw

^th for any lan«th of time, ft ^ *!,»*™^ Utir

gpj amassed since a vidoue, oorrapt and traach*™"1 ** * »

to be constanlly kept to good humour andLi^2|

,

J*i,*> r *

^r palms greased with the unction of ijbe^^ ^^A* Muslim court* lima auaUuned themadvea on t ri^"

1'

squander basia, leaving tbe monarch always hartp^J?***

It b, therefore, iinhistorical to suggest that aithjahtu

,

had to conduct 48 major campaigns Jaldilaatan ,10^^1and face famines, built tbe fabulous Taj Mahal, Old Drift i«WMbp

the Jama Maajid and the magnificent fort in DeJM and ill aahafvily

in the Hindu style. Then a question arise* that if Sbihjthan famfci

Old Delhi and tbe Fatehpuri mosque la footed it foal p*m

in jt, where was tbe need to build the Jimi Masjld? Many web

logical questions have not bean considered In enropibng Indian

historical accounts from concocted and forged nxwdt of Mmfim

rule in India,

Sir H . M . Elliot gives some graphic balances of tuch wowcUom

and forgeries, In the preface to his eight-volume wort, fane (band

the Tarikh-i-Tsj Mahal document a forgery- SmOarty to Punjab

Regions) History Congress too at its 1986 aaston found the Malertri*

Nawab'a letter to tbe then Mogul emperor tniarcedtog on **-

of Guru Govind Singh'a two bom, a fonjery

Th* Guide to the Taj Mt Agr* ttatat* '***• « ** *

have been two silver doors at the entrance to tbe TO - ^On page a. MeuM MoinuddhV* book•*"^*

t* * of

gold rail around tbe tomb (afterwardi "JT^^ haJ teendrf

marble) was already completed by 1®G."*] ^^fiht n******

t luburb to provide a revenua for the «0'J-mlgbt

«* }*d*

and hod caused hills to be made level b*,T™l jnw-t. • mtbe prospect of it... These deUiOi «m ^JJT ^rfir at ^bave no other account of tbe TaJ by -Wdate."*

*. P. 14, Gufd* to tl» W*tW- m

m Tb» T»J Mahal U A Tconpki P*^

iMdmUDy the "hfllt'* n*"™1 to ftbov* w,?re put P '<*

dtfsrToMbe T*j t*nP* P8^ * St> B*rt bUiWe"- *"»• *H^ «hJhV 'still exist near the Taj approach.

The bill, were meant to prevent mangonels and catapult* beta*

hauled near «nou«li to be able to huH rocks on ibe Hindu edifice.

Besides these defensive hillocks, the Taj palace has another

dafemive iccouirement. that is a most. While the Yamuna river

itadf serves a* a moat at the rear, a dry moat may still be noticed

on the eastern aide of the Taj Mahal outside the redstone wall.

The** defence structures also prove that the Taj Mahal original

as a usnple palace and not as a tomb.

A critical atudy of the above passages is revealing.One talks

of gUver doors and the other of a gold railing enclosing the area

where the cenotaphs are situated. Had these fixtures been installed

by Shahjahan. there ia no reason or record as to why and by whom

they were removed.

Keen? notes on pages 163 of his Handbook, "There were

originaDy, it is said, two silver gates which cost Rs. 1,27,000",

Obviously when Shahjahan took over the Hindu mansion to be turned

into a Muslim tomb be removed those gates to his treasury, to

be melted away.

SEIver doors and gold railings ate fixtures of temples and palaces,

cot of tombs. To believe that Shahjahan allowed these fixtures to

be installed to the graveyard of his wife while be bed nothing

approaching them in his own palace is absurd in the extreme.

How could solid gold railings be placed around the tomb by

1632 if Mumtax had died in 1630 or 1631 or 1632? How manyyears would ii take to acquire a site, decide upon a design for

the proposed iamb, if any, get the design made, get the foundation

dug, order the building material, erect the building, order a gold

rafting, get it fixed and make security arrangements so that the

§t*d may not be stolen 7 Could all this be done in a year or two ?

» have another emphatic, incontrovertible, visible proof that

on* bang the product of the mythical Indo-Saracenic

**«**re, Ibe Taj Mahal boa been buQt according to the Hindu

Tbt Tij Mahal H« HinduW^^m

Hindu temple is revealing Not* u»N ,nd ** Wsha

vertically a. well as hor^tallyZi*T?* "*"**•*construction with ths deity or q™ u^. "^ ^thm-rnma

«*,. In U» Htadu T„ ««, i,£££?*•«**room is in the centre while in the plan of aJ

eadt Thr^wsanctum sanctorum too is in tbt centre,

"^ "* ****'*

The third characters^ is that the sppn^ fa_ „

four sides are identical. *.MU^T^Zl^because they are erstwhile Hindu palace, or tenu^T

This Identity of architectural design of th. Ta] Mahal won thaiof a Hindu temple, coupled with the pm Mish Klhar hmTiobservation, quoted earlier, that the Taj Mahal (a » Hinduconstruction, should leave no doubt In the reader's tntad thai umTaj Mahal ia an ancient temple palace built to Hindu spcdfatioai,

Bsdshahnama also admits thai it was a domed palace.

The front gBrden area is almost double that of the marbtn Tij

Palace built up area. This is what Vincent Smith describe (on

page 9 of his book Akbsr the Gntt Mogul) as the garden pdaos,

in which the first Mogul emperor Babur died in 1530, i.e.. s cmiurj

before Shahjahan" s wife (Mumlax) dW.

The same palace is described by Babur himself in his Memoirs

as the one " 'adorned with a peristyle of pfflara and having doms

in the centre."«««

CHAPTER XXI

THE MUSLIM OVERWRITING )

WHAT CREATES proof could there be of ihe falsity of the

Shahjahsn legend than that in none of the numerous inscriptions

In the Taj Mahal is there iny chum made of Siahjahan having

commissioned 111

Besides the 14 chapters of the Koran inscribed in the Taj Mahal

,

there ire some non- religious engravings which do not contain even

the remotest allusion to Shahjahan *s authorship of the Taj Mahal,

Had Shahjiihan really ordered the Taj Mahal, would be not in the

proline etchings made all over the walls have recorded the whole

history of the fancied tomb from its conception to its completion ?

Would be not have left behind for the world a clear record of

his great and fabuloui achievement in marble and redstone if that

were a fact?

The Inscriptions in the Taj Mahal are reproduced on page 170-174

of Keene's Handbook for Visitors to Agra, Reene says. ' 'The walls

and roof (of the cenotaph chamber) are profusely decorated and

inscribed with tenets from the Koran encircling the archways andthe spaces between them, ending with (the words) 'Written bylbs insignificant being. Amanat Khan Shirsa in the year 1048 Hijri

and the 12th of Hia Majesty's reign." (1659 A. D.)

So the much boosted Amanat Khan Shiran, vaunted as oneof the great wonder craftsmen who built the Taj Mahal turns outlo be no more than an 'Insignificant' inscriber nuch as is foundin every .hop selling idtehen utensila or stoneakba, or crying sboutlbs strata,

r*.cenotaph of Shahjahan's wife Mumtaz. for whom the TajI supposed I* havo bwn commisoned by Shahjahan, alao

**m not ttvan «. InJdJng of the project in the Inscription recordedKeens note. "The cenotaph (of Mumtex) la decorated InWW> t««u fr«n the Kortt,, 99 nmnm af q^ md tha ^p).

Th* MuRlim Ov«rwrltioK

mepitaph : The niuatrioua aepufchr* af aMumtas (Mahal), died m 1040 A , H.mSTjJ

*"* ***mHad Shahjahan ordered a flhuta|- . J

wife the inscription on her cenotaph wJa h*r"^ f* *

contained some menUon about H Aftar^ *hffl'ld *"••

n» along claimed that Muslim rulers In to^^T'* ***** *"another in building fabulous tomb, for *!££?***"*and dear ones. Thb claim la of coorae nvxftjZ * ***

agidnst the very grain of norma! humanber^TS^^the long line of erring historian, at their wort, let u.^T!whether W>ose who were so keen on living behind wead^-ieZwould not vaunt their authoraWp of those UjmhUn bwcripiianaordered by them on the tombs ?

One other important point which emerge* from ihe aboveinscription is that the date of Mumtai's death in numiioncd u1629 A. B. Earlier we have noted haw other hlotorbmi mtowriy

chum Mumtaz lo have died in 1630 or 1631 or I £52 A. D, Thai

means that nobody seems to know when MumLu died. All w« get

to know from the various accounts is that Mumtat died at win*

time between 1623-1632. A four-year speculative rango for tha dash

of a woman believed to have been the apple of the ays of anparor

Shahjahan, and for whom, as the world ii now- ted lo beflsw,

a fanciful mausoleum was ordered to be built forthwith, U shuiro.

People have not been told the whete truth of thLa icrdid affair

They do not know that when we come to brssatada U» •aok

Shahjahan legend fizzles out as a monstrous concoction. Sbt Wnj

one among 5,000 women of Shahiahsa's harem Uumtsi • *-»

was of no consequence, hence ih* fsO"« u> record tba dale of

her death.ft

Exactly underneath Mumto'i cenoUph. "»/V"^chamber, is (what is believed to be) * ^j£**5?says »M«^lftW^«^«i^?^* h^«Tha.. is to say the inscriptions on Mamtss . two **»*-

almost identical, a^ ^ ncorf

If Shahjahan is claimed »*rtfZ?ttm+ he-Jj-

his claim lo the suthorahjp of the W1

« ^^^j at ha*

most vainglorious, hsughly «**** *£ imlil.****«*«

others ahould have rororded the fsct after is-

Tb» T*J Mahal 1« A T«nH* ftr-^m **

.^nOon- on bto **« and cenotaph. But even th^y daredriot

How «niW tt*y wnen Ihelr eonternponiriw knew that Mumi*"

s,,'

lh ,„„,, ,,,r been surfd >"'Vlh "Un HWu buOdlM

irom-n,j,wmJfrom Jilsingh ? To us therefor* I ho absence of any^ „ ShahjslenVs behalf li qui* plausible.

Shahjahan riled in in«J A- D.. I.e. bout 35 year* after hej

contort Msmuw died Kiwi* aays. (Snahjahan's cenotaph bj

fn*cribf«I In FVrefan with text* from the Koran together with u»

following <»piiJiph "I110 fflustrioui aopukhre and sacred ranting

p|*w of hi* Moat Easltod Majoaty. dSKnified aa Razwiui, having

hit ifcodf In Paradise and his dwelling in the starry henvon, inmate

,,r thr rtjjfona of hlie», Lho second Sahib Kiran. Shuhjahan the King

valiant May hi* aUHno over flourish, and may hia abode bo in

Haivm I!*' travelled from this transitory world to lho world of

eUmity on the night of the 28Lh or lho monLh or Itajnb, J070

A II (1688A. OJ."

Underneath, in lb* beeement, Shahjnhan's grave bears a shorter

epitaph Jt any*. "The altered sepulchre of His Most Exalted Majesty,

dweller of hiniiJiwu, the second Sahib Kiran, tho King .ShiihjHhan,

May hiN Nhrino wr flourish, 1078 A. It. (Km A. D.)"

On the wi»t of the marble bulling ia another which la being

Urmnd a* the "Mosque" ewrainoc Shnhjuhao commandeered It,

In Ha arebes too are inicribed Koranic lextti. Besides, says Komi a,

there are eevrral marble dlsre Inscribed with "Ya Knffi (Oh I All

SuflleiOBi One!) anil Allah (God)."

Thus in none of lho aeveral inscriptions quoted by us above

m there oven the faintuM mention or rojfarinOQ to Sliahjuhan having

commiwionod lho Taj Mahal, la ft evet Lvublu that a regime

Vhtdfa littered Lhe whole building u»l i.l ix'tapha mitt graves

wiih a plethora of random engravlnga would not vaunt JLs having

bunt ihe great mausoleum ? The omission, along with the other

i "nee we have produoad heretofore, la clear proof that Shahjahiwonly commandeers! | llimlu manaJon for buryfng hia wife Jn anddid not build anything, All the Jhacri|rf.i< on UiQ Taj Mnhat are

the rrivoloua lypo aucb aa picnicker* aeribbla on somebody else's

property The laianiic overwriting fijM-lf 0, i , i. h, it.-a that lbs

Taj Mahal it not Hhahjahsn'i prnptn,

•••

Q^nrsxxn

CARBON - 14 DATTjWt^taj Mahal

There ire Lhree kinds of phy** wimMkvariable by which tha age of hanork buildup afairly accurately. Those methods are fi)

Carbon M end (3) Tnermokim WIn rj^dochronology a *ood nmjie from m hwtoric

ii compared with the timber fn» trees of tawwn aaiioajty

In LberrnohuniiBBacenoe a sample brick or brick

by drilling « hole In an andani brick- vtrueitirt can te

deduce the approximate year in which to* brick* aual.

Since brieka (and Umber} are pnenlly bought aod aaal

after being marketed (and are not etored tor pwareUi— eat

diamonds, bullion and ornamenta) thermohnnBiiaranra 1* wrj

helpful in determining the ago of a brick-etroeture feirty ioairaurf.

Tho carbon (?' Lest is applicable u> Hiythini wbicb bat leal

pnrt or a living organiam such as a pkaa of bont or tuaaer.

A living tree continues to breathe- in carbon dioAJf »*»

Bui once it is dead the breathing -in stops and Lbedaad pec

lo lose its carbon -dioxide fincluding C1*) content si e km

A conacienUous American acsdemkiao »bo •»

profesaion of Leaching hntory of ai^WtacUire it

of Arehiteclure. New York bspponoi lo reai my I

TAJ MAHAL IS A HINDU PALACE.

He was shocked to discover that *bu« W * *^ ^ ^^overwhdming evidence Indicating Lbal the T

*f 1|tfW ~* at*

bufldlng he and hie professional cotteBlu* *".V^boon unknowingly misloBding genereikiM of

COM

The Tnj Mshni ^ A T*^Mn.^ttn* the- ft* M,hiJ to be flower or Ialam]c arcfc,

*"^^to Man* H. Mm*. He wrote to me around iguT^*'

ir. -"^ him round the Taj Mahal fTO^HJSITb h* visited ladis. 1 agreed. He came, I and t J* ***

^panted him from Delhi to Agra, *"*

On bong t**"*1 round "^ explained the aigniflcanoe of variom

^am be **ned to be fairly convinced. But to make sure ^wmua to subjwt aome wooden samples to scientific dating. But

Government of India bureaucrats (overawed by the attitude of th»

bosses they serve) are determined neither to conduct any scientific

totf themselves nor supply any samples to anyone else who

volunteers lo conduct the lest for them so as to prevent a worldwide

exposure of the Shah*ahan-Taj Mahal hanky panky. AD sections

of society seem to have a stake in continuing the sham Shahjahan -Taj

Mahal legend tart their gullible ignorance, research-incompetence

and pathetic faith in Muslim bluffs he the butt of world ridicule

for gmeraUonj to come. That is why historians, archaeologists,

architects, art critics, media reporters and editors, Muslims.

members of the Congress party, professors, news media persons,

dramatists, writers. film-producers etc. who had been citing the

1lj Mahal a monument of love all shudder at the prospect of the

Sbahjahan myth of the Tajmahal being blown sky high.

Therefore the problem was to obtain a wood sample in an

aimospbare of total hush hush. In fact the T&\ Mahal has manywooden doorways and also a bulky, solid wooden reel sandwiched

between two walls on the upper story (as I dimly remember) perhapeto •tod and unwind curtain strings.

\te «w did not see any imperative need for a physical Wrt

of the weighty and comprehensive evidence that I had

vmm*A ro my book.

u> dLUr<Wt °f "** wbeQ 0Ur trump reached the river bank

^TiTTu* UlC ^'^"ea-high red stone rear prot**ive

i unj J*™ we Sliced that near the western and *au>rn

* toTZh **" Wwe 'ymnictrical doorways. The doorw*

moi«a,a,*** k good ***** Above that was the ao-calK

O^bon . U BaUna of dm TtJ Miha)

Ml

But the doorway near the north natem tad of

been crudely walled -up with unplsatered brtck, Y* a***W

^ ^ wooden panel waa Kill in pontoon. Beta, vmfctZ?It had turned somewhat soft. When one of our troup

tower side and pulled, a efceaWt place (few inches Vjo| idbro^came off. U waa that which was carried by profestor MQb u,

|

York, USA and aubjected to a carbon • U teat.

The report published in the /tinas Patrik* (» quarter/ journal.

Vol. 4. No. 4 dated 31 December 1984. THANA) it reproduoid

hereunder.

•'General Method

1 ' Sample is inverted to benzene (Cn rU) by means of n four-step

chemical process. The benzene sample ia placed, with scuitiHator

solution In a 5 ml vial and the activity ia determined rriotivv to

benzene synthesized from NBS oxalic acid. The counter used fa

a Picker Nuclear Iiquimat 220 with specially selected pktomaltlpte

tubes (chosen for low noise level). Toe sample Is counted far 100

minute interval along with the modem standard (NBS (nalk> and

a background sample, which are counted in turn ^f"jf^ffrom the data using the sm-ym value for the hrff W.

«J

M

C The MASCA correction referred to below*^'™^j^Newsletter, Vd. 9. No. I. Aug. «. *£*£+£and is based upon the calibration of i* n*^«£—by three laboratories who compared C • 14 and *«•™*

,4S8mP,e l

i Xnrth M) end of TU Mihil

-Wood piece from door at North Can"

at beach level fronting on Jumna River.

oX sample to between 1448 and 1270 A*

^^^"Note : there Is a xcro WA9CA

corre ^^^^P^ofO-^

BmoWyn. If.

Th, Tut Mahal U A Tempi* Pkl*c«

.w m ,631 A. D- Ihf po*wN« year En which

**** !^ZmZitei for us* in lb* Tajmahal was anywbei,

14-1 **^ 1*4*) 183K>a©MZ70)SBliwrspriartoMuiiittt'a

!*%.

-i fW*» 14 test, therefore, emphatically proves that the

^ SL^TLn in^ much before Shahjahan.

n-t hfff w wouu W» »« dert raadera Lhfll ^ Bge deduced

.v™. is that of the particular Northeastern doorway and not of

ZovUe Taj Mahal. A. per the Sanskrit inscription to be quoted

tn- us hereafter the Taj Mahal temple and the palace (currently

tabbed » Itimad Uddaula) were constructed around 1155 A. D.

when India enjoyed * long respite from Muslim invasions in the

period intervening between Mobd. Ghajnavts and Mobd. Ghori'a

nds. Tbe erection of the Taj Mahal complex presupposes a long

period of peace and affluence. Therefore until all the evidence hidden

and seated inside the seven -storied Tejomahalava complex is examined

raaders may safely assume that the Tejomahalaya temple-palace

complex was completed (in Raja Paramardi Dev's regime) around

the middle of October in US A. D. (See page 2D6 onwards)

During Mobd Ghori's raids and subsequent Islamic rule from

1206 to I6.5T a D. the Tejomahalaya temple palace complex was

soft, tempting Hindu target for Muslim plunder and desecration.

Much before Shahjahan umpteen Muslim raiders and rebel -claimants

to the Mogul throne broke open the doors of the Taj Mahal to

loot its wealth and for temporary sojourn. In that dingdong struggle

the new Hindu owners had to re- fix the doors. Therefore all its

doors could not be as old as the building. But since Shahjahan|«at usurped the Tajmabal complex by a mere brusque, unannouncedfenperiaJ. confiscatory swoop all its doorways could be pre •Shahjahanbut aot necessarily ss ancient as the Taj Mahal building itself.

(OttCsrbao Misting the Taj Mahal. Finding that even its stormedpreosded Shahjahan by several centuries Mr. Mills

following letter to Dr. M, S. Nagarajs.Archaeological Survey of India. New Delhi LlflM 1 -

forwardad u» two other dealing officials of AS

?JL STFU "* Mr RanM*h C^"^ Uw letter dated 3rd^^oq»v i j*h rv) jbbj under •

Cir|jon. 14 DBUlW Of U» T»j M«hii

Pr.M.S. rlagaraja

Director -General

Archaoolotfcal Survey of India.

Hew Delhi H0011

Indie.

QeUfaar3.UN

Pear Dr. Nagsraja.

Mr, Ramesh Chanda. after ipesxing to Mr, R

Sengupta. haa suggested that I write to yw omarming

a matter of important mutual interest. I cm an ndatjci

and an architectural historian. My fpaaallty a Uw

application of scientific dating to ancient monuments

wherever there is the possibuty that the accepted da*

of construction may need darilksikn ittef the standard

means of architectural historical analyan have Wt sane

doubt-

T have been concerned with the Taj Mahal sadMmarchitecture for a number of *e«. * ^ J***J^nt controversy over the origto of the Ta M^other buudingsit would seem to me to bs advanlagto-

the experience and the *»V^^ga.. tpursuit of scientific truth *^*~£ mwt*, matter of ««*» I could srrange for nsuU*

be important for India and the worH.

of investigation of the M«que J*"^^ in

have Lies with ^^^T^**«**EngUxndandt^Uni^SLrt-^'^

*iUl *

voider lb- P* *

for . -* 1* ^ " ^os*"*^fafWleelmsL There^J^***"*

-we would have to discus,

f^rtbtr^

1*The Taj Mahal Is A Tempi* PW*» Ort«n |4 Deling ef the Taj Mahal

hivr your WW**- 1V be!lk: "1vestl«8rion would ** <*

brick *mpk* »***" from - P61*"^' ^ tocati<,n8'The

nnognt <rf tari) sample would be no bigger than a finger

tip Thf n*nh* will he re«aWe within 100 years on either

u deThe edence ofthermalumlnescence will be employed

.

As a cross-check, wood samples may be taken as well.

f look forward to your response.

or, Mr. R, Sengupta

Mr. Ramesh Chnndfl

Yours truly,

Marvin H, Mills

Hereunder is reproduced the reply which Mr. Marvin H. Mills

received...

No. P. 23M/R1-C

GOVERMENT OF INDIA

ARCHEOFjOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

JANPATH. NEW DELHI

21 Nov 1901

Son. Marvin H. Mills A.LA.

Architect.

307. Woodhampton Drive.

White Plains,

NEW YORK - 10803

Dear Sr,

Please refer to your letter dated .1.10.81 addressed

*£m j ,"^ R*0t Direct0f Cenerul

- «W»rd«nifti«tlflc dsung of Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal is well dated

l^T^L'fi^ M°Wver BARC*Bombay and"WtH^rch Laboratory, Ahmedabad, are also tfzod

«T?U ^",d

J

il'" n0t COt,aidered ««""*' to have

S^ffi^ at "* ** ^ offer "

Voura Faithfully.

» rPEtUNTrvttnj/. M M ' S I». MUKTIERJE&

tor MJtBCTOR GENERAL

Thai BARC. Bombay and PRL, Ahm*,^ n rtttu

problem b * questionable statement because nhi yM|T'

and yet none of them has declared what t«ati w. i^.^*l

Bnd y<* none « ««*., „.

out with what result? Since BARC Bomb»y m m^are limbs of the seme pusillanimous odmirustraiioo tbay urTeHWtbe same paralysis which afflicts the AS tn exposing frauds fomfeBjMuslims.

Also the claim made in the above letter that tbt "lij UmMis well dated on documentary evidence'

4

is • band Ik tat •«

have shown earlier by quoting Snabjahan'f own court chronic*

the Badahahnama and Aurangzeb's letter that the lij Mahal osiud

centuries before Shahjahim as per Mogul documents themschw.

Obviously the Government*! mercenary bureaucrat lack tha

courage and honesty to Impress on their paEUcal botes lot iwd

to Jettison the heavy load of pseudo- history that they have fohrrM

from 600 years of Muslim role and 200 yewi of British feofoiw.

The angry editorial comment of the IuTwi P*rika qqete*

hereunder is therefore fully Justified, it says :

"Tne cover page pm** * «!*• "TTTafttathe carton-dating test of a wood*. P^/^uTritrnorth end of Taj Mahal at beach levd fronting the Jamuo.—

for a few year, past and a fa* *d^d

fJT^. Arch^*on it from all part* of the world, H^;*T";

oot „ pay any

Department of Government of India **""!p^ucal aad serial

heed to this problem. The reason* are°f™*V^^ 0*1*1*.

is it not . shame on the part * *• G^T(WM •« *fwhich has for its motto •**f^Z^t *^

J

It exhibit* an attitude of Inhibiting

-^Jj^, .nd «f*i «

la not toe Government "bo**1* ""^^oUrs-ho-toJnew researches and finding! of""^J^ „, any bKl*

a*

are rather unpalatable to than 7 i*

of hypocrisy ?

ISO

lb* 1*1 Mabel k A Tmipfe p.^

.anyway, tb* prcgrarnrn«MA-'

'

«-*^ 'Truth

ym> pnctisFr* archiurf and » tocher of history of architecture

*» of lbs architecture schoobi of Nil* York, has drawn his

B^d^otti of Age determination of Taj M«nal bv r*Hocarban dating

•uMeeting a wood ssmple from the north -end door of Ta) Mahal,

wUeh eff^ring on lbs cover page, speaks for itself. He has visited

India three times In the past, He believes thai for confirming the

findine*- J™" ,4!!Stj "* rwluired wnicn ** " wfflInK to carry out.

As be says in his letter, he wishes to carry Ibe testa by applying

the Hi—* of ihiTmolumtnescence the most modem method used

in age diiermiaatkms. Mr, Milts has already conducted such testa

elsewhere in the world . He has Ibe necessary experience, the historical

research background and the required laboratory facilities.

"Mr Marvin Mills wrote letter to the Director General

Aitbaeologkal, Survey of India on 3rd Oct., 1984. He has received

a reply dated 2Lsl Nov, , 1964, thanking htm and appreciating his

offer but saying 'it is not considered desirable to have any further

invaelipsjon it thii stage."

"Mr, Godbole of U. K. is continuing his research on this subject

ainc* 5 yean. Headers of 'Itihsas Patrika' are familiar with hi*

findingi in "100000 Calling ' . His findings nave shown how unreliable

Uh so- called documentary evidence' is. Mr. Godbole says, be is

open for correction, if bis findings and opinions are proved otherwise.

Itesta which Mr. Marvin MiBa wants to carry out are

aty from an objective point of view. We hav© reproduced the

Marvin Mill* and the reply sent to that letter byJ*sgxal &»vey of India for the information of readers.

"

'

T. tbova comment 1 would like to add that if and when

to^TS11 tdmM«nii<* l*™* of its Vedic heritage comes

FlL*£"* ** bMm " ** ^^ogical noting.

^I AS fnwi the time of Alexander Cunningham

tb*y constitute a mound of Machiavellian^•nmkaJ Anglo-Mualim origin. Because it is

Ti| Mahal alow, u u my d<iducUon thatU" contt^mian J, „n Hindu, end destruction

fi.it fc

Oarbon14 Deling of the T»| MsM

,11 Mwl^ • lD Mun1im hinU>r* ****** and ditfifurwi h*. w*^mtommed as bunders. Every historic moequ. ^ ^k a captured Hindu building and every Muslin, .. in, ^^^of a captured Hindu because before G22 A , D, there was r»

!

I bad myself addressed letter to Prime Minister P. V. Ntraarahi

jtgo on December ffi, 1991 emphasizing lb* need to critical!* review

the Snabjahan legend of the Taj Mahal He apparently farwardej

jt to the Archseologica] Survey of Indis

The usual dodging, stalling reply 1 received from the A3 one*

again shamelessly repeated tbeir stock phrase that SbsMtheVi

uthorship of the Taj Mahal "is a well-estaWiiSed fad"

Their reply is reproduced hereunder •

No. 14/14/30/11

GOVERNMENT OF INMA

ARCHAE0UK51CAL SUKVEY OF INDIA

JANPATH, NEW DELHI

Shri P. N. Oak,

Plot No. 10,

Aundb,

Pune - 411 007

Sub « Claiming of Taj Matal H i **«& **»

H» Sir. ^ ga*jDic*mb«n

Please refer to your leUer d**^^ ^^

1991 regarding Taj Mahal"** » *»•

Palace Complex,fveral so**"**

11

to* m#~ *- I— «-££"„ rm****to ,h.,—' - drt^It* *-• ju£

IffTn» Tij Mahal Is A lYmpfa Ptiae^

not call any further action

Youra faithfully

(C. MARGABANDHTJ)

DIRECTOR (MONUMENT)

Dated 26/3/92

The blatant statement in the above, reply that "unless concrete

and positive evidence contradicting (Shahjahan's) authorship of the

Tbj Mahal is available, the matter does not call (for) any further

action" provoked me to address the following letter to the PrimeMinister

P. N. Oak

Founder President,

Institute for Rewriting World History.

Plot No. 10, Goodwill Society,

Aundh, Punedll 007

TeJ : 338449

Dear Shri. Narasimha Rao,

fciclosed b a copy of my original Tetter to you datedSomber 22, 1991 and a copy of the inane reply toit vide letter no. 14/03/92. dated nil. received from C.Margahandhu Director Monument (sic).

Incidentally, you may kindly note, bow, even that10 - line reply is a monument of faulty English.

I also consider that reply to be an intellectual affrontmt ,i iUgmattoi my concave, tdmmc md

JMaW-ftadbi on Lbe Taj Mahal to be a mere 'view'.

to my)

original letter dated 22/12/91. 1 have quoted^ Mogul document of Siahjahana and Aurangzeb'a

^h Hfindu VedJc temple-palace d«r. and that the verytarn^ Mahal doesn't even exist in any court records

L^fT "* AU^I}-

*"» l*« documents

Archive fJh,^ Jwpi<th ^ ^ r ju^

O^rbcm. 14 Dating of the Taj Mahal

Wished them in my hook titled 'The Taj Mahal i.

S^note^Ke " My re9e8TCl1 condusio° !• baaed on over

,20 point* of *«ch weighty evidence.

lnstead of rebutting tbem point by point, this official

the temerity to fob me off with the brusque remark

£1 ShBhjahipi*! authorship of the Taj Mahal ia •

^.established fact. Who does be think he is dealing

ttith ? Shouldn't he realize that he is not dealing with

. m standard school-child but witn me. a cruaader

^earcber, who ia challenging the whole range of world

history scholarship on the Toj Mahal iaaue. wrth • n>

of staggering evidence, for the kst 25 yeara 7

Youra Sncerely,

P.N- Oak

m

• *•

CHAPTER XXni

StlAIIAJAHAfTS OWN ANCESTORADMIRED THE TAJ

While for the last 350 years the world has been blindly praising

gh-K.f-H»i for having conceived and commissioned the beautifu'

Taj Mahi) hia awn remote ancestor Tamerlain is on record as having

ben overwhelmed by the beauty of the Hindu temple palace 'Tejo

rnahalaya."*

Tamwlain alias Taimurlang invaded India 230 years before

Shahjahan came to the throne.

Hli allusion to the Taj Mahal as a mosque is obviously an

admission that the Taj Mahal alias Tejomahaiaya was a Hindu temple

during w» time because in talamic terminology a temple is a mosque

juai aa a Christian father when alluding to a temple (before a Christian

audience or hia own child) would refer to it as a "Church" of

the Hindu*, likewise he wiD also explain sway a mosque as a

"Church" of the Muslims.

Use relevant reference to Tamerlain having been fascinated bythe breath taking beauty of the Taj Mahal to contained in anArabic chranidt by Ahmed Bin Arabshah. It has been translated

Into Engliah by J. H. Sanders. A copy of it is available in the

Asiatic Library. Bombay.

Uki all other Muslim chronicles referred Lo earlier the Arabfcrurad* too carefully shuna the term Taj Mahal alias Tejomabaleya

that » a Hindu name.

On page 222 of that Arab chronicle it [a said that a templewhKta Tamerlain vMU4 while in India impressed htm ImmenselybacaniM of its captivating outline and iu e»nilulie build It hada raw basttruait inside niarbln plimh. Ha decided then and than*that hit own cj.l.1 Ssmareand ahauld hove a similar (wilding,

Shahajahan's O-n Aiwaetor Admin* t^^IM

Therefore be aelerted a fort pk« of ianA t! „ordered thai . aimilar moaqu, b* ni<JyJ}

n a,m"™» «nd

was entrusted with that task.'Moh"ne,J^

Accordingly Mohamed Jakl raJaed am™ , n*outline with four lowers^££^*m"»^JVe reach the following import^^^ ^^

The general belief that pre-ShahJahan referent to 0»Taj Mahaldon't exist is belied by the above allusion u> ii by Shahjahan-,own ancestor 230 years prior to him.

The reference lo the Taj Mahal by a number of European viritars

such as Peter Mundy, Tavernier and Dernier are also aft of s tin*

much before the 22 years that Shahiahan b supposed to have taken

lo raise the Taj Mahal from 1631 A. D. onwards. Contnwily

contemporary Muslim chroniclea do not at all mention tb» utrm

Taj Mahal. Had Shahjahan been the originator of tha Taj Mahal

every contemporary Muslim chronicle would have definitely quoted

the term Taj Mahal.

The other conclusion we draw is that far from tha tradition^

belier that the concept of theTaj Mahal isofMusUmongto Tamaruan 'a

testimony proves that it was the beauty of tha Taj Mahal lampa)

design which captivated the Muslims and made Uwm yearn for

similar buildings in their own land. But they didn't have tha tfulls,

the heart or the funds lo spare for such altruistic purposes

Tha third conclusion is that the bdlaf that Muslim Invaders

initiated the tradition of nwble buildings In India is •«™^;AH the marble bondings inside, say tb. "<*"<**Agra are all Hindu though they have been arbftritnlyjcnTaid

different Muslim rulers without *ven an Iota of any pro

The fourth point which nreds^J**^^^four pillars at tbi four corner of^^^i^.alUra «.nd around public wells in tb^h-u. is -"'^^ ^

It may also bo not*d thai Muslim

fn*J££U**'

varying height* and never aymrnrtrical. For^^ ^ ^^

minarets «™ taller Lhnn the rear pair <ir^irarfiy

at the four comer, of the tt| Mahal nvtrbl. pW

IVTh* Taj %Uhmi 1* A

afefe*t*MkJ*

Jn the Arabic chronicle mentioned above It ha *t»o been tUtoj

t>M thr architect Mohamed Jalal tu tortured La lUmlh it Tamerlain i

onfcrv fhahjahan Is also slated lo have ordered the mputaiioaof the hands of the meson* be used (in desecrating the Hindu

T*i Mabel) in effecting Mumtn'i (red or fake) burial inside the

Tai Mahal Had tboae two MtiaUm monarchs really got some exquisite

structures raised they should have rewarded the artisan* instead

of ordering their torture.

The reason why Sbahjahan ordered has workers to he maimedwas that they resented contributing free labour for Mumtax'a burial

and implantation of Koranic extracts in the Hindu Taj Mahal «tthe order* of a cruel, miserly Sbahjahan.

The nasoti why Tamrriain ordered Mohamed Jalal to be torturedto death was that Jalal miserably fafled In raising a proto typeof toe Taj Mahal to Semareand. How could he anyway in the absenceof tmMd architects and enough quantity of marble raise a TajMahal just for the whim of a blood-thirsty Tamerlain,

It has been mentioned in the same chronicle that after orderingDbamed Jalal to raise a mosque Tamerlaine left on one of hij

raids. When be returned he was shocked to find that hisa" queen too had commissioned e lofty coDege (sic) just opposite.

dwarfing the building ordered by Tamerlain. Unable to control binwrath at that insult Tamerlain ordered a torturous execution for

Accordingly Jalal was made to lie face down on the gorund,two faK w^M Umher md h@^^^^ ^

wrreto. His body in otters Jalal met a torturous end.

&on after JalaTa death all bia wealth, women and retinue becameisneruun » prpp&ny.

of^ iTrr* ^7* ™UM* m ***** tte *"** f«»m a heap^cn bluff ^ bl!1BUj. „ Mushm chronideg ^ ^ aUnd ^

^dar wouW want u, raise only a wonder - mosque for the rifftepray fa but would not want to order any palaces for himself

;ma fi^ng such fflbuIouil mmaiQna ju<t for lhtf heck

Stahilah.1,'. Own A*««rter j^^^^Knowing tho cruel nature of TamiAt

dare to arouse Tunerlaui'i ^v^w, i ?*mM hk «hW

college (sic) which would dwttrf^Tanwriiiln haid commissioned?

thetX?«»ff*expends 7 Wherefrom were «ou« and bnZelS,7*Ume did the two proj^ «. fcee^^E^a pair of such mogn.ficem buildtan fari™ «... .7T.

in

Hflrw fnnach

building fadnKttcholber:would the chief *«^^™^-

*

for herself? Was she m iterate (purdhahl J^Z^lshe a table- thumpm* feminM and educationist?

Such close eRMS.queiUon]iV it wential in Mrtorical nw^aespecially in clsima made by or on behalf of mv^-rs and plondemi.womanizers. drug -addicts, drunkards and tyrant*

Our conclusion therefore is that both Tnmerkln and his tocalled chief queen only got calligrephista to scrawl win* Mamielettering on captured earlier buildings In Snmaraaxl and other

conquered territory, Tamerlain "s so-called mausoleum In Snnimamd

and the Shah -i -Hod monumenLs though disfigured with Uamie

lettering are all earlier mansions, palaces sod educational edifices

of Vedic Kshntriya rulers.

• •*

CHAPTER XXTV

THE TAJ MAHAL ORIGINATED

AS A TEMPLE

THE TAJ edifice whkb Shahjahan's own chronicle (tht

jMfcttaiBuJ sdmlis to be a Hindu mansion could have been an

ancient Kudu temple. We have often wondered who! determines

ihe ate* of MuTnUtt'f cenotaph. It is neither of the average height

of Muslim woman of the 17th century nor is it of the average

height oran Mamie grave. We venture to suggest that in determining

the heisfci of Mumtai'f cenotaph the height of the Hindu Shiva

liogi consecrawd in the Taj Mahal may have been U» deciding

factor. It could then be that the ancient Hindu sacred Shiva linga

itself is buried in the cenotaph while the grave in the basement

may or may not contain Mumtaz's body because bodies are always

buried in the ecrth and not on a two-storey -high stone flooring,

A atom inscription known as the Boteshwar inscription kept in

the Lucknow (capital of Hilar Pradesh in India) Museum indicates

thai the Taj Mahal could be a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

«r nas a. d.

The inscription in Sanskrit has 34 stanzas of which stanzas

25, 26 and 34 being relevant to our topic are reproduced below :

tew iR»n<ra mm^ ii ^ ii

**" t™* *m»% us vii

Tlw Taj MflhjJ Grignatvd A* A Tempi.

Translated, these mean . •H>to behalf Wo Minister Salakahm) rakJrf

Pt™nw" &•*

It the idol of Lord Vlahnu whose feet ihJV*1** *'** h* c

his (bowed) head. * *"" «* to Wh«* gut

••an^riytheKmgalsoladcoJurtroctedlhi.1^..,,

to the God who bears the cree^t ^£*£*~«>crystal -white stone. Consecrated in that tm^rr T*,w***Lord (was so pleased that He) neveMhlKhT f° J**

**

(Himalayan) abode on MountK^ * °' "#** *«" (This inscription is) dated 1212 Vlkram era, Aabwto Ww,

Sunday. 5th day of the bright lunar fortnight/''*

The inscription quoted above may be found to tht books* titlod

Kharjurwahak alias Wartanw (modern Kha/unho by D. J. foband on pp, 270-274 of Epigraphia India, Vol.1.)

On page 124 of his book Mr. Kale stales. "Th* above inscripuon

found at Mauja Bateshwar, near Agra is at present in the Ltttaow

Museum. It Is of the King Paramardl Bev, dated VJkram &mmt1212, Ashwin (month), &th djy of the bright hinir faruugot It

has in all 34 stanzas which describe the origin of tht Ghmdnlnyi

(regal) dynasty and its important rulers. The tooerfpuori wt» found

embedded In a mound at Bateshwar. It was later deposited in the

Lucknow Museum by General Cunnigham, where it lull ii. The

two beautiful marble temples whkh King Paramardi Ds* had raiaed.

one for Lord Vishnu and the other for Lord Shiva wttc jubseqmuntry

desecrated during Muslim invasions. Some clever i fordglbtal) P**«

had this inscription, concerning these fempk*. buried in a taound.

It remained buried for many years until 1900 A. D- wh» &«**

excavations it was discovered by General Giiuungfaam*"

Mr. Kale, the author of the book quoted above, ape**

observes that from the location where the *»^JT_it appeared to have been carefully and«*^J^**

"

farsJghted person in the wake of destructive Muslim to«t»

Though the learned author. Mr. Kale, prefer, to call Wb

- PubUahod by fl. », Kal. and M. D."j^^'Ha*.

-from M. D. Kale. Advoc-t*. Chhttuupur, sWfc* *~

buildings referred to In U» inscription u temples. «e ,«_*

interpret

«i the king's pal»ce because (Vishnu does signify a ^ ^had the inscription meant to be a VJahnu temple ft need not have

again mentioned the fact, as it docs, that the building abeJtenjd

an image of Lord Vishnu.

The inscription assumes importance inasmuch as k refers to

the raising in Agra of two buildings of crystal-white marble ©8yean ago from today. It. e, A. D. 1933)

Incidentally, this inscription effectively refutes the Wand and

blind assertion that it was only the Muslims who first started raising

marble buildings in India, We have already proved in our two bocfa

that the Muslim rulers in India did not raise even o single mansion,

canal* fort, palace, tomb or mosque whether of redstone or marble.

They only appropriated earlier Hindu buildings and misused them.

In our view the two buildings referred to in the Bateshwar

inscription still exist in Agra in aD their marble splendour. They

are the so-called Itimad-ud-Daulab tomb and the Taj Mahal.

What the inscription refers to as the king's palace is the present

Jtimad-ud-Daulah tomb. The Chandramauleeshwar temple b the

Taj Mahal.

A common failing of scholars of tertian history has been their

naivete in believing that there could be Muslim tombs and mc*W*

galore in India without corresponding palaces. For instance, v

ia proudly pointed out as the Itimed-ud-Daulah tomb «*"

™Jjno meaning unless historians are also able to point ou

.

pt

where the august courtier flimad-ud-Daulah lived while ahve

.

explanation is that Itimad ud-Daulah used to live in the very * ^in which he is believed to have been buried. And thai ^was an appropriated Hindu building. It is obviously the king I

referred to in the Bateahwar Inscription.

The Shiva CChandramauleeabwar) temple l»obviously '

Mahal far the following reasons :

TW

i . it is of cryatel-whlta marbla as mentioned in the tojcripu"^n

Thn T«| Mahal Gritf natal At A T«nptaIJt

2. ha pinnacle and entrance aicbaa Vstr ih» trf,^which ie an exclusive emblem of ChuklrKnwl^hwtr

3. The edifice ia said to have been of «„* «puv-Untb—lhat the lord C&iivaJ raiandnuniuikeihwar ran*- apm iW) rfreturning to bin Himalayan abode of Kaflu.

Trident (trishtt/J m Uw pinnndt of tt» Ta| Mahal

4. We have mentioned elsewhere in this book that the Tij M«h*i

garden included plants and trees ail aacmd to the Uladua. Anwnf

them ia the Bel and Hsrshringar, the leavaa and nown of which

are considered a necessity for the worship of Uri Shiva-

6. The central chamber of the Taj Mahal which k no» Wk

to contain the cenotapbaof emperorShahjalwn -ndhiawjfr *****

Banu Begum ha* around it ten quadrangular^"J"a pc^ambdatory passage for devotee, m I. the ** caMoau

6.Aathedevoteep^^thmu^rachorihc^roanu

provide him a view of Ite ««tr* rf lb.^J^^Ld.where the amUetn of Uri Cb**»" ********

7. The high dome of the Taj Mahal•"^^JreJ-- «*

reverbereUve effect provided the prop* F™*^^ „,

ecstatic din thai aaotnpank. the *™h*" ^ j^aou*1. auppoaed to pcrfurrn the coamte fW ' ^^the Wowing of conches, beating or drum* ^^^^

B. The high dome ll ibo • ^^^Irip ** «*«to enable the hanging of a pilch* for "_ ^&oTMShv. IVcMnwhicbhddtbepiU**^

TV TiJ Mahal I* A Tcmpto py,^

n^ihecwareoftf***1*''

9 gtvw dcora and gold railings mentioned as fixtures of the

Taj Mahal «* a™ 1™"1 f«rtuI* of Hlndd lCTnF»les surviving even

ia«ro*n day. Had lb* 8°^ raiT»nK" fanciwi to ^^ becn Provided

fyMnmiii't iamb, been subsi^uenUy removed one should have

turn hoht in the mosaic flooring for the props which supported

tht nilng. Tbrreareno such holea. That mean* that it was Shnhjnhan

«te removed lb** gold railing of (be ancient Hindu Shiva temple

mi earned it awaj to the treasury, before using the location or

OfEMb idol to graft an Islamic cenotaph. Visitors may nlso notice

ta«rr an anomt Hindu colour-sketch of eight directional pointers,

16 cobra*, 32 trident* and &t lotus buds all Hindu motifs in multiples

a* acta. Hat design is sketched in the concave domed ceiling of

lhr octagonal centra) chamber, which anyone standing close to

Masalaz'i cenotaph may look-up and aee-

10. Grid* at the Taj Mahal still mention a tradition of a drophsb water dropping from the high dome top on the cenotaph

» obviously b a remnant or the past memories of thedripping oo tht emblem of Lord Shiva from the pitcher.

«nwer mentions the six court* in the Taj Mahal building*ere i bazar used to be brid. It is common knowledge

dilioo hears and fairs are invariably hm ^dfc. whW, «„«„„^ foca]^ of Hjndu m

arches dearly proves that it is anSuva tanjfe

^ •%** or u* t.) Mlha, M ;TJ^Vn lhe nrfiU,n*^ to

*" again provm iUf H|ndu ..™ fflc,n* the marble edifice.

- »nda .rd***,, J ^ «»- it has been a tradition

-,I**W* uf ffery bMivfan-^Z°* ***** «*to "«* in the

' * «* Tmj Mahal th. ^JTT. In th* P™^** In the

-* **- m.I^i^ *— . -y bo

jto T»] Mahni Orf|cLnatei Ai A T«np|»

nft is pointed out by tame that tba ploed pi™*^^

Mahal dome bears the Arabic «wnving "Allaho Akbar-- m«*i^*J U riNMl" Thai th«*o «^. _,.„ ^ ™. .

on Iba

nuiun «v^.~ — ——» «'h<>>iiiH niiano All

-God is Great." That those words were stmdlW m i

pinnacle after Shahjahan commandeered the Hinduten^ fw Ulanfe

oae is apparent from the fact that the replica of «* pjimKto^^In the red -stone courtyard to tta enat does not bear that trucrtpucn,

At the back of the mjirble platform under the rtdston* tmw«facing the river fa a long row of apadouB decorated chamben and

an adjoining long corridor running along the aitire length of thai

apartment row. Those chambers at a level lower than th* bawmmi

central chainbcr. which b believed to contain the real grava, wwMnot have been decorated had the Taj Mahal hem an Uuunk tomb.

All visitors are apparently being misted. The mrptt of MumUs.

If at all buried in the Taj Mahal, must neither be in the ground

floor octagonal chamber nor in the basement chamber.

The chambers right under the two cenotaphs on t»o floors

which have been haphazardly sealed with brick and lime are lii

to contain Hindu Idols and Inscriptions, SLmikriy Lbecorridon wbch

may be naming along the eaat and wart of the marW. iteifa -inder

the redstone terrace also seem to have been sealedJ JJianse door-size and ventilator- Lype openings ui**+£££uX the redstone terrace facing the*^*^*walled up. If those ugty filling* are removed. ^ T*»

*

SU- -Parent, of tbeTsi^^^Sfrom the Yamuna river end"—££? U- «-» "

„ a taw. I-* *•• a^^ll»<«i"™M"J-^r

fr^th.*™. of Mumt«M.h»l!"•»«"

3*The Taj Nfflhnl Is A Tompli. Pal*,

In U* fin* place, m Shahjahan'a official chronicle, the name of

thr lady supposed to be buried inside is spelled Mumtozul Zftmunj

and mi MumtM Mahal Secondly, the important, distinguishing

prefix 'Mum'* could ww be dropped off leaving the slump or

• "Taj Mahal'

" to desl«nat.* the building- Thirdly, even if one attempt*

to mjatvn tomt meaning from Ihe term ' 'Taj Mahal" it would

eoftno** ""a crown residence/' and not a tomb. FourtbJy, there

in no iNjuivsJrnt term In the entire range of Muslim lore or history.

HnJ the term "Toj Mahal" been common . ft should have been

beard of in connection with .Muslim tombs or palaces in other ports

of the world. Fifthly the term Tejomabalaya applies lo a shrine

consecrating the Tej' variety of the Shiv emblem.

lb. The Bateshwar inscription enables us. at least tentatively,

to trace the 838-year history of the Taj Mahal to our own day.

U appear! that the Taj Mahal alias Tejo Maha Alaya originated asShiva temple in IlftS A. D. The deity. Lord Shiva, was consecrated

in ft on &inday. the fifth day of the bright lunar fortnight ofthe Hindu month of Ashwin of that year. Sometime after 1206when the iconoclastic alien Muslim sultanate was founded in Delhi,ibe temple was captured, its idol was uprooted or buried and thebuilding was misused ... | pjac* ffia eom« to this i m hiatal fromthe first Mogul Emperor Babur's allusion to it In his Memoirsn years later (1526). as a palace captured from his predecessorftrato Lodi. After Babur's son Humayun suffered reverse afterwerat. around 1538 the Tai Mahal alias Tejo Maha Alaya was******* by the Hindus. We come to this conclusion bemuse

£STa l' I!

68'H™*un '* •* Akbar had to reconquer

m i^r^JY akn" r^°n by ****** th* HJnd" *****the b. tie of Ptalpat. Apparently Akbar did not dispossess

^tS^T *""" *""*- **S also fa-ta

the 1* M^fZ^'^ ^bavmg command^

** pnaent day. During these 838 year*

The Taj Mahal Orietaatad Aj A Toapi.

Mof its emstenea, we may aay that tbn T*j Mahal t

Shiva temple and continued to bo so for about <«. w!*?1 * *

For nearly 300 year, thereafter it was mis-ia* ,77^"reconverted into a tomple. From IB3I onward, th* >$*Shrine" (Tejo Maha Alaya) stands converted h^Twu.graveyard'

16. Besides the trident panada, there are other Htodn imbonin the Tai namely the conch, the lotus and the ncrcd Hindu chant

•*0M" in Devanagari character.

Visitors to the Taj may notice the letter *'om" worn a, boMrelief in embossed flower-designs on the Interior marble walb. a*

one stands poised at the top of the stairs leading la the baaanm

(to see what they call the 'real graves') one may m an the vabaround the upper marble cenotaph chamber, at cheat lava), the

esoteric sacred Hindu letter "am' ' woven into the eraboestd nurfcfc

flower -patterns

.

Pink lotus patterns on the border of the griltod pandi thrt

enclose the cenotaphs may also be noticed.

From the **om" and the trident and rowi of room* a'ddea

along the four sides under the marble plinth, researchers may conaid

wbetber the Taj Mahal was the epicentre or Mm* graii &ernil»

Hindu Tantric cult before Muslim occupation. Tat Jat connmniRy

which predominates the Agra region is known traditionally to I

Teja temples and worship the lustrous Lord Sbr*».

As one descends the steps to the busnent ctamb^toi-e

the so-caDed k*1 (?) cenoUiP"» •* «• T.^l^VZeteps one comes acrt>Sa on both^ t

f^^^Znotice that the in* on the left and lb. one on tba rs^ ^been sealed with irregular marble ^™*£Z£^lmof marble pieces used to seal^Jf™^ thit tb. -«-ra

those blocking the one at the ngbL 1u » _

either side leading to the room, under lbs"*on fined up

what are now believed l. be ih. red

pj-J^ ^ f

sealed at Shahjaban's order mtm the t«J

bt0m .cMfkmbe converted into an lalawfc graveyard U» ^ B^miiil4fy

at FaLehpur Sfkri and the mansions wiaco ^^ ^^known as the tombs of Akbar. Ham^.

The Taj Mahal I* A Temple Pataoo

aibmmA scholars of architecture should. therefore, look

uponwi^w^ 1^ ^^ _rf and nQl ^ Mus)(m sepulchral

</ .mriml Hindu temple art and not

l^hfp. The latter docs not exist.

m «t *n Milled Muslim to.T'

SISwL^Sd has b^ duped and deluded for over throe

iSTJlM ** ** Taj MM - bunt as a tomb.

SI Or K.U (Bhavaoi) tempi* to* ^ ancient A» (modern

taTpur) fwt-«pW b«r» • do* resemblance to the Tejo Maha

Aim in Agra in Its vote marble an4 embossed decorative work.

further proofW before being converted into a palace and laU>r

into tomb the Taj Mahal CTejo Maha Alaya) was a Hindu temple.

b now 362 year* since the original Taj Mahal Shiva temple has

forced 10 play the role of a Muslim queen's mausoleum. Yet

other turn in its fortune may once again restore the Taj Mahal

|0 it* original status of • Suva temple at the bends of a resurgent

India, who knows f

Thai the Taj Mahal must be the focal temple - the Tejo Maha

Alaya - of an ancient Hindu township, finds corroboration in Kocne's

observation on page 179 of his Handbook. He says. "The Taj Ganj

thai a spot) known as flalnndwr Darwaza, supposed to be that

of a gateway in the wall which enclosed the ancient city of Agra

centuries before Akbar'a time." Thia fully corroborates our finding

Hut the area around the Taj Mahal forms part of a very ancient

poruan of Agra city, Thia part or Agra had its own Shiva temple

called the Tejo Maha Alaya. ft was enclosed by the city wall as

all tenplea used to be in ancient and mediaeval India. In fact the

Kalandar Darwaza may be a corrupt Muslim term for some ancient

doit none aftbar for tome other gateway of to what is nowTaJganJ gateway leading to the Taj Mahal premises. In

in our view the proper frontal approach from ancient timeswaa from the TaJgaitJ gat*. It atill haa ita massive wooden gateintacu

"*\ Mahal, thouaands of erstwhile Hindu buildingsof ancient wd mediaa**] tod,* have been under Muslim occupation

Xba Taj Mahal OrigEnaud Aa A Tcmptoan

and made to bear false, implanted tnacrlptiona aa tembaBnd forts bufltby Muslima. This la unwltUnKlybHrayrt

in*Z'

ohaarvant remark of an American vlaiu,, ^^ BayartTwlHe has been quoted on page 177 of ^, Hndbottk. *£observes. "I have been struck by the singular fact thai whit* at

Ibe central seats of the Moslem empire art reached but a eempmttmdegree of development here and there, on the opposite and mandistant frontiers (I.e. to Spain and in India) it attained a midand splendid culmination."

"

What Mr. Taylor means is that in lands to distant u Span

and India Muslim invaders apparently built stupendous and

magnificent monuments but in their own Innda lika %ria, Iraq

and Arabia they have pretty little lo ehow of the same calibre.

We pity the naivete of Mr. Taylor and those of his kind. Tbg

have been badly duped. What they have been made to believe u

Muslim buildings in distant Spain and India are not Mutant

constructions at all. Those are all usurped indigenous buQdtagJ buflt

by local chieftains in pre -Muslim timea. They were only appropriated

by Muslim conquerors end falsely represented » thar own through

superficial camouflage and concocted chroniclea. This findingef ours

should help Spain repudiate Muslim claim, to its »"«*"*-

Mr. M. II. Mills has also scientifically verified thai tbt so c*u*i

Cardoba mosque is a pro-Islamic edifice in Spain.

As a point of information we would IB. i. -* «*'**Mahal is settle taller than lb.>^^^J£On page IN of his b«*. «--« £££» Z lb.

the garden level and the point of the ipJin- m

main dome is 243,5 ft. while the so^^^^!s 238 ft. and one inch in height. But »» **» «* ^ ^the topmost point of the ^^£Zjl«*.+*be much below it they do not reek* the total

edifice including ita pinnacle- ^^ ^^^"The names of some early^^^nmWl ,

adds ***•

of the mrtm dome." including (hose of ™»*^^ „

So even the insert™ * ^^Shnhjuhaira behalf.

TK h*

CHAPTER XXV

t**&0v) m a black

GO « KOBC"*a*'J refe.ig £$ ta*

' qpw ifl it ac cast t,

"^^'iTrfjiTB IT..

wtt^jimfiiij«i* Use asserkxfea1 ==»>'be preefoded

* Ttjo Itabc^ys aro

• ••

THE FAMOUS PEACOCKTHRONE WAS IHNDU

WE HAVE observed in an earlier chapter how the Ti| Hindu

palace had richly embelliabed central ground floor tod buonmL

timbers. Tbe ground floor chamber had aQver door*, fold nnlng

and an enclosure surrounded by gem-studded marbla scream. Gfvm

Bud* an enclosure what could it contain ? It must contain wneth^

eoually arresting in iU richness, A gilded frame w«dd never hoH

In insignificant picture, Sfanflsrly, ihe achrUIlaia* cental ground

SoJr cCber with futures of precious metal, and pre**.»m

r^e Hch set** that*"^£?£Z« well deserved- We^^^^ST^S. -Taj Mahal and the Peacock Tyrone enUr the ncuuow

Shabjaban's reign almost aimultaneously.

A vWk rnrone couM nev. *v* ~*X£J£mediaeval Muslim rulers "™^**"JL^ ,„ pa****

Throughout their millenium^<*****"

was to break images, not to make lh-n-

h fact, aahjataan'. motive m^^ «** as*

we, not only to break tbe back of "^^ !*•**

household by making it homeless. W*» ^^^the fabulous wealth that palace carta—- ^ do^p*Mahal, therefore. »*^^^*^»^t£*railing, curtains of pearl. •* ^iSgU) ** *"carved marble screens (now Wft ^JPP«the famous, adntfllating Peacock Tt*on ^rur^mPe^kTt^could^^^ a. rfW*£

b^use tradiUonally - Hto*^J^r or ^J^Tbird or animal known for iX»

rJm\»a"Vl*,S0k

terminology the very term for a ibra

TTw Ta| Mahal 1* A Tnmpl* Pala^

lt> hud their own pel animal or bud

***° *** ^rtoronw ln Hindu myibolo*v'

lh* *a«1».

Opn* MPT**1**a miniber of other birds und animals are

Ins, tiger, P"-30? "?

iffcrwi gods as being the motifs of their

ea»*dlltt5d*'lh

usinrt th« . Musiim religious trad ition strictly

*^***L«*' dewing 'or image. Taking all this into

r*p °" 1

Xuld not be difficult for any serious student of

aartleraiion Hof g^jahan having ordered a

tan deftly woven into the fabric of Shahjahan'a

?m^lH^mbt had the Hindu Peacock Throne coldly removed

"*? (^ iter taking over the Taj Mahal from ,ts owner.

*7L app«r> that the scintMng throne used to be covered

te , «^iow «d also a net of pearls In denuding the Taj

Lr of such fabulous wealth Shahjahan struck a virtual gem mine,

^ a cc4d stone editor for the burial of his consort MumUu

mt ouwr members of the harem,

-fai fdbukra* Peacock Throne, later spirited away U> Persia

by ib» Muslim invader. Nadir Shah, is no tonger extant* it was

dismcmberes and disbursed or looted piece by piece by Nadir Shah's

feuding Ibifen Iranian descendanta precisely because even aa i

plundered heirioom the presence of an idolatrous, infidel throne

wu mu/tbema la fanatic Muslim royalty.

A description of the Peacock Throne is given by Shahjaban's

official cbrnnldar Mulla Abdul Hamid Lahori under the account of

•fhlh year of Shahjahan's reign corresponding to 1636. It

may be recalled here thai U u rnua had died around 1631 and according

fialtbu accounts of the Taj Mahal the construction of this

iretmland monument had begun within a year of her death.

u> have continued over a period of 10 to 22 years.oi remembered that won after coming to the throne

- Zfl.^ ^^^ to ***nd «* *rst fe* I****h« nv*. When Mumtai died between 1030 and

*« »o bav« distributed loi of wealth to

'•"idemiand from the Badshahnam*

t * *. tea.*"*"" ™%,

'Md. Vol vn

DM Famous Peacock Thran **• ffimjytil

passage quoted by us in an earlier d*^ of Ihla book. l*urShahjahan

.wo arc told

,embarked on building the Taj Ms»h»l campiR.

Hardly had the project begun, than wo are told that hy ia&Shahjahnn had amassed such a plethora of genu end bullion, within

seven years of his accession that he did not know whm %o do

with them. He therefore had a fabulous Peacock Throw ordered.

Says Mulla Abdul Hamid* :' in the course of yean many vstaabla

gems had come into the imperial Jewel house..." & Hula momthan ordinary naivete la needed to believe in such skulduggery.

Nobody seems to have bothered to compile, compare, vivify and

subject such accounts to close logical scrutiny , If ve ore lo believe

in such prodigality, the Moguls must have bad bullion and uems

dropping u"ke rain over them all the time.

We may, therefore. Ignore tht? abracadabra of Shnhjon having

ordered the throne and instead concentrate on Ha dimensions and

the wealth that went into its making. Even conceding thai the

monetary value of the gems and bullion used in that throne mi*

have been exaggerated by Mulla Abdul Hsm3d, yrt Wi dracripuo-t

should give one some idea of what the sneient Hindu PeacockTarona.

usurped by Shahjahan, looked like.

According to Shahjahan's court chronicler*

J*£"

«Jthe Peacock Throne was "three yards long, two -nd £! j£hroed. five yards high and « with^ «**%»£Zme copy had 12^^£ZZ£«V+.two peacocks^"T^^^^h***^The throne cost ten million rupe*1 «^ ^UiU¥hbuious

in seven years. That means that tats was , ^ w-

and expensive project that SWrfto "*^^ lhin ,„

bunding the Taj Mahal. T*b b^^ * <** on.

Arabian Nights story. The throne bad 11 re*

being for the ruler himself

.

^ ^mere I. one pes* way of ~*^ *^.,

this throne made which ultunatdy found .u

hand.

M. P. 46, IbW.

90 PP. 45**. to\A.

m

Tin THJ U»hai la A Tempta PiW»

fa, flWn irsdWon the niterto always supposed to have around

rifr «| sons or brother, at the enthronement and other

. ooaiiaa Lord Rama it *hrW» 8D0Wn *oe^d ^^ hl " ^uecn

"'and lit three brolhan .round him. From this ft seems that

» Hindi, ruler who order*! the Peacock Throne bid nine sons,

Tt* D nc«M in the P»coek Throne were meant for him, hit

wife end nine ton*. If in the pre- Muslim history of Indie we can

identify nch i Hfcdtt monarch known for hia valour and large

domain, be could very well be the monarch to have that throne

made.

It could also be that Chandragupts Maurya's surname may have

derived from his Peacock Throne since 'Mayura' means a peacock

(in Sanskrit) and Maurya may be a derivative of Mayura. In that

cast Um famous Peacock Throne usurped by Shahjshan could be

traced back at least to Chandragupta Maurya,

Another possibility could be that a Hindu ruler who was bothliterary geniua and a warrior could have ordered the Peacock

Throne, iinee in Hindu mythology the peacock is the mount ofbrtfc the Goddess of Leering, Saraswati, and the warlord Kartikeya^emi. One such ruler in ancient India known for hia valour,aebouaahip and devotion to truth, was VikramBditya, the founder

to $mt era in 57 B. C. It may be that the Peacock Thronewj the Muakm emperor Sfcimjahan grabbed together with the

Aahal had been initially commisaioned by King Vikramadilya.toe conqueror of Arabia,

•••

CHAPTEKXXV1

INCONSISTENCIES INTHE LEGEND

CONTRARY to the traditional belief in their nostalgic grandeur,

the courts of mediaeval Muslim rulers were botbeda of •quatar'.

intrigue, vice, cruelty and torture. There waa no aoope for tbt

promotion of art or other higher values of life In that atmosphere.

AH talk, therefore, about dance, painting, music and building art

having been encouraged is baseleeas. In fact with the bejpnninf

of Muslim invasions, all progress ceased because most of the citizenry

were worried about their own physical security and the safety of

their wives and children. In such an atmosphere of intense terror

nothing thrives. A building like the Taj Mahal preeupposet long

period of peace and prosperity.

Mr. l^habCnandraMajumdarsaya*/ltimad-ud-Ihnua, father

of Nuriahan, tells ua that aa many as 5.000 women nestled m

Mogul harems... the male Issues of some of the woman had to

undergo solitary confinement for life." When auch -« *» *j

of the ruler's own progeny, one can very well inis^nttba to

of the citizenry (a majority of whom belonged to a ndlgi*. and

culture highly detested by the alien ruler Brides »^ta»sodomy was rampant among the ruling Muskm hmto «

*J*noblemen; how eunuchs formed an Important^^""£c^I^notsuchan*tm™H~l«^ofaDart?

of servants they kept, a nobility thirsting«*«*£for^

the Muslim rulers in India were always

""J ^ bo

To put it in the layman's terms. tt*J»*

^

ends meet. All descriptions,therefore

91. P. b. imimU*—"»"+***'*

of the Iwanasaw

Wajuipaw

-n* Taj Mahal * A Tempi" Pal**

-^ o/Mltb no doubt there used to

wealth ebbed and swelled. In tan pnwa«w

7^ ruler's poor and MM- «**• * ~vre of

a***!. Almost a* soon as U» *-«* <*™ *• ,l ^ **Z«o. The fand«! treasure-reserves for forkful project like

Taj Mahal to bury deceased queen in were just not there.

Contnry account, written by mediaeval Muslim chronicler* were

motivated by the need to flatter the ruler and ensure a steady

share of the ruler's wealth for themselves. Basking in the sunshine

of ntfsl favour, the weaned chroniclers wangled for themselves

a cushy Job of praising the ruler sky high and sharing in his spoils.

A typical instance of how the history of Indian monuments

and tbetr architecture has been based on wild conjectures is found

in Heme's HandimfF ' 'Alirnardaii Khan (the governor of

Kandahar) probably introduced the bulbous dome, which some regard

es a marked feature in the decadence of Saracenic architecture in

India : a striking example being found in the dome of the Taj

Mahal." Tha shows bow traditional theories are conjectural bubbles

inflated with endless "probables/* On page 209, Keene says : "TheCbauaatb Khamba is believed to be a tomb of Rakshi Salabst Khan'

f

(Sahjaban's chief treasurer). The words Chsusath Khamba are

a non -Muslim term. Ought not students of history to ask themselvesI who fooled the bills of these expensive mausoleums for all

the Fakir Mohammad* and Ukeer Ahmads of Mogul times, includingd», farndsrs, prostitutes, faquirs, sons, grandsons and great

!

Is such i thing possible within the ambit of humanft b constituted? Is it possible that those who built

fetae-aeei or their children bull palatial tombs for»^ dead predecessors?

>J^^^ t^™m*MrtteH*ndl^ ihal » two

* «* d*lh of his wife would previa pavilions

«- * ». ttWBO,, fort,*'* ACsatfJcnfc ibd.

InomaiKtcndaa In Tha legend

UK

«t suite expense for peopto to vl* m4 revd In «mftMw dnrf™Shabjahan's despoUc era when the ^bjarta count* for n^But the presence of the pleasure pavIUone ia yet another (nnvuicJ-proof that the bnndnrie* {corridors) are there because lbs tWoriginFited as a Rajput temple palace.

How the whole story of the buDding of tha Taj Mihnl in bhiff

and bluster Is apparent from yet another weak link in to* traditions!

account. On page 165 of his Handbook, Hoene stoles, "H bhi«h!y

probable that the remains of Mumtaz (brought from Burhmpur

where they had lain for six months) lay in the temporary tomb

near the Masjid Baoli for about nine year*.,. When they were finally

removed to this tomb (in the basement of the so-called Tbj Mahal]

is not authoritatively known."* Since such an important detufl as

the removal of Mumtaz's body to its final resting plow ii Tnlsshaj*

after all the pother about Shahjahan having built s monument specialty

for her burial , the question arises whether the Ts] doe* in fact

contain the remains of Muimat and Shahj»hnn or whether the

cenotaphs were just meant to be mere scarecrow lo usurp an

ancient Rajput palace 1

Another Instance of the pathetic loopholes that riddla fwy

single detail of the Shahjahan kgend of the Taj concerns il* rnarbta

Us around the cenotaphs. About these^**"*^^L m. "The marble area enclosing an octa*»al am in

Z~». of la*^—«-=^^Badshahnama, placed here in

,

1&^

by^ J^ pliCtd^ by

however, to competent minority the «««"«.f"

A„b after ha laid *s father«^^„It* passage invites *m^^^Z^d, «»-

Keene does not consider the ^^V^y «*"* ***

at Shahjahan-s own hulding, tobe w^oNJ ^ ^ ^^be calls the other authonties mor^^jT^**, u fc. *«

disbelieves the Badsbahmn*. he *™q matm gtuden"

repeatedly emph^i^ by us ****** * ^ fof (ymof history, mediaeval^^^^^Z^motivated by the desire to J-k

tow ^, u^ *

is wrong m holding that the oUnr ^^ttt,h«tb-r

•competent" were more trustworthy. «f

Tb# T>J U»htl r* A Tempi* p^

gfrttim'i or Am****'* <»"*> «« bird' of,

lbe 8aJn* fo*b».

TV (wiN puniirihv cooduaion ire can draw than it that tbe matUt

b «Q along there enclosing tbe sacredShifting or the precious

Throne oi Um* Rajput owners of lb* Taj palace. Aurang^

hardly ibe niBH who would spend any money on decorating

hu h*«d frtbsr1

* cenotaph.

Sleeman" says thai • Koranic teat quoted on the queen's tomb

template* with the words, "and defend us from the tribe of

onbeuevfrt,./" This ending fa significant since our whole point

bat been to prove that the Taj Mahal whs commandeered from

an "onbeUevmg" family precisely to end that "tribe." The choice

of tbe passage for quoting on Mum tan's tomb betrays the purpose.

How a steady barrage of propaganda kept up through centuries

has readied in misleading and befooling generations of laymen,scholars of history and architects into the belief that the massivemd magnificent mediaeval monuments are Muslim, though in facttbcybdong to an earlier period

t may be illustrated from Steeman'aexperience in Chapter IV on page 29 of his book, in describing

i vunt* to monuments in Agra, th<r author says. i crossed overnver Jamun. one morning to look at the tomb ofamadod-D.^, Qn my way back I asked one of the boatmen.

"One of the emperors of course

What makes you think »7*'B*** such things are mad*

*»» quieU*.

said he.

°°Jy by emperors, " replied the

km vm'tdZ'J^J!!!

°,d Mutt,B1« trooper who bad

'*«***: who butZJ^lT?^* ahak* <* *• head '

»~* by thHT "* ** mh^ - *•*'

******mm*J*Z'««_** hava . cluft ^ ^ mfliw invwd)

**» Indian omcsl. Iblrf.

cholirs an"1 v"**101* ^^ beeo misguided °y **» pratiJe

yVasteffl «

o^pl©. How palpably absurd tbe accusation against

^ interes ^^ ^^ ^ ^^ ^rom tng uj^gg^bed gristenoe

tbe ^8J*^nd &u so called lUtmad-ud-Daukh tomb. Not that

0*tbe

original Muslim buildings but ever since they were put

jjjeygre

^^ Lombs the JaU and Mnrathas did not so much10 "^

^Bcratch tbem. But somehow propaganda has succeeded in

"object of making people wrongly believe in the Muslim origin

fmediaeval monument*.

We ourselves had a similsr experience ss Slecman.

Once while on a visit to Agra Fort we asked a bearded Muslim,

K«rrvin« for Ha ablutions with a potful of water, as to which part

rftta fort Sbivaji had been incarcerated in by Aim**.. In airing

that question we only wanted to test the popular version, beotue

iTotr own mind we were dear that 9*4 had been confined

in Ham Start* borne outside the fort. But the Muslim evm wHboul

batting an eyelid or fumbling for an answer, pointed to adlatant

sMt beyond a partition wall, well within the area occupied by the

ZyZ th^or. untenable by victors. We then^from our own experience bow the lay public and senous atod«u*

of history alike have been consistently misled by unscrupulous pcopb

through blaunt statements not only spoken ™ff*"£*in mediaeval volumes believed to I* « *uthent.C record of

contemporary events.

All that bas been said in the foregoing pages ^ould be enough

to convince even tbe most credulous ^?* "j*^'£played on a gullible world. Every aspect o

contradictions. The falsity of tbe traditional^^^wmZof the Taj Mahal by Shahjuhan stands thoroughly expo*- ^therefore, try to reconstruct a true account of how

originated. ^^ ^ ^ ^A number of clues discussed above >_^ jugrandtur.

Taj Mahal originated as a templo and not as a ^ ^^ „,

ortagonal design, tridents, Om, conch slwu ^^ lbt &ita top border, pleasure pavilion*, llw "^ ^j ^ rautnf.

moaaic flooring, rich fixtures like ailvw^ Jaijt[ft

«bpur«. I»«*

hundreds of room*, names like Khawaspu™

t»Th# Ti) Mahal la A TVmpte Pat**

g.^,0 full of the choicestfruit and Dower plants boty to the Rajpuu,

and the ft».

Referring to the falsity of mediaeval Muslim chronicles Keen*

observes* t '"Indian historian*, fa attempting to belaud the acta

of their kingly patron a, have oHct committed thcmsclwea to

rtm«nwiis which «ndpr lhe searchlight of subsequent scrutiny are

found to be absolutely inaccurate" Reene is mistaken In calling

thnm Indian. They were nllcn Muslims.

In the subsequent pages he confirms that "the cenotaph of

Shahjahon . , is uraymmetrically placed { p. 172) . Then? arc I -) rooms

in a line along the river face of the great basement (p, 177)."

ADoul these rooms Keen* says :' 'The basement rooms are centrally

situated as a line of It rooms along the face of the Great Basement,

Qnder its terrace; and each of them is connected by a doorway

with an inner lobby running East and West along their entire length.

From etch end of the lobby a staircase ascends to the terrace of

the Great Basement, where it* entrance dosed by red sandstone

skhs. ky unsuspected until discovered a tmr ymrs ego, the clue

being givm by a aaiaff window overlooking the river in each ofthe twomstemmosi rooms. The rooms, once frescoed and otherwisedeco ruled being now fo darkness and infested by bats, cannot beexplored without a torch or lamp. Whether they originally openedon to a gbai and gave admittance to the Taj from the river; orbang provided with window*, were used as cool resorts duringthe heat of the day, cannot now be decided." (Actually the rooms"amber 22. not 14),

The above b a very important clue to bow much is hiddenr™rn to, public in the Tai Mahal. The lay visitor peeping into the

awn the mighty sepulchral handiwork of a doughty*l be ia being badly cheated and duped As Keeneb" nghUy pointad out. Horn of basement chamber! He sealed

sn^ii r

"

i",ju am,iM inu> • ««-» •«* •*"*" ^ f" f™ "W* "nyhin*. Shsbj,!™ ^

.

"I f m. Kmm.lUMbook, Ibid. Uxmm,

ntoonalaumdM In The Ugmi

largo part of the Tn) Mahal mi\ta °r bkKked "M-wilh nil mediaeval tombs in India, wheihw ih*u

*** ^Ifnaul'a, Iiimjiduddouk'a, &

ulse's tomb.

Tbe visitor standing at the back aflheTai Mnhredston* terrace looking at the Yamuna rtvat nL^T60*'1

Haft

w lt„ . «.« ™..w u. mo,., wnrt|w-— 'IT***

bj Humnyun a, iUmaduddauln'i,Safdjirlimfl-

^**IM!" 1* tedw

"J"«v*r Jlwjn-^

monti inmay well imagine that if there are 22 .

river-front alone, how many more rtwuM 'iw "J*basement from the back to the front of the gre*J^"Jj^

The visitor may also well imagine that if ttwrooms in the basement of tbe redatoo* t*rnjw bo* ^easements could there be right upto the ground levri wbine Yamflows? From the ground level to tbe marble platform Ibtnr antwo storeys with each storey consisting of scores of won*, Tatvisitor Is not shown any of these. AH those rooms vtn do**to visitors eversincc Shahjahen appropriated that Hindu manikm

to be used as a Muslim tomb. Unfortunately, even today worn

we are free, the free citizen of a free India it still being deprive

of his right of free access to all apartment* of the pent Tai MiW,

Instead, be Is being doped and duped with fairy tides of a (ucfcd

Sbabjuban-Mumtaz romance.

That this ban to the basement chsmben hn* besv Impend

eversince ShahjabBn took over the Hindu mansion tn circa 1631.

is clear from Bender's notings. Berntw w» a Trench waiter te

India during Shab}aban's reign.

Apart from the basement under tbe redstone fcrr*» uwrtimat

be another huge basement containing many roomi even uadi

marble platform. The visitor who descendi from I

chamber to tbe basement graves is made to bdleve that Ihsre it

onJy one darlc chamber there enclosing tbe two greva

an aciunJJy '££.

But that

i7farZmTbe trutl^darknes^ theni S. *vmWlc of^J-hiding many vital detaHs from the vWlcr about d» ."rm^f

M;iny people being in » hurry come a-jyim ^^the marblo building coniials of only «»^^ h(flflnfnl

nmground floor and one sepulchral chamber to

K(C0-^are many spacious tmlls and rooma sorrourtfliii

TV Ti} M*hd 1» A Trmplm P^m

.tKwfe

. "fa the remainder of the inferior

*•*«"*• f J, ^d four octagonal Kail*, one behind each

^ t*hind esc V"*Thesc halts <rtf connected by passages

^tflhr^^oarm-r y ^ ^^ ^^^ chmnber

*** "* oU"r" 3l ^gh tbem from the Wire hull giving

S^:1r^—« *-" pi b* •• * ^m each

"^ ^1 1 .he with, a staircase «ndi * the upper storey,

**« the ground floor of the marble building has many hatts

-M^rif*™- it^clMrthdttheymusthavelbeircounterparUi

tfcTi^n.nL underneath. If the visitor sees no access to them

tarn ihe ceotral sepulchral chamber in the basement it is clear

th* uiose enimnces too have been seakd. Thus there is much

to inwMgale, unseal and discover in the basement storeys of the

Taj Mahal i$H from the marble plinth to the Yamuna level. If

all those chambers in the many basement stories are brought to

Uphi it will fadlitate the piecing together or the story of Shabjahan's

usurpation of a Hindu mansion.

We would abo like to draw reader attention to Keene's remarks

chit the basement rooms bore frescoes and other decoration. They

hsvt til been scrubbed off. This is yet another indication of the

Tij being an erstwhile Hindu mansion. Shahjahan would not build

cores of ornate rooms in the basement and have them sealed I

According to the Itedsh&hnanw there were four serais each with

j rooms in Mumtazabad (which obviously was the name foisted

on the former Jeiaingbpura and Khawaspura) , and a central chowk*|usjy) from which roada branched off at right angles. This te

testimony that the ancienl Rajput temple palace which ia

Mwn as the Taj Mahal was surrounded by other huge buildings

**» wiib » network of roads. Thai is exactly what the termlifia to Sanskrit. Such a huge building complex can

ifiod if • temple palace Is its nucleus, u tomb does»ch annen. ou,^ nytgK affonJ them

irttt^TtTalLS^^*W f"""^^ and ttriides deaUng

lot* m oriLtu, ^ "* tnmuuA T«i te*«id. and establishing

1 twiplc paiac mii mma lomb we ahaU

IncontfouncfM In Tht Legend

now concern ouraelve, with a TOr * th»Md . _Snce Vincent amth motion- on p™ 9 of hl

Attar the Greet Mogul that Babur dladT Ibo* Ul*

Ar hj cUavbat * *** ^^"tr^iwho rated over Agra must have ipml at feast 1 ttmZT^***fa the Taj palace as absolute owner* or a,g^c*iwn^TUke Raja Mnnstogh and Jaiaingh on whom J^C^T,ultimately devolved. According to the Persian p*t inus/Amfort was captured by Mohammad Gbazrvtvi. »i»-a> a desperate asaiuU*from Jaipal. Whosoever ruled the fort, owned the Taj ,«&„».^we com* to the conclusion that Jaipal bad owned the Tal, cm)lived in fL After him Mohammand Ghazfw aaould have Bisyod in

the Taj at least occasionally though for aecurfty reasons he must

have preferred tbe massive confinea of the fort. The otben who

seem to have been in occupation of the nearly 35 -room mtrhlt

suite of tbe Taj palace are : Rajput rulers of the Tuar dan who

came to power after Mohammad Gh&mnvi'a invasion, Vlaheldav

Chsuhan. Bahlol LodJ, SSkandar Lodi, Babur, Humiyun, Sbcrahah,

Jalal Khan, Humayun again, Akbar, Manringb, Jagtisingb nd

Jatsingb. ft was from tbe last ownar. u aQ vertkm iavtriably

admit t that the Taj property was taken by Shahjihm to bt oaovtrtad

into a tomb.

Aa tbe Taj bad been a royal residence for generation!, oocupW

by those who controlled Agra. It is cker that it must biva fata

the Ktm of many royal births and deaths aa is evidenced by the

reference to Babur"s death in it.

In tbe Agra Fort gaDery. facing tba Taj. *»£-£embedded in the wall to mirror the Taj «-£*-£*£Taj legend have convenient* annual the ^**J^menmeric effect of themytn.^t^ding»h^^^by tboir tbouaanda in arched recesses °^P°rr. ortdkB . Such

dre«ea ia a very common and]»^ ia* .*«glaas reflectors can still be seen fl«d m"^^ to Rajpui

In Rajaathan, and continue to be °^'JV#bc-ny iaeli.ab«Hdd

women-a drcsaea. Saracenic architecturt,

«

^ ^^rather believe in ••purdah/' U -hmudJng or»Wnever think of glass reHoctors Mirror

Tb# Ta) Mnhal la A Ttojifc p^.

^^^u in Agra fort ***** * w-» * Hindu fort. More***.

t_tban **• M^1* P*"niM*dBCCeS9 du™8 int««*nmefit to th*

t of the fort *Mch overlooks the Taj. It ia. therefore,absurd

i-flW UiH during detention he consoled himself by catching

-^ppes of the Taj in &* "ny «?,ass ***• A furtl*r «bsuitlity

and inooraisleocy is • would «> old monarch, bent with age. sUnd

up tD the time to a1™'" his bedimmed vision,and peer into a

tiny glass piece with his beck to the Taj to catch a Deettog, reflected

gimpse of the Taj when he could as well have a clear, full, straight

and direct view of it seated comfortably facing the monument?

And would not such a stance give him a pain in the neck? This

is yet another Instance of how students of history, archaeologists

and liy visitors have never bothered or cared to take stock of

the loose bits of the Taj legend . and tried to rearrange them to

find out wbrther they add up to at least a coherent and cogent

account, even if fictitious.

A government peon, Aneesh Ahmad, informed us that the tiny

mirror was fisud there by Ms father Ensha Alia Khan, about 50Jpbtb ago to illustrate bow mirror- pieces decorated those walls underthe Hindu rulers. Therefore the legend that Shahjaban used to seethe reflection of the Ta| in that mirror is of course a crude, cruelhoax.

Since readers may get a better idea of the results achievedme. labour and money spent on mediaeval memorial

"»jn,«t» by comparing them with similar recent projects. Let

tuT^T^^f"1 Gmm '* ^^ with the Taj Mahal if to**«* *« te be believed an original tomb.

•-SET %?':T*"m^ neariy 17 y€ara tt~r

bam stent i„" f8n^en tround *» And crores of rupees have

«* ^^T^V" *"**^^ tb« time -,abour

** ««M«|Mahfltm* OmtiA't Samadhi tally with the

onUjaTaJ.AndveitZ!!11

!^ *** Ume'labour ftnd monev spent

^n-«^ Raj* £*ull*«*vaitty different, Mahatma Gandhi's

W MalaaJ. Thb,. tt ^ fa!?*^UJshm«1^ "id the beauty of the

•1** univaraal rmmanfw!^10* Candhl hoving «"nm*ndfd« lava fpoin t Vially ]v^er ^^

tncanaifltendea In Th« Legend

and a wider region, tn addition to fa -„,_'"l. ^_

90J

bfeVed

,

l° ***?*»* ^-tuddj^^',0dwir-<*

railing and silver doors. Readera can well 'J*these. It will amount to a fabulous, wirr*,

'*"*«* of ill

even all the Mogul emperors together could Z*1?Z'*****

much on a single monument. Besides, who ««*! blT*^**

wealth on a monument which would be the haunt of Li!™ 12menials ? Moreover, such Isvishnes, ill «uita a sepukhn- U k^temples or psJacea which can and do have such nu^Iflcen*.

Both, the entrance from the redstone quidrangie ink, the Tilgrounds a$ well as the entrance to the cenotaph chamber fast south.

Had the Taj been an original sepulchre, its entrance should hsvi

faced the west, because Islam allows communion with Altah for

both the living and the dead, only from the direction of the Rata.

This ia a very important clue to refute the trsditionnl claim that

the Taj Mahal originated as a tomb.

Mediaeval Muslim monuments are almost always mosques ami

tombs, except in a few cases. At the outset it appear* strap

that a long line of these extrovert monarcha built tombs and mosqoo

galore but seldom palaces. It is stranger artJH that the

who buDl a palatial tomb for his predecessor. Boarding to cumnl

tradition, also thirsted for the predecessor's blood white the l*u*r

ruled. For argument's sake, if we assume both those pfopeaUfa

to be Lrue. then that practice of building tomb* ought

some uniformity and sense of proportion. From tot poolt * «*

let us compare the so-called tomb, of Humayun.^^^Humayun had hardly re-established himselT .n Wh*six months, he died. He^^^ jjjKand yet his so-called tomb En ^^^S^ofifc.surrounded by thrt

Moguls, has a 0On»h»—- ",...__ mA ns among w»»Mumtez. the second wife of Shahjahin. an ^^^ ,

of hlB consorta. has the grandest mauso. ^ ^^^

magnificence, the Taj Mahal,

d yet his so-called tomo tn uw » - - ' .

hlkal

rrounded by three defensive walls. Akhsr. ^ "JJ^," t^tively modes,*^£**Z*

mausoleum would rank first, second ana

The reader may now reflect *****^-^

history of tbo persona whose tomns wop

n»dMy-rest

b Dot raoWng^

aiwaapr**"

IV Taj Mahal U A Temple Pii^,

f&da e*>fc. "» ""f y^ing whichever Rajput palace or

that it

, am miuaolPi»

"handy f01" tb® burW**"d n01 °ftG °f buiWin8

gJfBfl

jj^y sr« supposed

^n^, that followed the_,_ .w- f«ii«w«l tbe death of every Muslim ruler

|^ proportion to the importance of the individual

rL any «dusive control of tbe treasury, and even if be

sTVto would be bother to spend it on an infructuous, sentimental

I5*tf commemorating a dead predecessor, than « wmnmg

STw of succession? *** who would supervise the building

caiotTOctian. and bo* would be do it?

It may be noted that the so-called Humayun Tomb in New

DAi suU fonna part of what is called tbe "Jaipur Estate." It

was. therefore, one of tbe temple palaces which tbe Hindu ruling

funity of Jaipur held in fidM. Tbe Taj Mahal also was a temple

palace owned by the aame family in Agra. Architecturally, both

re similar, except that the grandeur, magnificence and delicacy

of iht Taj surpasses that of tbe Delhi monument.

Tbe undisputed ownerehip of Jaistngh over tbe " "Taj" before

ft waa taken over by Sbabjahan, la a very crucial detail. In fact,

in tht mass of evidence vailable before ua. Jaisingb's title to the

Taj property is tbe kingpin or the pivot on which the whole case

turns from tht traditional Shahjahan orientation to earlier Rajput

origin

An* court of law, where men of worldy wisdom preside andwho do not sDow iheh- Judgment to run away with nostalgic,«wny-orient«d myths, would at once see the importance of tbem* uianimousiy conceded detail of Jtisingb'a ownership of the

Sstory scholars have blundered precisely si this point

.

*abjshsn built an original tomb they all along presumed* u* only an empty plot of Und from Jalsmgn , But

taLrTl\H^ ^ " *** ** «** that the Tai

«*. that Suhjahm acquired a readymado Usnple

[mil—liinniir- to The L*f*nd

pslaos and misused it as a tomb.

Though we have observed that JaWngj,-, ^^^the issue, yet there are several other proof. wfaT <contention that the Taj Mahal originated as > fata- ^Z"*I^ide the Taj Mahal tbe entire tap^ is madeep o73tatl!.designs.

Had the Taj been an original tomb, Shabjahan would aw*have allowed Indian flora to form the dominant feature of the tapestrydesign inside the mausoleum of his wife. It it idle u> argue i

because tbe workmen employed on the Taj happened to be Hindaatheir motifs got incorporsted jn theTaj design . It mustbe remsnbersdthat it is tbe person who pays the piper that calls tbe tune. U<xvrmwhen it is a question of tbe peace of the departed soul, rrmfcob

and motifs of a detested religion would never have beat iGoved

to be Incorporated in the ornamental patterns of the Ta}. In fact

the whole idea of having such a luxurious tomb buDl aid having

decorative patterns made inside it is frowned upon in blamk reticfea

and tradiion. But Shahjahan had no alternative but to put up with

them since he had taken over a ready-made "heathen" moonmant.

Those who argue that mediaeval Muslim rulers freely aDowsd

adoption of the Hindu style and art in their monuments must eooaidsr

that even in tbia 20Ui century, when the edge of orthodoxy bat

considerably blunted, no group of Muslims will ever dare or caw

to plan building a tomb or a mosque in the tanplt style,

ibcplaining away tbe jiresence of Hindu design* and n»tf*ta

decorative patterns in tbe Taj, on the basis of Hindu wort

employed, is futile on another ground also.

1

records (which we have proved to be fictitious) ""Vj^listed Muslim names as the sole designers and art. « ^ ^^Their having any love or penchant for Hindu ***"

^ |wilfln

question. One must also remember that the " ^ ^^templea. works of art. writings. *riPtu'* *£ 1- rf evwy

used to be one of the primary and dominant^^Muslim ruler in India. How then could the^*™£^^ mdmuch less promote, the ^corporation ^J^^^^to&mtx*

motifs in their monumenta t AH the* coorflT*~7^,^ a suparfld"*

readera that historians and architects alike

the TnJ Mnhat li A Temple Pal**

ii*. belfcvedmediaeval mosques and tombs to be original

m^;dunss ^thout feeling the necessity to go into ihe origin

*»„. » worse li that in innumerable instances when these

w-nrfaa. and archil became aware, to their utter discomfiture,

at contrary to written claims the buildings existed even before

t d«lh of the persons whose tombs they were supposed lo be,

Uxy explained them away by Uw speculation that the deceased had

"dog"' tharown graves and raised theirown mausoleums in advance.

mi» Hoshang Sbabs tomb in Mandu (Central India)t Akbar'a

lomb at Skandra. the Cbini-ka-Rsuza in Agra and of Ghiasuddin

Tklgfclak in Delhi are said to be essays in auto-tomb -building by

the respective monarchs who cared a hang for anybody or anything

whflf alive and who went through their lives as though they alone

would never die. It is the height of absurdity to believe thai the

Deceased monarchs or courtiers built their own tombs, Nothing

am be mare ridiculous and puerile. The straight, true and cogent

Bpbnition is that captured, Rajput -built mansions of old wereused for the burial of Muslim monarchs. Since it did not soundvery decent and dignified that august monarchs who had lordedt over during their lifetime were not provided a fitting burial bywir successors, the latter have left false accounts of having built

tomba. as Jahangir claims to have built Akbar's tomb. Historianschiiecta having realized that statements like those of Jahangir

atner, fuming to be thebuilders of their respective predecessors*

5K f

to *" ** ™* **«*». and perversLs.m^^^ *** ^oved from Indian historical texts.

UibtKlp^ !^Tne

?in lhe decorativ« Patterns in the Taj

*^^» built the T iT™* breok in ** wnUmiiLy. Had

*iU around fc, n,^f

"' wmbli would have had u aeparete

^^ •*• Taj Mahal 1* ««u r!UjWn ter •*•»"» and seclusion.

' **"* * * *™ wan reinforce* our

a?

Intonslstonrioa In TT» tfRwid

mfinding that the Taj Mahal as a palace or i«™ i

town. The main entrance to the Ta| Mahal tXmHT^ia also from the massive gateway of «k,.i

Um'**)

Can,. In Vim. too the f!mmis^^ * *Vu.hw.nath torn* p»rt of the lowo « 1. .„„«„„, ,J™the town.

The existence of a ghal and tending place for bosta, nw ^Taj also points to the inevitable conclusion that the Taj was a Ump*palace. The 22 underground chambers while being redundant in

a tomb are necessary in a temple palace. The aame can be andabout the Basai tower and themany annexes which have been referred

lo earlier.

While all accounts argee that before Siahjahin look il ow,the Taj property waa owned by Jaisingh, they differ hopcleaaly

concerning the mode of acquisition. We have already seen that

Shahjahan's own official chronicler Nulla Abdul IIamid has recorded

that the Taj palace was acquired in exchange far some landed estiU

elsewhere in Shahjahan's dominions. But B. P. Solemn wards

in his book* that the plot was "acquired for a nominal price.'

Significantly enough, Abdul Hamid fails to point out which pbt

where was given in exchange, as Saksena faB« to say what the

nominal price was.

Shahjahan had no scruples in ordering forged and rate* account.

to be written. This fact Is known to historians While a pnnce,

Shahiahan had turned a rebel against his mgninU '^ •£"*£

„e bad, therefore, bee,^^Z^^^the account of Jahangir's reign written at the tatwr

^of thai chronicle, officially blessed ^"^'^Z*,thecourUcrswl^Sh^record lo be in the possesion of the nobility ^^had begun to rule was intolerable "^'fj^*,**a fake JahHW™** * * written and gnl *» « ^^^for the one written «L his father ,

bhang. ^. I» ^^ rf Mtherefore, if fanciful forger.es about toe ? ^^^Taj Mahal were fabricated under SJwhjaban •

own

and encouragement. nuyuiofrtfiWIfl

It ia often argued that dnre^^ lu mdxa, *» *•

Weal Ada similar to the mediaeval men***

TTw TsJ Mnhil In A TV-mpIr PnJic*

and the Taj Mahal. jt waM on1y hjlve ^np„^lWl Ko*Db

f ^j, vho go* the latter constructed. It i»

^ ihtfllm n*J*" «^ p^naits of this view that Muhammad

a^Hnfrit} fc*W* ^ ^^ safari have gone on record

Ghasnaw ^ L&TstMm **** rndfjl they ^^ '" wfde ' e^

^ p^hc. Compared to the mastery and *Wl^acWeved in India

^ thc^k^hi rf tbdr hold an eraof revolt set In. Widespread

t lAn* irt was voy primitive- Imposing monuments

„ ,nd detraction ushered in a miDewum of unrest, in which

pursuit of art w tabooed and ail education came U) an end.

Tan* BTOtrpi haded by adventurous marauders not finding the

wtorrithal to Ave or pursue any peaceful occupation in their own

taneHnds cart covetibus eyes on lands like India abounding In

potifa

TamMnm has recorded in his autobiography that while

nuasaerinf the Hindus he used to spare stone masons and other

building workmen ind artists to be driven across the Punjab and

other northern regions to West Asia to build tombs and mosquesm grand as the monumajta he found in India,

Saoce Tamerlain and all other invaders followed a set pattern,Tsraerijun's observation is reminiscent of the practice of all mediaeval*m invaders of forcing hundreds and thousands of Indiantamm to go to Wtst Asia, get converted to Islam, and settle

town to bufld monument* in West Asian lands with tools, stall-' - i- [..undated from fatf*

i^^1 f***** "*** md ™*iteton must

" StoUT *?***«»* architecture needs to ber monumento in India being built to

wert*

°* Asian countries.

|m!fmrin^TftdM In Th* t^imd

Havuig proved by tWtdence citod thatW^ T., Mlhrtia not an ongrnal tomb out | pre-Musllm ^^^ " **be pertinent to find out who built it m(J wrT? v^l ^"perhaps the Pothi Khan* d«t. the archive) ^ iiLlL^'lop-secrel documents of the Jaipur royal family, tround \mD„ and of the Sikarwal Rajpuu. roundere of what it know,, -Fat^hpur Sikri. could be useful in throwing some tight. Those bavinsaccess to such recorda would, therefore, do weli to brows* throughthem. Such an effort is bound to be immensely rewarding «v«otherwise for refuting many myths of mediaeval history which hcurrently a confused and tangled mass of motivated Anglo Muslim

falsehoods.

Those who believe that the Taj Mahal derives its name from

Mumtaz Mahal lying buried In it are mistaken. Firstly, she may

not at all be buried in it. Secondly, her name was not Mumtoz

Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani, Thirdly, in the Fenian script the

name of MumUtz ends in "t" whOe that of the Taj in 'J'; hence

the word Taj is not derived from Mumlaz, Fourthly the proper

Muslim term would be Mahal -e -Taj. not Taj Mahal. like a beautiful

dowager robbed of all her wealth, the Taj Mahal stripped of sll

its embellishments looks magnificent even In its present bare, sombre

and mournful role. What a spectacle of grandeur and spleo

it must bave presented in its days of regal glory when bedtdwd

with scintillating fixtures, furnishings and trappings such as a

lush garden of rare fruit and flower trees, silver dcon. gold raflinf.

gem-siudded marble grills and a resplendent Pacock Throne - its

walla echoed the hurry and bustle of - powerful Bajput mHog«Ttu* visits that streams of visitors pay. day in and day out.

hurrying from Agra railway station or the bua>£-*j££andTck may be described as truly -awful ^*^£one. Such visits have in no^~-^^7,2and reJnfoTring the misleading Taj ^™d'™~"*

Tij. tb*

of -awe" by the traditionally ^'^J^Zf^L on

average visitor ia already in tnince »y ^^Loes are

the scene. His thinking power "^T" "V^ j^unmad W»further deadened by the many parrot "™ -«.

his or her ears by volunUry or paid lnforn»ilon P

The T*J Mahal 1* A Tempt* hilar*

f»

and ^Srt aTis forget thjrt around tin bawmwit tombs, the

vll ~~4j.i*h md m the first floor above the cemiUiphs

wTi>rl, w thwcwjfhty dated,stupefied, confused, overawed

JLTar? & roams In «* main octagonal central marble edifice

to Taj MahnJ This v<w the peari -white central RfljpuL nwbte

,MbMv. The only changes which Siah}ahnn swmj to have

p in Ji arv laying Koranic texts on the walla and around

iSt arrJwaod raising a burial mound in the basement and cenotaphs

In thr Pracock Throne room. Contrary to popular belief. fowunic

utjj occupy only an infinitesimal fraeUon of the immense wall

n*e, and that loo in the flat surfaces around the arches.

Visitor* coming away from the Taj generally carry the impression

that therr is Just one room in the basement for the graves and

mother above that for the cenotaphs. They express surprise if

told that on the three marble floors together there are 23 roomsand inside the marble plinth are 1089 rooms which add up to the

dfrnmsirim of a temple palace.

Bui that ii not all. Below the marbJe platform down to thebasement under the Yamuna level are perhaps three more floorsmadr up of scores of rooms.

As one proceeds from the city towards the Taj, even whDeoutermost entrance to its predncts is yet half a mile away,

Z\Zt£n f* ** *»* * th. *™nd on the rightm -bout im yards from the road ..From the stone tower a wall

r^l^i"^ T ",d *"*"*>* ^ U* rising ground at

tt^£?J?"** "*"~ *» ^ ^j was

W. Mtt i "tomT **"' "* ^ »* »* *« inverted

Ttw tower just mentioned shows ih*t «_*.*-**"* bT watch towers «Hr ""^ pTOUxtiv* *»*•

«* Taj. This wall could belL onT^i ?ttknriv* "*™nd

~ ^orT^*^*"*^ concedingtbawaO on

Iji,«miia«*nci« In The l«K<md

zn

M the outermost entrance to the receptiew-™^-^approaches by the asphalt road from the town ar.

, ' !redone ****** An^ ibowi^ ^^ £ ^bartf

as a l«mb formed the epicentre of an ancient Agra townshhj

Shahjahan'a temperament being unable to tolersta o* r,^ownership of a fairyland temple- palace, he decided to render!unsuitable for habitation any longer and converted hmausoleum. The Taj Mahal is, therefore, yet another link in the1000-year- old mediaeval Islamic tradition In India of the conversion

of conquered Rajput palaces and temples Into tomt*. The sunt

is repeated in nearby Fatebpur fitkri.

The minds of some have become so throughly conditioned to

the traditional Taj legend that they would rather be left undisturbed

in smug oontemplaUon of Shahjabans mythical love for Mumtaa

as having led to the creation of the Taj, than be asked to substitute

it by what may seem a less romantic but true account of the origin

of the Taj. In fact the concept of the Taj having originated as

a temple-palace is both more romantic and plausible than the ides

that it is a doleful monument. But even so. for those who prefer

delusion to history, and dogma to truth, there b neither my cur*

nor appeal. Such may include both lay readers as well as those

who are called students, experts and scholars of history,

with an open mind will of course ponder over the evidencesssembW

b the forgoing pages.

The present book must not. however, be regarded as themword on the history of the buMng currently known aiiU

Mahal. In fact H is only the first in a new-flrection WW

claim to have succeeded in discovering is that thr Ta tms»

Whether itw^wigi!* rfwtbonty

to look into every nook and corner of that fabulous

boOding-complex.^.^Asctkai & «°"

The reader may have noted thai * *T"^*i^earlierbook titled Taj Mahal was A Rajp*" ' ^^ rf

a guess that the Taj Mahal «ouM^J*** &

Um 4th century A- D. IjiWt when we «™

H» Tty Mahal I* a TempleP^

m niir^" ** Sh*hjih«n commandeered the bufldj*.

U^^h't mansion from Mansingh's grandson JaisbKh

^ o.r'hypoUMii fully oorrobamled thni||h ft did not #Ve

f to whk* Hindu ruler commissioned the building.

j^r «, came «**» ^ *> cal,ed Bateshwar inscription

urtittfac thai v crystal -wWle temple dedicated to Lord Shiva had

b«a built fa %ra around I IRS A. D.

|« *hoold now be the earnest endeavour of other researcher*

mi of theGcnrrnrncnls archaeology department to trace the Hindu

Usury of th* Taj Mahal We have a strong suspicion that Shahjahan

bu hidd» vaJuable evidence about the Hindu origin of the Taj

Mahtl m the marble platform, and beneath the chamber which fa

Mid to contain the rod grave of Mum lax. Keene has stated that

even the two staircases leading to that storey had been sealed.

luddh; one can now go down those stairs into the riverside flank

atorey, Sat the major portion of that storey lying directly

ndemorth the marble platform has been sealed by Shahjahan withbrick mi time.

aahjabaa nothing to hide, he wouldn't have sealed thei nrintffc lbs marble pfctform down to the Yamuna river« "*> possibly the Usement under the ground surface.

.pnXt^^T "" ***"** that "» ^ Mahal *

+*hbZ!rU g ""^ b8Cau» we^ n°L been^ "** "* P^-Shahjahan history.

k -^^^fr" not the creat°r °f tbe Tai «*»P^naru^ofJzrl ,nR of 8 °°«rt of law which convict*

** ** in the le-T«frJf

1!

l3e,' property' ^ecourfa judgement

"* *» «* la find'

i t^!"*men?ly taa,u» Lhc rourt ^

*"*****• or*j! 7e

,0Wnef cf «» »U>ten property

**^n^?* 1*;* theTaJ «=ould well form anotheria*^" *n« ft,oT "diftB d,W*tt the popular belief

** ***** out^j^ "*"*^ first very important

»-*^ «« onjw kL v

'WJOn for **««* research,

£^J*^S? * *? *• —I tl-t U has been

* - ** «*W wJT.i^f^ "»* «» <*»**^w. One very valuable aid

InransditfendM In TrMr legend

SBfor further research provided by u* « th.t „ h™.the very spot and the document* which may be hST uT"^evidence unroveUing the mystery about the origin of th! ri\ Mafcf

The future researcher should go to the nrf.tor,*^^ *

back of the marble platform of the Taj Mahal TW * ",,

end he will see staircases by either of which he m,y ctfmb 4<Zto the storey underneath.

What one sees inside is astounding. On the nvenridc n fir*

n row of 22 stately rooms with their walli and cdtinga still bearing

ancient Hindu paint patterns. The riverside will -aha ventilator*

have been hastfly sealed witii brick and lima by Shahjahim This

has been so crudely done that the fining remain* unplunmd and

even has cavities for scaffolding, Thia shabby scene serves as wanil -climax because while historical fiction has for three long centuries

credited Shahjahan with raising a fabulous, pearly whit*,

soft-ta- the- touch marble mausoleum, the hidden chambers nrvml

that he has been a cruel usurper and desecrator who did not hratiaU?

to scar the magnificent building with mide walUhg-up of all nether

stories. This is graphic proof of bow Indian history has been lumod

topsyturvy when India was under foreign domination,

The rooma vary in size from 12 to 15 ft. In width and 20

to 22 ft. in length. The ceiling may be about 12 ft- HJjn.Theat

rooms are rendered dingy and dark by Shahjahan-JJ^

the stately ventilators. Only when the two iron doors at *e h*

slabs placed over their entrance . ton*** ^ „

were removed during •«»»^^*b ™^ stiWm on* b.

that Une of rooms running parallel ^^ ^ ^ rtjU-Uy

about 320 ft. Adjacent la the "T^i.han'i ^d.^« ^long corridor rendered pfah-d-*

^JJ1^ u. ino*«

corridor is about M *• *** JL^ the *n* *«£ends just where the marble^^int«*^lntr^twidl( SuPpcrt[ngU

1om^Pinsi --U*nW* ^

are two doorway- H » ^^ *T lN marls- ba^^M to tbS atorey immediately

-aJar *>¥*

ftl

Hm TbJ Mahri li A Tample- Pauw,

«, Awrmwi «** a™**** *"d «"«Prriolw,y ra,wl "I* with

,* bride -ml few Their flUlcr layer has crumbled and

(«r of drbns, Bui SfiW> *".:(iml walls WW Vfry thick.

^ of Wwururs will haw to be employed lo remove the filling

to alkw »wir>- Ml i hn« hidden and sealed storey,

fvtdmet n^irdinj? the Hindu ori^n of the T^if Mahal lie* hidden.

;mv be iHnl Sfhahjahnn pulled out Sanskrit inscriptions and Hindu

idol* from the Tiij premises, dumped them in the nether stories,

Mwkd ihut evidence mid barred the nether stories.

This ia a graphic example of how very grossly remiss has the

irhtrflfafr' department of thy Government of India been. Every

ymt they must be spending millions of rupees on excavations In

wild optn country for away from their administraLive centres and

yti thvy have steadfastly avoided opening up the stories of the

Taj Mahal from the redstone terrace downwards to the ground level

and perhaps even to the basement lying underground below the

rmrbed level, Removing the brick fillings in the two doorways

mentioned above won't cost even a paltry Rs. 100/ - and yet very

aShisble evidence regarding the Taj Mahal itself and other aspects

Of its history may be hidden inside in the form of inscriptions,

scripture*, treasure, idols, and mysterious stairs leading to other

hidden apartments and stories.

Our discovery that the Taj Mahal for from being a 17th century

Islamic mausoleum, is a much more ancient Hindu temple palace

is having wide repercussions Several travel agencies and guides

aw since ceased rvferring to the Taj Mahal as a monument ofsensual lot* On special request official guides inform the visitor

on of the Taj as against the traditional concoction.

Another significant reaction was reflected in a speculative report

by an Urdu daily of Pakistan titled Nami-Waqt in onej--. / fttanrj 1974 Tn.- report irofced the rear thai

wemment of India intended renaming the Taj Mahal as Ashokreport sparked off a debate in Pakistan's National

*> When a member urRed the Pakistan Government to lodgeat with ib« Indian Government against renaming the Taj-

Hy a lot of misunderstanding pervades the whole issue.

tftCTJfifllMimdM to The Lcjrmd

mFirstly, the Indian Government haa never iWfci rf

Taj Secondly ( even the Indton Government eWlirS*arbitrarily rename the Taj Mahal aa A»bo* Mahal «nW o. ^^oearch it first cslabllaha. thst the Taj Mahal „, ^1"^by the ancient king Ashok. Thirdly, wen if ft* Ta ) Miha, ,

to bo renamed Pakistan should have nothing to do with a bnau»the Taj Mahal is Indian property. Fourthly the MO-patr-aM britf

that the term Taj Mahal is Islamic because it derives from MumUiis itself misplaced. The term MumUu ends in a "x" white ths usm•Taj* ends In a *j" which clearly indieeu» that 'Taj

-

ass ooihinf

to do with Mumtaz. Moreover it Is highly doubtful whether MumUa

is at nil buried in the Taj since her gravo is muT intact in fur

oway Burhanpur and also because in the entire Shahjahan legend

no date is mentioned for MumUa's fancied burial in the la] u.

is also significant that the building was referred to u the "Taj"

even prior to Mumtax's burial in it as not*d by the contemporary

French visitor TavernJer,

i HAi'iim VWIi

[MIAN

HhIjiw* fllnxrf <»f KvMtmni

BAIJlNCi: SIIKET OF EVIIWNCIDIN 1108 <hfl|r(«<r wo mcni^Miliiki unci «urnmartx» tho ovidonr«i

both for and ntfaJnat tin* tradition*) l«vwid, l «» bring homo fo Llui

nadir tb» hoJlawnonj» mid fnUlly of (ho Iradtiiiaml 'hiJ U^-md, Wo

ammt lh# Jmiglh rind quantum iif the ovidtmco vrv havts boon*bJ* m m«i»tal |B raidhUHh that thn TAiJ Mnhnl to nn mcloni. I !>.„!,,

l«nplr-palat» which «n oommnmWi. I by flh^|flf|Bn limj U(|IH|

»iih only fupiTfiriNl rhang«e to eorvo jim a tomb for unci

In favour of lha current bollaf ttuil it wo* Shnhjnhiiri who builtFa) Mr.luit we con*,),, oniy , luw ^^ Jlnd^ thoso

wlllnml mibaUmliiil rmirvaUofl* ;

i W* admit Uiat U.orvm four aopulohnd moundB |n the^^•**ar and u» rn-Ui. bamn^i llf „„, TaJ whjrnM I|Jft(

ihM nJ lh .1""r TOM3rv"u'>^- " la woll known

ST^BJi7 A,l,SUWT^" '• »™ * -P*Me burial

- »• ^1 111Sn. ' ! 'M-nWd

« " «""*» «»«"«

*• «• rHy l« pr-uin.^ ^** ** *wh^^™™*l*»<* Murom jind shahjahaii

f

•**¥* could bo tnowi

2. 'ton otbor pofot In fnvim # ^Itml Konmlfi t4>KUi hnvo b«Sl ,„ ,,"/ ^"^'A T«|

j il _. < ark, «i LiMJ id^^ k._

rr>

"" f m f,,M ^ ^»*y ««T»rtJnn « I? ^^iroch IniNrrfpUonv oxlnt on the cileHor of ih, *!

P"*nl ta **«

In AJmcir and on tho M-cdfa) Kmyb Mr i^'**" R* 7/>lrfaM knrrwn to bo for^ry. Th» okhlnK. JJL^I?'

1- ** ^

only dubious virJuo." w

" "' *» Uwntfw,

3, The third point In rnvour of lho currou v*^™, u ^•omo ohronidm credit thu buUdlnn r ih* Tbi to

«*'

raHrrvatlont on ihb pdol «r« in^ny. Muslim chrontderTw^w

luvurinbly Individual. inU^t tn*mlng tt^^^J?and hunumring tbo cr.i«| dtapoMi under whom ibny UJT?Shithjnban's own court chronlclnr Mulb AMul llwnw i^umqalvocnUy ndmiti Unit Arjumand Ibnu Ik«um ilk, MumUu II.buHixl in MnniilnKh'tf piklsco.

llnvlnir DOtod DOW lame ov«i tht acuity thrw point* thit couUbo wlvnncod In rnvour of Ibtr inuJIUnnj] vwiton of tho Tftj Mahal

are, wo shall mmnwrim tho wd«hty nvidenco that wehavomuihalMIn tho forogolng pngra.

Wo hovo cited flvo direct prooft to wtabtlnh that tho TnJ It

mi uniriiHTL Hindu palaco. Theoo nro (

1. Shahjahan's own court chronlclor Mulla Abdul ilamld't

ndmUalon.

2. Mr. Nufttl Ham SlddJquJ'tboolt, Th* City offy. mUn*«

tho nnrno pnaition.

3. Tavorntar'a tostirnonv too wrtoWiahai that a lofty p»l«« **&

U^m obtained, ami thiit it waa a world tourist attraction <min brf<w

Muiutnx'a burial,

4. Kmporor Shahjahan'a groat (wt (rrandfalh, Mabur

Mmok* rofor to the Tnj Mahal KM yoara bafora MumUi

whooo Mwnli tho 'V»i ia auppoaod to bt.

r. TTui Rnwlopttfdi* Brttmaitx htMbmW *\^^tho Tty Mnhid buildinM ooraploxoomprtaoi «•*«' ' ^ o€m,

llld ntablm. Thnw are all adjunrta or a mpHor a Uanb.

In addition to tho above w* hava . (nU-f«*WP*---'"

W'

The TfcJ MahAi I* A Temple Pakca

^ (Tno M-h. Alaya) «nd not a lomb.

- ShaW-han** reign wis as full of turmoil and warfare as

^ rfZt riff Muslim mkrs of India. He could not therefor*.

«y wealth, peace, security or inclination to launch on such

a, ambOloia project as the Taj Mahal.

g. Shahjahm'a kchery and proflfRacy ruled out any special

grtUchmifH to Mumtax. whose mausoleum the Taj has been

mwnjnmiiirrf to be,

9 Siahjahan was cruel, bard -hearted and stingy; aa auch be

could new hive the artist 'a soft heart and a liberal patron a

jTDrrouny to lavish wealth on a building to house a corpse.

10. MuIL Abdul Wamid Labor* , the court chronicler, mentions

no architect, and estimates the cost of the work done to be only

Ra. 40.00,000 which dearly shows that no new building was erected,

11. Shohjahan, whose reign was supposed to be a golden period

of history, has not left even a scrap of authentic paper about the

cooitrcdJon of the Taj Mahal. There are no authentic orders

conanisaioning the Taj, no correspondence for the purchase or

tnyiwhwn of the so-called site, no design drawings, no bills or

rsoBpU and no expense account sheets. Some of those usually

produced or referred to have already been proved to be forgeries.

12. Had Shahjahan redly been the conceiver of the Taj Mahal,he need not have specially instructed Mulls Abdul Hamid Uhori

to forget memioung or describing its construction* in the

ill chronicles, because the grandeur and majesty of the Tajlb* ftoart achievement of a ruling monarch could never be lost

gbt of by a paid court chronicler.

a*hJulian could not even in Ms wildest dreams conceiveteg such Korgcou. project |i apparent from the fad that

ccriunU i*fl u, thai t» miLlip the WOfkcr> toil

i without giving ihern any cauh payment. Tavemlerum in* fihah|*h«i couM not mumhiil even timber enough for

1 " ^^"nt Some accounu have also pointed out that

BoliinoB Sheet of Evidence ^go even the additions end alterations required in eanvtrtin* i Kinds

palace to the semblance of a Muslim tomb were made by oomptJBng

labourers to toil for a mere meagre food allocation and by kmpeoinf

leviea on subservient chieftains.

U . If a stupendous monument like the Taj Mahal were specialty

built for the burial of a consort, there would be ceremonial burial

date and it would not go unrecorded. But not only is ibt burial

date not mentioned but even the approximate period during which

Ariumand Banu Begum may have been buried in the Taj Mahal

varies from six months to nine years of her death.

15. Mumtaz was married to Shahjahan when the latter was

21 years old. Royal children in his times used to be marriwl mbefore they entered their teens. This shows that Arjomsod tow

was Shahjahan+

s umpteenth wire. There was Urns no mason why

she should have been buried in a special monument-

16. Having been a commoner by birth Arjumatvd Banu was

not entitled to a special monument,

17 History makes no special mention of any out-af-tf*-n*

hefb0<3y *

nf art Jlad N. bem one. be

18. Shahjahan was no ^^^^lan^of lb--*would not have had the heart "^J^ » *h *

3aiJ io have toiled to 'build the^^—fc«dd

8 re

art tovci\ es

IK*u1dv>l,!ein«.onso(iwimtoSS*l induce in «. «0»(T-f•JJi.«*•*-*"

story is apparent* ti» *»«« «*^wM, TCnde •**•W

ration, oo a pal.ee u-rpcO ram M*

infuriated workmen brake «H " ««> Mm **»

W . There » no reconi In«"£££",« » -Jrun DUr varioua other women from

fc„,**•

«

tonple-^ce. not . umo. ^ * • S

21.B»enthe«nu»>m.rhl.»'"'

C8T4C?M.

m Th# Tn| Mahal ! A Temple p^^

owrbw p*N «rf» *Wch to superfluous for a tomb,

g. TV plan Wlf« wilb ««*"* HM" ««hSt«ct««l design and

tpidfkaaiona

© TV entire T*j btiHdtnif consists of over 1000 room* along

K* eorridon, m the two basements, on tbe upper floors and in

,u numerous towrr*. which dearly boars out the contention that

itm mosnt to V a temple palace.

24, TV many annexes, guard and guest rooms, etc. prove

Ifast it b a tanple-palncc. The pleasure pavilions in the Taj promises

amid never form part of a tomb but only of a palace

25, TV Taj complex bouses a pair of Nakkar Khnniia, i.e.

drum houses. Drum bouses are not only superfluous in a tomb

but if a positive misfit because a departed soul needs peace and

rest. On the other hand drum house is a necessary concomittant

of a temple- palace because drum beats are used to herald royal

arrivals and departures, summoning of the townsfolk for royal

announcements and proclamations and announce divine worship time.

28. TV Taj building complex also contains a cowpen which

used to be part of all Hindu royal and temple premises.

Ti The Sanskrit words "KaJas" and "pranchi*" (fenced off

open spaces around the dome and other structures) would never

have been m the Taj premises had it originated as a Muslim tomb.

28, TV decorative patterns and motifs throughout tbe Taj Mahal

are not only entirely of Indian flora but also of sacred Hindu emblemslike tV lotus, which infidel characteristics, according to Islamic

would never allow any peace to the soul of the Muslimlady. If any, lying buried beneath.

The galleries* arches . supporting brackets and cupolas ereentirely in tV Hindu style such as can been seen all over Hajasthsn.

I every other auapidaus aspect of the Taj, its periodxmitmction i* variously staled u> V 10, 12, 13, 17 or 22 years,

•hkh aaam proves that tV traditional atory la a emotion.I TwerniBr'i tertlnwny tVt he saw the commencementBdtV «d of ihta^^ wob tradjtionaj <*».

tran^Uicnt our*

Balance Sboet erf Evident*

fct

32. The reports that Shahjahwi levied\Uv tniDtmi

ni Maharajas and that tV «»cdl«d itm*,**^™*!"«, over 10. 12. 13. 17 or even 22 y«r. „Jt^L^TWem -ccept them. T^y fitin with our cm. Sr.ce BhiZL,was too shrewd and hard .headed to .pond^^^ ^"JJJ*"treasury, and would lose no opportunity of taxing and penvcuuthe local people. V made poliUcal capital cvm out of ths tZ'lof his own wife. While on the one hand hn compdlwl the R*juand Maharajas to pay for the alteration* to the temple. [*!**n^by one of their own kith and kin, so that it may be convert*]

into a tomb t he made tbe labourers and arUsoni toil on aumration. That is why the transformation work drugged an at n nail's

pace over a long period,

33. The designers are variously mentioned by Weston xhahri

to be Europeans, and are claimed by Muslims to be Muitum, whlk

the Imperial Library Manuscript contains Hindu name*. WhtigrxaUr

proof ia needed of the utter falsity of the traditional Taj atory 7

34. The Taj Mahal had a grand garden. A gmvoyarri new

boasts of luscious fruit and fragrant flower tm, aim* tht Haa

of enjoying the fruit and flowers or a graveyard orchard b revoltlp*.

Tbe garden could therefore, only have been the adjunct af a palaw,

35 The trees, moreover, were those bearing Sansknt nsma,

and select sacred plants at that, like Kclaki. Jri, ft*. Champa,

Maulashroe, Harshringar and Bel.

36.The designer of the Taj la unknown.

37. Far from causing him any expenditure. ****£to be a veritable gold mine for Shahjshan.Wi^was buried in a stripped, cold, stone ^*^^ „was robbed of alt its costly trappy which were i«-

Shahjahans treasury. ^^38. The Taj Palace is located in the™^*^mi «|»"

and Khawaspura which are Rajput *****plat rf^-

in Sanskrit *nlff» a busy locality and not an op*

as ia sometimes claimed.

39. The Tnj Mahal entrance faces

building it should have faced west.

,oUth.H*l|lbMn * HmUb

-_ The Taj Mahal t* A TVni|il» j^^

*i Its 4ww*Uw end nwrble work latitat oxactty with th*

to tJ» Aawr (.Uparl palace built dro !W7.

41 IN- Taj imi|4(» piuW h» various other annexe* ouiajfo

Hj eoler iwriphmd redttamr wall, mwM for courtiers nnd pi^

41 Akbaron Ms «ir|y visits to Ann used to stay in Khawnspura

r*i Jaljeiigtyajra, which cltwly shows that he stayed in the Taj.

43 Bermer, another foreign visitor to Shnhjnhan 's court. t«Ua

ui that the nether chambers bjid rare magnificence and nonqn-Mualim wan allowed entry io them, Thnt shows the hush -hush

maintained about them.

re in any Mogul court4*. B*rn lb* tirm Taj Mahal doesn't

reocnis-

An frgltah visitor. Peter Mundy who was In India onlyfor about year after Mumux'i death mentions the Taj Mahalae one of the moat spectacular buildings.

1" ble audi points could be brought up in favour of ourbut -e brieve we have said encough to drive the point

tame to the reader.

a^jta-iMofeprf lhvmn(iu T8j u,mple . pa]ac<? by mjausJftB.Tsvevsrd ought to be rectified by removing Arjumand""«. ibey really are in the Taj Mahal, to her original

t!!?2L^hSnpUr Ukvwim

'StahWiW- remains

*** •» Shiva UanpiT^^ cenotaphs and re-conse

• •*

CHAPTER XXVlti

METHODOLOGY T1IAT LEDTO THE DLSCQVKRv

DURING OUR discussions with eminent historians wt QfUn foundthem side-tracking the Issue of the soundness of our historicaldiscoveries by questioning the validity of our inathwMogy Thataltitude of finding some fault or the other to avoid the truth uillustrated by the Aesop's Fables story in which wolf having madeup his mind to devour I lamb accused th* biter or tatter's rather

of maligning tbe wolf. We, therefore, read the works of some lading

lights of historical methodology who command lbs implicit respect

and allegiance of teachers and professors of history all over the

world

.

Imagine the pleasant shock which we experienced when w found

that the masters of the subject have emphasized th* very principles

which we have been instinctively following and stressing In our

historic discoveries. Contrarily. the very teachers and professors

and researchers of history who swear by those masters' methods

have flouted almost every principle which the, tatter street .» very

important. That explains why Indian history, as currently t*n;ht

and presented, abounds in misconceptions galore or the dimensions

of serious errors.

A few instances of these errors are : 1 The *Mcrt*

Akbar was great and noble, though his deeds justify hit being Int

greet grandfather1 of the tyrannical Aurengicb. 2-

ICke Sher Shah and Fcrozshah Tughtak with having built many «*

fnrta. poJacesand townshipa and presidingovermixletsdjriifuY

though their regimes were Ulea of unrelieved plunderand

t. Road this author a boo* tided IMto &&> tW H5w

The Taj Mahal I* A Temple IV^HI

^. » to reall* H»l *** » -caned mediaeval Miialim tomb,

1"^^Tbunt in Htad" *•* *" P*-Mttilim^^ Hindu

--* (mw are "» rtsult of tolaJ n€sTect of ^^ ver»

^ «ta or bistort methodology. The first requirementrf

Lai niasarcfa » * dtuctiwtype approach. Prof. W. H. Wabh

rr^-Wbai a historian reeds a statement in one or the «**

^ -originB] sources' he does not automatically accept ft. ,.,

#pA, ^ it, if be knows his job, is always critical. He has to

dadd* whether or not to believe.

CtBu^wood comparefl1a historian's procedure with that of a

oatactfo- Fref. Walsh adds, "The case of the historian is exactly

-1 He also must be prepared if necessary to doubt even hia

Wananf the historian against gullibility, Prof. Walsh observes/

"W* can btfiewe that there is good evidence for the past without

Wwntif that any propositions about it are beyond question...

buaerieal fact* have to every case to be established ; They are

Otwtr aknpiy given."

M**odologW Langlois and Seignbos advise historians to

ea tvwy affirmation with an a priori distrust- The historian

,

.mat begrn fay doubting. In Indian historical researchw^ncies, anomalies, contradictions and absurdities have

' pro unquestioned or have been glossed over. For»» »ach as that the Jtutub Minnr was built

*\T ?^?** 0r ^ ^"ddin Kbiiji or by Ferozshab°J an of them partly.

^^wuinwh- -"qufay

' *° "^Mrch and so to discovery.•**«*« truth fails to smirfyua/

'

"^^Phaablaidon "doubt- and "wu&ka"

KawsiW- '•"*'

MrUwdotogy That l«d To The Hkow,Ml

and on the dct«cUv*.typ* ippmKh m hUitori(^of historical methodology, Indian hiatorfet nnZ^T "^^.aaertion* of undependahl* medieval Mu-Um chri^ J****more panegyrics. Sr H. M. E(UotT calls tw *Z'*Wcd frauds." Dr. TeMtori con.idj^ £52 2yet our bistonea call TugUakabad i fort b, p Tughlak b*«ua«it bears his name, witboug realiainj that evny gate-eraaber rtwhis own name to an occupied buflding. and without MkinK^^he had the need, time, money, acumen, know-bow pact ^security to build It; and if at all be built it, why he downed it

soon afterwards. In the same gullible vein, Ahmedabad is credbud

to Ahmadshah, and Firtreabad to Rrozshah. If wch ii the tabor our historical conclusions, then Allahabad must be admitted to

have been founded by Allah himself.

The other essential for historical research is a legal appraeh

A magistrate taking down confession by a suspect it enjoined

by law8 to forewarn the suspect that he [si not bound to make

a confession, but if be chooses to make one. his statement would

be used against him but not in his favour. Muslim chronicles in

such interested statements and must, if at all, be used to confront

the parties in whose favour they make chauvinistic dams, but

never in their favour.

When we argue against placmg any faith in the accounts of

Shams-i-Shiraz Afif or Abul Fail , or when we assert that evwrylhki<

that a Banter. Tavernier or Mooaerrale may have written ffluat

never be accepted as Gospel truth, we do not mean thai they abouM

never be consulted or quoted . Such a view again win ta>mcat

and would detract Tram judicial methods of inquiry.^"J*-"

to deal with hereafter. It would not be right to <^ *V*either believe every word of the above ^^J^.™^or that we do not believe any. H cannot be

it" affair. Admissibility of evidence is never a pad-ff-

^

word baa to be carefully «* "J^JT* I.

drcumstanee* in which it may have been r*

carefully gone in to. Sometimea. altars** scrutiny.IgfeMlflll

7- Elliot & Down, History* £***8. Indian Criminil Procw-urt CM*.

TV Taj M*h*l b A TVntjile py,^

wm be I--*" 1itatfvrfy aowP1** for wrToboratton from other aoujroea,

vnTriii to «*« *»**• Whil<? ^^ C0U'd * ^cct^HjfiOaaa

LH ftntoy h «•«W«^ to theH**1**1 Association,Ixmdon,

In |SB>, uadorljnod the prindpTos of legal approach,mentioned above,

nrHMOB the rwemblance between the work of the historian and

dMt of tbr tawyw.

Another well known metbodnlogist. Dr G- J. Renier, also holds

the same nh«r. He says. "The law by Its fastidious adherence

to the rules of evidence deliberately exercises seltcontrol and sacrifices

i Bid again its ehnnrea of reaching a conclusion. Law is justifiably

exacting and more critical in its handling of evidence than

iht historian vrbo lives in a world of r€totJvity.,,,°'

Current Indian histories have shown scant respect for such

legal marshalling and sifting of evidence. For example, even though

Qilf-i'dozen names are being bandied about as architects of the

Taj Mahal, its period of construction varies from 10 to 22 years,

iu cost ii speculated to be anywhere between Rs. 400.000 andBa. 91,7110,000 and the Ttrikb-j-Taj Mahal document has beenbranded a forgery by Keene. to name only a few of the loopholesin the auhjahan legend, nobody seems to smell a rat because thehistorical face tacks a legal "noac." Such a poor case would beUinnm out of any law court at the very first hearing. But in

©or historic* it is being paraded as the Irrefutable truth.

third aid necessary for historical research la logic. Logici Jwth/ called the science of sciences because it deals with faultless

mng which is a basic requirement for arriving at correctconchisfcina in any field.

ito£1^ * PmAk** eX8mp1° lf a "W* »»*> « ™<* 'hat

h* committed suicide for which nobody ahould beif aub wound i. discovered in the body's back,

aTd^Jr^™141 * lbtl tbe *** is «" «*<* ^ murder«» <»* » a Planted forgery. In „ extreme case it could

f U$ Wteo to hm»* m* HHH*. Ibid

Htfthodtilogy Thai IhmI To Tto lUtamry

even be that the- decided had sUtrt^j *- ,

to commit auidde but was mynj^ "* «•w him »Blw4^, case th. no* would beg^^ £^"T^- ta -2the death as a auidde to a truly i«-i m,

,

U to ****\I*mwound In the body'a back. Such ZT1!T " ""^Jn refuting tbe written word with concrob.

"'«eriinbJB|>n

haa been sadly lacking in^ ^1?^"^ •**conclusions.

mnv * ** K«torioi)

A fourth requirement for historical research ia oriainal iUnvin Indian h -story unfortunate*. every^ ££?*£In h.story or employed™^^^^*^-m%l^or mst.tut.on deahng m history Is looked upon both toj* bvpublic and by himself as an historian. Prof. Walata uoMrv* S"Historians often lack the insight required far m .jsquawreconstruction.., and find themselves driven to recite babied tact*

without being able to fit them In a coherent picture. The proa*of imaginative reliving is central in historical IhlckinK. Collingwooa*"

reports a statement by Bradley that the historian's criteria! ia

something he brings with him to tbe study of the evidence, mdthis something is simply himself."

A fifth postulate of historical research b that Uw

researcher- historian must not suffer from a false sense of loyally

to traditionally handed down notions. In otherwords, a twl historian

should be something of a 'rebel' and not u trada-nniontil. Oat

afraid to raise the standard of bis conviction can new be a ln»

researcher in any field, let alone history. Dr Ifanier rmmna th

researcher that * *no blind surrender to his predecessors la demand

from the historian." Prof. Walsh also enjoins on the trot ah

to freely use general knowledge of every kind, trivial and McMW.

in checking up facts or can*** handed down to him In

the tendency has been Just the contrary. <^'V?2£toe the traditional line, and every attempt to quart!*

dogmas is branded as rank heresy and quackery.

We wonder what pdUfad. communal, b—" -

12. P. 160, HUav ** ****>" **

*

'"

Mi Th* Taj Mahal ! A TWipJc p^•ervnudkisl malady afflict* the U»chcr or professor of history *>

•a to pwmwMWiMy gag him against raising any hyp and cry about

the innumerable ataunUtbw thnt masquerade in Indian and world

Mfftory as sanctimonious and profound truths ?

Will he not be ever able to break free from the shackles of

false aca-domic loyalties I Must he spend his life in the ignominy

nr rvr*»fJng the self-same falsehoods even after we have exposed

the fraud to thonf

• *•

CHAPTER XXIX

SOME CLARIFICATIONS

SEVERAL READERS of thia book no doubt radian* now thn

the Eavihiahan legend of the Taj Mahal Is not after i|] ihit niib*

as had been presumed might still entertain some doubts is I visoalbi

from the letters they write to me or question they ask mi at

public meetings I address on my historical findings,

Those doubts persisting despite my elaborate deraofiikn of the

Shshjahnn legend graphically illustrate the damage that a Ik repotted

over centuries can do to the rationality of men all aver u» world

It is, therefore, that I propose to answer those questions in this

chapter.

Question i While you have pointed out a number of ctscrepMck.

Di the traditional Shahjahan legend how b It you bava

not adduced any positive evidence that the Taj Hand

was built by Hindu rulers in pre-MwOtm timml

The several presumptions in the above question«**"£Firstly, a number of positive pro* have been •*"»**£

prJL, **«.. For instoncej^^^££the Badshahnanta, has been ** ^J^*,^as Raja Mansingh's mansion was laK^ » ^^ to

Jaisingh for Mumta*'* burial-^^ ^ ^ »Wsay thai the "Tas-i-Macan .

i* » ^^ for

which existed already was purposely ™^* ^utfrdp***

Mumlaa'a burial because it was .^^f^L tlsM the 1*

proof b that of the Sanskrit [^^JtT^^^Mahal could be an earlier tompl* &"*"

graph*^ """

The fourth positive proof "^J'^** 'W W"trident pinnacle, cobraP^^^P^^?garden and embossed ^wer

patu-maon ^^the cenotaph chamber displaying "»

as

3K The Taj Mahal U A Temple p,^

The fifth pewliiw proof ia of Aurangrob's letter. The olhor

presumption thai negative' proofs aro nol. enough is not correct.

In law -courts murderer* and chants ore being convicted everyday

all ewer the world m the basis of so-called 'negative' evidence.

Hardly if anybody caught actually murdering or enrolling. Criminals

arc detected and convicted daya or years after the crime whensome tell -Liue details are discovered Inter. Take the case of a manin la iters trying to sell off a costly diamond. The very incongruity

of audi a situation is enough for any citizen to detain the pedlar

of the diamond and charge him for fraud or theft. Because in sucha case cither his beggarly dress must be a disguise, or the so-called

diamond may be o fake or his ownership of the diamond mustnot be legal, in such an instance one does not desist from detainingthe suspect merely because one has not seen him steal the diamond.So what ley-men mistake to be negative' are in fact very positiveproofs of the kind that are accepted in all day- to-day affairs. Anotherpoint to be noted la that when the claim of Shahjahan to the TajMahal is disproved, that building, situated as it is in Hindusthan,automatically becomes Hindu property.

Question: Why haven't you given a precise Hindu history of theTaj Mahal ?

ft. ^fu ITT * ^ reSearch that needs to * d™e «*«**Taj Mahal has not yet been done. One should have all the•to all the seventh* buildings m the complex and the

MaW. Many f ,U underground chambers which have been sealed

IH bottom. What I hi T ,00k f0r simflaf •***" **• Ts) m^TJ ^!^- 1 ln —«-*. *> Tar is that«-*W;^ '~ * Mi building

«mmi»tonsd it ^ f* wh,ch H'ndu ruler actually

an arforto u» mm^h uJ^T^TBe,t m P0Wvr h JUtIf bll**,n«" we true origin f ii™ T . u .°

*n uw Taj Mahal w itujiorw.t

gonw OtartnesUona

from the replies that I and Mr M H Milb h™ r**^government or India rcplia, havn b»n n^rata^ lham

voluma.r ^ **•

Question : Since Shahlahan wanted to paira ^ ^^^wifea tomb why did he nol pullet 4ht

^j™*and other Hindu motifs?

Shahjahan himself never intended to lay any Mm drin* te th.Taj Mahnl as his own construction atnee his court chmuder «Lhadmits having commandeered it from Jaisingh Moreover even if

Shahjahan had desired to misrepresent the building ss binown creati™

that was an impossible task because Shahjahan* contentpcrari*

themselves had participated in taking possession of the Taj Mahal

from Jaisingh and erecting Mumtaz'a grave inside it. Shahjahan

may nave wanted to pull-out the Hindu trident pinnack or lb*

Taj out of fanatic Muslim hatred for Hindu motifs bui had bt

done that, the dome would have had a gaping bole which wwiJd

have resulted in flooding the building when it rained Shahjahan

and bis courtiers were too shrewd to allow their fanaLicHm to run

away with their discretion. The Muslims of those lima did not

have the knowhow to repair the crack or hole left by the trident

shaft had it been pulled out. The trident abaft wwera over 31

a. high above the centre of the dome. To stand erect to iuch

height quite a length of the pinnacle shaft must be embeded deep

into the dome. It was therefore impossible to pull It out from

its root without doing damage to the dome.

Question : Is not the pinnacle shaft a Muslim erase**?

The pinnacle shaft is not a Muslim crescent A MtuHm cr***

is never horizontal. The Muslim crescent is al* ttaoat.i«snj

dide except for a little gap at its head for£

distinguishing trait is that a Muslim crescent '"""T^ (bow

a central shaft jutting out from its wrtre' *

TeaatnlsWlthe Taj Mahal dome ia a Hindu mo^^*

jUVfltbeawro***

bisecting a horizontal curved metal P*«*wh

. ^ mbU

of a semicircle. A full-scale replica of that p. ^ ^mIn the red-stone courtyard to the east^-

1'

to**t l*

closely study it to get a real Idea oT if ^^^ ^j^

dome looks like. There one may ctear"*

«

Th# Taj Mahal ! A IWnph pg^

fa Mord Hindu kalian (pot) with two leaf-patterns bending

out on «ther side and supporting the h°«y Hindu coconut at the

top Hindu and Buddhfrt temples to On Himalayan foothills have

identical pinnacks.

QuoOm : Is not the pinnacle shaft on the dome a lightning-conductor

hoisted by the thai British administration ?

This it one of the many popular misconceptions. The trident

pinnacle fixed over the dome by the ancient Hindus may be a good

lightning conductor for all we know, but it has not been put there

by the British.

Qucsifc* : Are not the words Allabo Akbar (God is Great) inscribed

in Persian over the pinnacle 7

So what I ShabJDhan had Persian lettering scrawled all over

the Taj Mahal and its ancfllary buildings after misappropriating that

estate. If therefore some Persian lettering is inscribed also on the

pinnacle it does not prove that Shahjahan built the Taj Mahal. On

the other band that over-writing only proves that Shahjahan was

a usurper of the building because those words Allaho- Akbar do

not occur on the full-scale replies inlaid in the red-stone courtyard.

Had Shahjahan been the builder of the Taj the words appearing

on the meUl pinnacle on the dome should have appeared even on

the replica in the courtyard. In fact it was the Britisher Cunninghamwho susuallod it.

Qacstfoa : Who started the myth that Shahjahan built the Taj ?

The myth was floated by some latter-day Muslim chauvinistsand court-flatterer* who felt it degrading to admit that Shahjahanhad buried his wife in a secondhand commandeered Hindu mansion.

misum repetition thereafter people came to believe the myth.ww the myth also had ita origin in a popular misconception.aD «Unt mediaeval Hindu buildings are littered with Muslim**itoo guided to those buildings associate those buildings

»£U ^ bUried *"* h^ * U™ tbe buDdiiiB

lT^1i^!; ,,^^«W^ u»»^- Actually

«*S iLT"*^"^^ ****• l» •»* <-» tbe graves

*™Vtor grave moundll were onjy ^^^ m

gopw OartflotkiM

, miilcflding subterfuge to daim tha building former forlrtm-,^ever naving to employ even so much n a watch^, ,„ ^Tmediaeval Munlima displayed an uncanny a*ir«M» <* ,£disinclination of the Hindu to disturb even fake rellidous ty***This Muslim practice of planting false tomba overnight m<\ dakateopen land or buildings continuea to our own day.

Qu«iion : Why are Western visitors with all their predilection for

research and laming not convinced about Una fabric*

of the Shahjahan legend of the Taj?

It is wrong to believe that the average Westerner hu a gnato-

concern for academic truth or a greater attachment for knowkdgi

and research than an average Indian. A Westerner u as thiSa*

end hypocritical aa any other human. Aa a third person from i

third country he hardly cares whether a building in India is iltribuuri

to one person or another. The Western visitor to only jntenatart

in getting a visual impression of the building. The Western riaUr

ia also easily carried away by the sentimentalism bout tonal Ion.

In this respect hia mental calibre must be rated much Wow thai

of an average Indian. A Westerner does not rate that *»'•

sexual craving for a woman is a debilitating, uicapsotetfegmw

That emotion never infuses or inspires creative acthity. A ««

from a Western country also lacks the tin* -d tachmtko to «nUr

Z or look into any local controversy about ^onjjr *•

bunding. Moreover such . visitor is orone to be jp*d *£government version, and regard*^^£—aa attempts at cranky"^""^JS*—* »and journalists with a ceotune* oW ladit™ * "« ^Shah ahan as the creator of the Taj *•*" *££ of **their blunder. Consequently Weston.n^f ^way to suppress all news about the»-J Z m+»»+A few Westerners have, however, cum

being convinced of my Taj thesis- ^^an «wi*rf

Quests : Why have not history to***™ *~ *"

your version?rthfrtri"^

1"*-

AnumberofNstoryt**ch^a^^^the* firm belief In my thesis thalU*™^^^*~They have conveyed their concurr*>«*

mTtw Taj Miihnl h A TcmplB p^..

vmMjan] contact and by quoting mr in Ibelr booka,articles,

*j UttmwL Moat of those who hove noi n^-i."

Sonw aarinc»Uo»w m

iSjaarHi papers and Inures. Moot openly

j with me iwvr w™ ra8*00 of lhdr 0W|* "am«'y either th«y

„ t» reticent «r " 3C8™d to J**"8011 tbc ,tmlf* ncct,Pted belief,

or are afraid "w* ihtf wou,d ** ^m1"*1 bv tbefr bosses, or

profeailomlly estrsciaed. or have loo deep retlgious or poliUca]

CMMltsiaila to accept even ti research finding which, they fed,

foo to the credit of the Hindus, Some top brass of history fo

Uw universities and those manning the archaeology, archives and

tourism departments of the Government of India are afraid that

admitting the bouowness of the Shabjshan legend of the Taj would

cause tbam considerable professional loss of face and embarrassment.

Ai wage-Mmm guided by worldly wisdom they prefer keeping

aOent and sponsoring or teaching only the Government -stampedwsfcw. The average mHn prefers to go about peacefully with hit

avocation and not get embroiled in any agitator* even for the truth,

\ would with as much unconcern teach the new finding aboutTaj Mahal if and when that is served to him on the platter

of Government acceptance.

A *y large section of Muslims la generally prone to avoid* newly discovered truth about the Taj Mahal considering

;

l P^sorvai loss to their chauvinistic prestige. Some

Lr^JT ?.£ "* eXtenL °f "*** and suppressing this*-™»* and address^ to me Ieltart tf WeErd ^^ ^ yfle

l

5***. L»doo bwtaL I'"" l "* ^^ As'allc

r«* tbt Taj Mah»] fr^T * ,0°k BWay frwn th'9 findinKf» *»** btdcad ua .wl"""*. ' "* fiee^1 ^rrassment

T****ml .•dW**« * "• Taj.

^£*d by^^ of thabcoTj^T**- * th****»*• P*J»r. t%^^ wZ„ t"

h<?y nUJy bjv* Published,m** ism eoad*, ^^'^'"fUs, doctoral studenta they

y or hone*y to admit that

^ havo been backing and propagating a wmass tone*;

Such are the various motives arising from » mmkmm of the

human character which have made teachers, profasora and ofndah

dealing with history abut their eyes, ears and minds against thai

new fuiding about the Taj Mahal.

Question : Why did rulers like Shivaji not recapture the Tij Mahal ?

If ft, were a Hindu building be should have known n*.

•Hiiss question ia based on a misconception. India teemed with

magnificent buildings and massive forts. India had hundreds of

buildings as beautiful as the Taj Mahal. Many such are imntianed

by Muslim chroniclers themselves. Gaping with wonder, Muslim

chroniclers, Tor instance, have noted that there were in Vidians

and Mothura magnificent and towering mansions ftarnpka which

could not be recreated even if five thousand labourer* worked for

200 years. It is therefore wrong to think thai the Taj Mahal was

the only magnificent building in India on which all Indians should

have concentrated to prevent it from railing into th* hands of tin

Islamic Invaders, When the whole of India from Attack in the far

north to Arcot in the far south bad passed into Muslim bands

with all its mansions, temples and forts* it does not stand uj reason

to demand why the Taj Mahal alone could not be saved. And the

implied inference that since no Hindu seems to have been swam

of the TO} Mahal . it must not have been a Tfindu building (l wrong-

Warrior- patriots like Shivaji were In 'fad wsginK a war to free

the whole of India from the stranglehold of alien Invaders^ domg

so their very object was to regain control and ownership or al

buildings and territory from the Indus to CapeComonn Moo«v

rulers like Shivaji had not developed enough***«J^

<*

Mogul as Is apparent from Mogul rule continuing till l»

Question ? If the Taj Mahal was known as Manslngb's Ms

Jaipur court papers should offer some due 7 ^^

Of couree they should. But unfortunately th* ray*^ ^archives known as Pothl Khnna and Kapsd

it and U.»v and nntcti

iprobacy

record InUmate domesUc dealings wiW ^rt

^^^ipJfl^ R,tf**

considorod most despicable and unworthy

dwars himf t«n t»ndar

the ruler's own lock and key and PrtcMy "JV"^ u^docummi*

to study the documents . The reason was proba y ^with On* idim M'**"

Th* Taj Mahal I* A Ttthplg p^

. „_ —u,Hc illustration of bow such records have boo,

*v«nty WPP"**iCd is provided by the obliteration of even the mm*

At * time, therefore* when bolh Jaipur territory

Maipur't royal women were being systematically abducted and

'J by the allm Muslim Evaders it will need all the ingenuity

i. asiuie researcher can muster to trail the rape of the Taj

Mahal through a maw of court papers which may have tried to

rifely gtosa over the seizure of this prized possession of the Jaipur

royal bouse, I have met or heard of a Tew contemporary individuals

ho styling themselves to be historians claim to have skipped through

wnw papers of the Pothi Khana. They vaguely speak of having

mm i document purporting to be a deed by which an open pfot

of land in Agra was sold by Jaisingh to Shahjahan for building

Ibe Tnj Mahal on. One such person 1 met was Dr. A, L. Srivaslava,

head of the Department of History of the Agra University for a

number of years. When asked what was the purchase price mentioned

to the document be said there was none. One may weD measure

the professional calibre of such persons from the pathetic faith

they put ipso facto in such a shady document. Talking of a purchase

documwii which contain* no purchase price is like talking of Hamletwho was not the prince of Denmark. Such people wearingAnglo-Muslim bunkers are incapacitated Tram carrying out anymeaningful research in mailers which require careful James Bondtype tracking. These peopJe lack both the legal training which can

I out viui evidence from the misleading and a Uvely rational,A faculty which can quickly react to mining or misleading

V^2 ******* to *"**&'* transactions with the Moguls.

SL2T betWeW ^ 5^ra 1628 and 1632 A, D.. shouH•m ctad to a very dose scrutiny to find tome clue at the

f*»ttoth«i th. jmu 1T^ "° purchai,e **umwt. It is also

• m or ^riSS***™9*** PUTCW * "*«* ° r -U» *JZZ. ^VTT1*^^ B-IW »S 177 in

"* ft-tysW.^«^J Ww Museum in Jaipur««»«i orders of in* T»j Mulial owned by

a*,*,cUririortJoita m

Jsjaingh That Museum should be compelled to publiih ih*.^critical

documents.

QuoUoa s If the Taj Mahal ii magniflomi flindu baiWtog bowis It there is no mention of it earlier 1

Historians and the lay public lulled Into the bdirf that Ota Til

Mahal was built by Shahjohan had become mentally inespadtatsd

to detect any reference to it earlier. Hereafter if they re-read their

source books with eyes wide open they may detect a number of

references to the Taj Mahal. In this book itself it has ben ibown

that tho Mogul emperor Babur, the great treat grandfather af

Shahajohan, does mention the Taj Mahal and in fad Babur died

in the Taj Mahal. Babur' a daughter Gulbadan Begum is also ibown

to hove alluded to the Taj Mahal. Tamerlaln was also mesmerised

by the Taj Mahal , A similar intelligent revision of all previous records

and chronicles could reveal many more references. Moreover with

names of roads and localities getting changed with every new rap™

it becomes difficult lo identify what we call the Taj Mahal fa our

own day with what it may have been called in different eras. Another

difficulty Is that when in a dty there are many majsi

magnificent mansions it is difficult for a contemporary rasa

establish in specific description their separate identity. Whata wn

would say about every such building b that * *"***£grand and massive. Yet another difficulty I, that if * t*»onLhm invasions and massacres . bunding^^^changes hands and (. used « a temple once inda maoata

or vice versa, one loses track of the identity of the bufldfafr ^

Question : Why did not the Hindu^*£P££ f

the Ta] Mahal leave any record or per*"

This ia just lite »Wn« whv " "rsr4m v farms m*»

forts, temples, mansions, homes, •*»!». «• ^^ tew-tofll

Kashmir to Cape Cornorin In th. n^«» ^ ^^end conquest from Mohammad*-*** lttfWl U»r

dny to press ^J^Zm loat w rotwg"forward in our own

doscendiinto ? When large tracts of • w» ^^ ta ^>Invadera and the subject i«opl« » "" ^ ^^ for hua

and captured buildlngf «rw <^^"^ -

of years, can one ejcpect the o"-""and to

Tne T*J Mahal to A Tern,*, p^

la the outer door of lb* buildinic indefinitely in the

remote date ha or some of bis descendants wouldto hang °"

har*th*i * ww^restored uj the ownership of the building ( Do not epidemics,

nMBicTW, riot*. earthquakes and exigencies of service change the

entire fMlla-n of life, and displace people from their original

eurroundingi even in one's own life time I Do not ftunDin ^rtiinct ? Do not families ramiIV into several branches witbout anybody

rtfTwnhcrmg even the name of the common ancestor in the direct

fine of genealogical ascent? And in such vicissitudes spread over

a thousand year* was it possible for anybody to retain original

documents? Would they not get' lost, stolen, burnt, eaten up by

rodents or termites or get destroyed by water?

QttoUoe : Do you mean to say that the present Taj Mahal was

built by Shahjahan after demolishing an earlier Hindu

building?

No. The whole point of this book is to convince the reader

thai the Taj Mahal as it stands today, as each one of us sees

It today, is the very building that Shahjahan commandeered. If

at all h# did anything to it I will say he disfigured and despoiled

it bet he did not add anything to its beauty or its size. The original

Hindu Taj Mahal was much more beautiful. Its pearly -white walls

oow look scarred with blue worm- like lettering. The original Hindutemple- palace complex had many more pavilions and ancillary

buildings as is apparent from the ruina all around. The Taj Mahalwt see today is a truncated and disfigured monument. Several ofita stories from the marble plinth to the basement below the Yamuna

fc bidden, plundered, neglected and sealed. The lovely painted

thai adorned the waDs of those underground chambers havescrubbed by the alien vandal

.

: Does it make any difference whether one views the Taj

Mahal aa a Muslim tomb or as a Hindu temple-palace

complex?

room sheltering

rVili makes onethat bounds in the Taj building complex.

*Wvfoue to i* pJST™y **** h B ** ™" ""^ m

gon^ aarlflcatlona

II also makea one impervious to any rational faw us.otherwise suggest themselves when one alcp, into fibni^Tw21complex of the dimensions of the Taj Mahal . If one is ma

^^of being in a temple- palace complex one would have m^H^Lon hand and take great care to go Into every nookUTa^lof every storey to have a vbual fill and fed of the va™^corridors, halls, porticos, ante-chambers, nether-chambers'galleries, terraces, gateways

,stable*, oulhousea end the ft, *j

visitors to the Taj Mahal should hereafter not only ip** enowhlime to make a round of the Taj building complex from Ebj inner

side from end to end and from bottom to top but they ibonld

elso make It a point to lake a peripheral round of the premasa

from the outside and inspect the many red atone mansions thu

lie just outside the surrounding massive wall. If the public decide

to exercise this right of theirs, the Government would be compelled

to throw open the closed, barred and concealed apertmititi of the

muiti-storeyed Taj Mahal to the public. There is no reason why

a Government charging an entrance fee should restrict public entry

only to the cenotaph chambers. So long as the Ckmrnmenl and

the public were duped into believing that the Taj Mahal ia nothing

but a graveyard, such restricted entry may have been alright bet

hereafter both the Government and the public must wke up to

their respective duties fegardlng the assessment of the Taj

temple - palace-complex

.

Question : Even if a Hindu temple palace complex has^ "fT*by Shahjahan aa a tomb why not 1*™ ^ st that, why

rake up the past?

This question raises several important^«'^J££a country which has lost itst^£X?Z£ aa***it a point of honour to regain it. stm^ ^^^to misuse should be restored to its original roi

•

^^^^the Taj Mahal as a Hindu temple palace^'^ iu .nudity,

makes a world of difference to one s *** ^^ *d

the style of architecture, the cost fncurntf^^^^^^ y that

size of the accommodation provided. ^^ -

reaoarch ought to be a"f^ *&•***•truth ia covered up by myth and ins "u ^^ b ^ past.ipby

Fourthly, history concerns

TnaTaj Mah.1 T. a Tfcm,^

^a, pfth history ft to •b^"« to a*k why ra^

**+

|hp —pi Rid the public in iu» wisdom ever considered blit^

jfht m imwcaattry or superfluous irub)eet it would hjrvth^t by kijiatotion. Snoe no aMintr^ in th® wwM haa done an jt

to impitod Ihit the public wants historical research U> go on doggajy

tbad revealing imlhi where^^^ hiddcn under a Pl1e of falsehooda

Uantmr pure research sans iu Immediate applicabilityj* ^

CTporuni in the field of history as in physical sciences,

QttMkm z Why did several generations of historians fail to discover

the truth about the Taj Mahal which you have done ?

Thai was because they allowed their gullibility to run away

vaii their research faculties. They put implicit faith in traditional

stalled all doubts. They remained content with slipshod

for glaring discrepancies in such vita] details as the

the Taj Mahal, its period of construction, its designer,

toefc of my dam in the Taj inscriptions about Shahjahan building

. and the aknee regarding the datea of Mumtaz's death and her

:Whit new evidence could you possibly adduce when somany great names in history had preceded you in research*«*rding the Taj Mahal ?

"tocesaora in historical research had gone about theirf atkadjisical manner. They proved very complacent,

raoe Pmu,«'1 doubt* and find a cogent answer*o have brought forth no special evidence. My

l*iP°fo* inspector who receives an anonymousto reaches the spot to investigate carrying

9 art a blank notebook. The evidence is found™eetigation ** » * not carried by the

i ha ^ h'i h°me*

ta *"* P**** amOarly*

1 * * «U aboTl2

^T! J*" ^ birth and an

h«i?(l VI'

2? to"

nmbuJct« wbat new evidence

•bOatL ?!?'

MboaC2m y«rs after Mumltf'

«*-dat,ofM L

my^ to accurately recordedMuim*1 **h to unknown to bis***

wataat tat

gonw c3arinatllom

over, though she has been Uantommed as th* a.a stony Tnj Mahal. My task in fa* involved w

t*fDl'* *evidence, arranging it. analyainB it and arguine cTi

^^ «•

the readers themselves as judges whether the vaT'** , **ta«

warrants Lbe concbaion that Shahjahnn*m*oJZV£lor only commandeered it. But I mu8i^ wl

™» « «*

and re-examination of all the evidence I fmnd that oZTt"very important clues had been very cleverly gkWovJsuppressed or foolishly and carelessly neglected for kuJTavernier's noting about the Taj Mahal had been only hiaSvquoted and completely rtisunderstood all thaw year* Th,Badshahnaraa admission bad eitber been suppressed or fcfgoUai

An elderly scholar who bad read the Badshnhnsmi twice or thrice

frankly and voluntarily confessed to me that he hod ad ikmg fifed

to notice that on page 403 of Vol. I, ShabbJhiuVi own Badshahnnmi

{court chronicle) admits the Taj Mahal to be a commandecrd Hindu

building. Unfortunately I met many Muslims claiming to be hurtonnra

who when confronted with that passage tried to foist ntne tuxsrrs

interpretation on it. That fllustrales how some element* in Iruui

whose academic eyes have a communal squint look upon history

not as a sacred record of the truth about past bappminp bat

as a crooked implement to twist facta to suit their mm vagnwa,

Inclinations and predilections. I met a large body constituting the

top brass of history, at the Mysore session of lb* Indian History

Congress (in December 1966) to whom I distributed • four-lai

printed extract from the Badshahnama admitting that the Taj i

a Hindu mansion. Their reaction was surprising and »»*to

They just blinked without saying even s word in "PP'^'J'VJ

by way of rejection. To me it appeared they had an i

reason to keep discreetly silent. They sported big reputa' _

heads of an institution or of a history department Adn^I

the Taj was in fact a commandeered Hindu mansion e

what they had taught and believed all their «**£^Inconvenient and embarrassing. That toad

^1

. ^^pto««\the general run of people, no mailer how highlyw^^^^prefer to stick to traditional Ilea than «*•*• &tmth if admisson of the truth to likdy

bit of inconvenience in income w»dZ---**—*"

L'JM

— Tb« Taj Mohnl In A Tmt*,, ft^

or propaipUn* *** historical Lru,h WIW no consideration. What n*liv

maiuvvd » Unfit was only their ego, humdrum,mundane

convroksice, fHlhy <H» md I*® " P"*1^QdsiIm : Though lb* Badshahnama admits that a Hindu mansion

was commandeered for Mumtaz's buna) do not a couple

of lines towards the end refer to the summoningf

geometricians and laying the foundations of a building ?

Separating the troth subtly adulterated with a lot of falsehood

teats the me* tie of the real researcher. In the Badshahnama passage

it may be noted that the entire narration about commandeering

a building and burial of Mumlaz in it has been disposed off in

half-a-dozen lines. This is one significant point which should impress

upon the true researcher that the much vaunted construction of

fabulous Taj Mahal is a myth. The other point to be noted is

that the passage first refers to the burial and then talks about

emmoning not masons but geometricians. They were needed to

design different sizes of Koranic lettering on the walls of the usurpedHindu mansion at different heights. Geometricians were also neededto dig a central trench in the octagonal chamber on the groundfloor and a similar burial trench in the room in the basement.Another point to be noted is that a very large number of mediaevalMuslim chroniclers make use of some pet phrases of which "laidthe foundation'

'is one. Thereby they vaguely but shamelessly ascribe

usurped Hindu building to their own alien Muslim patrons. Theyfly avoid a direct assertion as a sop to their own consciencei an escape valve lest some of their own contemporaries point

the fraud in claiming authorship of others' buildings for theirpatrons. Historians must know that contemporary Muslim

chroniclers deftly avoid making any explicit claims about any sultani courier building anything. They only use such slippery***r as • 'laying the foundation . '

' Therefore that phrase used^oabanama must be understood to slake a fraudulent.

7^1 ^m*t the ***"*** w«t«d to gloss over the«** hoodwink hit readers about hi* royal patron Shahjahanburying Itumtca a second-hand mansion of the much-detested

litL^t^^ my <"«*"« ^ historical research

tin M*^Z*^ Vay KUlUb,e- *"**^ '"«* ^ sire up

B(M)rcurincationi

—.*Hld the foundation** used ad-nau^ by chrtJoJd|r

a^dar. Moreover digging . trench to bury . o^""??fraudulently justified as "digging the foundation "

H*|Muslim pntrona really built any tomb, mosque, fort, ea* » bJ?"wuld not the contemporary chronicler have appends tht nam!blue-prints, account sheets or copies of court orders and «uchdocuments ? Would he also not have written a wbokt book and!construction of a fort or founding of a city instead of dJamiaaini

tbe project in half-a-dozen lineal

Question : Don't you believe that Shahjahan' s leva for Mnmtxtwas inducement enough for him to commlsjwn the Tn

This question calls for many answers. It is not a question of

my belief or your belief. History must have evidence for vmyclaim. The claim that Shahjahan had an infatuation for Miuntat

is itself phoney. From whatever history you may have read you

wQI recall that if history ever makes any mention of my Mogul

having a special attachment for his wife it ia only wiUi regard

to Jahangir for Nurjahan. Those who claim that Sbahjahim lad

any special out -of- the-world love for Mumtai must point out

repeated references to Shahjahan neglecting affairs of state and

keeping closeted with Mumtaz. In that case history would have

alluded to a guard posted outside the amour chitmber or a board

bung declaring something like "Emperor locked in Um embract

of the Empress,... Very busy... Sorry... Don"t disturb."

there is no such evidence nor is there any book of the love-itoriat

of Shahjahan -Muintaz Tike that of Romeo and Juliet or Lafla-Majmi.

it is wrong to believe in any special Shahjahan.Muni* I

must also be realized that man *s love for a woman is an tncaptcM

debilitating emotion. Sexual love, the love of the n^- **Tfor a woman never infuses one with any flwU vigour.Wemotions like love for God or for one's own aM^V ^own mother or Son inspires one to perform ***'

ifo»rtpt.

craving for a woman only goads one to crtow*"• ^^

suicide and murder. It la absurd to lalk of U- TO «»'^ ^been bom out of the love or Shahjahan and Mumua - -^only two things born out of man-woman love I T^^,never a building. You may verify this from your <

:-m

ngifcMfcAt

mm

*«

r-, l

rfp»*fc*-^r

fSam dam to Of %j *teri

Mi 2 r- -

=xrv »• ••

CHAFTEaxxx

cA PICTORIAL ANALYSIS

afaft

a. ». mm] m

• • - _- -

* a

Th» T«| Mahal U A Trapfe ratae.

with queen's body one* buried.

It «*ild be that only a fako funeral procession with a aetled

^oiyin (supposed <o contain Mumtaz's body) waa wt«ge-managed

to «nur Agra to exert deadly' regal, Mogul pressure to post-haste

apture and confiscate the Jaipur ruler's bejewelled royal

Tfejamnhafnya temple -palace complex in Agra on the specious pretext

of Muxntan'i notarial there and turn the sacred royal Hindu

Tejomahaleya temple-palace complex into a bare, grim IjuJamic

graveyard

The ground -plan of the orthdox VedJc octagonal Tejomuhwlaya shrine

In Agra where Mum Lai's exhumed body is supposed to have been

interred again . Why this sacrilege ?

A nctoHal Analysis

m

An aerial view. The white marble Tejomahalay. trnn* ^ .

towers at rt§ ptfnlb-corners on the south banc of th* men* ¥river. Two Identical red-stono building* («ach with thnw mr£,domes) facing the marble edifice from theautml watt

meant to be reception pavilions for royal or religbua congnwiaQB,

The central marble building and the flanking mlatona bo&Ware all •even storied with octagonal featureo, which la V*flc

rpedality. Seven -storied octagonal buildings ere mmuVxiaj ^in Remayanic descriptions of Ayodhyi.

"ms

In the red-alone rorecourt of J^^ie* b*w

3« the garden) vtsitora are made ten ^^habw-climbing up the marble platform

J**** t Shir- u*9±

the tmdilion from the tune that t ^ ih0<-«rt

Had the edifice originated .a <> liT|-wr „**«* m

have been allowed inside. Shoes!" j^p* H **

burial grounds. Note th. *»**"

The Tij Uah»l Is A Tn^ p^A pictorial Analysis

fontn of the eotnnc* «rcfa.

»

This la the main central marble edifice (a v^mthe sanctum sanctorum of Lord Shiva's Tejoting mbtenMr*

iMI>"

signifies the emblem radiating divine light. Thii t, t

'*'lili

structure with four or five stories in marble and ^r^Z!lfa red-swne which can be observed from the rear river-banlc ngarden level is two stories above the river levd/To reach thestream one has to go out of the peripheral will by the eastern

gate and turn left in the northern direction along a gradient. There

standing on the sandy river bank one tees the towering

two -stories -high red stone wall with irches sQ along jt* imgu,

whose ventilators have been crudely walled up by Shibjafaan from

.^h- tn u* m*tJf^A meticulous count will rewal 33 arc«^^^ a, nt*

seen infroot in between the two I***g ^^ w m JS

Since the marble platform to

•*JJ*u*^r***** J

rehoB. Consequently tbe marWe psn"

TO* Taj Mahal I* A Temple Pabc

tfNTO* if lb» P00^ to*r

'

Ab0Ve U m """^ sW<l rf

*gj^y be seen vaulted arches on two levels

** *** Tl "^l, ^ikh constitute tw »«» «torie« in marble,

oar show ****" »»»-"

(. . ^ toTaee it the base of the dome with four

*«**» tf ftar comers- This terrace may be counted

"Ti tarta marok. Or the nearly tfft.-high hall enclosed

lav may be ****** « ** fourth storey""^ entran(*

t, i fc from U« r«r of the dome.

Theaxam tone which one sees when standing near Mumtaz*s

M[j|IBf| g^ |g cndcotd by the dame outside seen in the above

ptaio. Tweefbremost of the sp** inside that outer marble dome

ute bp by the wner dome leaving only a footstep-wide narrow

tack sandwiched between the inner dome and the outer dome,

«ttog ws^h oat may [UMiitiJata the inner dome.

9rer there ee two solid domes one inside another with a lot

of ipst uparating their tops the story that a solitary tear which

**) i'§ Ik* dMds from the top of this outer dome on every

fat-avoanjgbt atthe stroke of midnight drips on Mumtaz's cenotaph

1 baaw. i§ t ibeer erotic , romantic nonsensical canard floated

**r»'™ "iinm-jnengam intended to benumb the logical faculties

tradition water drope keep dripping from a pitcheri a ahlinam. It u the memory of that drip which hasW to the deceptive Shahjahan legend. Shahjahan

e nunrfe-iran to make las ghost weep over Mumtaz's^««»By at ipedfiad hours.

*mun w^im fe Mwll,"ahg *° *** "P*30*" parking area

** •» -Stt^n.'*wded rod- stone verandahs with^«mh i4,'4™ r.i^r™

ver~*" % wdi tapoaft.

^"* "* *°tirs parking area

**—'<* efcc**^* **** **<* Tavernier describes as

r vJ.-i i,!lT!LJ

T"I'er *vWt0r "awtook the term

^biahaji purposely buried

Tfei

to

A Pictorial Annly«i

D|

lbs

Mumtaz "near" the Tas-i-makan whicb foretgnef* used to vWt,

so that the world may admire." Tsvemier's deduction is mliUlun.

It was Shahjahan 's lust for wealth which made him toe Mumta*"»

death as an excuse to grab, rob and dnecrate tbe Hindu

temple -palace.

This western gateway has assumed importance in modern lima

because tbe main bus depot and railway station of the popnto

bustling Agra city lies to that direction. In olden dayi U

elevated gateway at the left (not seen in the pictore) ****j"

to be the main entrance of the Tejganj alias T*)gwi «* ^A narrow street of that township runi jtraajbt fran

W

•cross the parking an* into the lofty *^*!~£Z**tho marble Tejcmahalaya shrine. Though that shn* ^^a worid-attracUon it was basically intended tot*" ^^^^of the people of the TtjgM towmbip as judged IW ^ ^defensive wall which enclose* both thil ^ ^ g^Tejomahalaya ahrine. That common defense ^^^m tht

township and tbe Hindu ahrtoe. ** ye*"J" ^^ Uad *

Taj Mahal did not originate as a royal I ' ^^ »r«rwy

been built ma a royal Mualim cemetery 1rJ^^^ ft km

detached from the Hindu townahip- Moreover

The Ta] Mahal Is A Temple Paiac*

•mJU) and Ww«r on the k"F« of a woman member of a leemfng

wtw* dealbs "* 8 «*mmon 'frequent occurrence.

Thii I* the easternentrance to the Tejomahalayo parking forecourt

where in ancicnl times royal Hindu elephants used to sway. The

rot-wast-highway runs right through in: eastern

. wte/Uau gateways past the shopping arcades alongside the tofty

to the Tajmahal garden. The rectangular majestic parkingcourt wilb utately red -stone gateways in the four cardinal

deserve world admiration for its perfect ancient Ve<jic

cUtaaura] town and landscape planning. Passing out throughkm gateway if one turns left to proceed to the river bank

adiant one sees a ud] opening Into a quadrangle being

> cowshed of thai temple sine* Mcfcni times. It to*fll tana m Gwwntla.

lwniWP Shopping arcades.

A pterin IAnalyw*

Z7J

a3 those aw" to the right and left of the gateway run around

^e entire spacious quadrangle with central gateway* on tU fWr

sides.

the

such

While the gateways at the east and w^^ *****this gateway and the one opposite

<"*J«" ,n

£* to ih.

elevated, indicating their importance becaus

e

^township while the other (being imittl-ittrwd and lofty

the garden of the holy-shrine. ^^ fii|#.

J The gate seen above bears U* fflctert

J* ^Jy ci*.

which modem rustic pronunciation fenciw ^^ fon*otirL

Seen above is the inner-side g«UJ andthe

^ T nj Jtmt *nJ

If one goes out through the g»«> "" "* ^ ape* '<*"

Immediately turns about to gaze at IheJ ^y brotan

the Tejganj side, one can see the •»*«Jj^ be*»

«>*«*

niche because the Idol of U>*& Canesh whicn

n Tb* T«j Mahal It A Temple Pal**

l^rv » per Vadfc custom. hua bewn upwHwJ and dwlroyed »fter

Cfcthjihan took bold of thr|

r

Th* 1>j»n^*fM'* shopping arcade ha* had at iis cm Lor eastern

and wwwrn earners, flanking the Shrw gate, two other

A Pictorial Analyst*

wteWiary aaitfad-tempJu. This octagonal „,.dome io the south we* comer b«™g lbe jj^j!?^ * whU*

straight Vedie pinnade piLdiir shaft, i9 «"

nf , „** "*

a.tnfcuted to an har**^ fctunniaa Kbumm.8^^ia inscribed on It that 9eems to ^ m las^ JTjVTaway the deaecration of lb© Hindu shrim.

^"uning

The Taj Mahal U A Tempfc p^

-^responding Hindu- divine sentinel shrine jn the

-^ has since Shahjahan's torn been desecrated and

Jrtj^J iv Sarhandi Begum's shrine That is mere hearsay since

tht <*nc**P* bears no name. That ts a rose to somehow explain

gny the desecration of a temple.

Another intriguing detail i» that Sarhandi Begum (one of

gnhjanafTt royal wives) hat a cenotaph identical in build and

fnnteur to that of Satunniss Khanam, a mere maid. Such

comparative incongruities abounding in the Shahjahan legend have

eacsped the attention of modern scholars which is a major fault

of their research faculties. They are all prone to admit traditional

chauvinistic Muslim canards at their face value without making

the least effort to cross-check and cross -question the details.

The lofty multi -storied entrance gate where visitors buy entry

tickets. The Goverment archaeology department has a small office

behind the booking window. The officer in charge has the keys

to the locked wen -storied complex. Visitors paying the

governmental levy to enter the Taj Mahal premises do not get their

money'

worth because they are allowed entry only to an infinitesimal

portion of lbs sprawling complex.

A Pictorial Anilyali

rrt

On top of the lofty gateway i» » row ^ ^kaUishaa (pitchers) representing 11 Rudraa ,

1 _ *""* !**

Lord Shiva.* ^<**Uona <*

The interior of the muM-atoried vaults entranc,.^ fadta.first to the rectangular garden and then to the wonder marok J®1at the far end.

,,tt used to work <> **

TTie temple-palace management sutfr

floors on various assigned duties. ^^ ^ ^^The carved decorative red W»#*^» *•»

jand exterior of this ****# «*f

J

TJ^ ***« **" *

minutely observed turo. out » * ^j£ ***-^~three-in-one Ganesh im«K»> two i- i-

wiih a frontal facing in IN middle.

w

fffl

•ft* T*J Mahal l» a Tempi, p^^

A panoramic view of the Tojo Mahnlyn temple- priJace comply,

On Wthrr irtdr "' tf>p central marble water tank at Lho far ^J

OJ the far ri^hr Hank are two Najjar khenea (drum and miJsi(,

On either nsnk of the marble edifice are two identical buildings.V one on the left teen above the tree* fa the so-called mosque,s one on the right beyond the trees is the so-called jawab.

1 ^iwppropnalion by Shahjahan both these were receplionpivflkinB of the TejoMahalaya Vedic temple palace complex.

rontal view of the octagonal martwo Tejomahalaya^lace- The step, from Lhe garden lead to the red stone

T ,

When?,^^ are *** standing. Tne seven arches in

-ad U» fT "' to lh° murWe I**1*'™ ™ 'rem the right

• UP oTTwr«hILCUmbB UP "* l*aP" « »• ^e marble plinth,

fool on° k^ *quure marWe slab. Stamp yourWM hear | hollow sound. T**

A Ftctnrbl Annlyida

Indicates that the slab hides the atjjrs lead', tniw>a inside the marble p]Btform.^ hu««rti of

building similar slabs at Untied spoti on ZT^T™1**may also have stairs hiddn ^ Z ^^

AS">• T»i Mahal I- A Tm^^

to a* chambers below. As per our estimate the marble plolfonn

con*** of S3 f S3 = 1069 chambers as judged from the 333^von etang the M^i^fLh as well as the equal breadth.

A fe» feet ahead of the stab on which you stamped your foot

u yew face the vaulted marble entrance arch, you will notice twopnlle] rows of inferior reddish stoneslabs. That fa because thn

uprooted Nand) [the celestial bull] associated with Lord Shiva, wasposited there faring the main entrance arch leading to the sanctumvbere Mumlai's cenotaph now covers the Shivling or the snot nf

the Suv&ds, Thai Nandi having been uprooted the spot was pavedvtta injerior stone.

Two symmetrical staircases leading to the upper floors are locatedinside the snuD doorways seen in the arches on the right and leftof the main lofty arch. To reach them one has to enter the doorwayn m the centre of ibe main lofty vaulted arch and then turn

l or right. But the doorways are kept unjustifiably locked by*»«fagvcal Survey of India denying access to ordinary visitorsm mrkna itudoita to the upper stories.

«** gold snd^^;^ " d0Q"- g°,d "*** * oto

A Pfctorlal Analysis

The marble Taj Mahal has identical vaulted lofty ut^wwn 1*

sfi the four directions. Their lemple decor wm chi«n«]^Koranic extracts were improvised to fill the cavities. Shown abovej9 the western archway. Take a cfa* look « ih* marbl-

.tone frame* -round the vertical ^J^^of m** ""»•

to notice the poteh« of dJ*»imJlur ahl" -

m fh* Tto| Mahnt I. A T^m4o iw^j

lWt,( #.,..1 1>M IJ*"L *|IH!M« JiMfi In** mi llii" Vi'iHi'al Mun III,. „ t|1

A flrtoHnl Annly*|i*

I'nlrhM «nlnro qti» ol«wr»y vWbln In thbl„ tiw ooUi^iinl owiitnil (iwrcltim n^ w,lfc'*ta .u^l,y lU *Ui of U» «h w l|M, |(>n ](j( p(J'

VWW m,rt4 ,*In I WMU tKiiiHru placq

t |W wki„i"^ miil«««

wnich8» dirh lWp

'" ptvfcmB*j hiu.«

t ,

1 wdfiUlnwr n**w ***^Abo noUeu Uw roeuwgutir ton**1* f

^ wyii*»tt tuu UH»n hiphiarily MlM by n**-» IT J

and nIuhIu*.

TJii! Til Mabttl Is A T*mjj]» p^BCum

nTthT*> «bow also betrays sfmtfar patched covenipa

«]«« «* K*in»rw rating.

A Pictarioi Analysis

JB III»I III

This north arch too has Lht ame ub to t«D Su ih* *.m«ipatch BfW In th* rtKUwgular ventilator above ft, ardl and^marble stop.

.,,, Thft Taj Mahal Is A Temple Palm*

Tbf Koranic cover-up patchwork on lop of the indent tuflcd

enlntnce arch.

Cobras lined up above a string of inlaid tempfe bells patternform lb* upper border of the Taj Mahal. Both cobras and bellshive sacred associations in Vedic spiritual lore.

The gateway at which entry tickets are Issued, is decorated

both inside and" out, *t the knee-lcvd with s hunting depicting

such Ingeneoua three-in-one Ganeab caricatures; two in profile on

U„, flanks endostnu a frontal one in the middle.

A magnified view of cobra pafra.

^ To* Taj Mnhn] II A Ten,,*, p^

-IV arches in the marble plinth and Lhe recUingular ventQaiop

atone *ch one of them ,(allowing light and air to lhe Um chambers

inside «J* plinth) may ** ro'nuUf,y observed to have been sealed

wnh marble slabs.

?vbh arches at Lhe bottom of the next page enclose the

which load to the tap of the marble plinth symmetricallyfrom the right and left.

^Tbe Nandi tlord Shiva 'a bull) occupied the spot where the

dad in white robe* is seen tending facing the entrance,l wn* uprooted at Shabjahan'a orders. That spot was patted

up lalw mLh inferior reddiah slab*,

Wdent shaped designs in inlay filigree at the two«w*r» of the France and the trident-shaped red lotua

bod at the apex of ih* vch.

A factorialAna|y«i» ^

ne Koranic atones fixed vertically and horiamtaUy along men

nv arches on afl four sides were improvised to no „p ^j^vities loft *fter *««"* out fdo1s of Vodic deities «nd &»nakril

We arrive ot the above conclusion because (l) a close inspection

* the marble irames enclosing the Koranic extracts

The Taj Mahal T* A Tempi* P*Uc*

rwftu patches of marble of different shapes and lints (2) the Koranic

eytrads are random, haphazard out-of-sequence and incomplete

(3) On hoi d*y$ with the visitor's feet burning on the marble

plinth, a fierce sron beating down on the head and the eyes burning

with inUsnse sunlight radiated by the white marble sheen even «

devout Muslim knowing Arabic won't have the heart or even tbe

steady head or patience to crane and strain his eyes and neck

alternately vertically and horizontally to make any head or tail of

that message of Allah-

Above the horizontal Koranic line is an inlaid row of temple

bell designs. Above that is the row of cobras with hoods raised

facing one another.

These arches along the eastern side of the plinth are an indication

of the row upon row of rooms (total 1089) that lie hidden inside

the marble plinth. Closely scrutinize how the archea and the

rectangular ventilators above have been sealed with marble slabs

of different sizes and lints.

A Pictorial Analyse

A close-up of tbe upper pan of .n^ -_ „

on snake-shape brackets which b dialing «-W™*

trait. The minaret* served aa W8ld)™ "T ********

light towera at right.**"" dttrift^^rt

A tp«fan«n doae •up of ti* oct^onal has* of the marW* minanrta.

Tb* arch** indicate thai there ire chmntwra inside. "n* archta

and lb* nvt-aniFulHr vmKutort tbove hive b«vn dowd with martri»

ffcbe »tw5» horizontal tin** and patch** of varying tints nrr showing.

A Plrtorial Awiljn**

Mumtai'a lomb In the crypt (b*^.-., ul»lcbr«l up with marbla tight of v*rvi

***

that ih« SHvling hrrt ha. tilhJ^T^*^ «•or 1« cowvd up by U ^ww ^ •*•

1

am Tb* Tnj Mnhnl I. A Tempto Ptii^

Shahjahan- eeiwUpb end MumUs"* cenotaph Oil riK|lt > fn

the crypt NoiJc* (hat the marble base of hlumUix'st cwnUtph it

fw* plain. lis lower part loo fa plain (though ahe hiia been

lorn tomnwl as the heroine or Lhc 1hJ Mahal dhow) while i,hul

of J9uih|flhsn has filigree decoration all over. Thai -dip in nn indication

,.,' Hh hnm,v| i, l(l ,j,l dn Ok.sJ uj. l.v. r.ih |(-i (! l,,r , M|; |,|

hit fabulous templf -palnw.

A Pktorial Analynki

AfUr one enters the Softy arch from lho mnrblo platform one

Into spacious halls which form a pvrumbulatory passage all

aruund In* central octagonal sanctum. That windum too htu

on all four sides . lkit only lho south entrance seen in

picture hni been kept open since Shnhjuhan'a time.

All these outer and inner entrance* laid silver doors which are

common to all ranowned Ilimlu ( VedkO shrinwi, Ihose were uprooted

nd ranged un the outer marble plinth before being «fri riled oway

to Shaitjahan's Mogul treasury.

Kunijwan visitors to jhe shrine around 163) A. I). noticing

ihn uprooted costly fixture* auch as silver doors ranged on the

marble plidfonn misunderstood them to havo been ordered by

Shshjahan to be used In the budding,

a*Conlrnrily the thousands r labour?™

by-lanenofV1

* city under thri«u of 1lirniLrWlniJod

** fr«n U»jjjWI jpnrtb te uproot all to<m,n^£2^^*<«gold railing (around the ShivKng), Biw]!^ lb^-«Wdidslutted in the marble lattioa and the golden t T "'**"" rt0f*on the SiivHnga. and transport Ihem to the M^t W*,|t WBUf

^XL'xi.jr^T 11Lrl

Tb. Taj Mahal I. A T>mp|u ,^

H we* this plunder motive which mode unscrupulous,cruel

.od stingy Swihjahan mnkft use of Mununa'a interred body

I„ t mere r«wn in hi* crafty plat to msLan(j"ieoijsly

toomm the Maharaja of Jaipur of his fabulous temple-palace

'JJ^Mogul cupfUd oy confronting him with a trumped-up. dire,

4|paHUya imperious. Islamic ultimatum.

Notice ti» framed decorative panels te the left and right of

the doorway. They depict embossed Om-shaped Dhatura flowers

and ooochshefltvpe foliage. The pond at the left has the sacred

conchsheB design depicted below

Ttw right -elde panel deplete a plant with flowers shaped like

the aacrad Vedlc chant (Om) &

A Pictorial Annljmld

a* both th. •«*. ,™mZZ2«~ EE£*

Neither Shnbjahan nor Mumtez could have been buried hert

because this chamber is on the 4th floor above the river turfaw.

Corpses are invariably buried la mothermrih and WW w ttooe

floors. Consequently this so-called Mum la*'a cenotaph in rtua central

octagonal chamber either oovera the sacred Hindu (Vedlc) Shlvlmg

itself or the sacred spot from which the ShivUn« wsa uprooted.

Mumtez* so-called cenotaph, and Shahjahan a

J""*"^*£beside it. in the basement chamber below the

«^°f,

u^chamber. Notice the base slab of MiunU. » ^/h^Hwhite though the rest of the ^^p3teenoteph alongside and the two «£* ««^ --

are ell decorated with profuse inlay *«*. ™ ™* *chimbr.

white marble base slob of Mwnl*'e ceacJaphin uai ^^la a teU-tele sign of the faked burial ini*^ȣ^^ ^cenotepha have two red -atone stories boo * ^^^^river level. Therefore oven '"3U^!_ to have bato cover*!

to be fakes. The basement Sfcivling ^'fTL.,™. Evtn ollwtw*»*

by Mumtaz'a fake cenotaph aa In the u^ThJj(h4n,and MunU*

why should there be tw« cenouipha cocftiw ^ ^^^^ <*

two floors? That meana that ai «-on

Th* Tty MflhaJ 1* A Trait*. p,^

Sbahjahan and Mumtaz must be fake. Why should there be evenm pair of fake cenotaphs ? And since one pair of cenotaphs is

fake the crucial question is which is the fake one. The one In the

lower or upper chamber? Or does each floor contain one fake and

the genuine cenotaph alternating between Shahjahan and Mumtaz?

Itisi pity thai world scholars boasting of high academicreputations in history, architecture, archaeology, muscology andforensic science have been so somnolent for the last 350 and oddywire as to allow the preposterous Shahjahan -Mumta?. legend , stained

with carnal love, to pass muster in spite of being riddled withs myriad loopholes disclosed and discussed in the half-a-dozeneditions of this book during the last 28 years ?

Visitors would do weO to stand still near Mumtai's cenotaphinside the marble lattice for a few moments unitl the dazzle ofthe hot sun outside vanishes from their eyes. Then they may tookup st the dark concave domed ceiling centre from where hangs

hain which held the golden water pitcher dripping water ontbt Stvivang below (now replaced by Mumlaz'a cenotaph).

Around the book (from which hangs the chain) is a sketchjnoentnc circles. In the smallest innermost circle are arrows

ring the tsghi surface directions. Around it is another circleaerpmta looking down on the Shivling underneath. Around

t is • wider circle of 32 trident*. Surrounding it is a bigger

TtS^Vi ktlm bud8" Even lhi» mathematical progression

o^jdtipkw of 8 U. a a 2 16 x 2 , 32 x 2 , £7* ofsigxuficance and has no relation with Islam. The

praponaeraUng ligruficanoB of 8 in Vedic

A Pictorial Aiialy»l*

n .dil.ion nay be |udg«] fan, i, mTi , ^ ^

/Uhtavndliani. Aahtaputra, Aahtixlhauj, fchw *^

Mangalaahtak and Saatang namankar. An' M^MrtoTT*'concentric circles depicting the octal VedJc progression pjKtra fefa!

>:ht..:*m

WO Th« Taj Mahal I* A TVmpto p^,

Th* octagonal lattice around the cenotaph of MumUu (which

has replaced or cowred the sacred Shivling) has in its upper border

total of HW pitchers, some rotund and striped (seen to the left)

and tome oblong like vases The rotund striped pitcher ia seen

bathing the Shivaling underneath with a stream of milk. Thedecorative flora on the vase and other parts of the Tajmahal alias

Tejomaholgya is all native to India. Such decoration in the orange,

Vedic colour behoves a Hindu temple or palace but never a sombrefttamc sepulchre.

H pictorial An»lyai»

aril

The upper border of the octagonal marbl* butu. dbrtf pitchers. The pfflara marking specific diviaW

^'^'^by solitary pitchers. Count torn the far left ~

(, ZC™^

with on* pitcher. That ia followed by , row of |, pi^Tr™1*1

f, a pillar surmounted by a solitary pitcher. Tr* nm^^three pitchers. Those are followed by the entrance irch hmq.Jlpitchers on its two pillars and three pitchers in between 8ttc

alt along the lattice lop, adds up to m pitchen wkkhsacred Vedic spiritual significance.

I count.

figure has a

TV Tn) Mahal E« A Tcmpfo p^^

Surrounding the central octagonal sanctum am such specious

laDs^wHh tl» fl<*jr and lower part of the walls paved wJU, marble)

forming the perambulatory passage with aperture in ihe rornoie

cub* affording a view of the central deity throughout the

pmmbuliiion. as per Vedic custom. The archways at the left and

ritfbi may be been to have been sealed nt Shahjnhan '9 orders.

Hie octagonal lattice enclosure of the sacred Shivling used

to be stuffed with precious stones, gems and jewels. The Shivling

been replaced by Mumiaz's cenotaph. The chain bangingcom the centre of the concave domed ceiling used to hold the

hft pilcber dripping water on the Shivling. A gem -studdedfold railing rakd at Rs. 800,0007- in 1631 A, I). stood aroundthe ShMing, The ancient legendary Hindu peacock throne is also

•umiiaed u, have been In this Tejomahateya temple palace. It

was BM lure of audi fabulous wealth which impelled Shahjahanto hastily occupy and rob the Tejo Mahalaya temple-palace

A Pictorial Analynii

complex which Raja Jaiatngh of Jaipur (2snof the Moguls, owned (by succession) in lfc.7 iW"y) > **W

Shahjahan was the first Mogul emperor to murder all hi,>H *

to grab the throne. Consequently when Shahjahan em*-to ^^In 1628 his treasury was empty. He was

^"J™^ rf Ui „&for ways and means to enrich his treasury. *n»

^ ^^Mumlaz provided that opportunity ta 163* •

™su|ll|tfB

«u

Tejomahalaya temple-palace complex being we

** *• ** Maht* * A Temp,,p^for Murofca'a burial Shabjahan ordered hfa troops u, occunv tfc.premises, transport its wealth and cosily fktinga u» ibo Mtreasury and raise cenotaphs inside. That was fulfilling three Motfuobjectives in on* move. The objective* were (I) Robbery mWeakening the Rajput Maharaja through impoverishment (3) femClan Hindu centre of worship out of iconoclastic Islamic frenzy.

Readers may take a dose look at the marble patchwork frame*-round the Koranic exacts {bebw the top vCnt,tatorJ indicatinghow the undent Tejomahalaya temple-palace complex baa beerextensively tampered with.

*ft

A pfctoHal Analyst

A close-up or the gOded pinnacle rising from U» J

^p of the marble dome. The pinnacle fa known ajiuT*^

^nce because of the alack of pitcher, which c^ie it

^

/

The curvy shaft seen in the upper portion i ^on Lord Shiva's forehead. Above & «> "

*J^i bikamaJ *n»anKo-leaves curving on either aide with i

h Vpiic

^P Such a coconut -topped pitfiber repre*

tradition.

_ Tlw T»J Nihil ) A Temple PaIacv

An e»rt rrplica or tha pinnacle is intoJd in bluish stone-ehipi

in u* rwlstone courtyard on the eastern side si the fool of the

bufldinir currently dubbed aajawjib.

The rvpltea is said to measure about 111 ft. and 6-3/4 inches

giving one an idea of the exact height of the metal pinnacle on

the dome.

The floor replica of the pinnacle haa no lettering on it. But

th* uppermost oblong- pitcher on the pinnacle -shaft if minutely

otaerved reveals some Islamic lettering embossed on it.

The first British archaeological chief in India was Sir Alexander

Cunningham (whose declared aim was to use archaeobgy as a tool

to convert all Indians to Christianity and perpetuate British rule

over India ) He had retired from lb* army engineering corps. It

la surmised that he sent some British soldiers to the top over

a scaffolding, equipped with a flame-thrower- stove to soften the

curvy pitcher surface with red-best and press a stencil into it to

imprint the Islamic slogan Alla-bo-akabar. But it is said that the

persons who carried out that metallic forgery have also stealthily

«t*nrilk>d their own names 'Taylor' etc. underneath or on the other

side of the bulging pitcher. I could never make it to the top of

the dome (from lack of adequate facilities to climb that high).

Yet 1 suggest that researchers and bureaucrats who value the truth

and are resourceful enough to muster the necessary climbing facilities

investigate the suspected fraud and forgery mentioned above.

A Pictorial Aro-lyait

Tbo full-aca]* repjid of Lhe pinnacl, on u* dunt h . _,Wuo chips in the red-*** cflurty.nl „ tf*Jl "^rt>n

fool of U» oo called *»*«,. aU)ri*| jBWllb buMi"* .* »»

topped with a coconut diaptoywj |„ the east*™ ntvanJi -,

Vcdte significance,iwwi *" •

The Taj Mahal la A Temple Palace

Th& It corner of the terrace from which the large white

dome rbe* in tl» background- Only the lower portion of the large

dome gfitued with the Hindu lotus petal design is seen.

A Pictorial Analyst!

act

Cobras form the entire upper border of the nn^ i „edifice with identical lofty entrance arch* ^T^ T>1 "**directions. That Is a Vedic trait. T** cobra, tcTa^l^with Lord Shiva.

w * "*°*W

The red stone flight of steps m tba^white (closed) door to enter the hoUow dome may be canityobserved (beyond the cupola and the gateway spire) on tbt

right-band-side. As one enters that doorway one has to travent

13 feet distance before reaching the bay hall inside. That pravn

that the dome is made up of 13 ft. -thick masonry. Therefore the

story thai, the angry hammer stroke of a disgruntled mason made

such an accurate tiny hole as to allow juat one drop of i daad

Shahjahan's tear to ooze on Mumtaz's cenotaph only on moonlit

nights is a typical specimen of the fraudulent details that mikt

up the concocted &T3ahjahan-Mumtai legend of the Taj Mahal.

3)rt

The Taj Mahal i% A lempii* PaJn«

Not, .he «PP«- part of 0» marble frame of the nick The

.„* fe marb!* i* backer than to counterpart on the nghl. Also

^y ob*m Ibr «**• « *h* ri*bt "^ 1efl ^ Vedic ***

yJom were chiselled away and niches were patched up

^V > Jib: v•

*

V

A Ftclorin 1 Anitlyirfe

in

with broken bit* of marble, Readers are advbw4 to *»,^^ the niches and door frame* with a magrifyfo. fa******close attention to realize the colossal Islamic da*****,

and marihandling of the entire Tejomahalaya temple-^^ ^JfAlso observe the rectangular ventilator frame n^ ^ ^^The right flank oblong atone is a black -tint patch.

Observe the two arched niches. The arches embatyfag

genu -circular folda are a Hindu architecture speciaUtv. Tha hybrid

term *Indo- Islamic architecture' was forged by bafftad Wotem

scholars who mistook captured and manhandled Hindu buMop

to be Muslim . For instance readers may closely observe the barianlaf

w

hiThe Taj Mahal U A Temp}* Piiac*

.Ijb line briow the arches of the two niche*. Tbey betray pat«hWOfk

dabbling. Also notice the horizontal narrow marble strip at the

top of the pkture consisting of pieces of marble of different lints

and sa* crudely patched up.

This a the loft side of the west arch. Notice the broken design

patch at the left «nd the cracked niche panel at right. The lea-hand

fewer frame has an imperfect diagonal black line running down

the middle which shows that a random slab has been haphazardly

used to cover up some Hindu details.

A ftirtnrlnl Analyili

...

A riverside rear view. The ocuumdpart of the seven^storied building wbich „j£*J *• <** Has a moaque from 163] A. ». Tn P Wi^iJIl ^ *****is part of the so-called Jawah. Cow*!* £*'

+ "» * to

stone wall In that wall is « flSear horil^l^^lower port.on ,s the plinth. Tn* Upper^ £* *» 1W

the space below r.he two marble lowers, n* own dn !I^T"side of the marble lo^ m the ^ J^jfi?**paved with red stones, forming the bus of the mHrble «„££

There are two doorway* in U» plinth (not **n in th,. prtff)

close to the two tow- - rhe pKnlh and the «* * "f^,'visible) above the ptinth-lin* recent t*o iterw « "

Below the plinth there h probably * wk**^'^plus the two stories in red stone pnd U»^^ ^^jtogether make the seven stories of lh« «* f ^ ^abai.in prince Aunngvb's tetter 10 hh f^

_ ^^^^Likewise the two ftnnkins nAtfm* uU,wul

th0 abowpicture)

(of which only the two corner towers arc *™ ^^ ,r a*

are referred to as the mosque »rw l!*J'

^ ^ g^b^ •*

abrupt confiscation of the whol* »*»» '

vm A. R.

IHThe Tty Mahal It A Tempi*? Palace

A Pictorial Annlyaia

The three dome* of the to -edited mosque are n misfit in Mam.

Su** Islam has only one Allah and one prophet for whom is the

third dome? Moreover the qibto (I.e. the prayer niche) fe not

aligned to the Raba in Mecca as it should be fit a genuine mosque.

Abo when there are three qiblaa instead of one I hey couldn't all

be aligned to the Kaba at the same time. And since the twin

building on the eastern flank is a non -mosque it automatically

follows that its identical counterpart to the west is also a non - mosque.

Only buildings with the same function and purpose can have an

identical design.

to* .a a fronud^ of the „maaM mQgqw fadnjf^mm*wuhalsya from the west At the right rear comer may be

linf**™*

i™ - storied red-atone, marble -top towerto* down to the river bank Six atorfcs of this are above•wad and one bdow the river level. Ukcwise. the marble Taj

one red .tone basement under the ground, twomd iton* fn*n the river-level u|lwarda and four stories

MlThis eo-called mosque toe Is **, -^ ^In the picture is three-storied. The th™3L^ pt cn ***storey, Thes^led ventilators above the *£"?T^K °*lea mar* the upper storey, while the thw. a! ""1* **form the topmost storey. There are three m*T*

*" "* *"**reaching down to the river level and «,« J?'^ ^wieahmaking In all seven,

* "**«»«an bum^,

There is an Identical seven -storied red stone marble- top,

twin -building facing the marble Tsj Mahal from the cut. Wbi

the edifice seen in the above pteturc Is advertised n mWbecause it stands on the wesL flank its twin on the eastern I

is justified by Islamic bluffs as a 7*™*>' F * - *". ^Intelligent visitors must not be taken in by web ^^J? f

a genuine mosque is never a seven-rtcried buMta*j*"^will never be In the Vedte ochrecolour atone- Thirdly ^^^on the eastern flank is a non -mosque to^^^^on the western flank too must be » nw "m,

?T!Li in &* **to be remembered that if two bitdimgs are ^ ^^ ^hape their uses too must be identical- * _^- <*, um

the eastern flank b non-mo*** «w «"

JIT.COM

316Tti*- Taj MahnJ 1* A Temple Palac,

mrtern side must also be * non-mosque. The qibln U. the central

--vr, »rch or the above building is not aligned to Mecca as it

ihouJd have been, had it boon raised as a mosque. The muezzin's

miotni loo is missing. If the lone Muslim caretaker in the so-called

mosque is talked into cooperation he lights a dim lantern and guides

one IhiWffh the dark corridors of the seven* storied edifice.

Alternatively one may romp through the identical seven -storied

building on the east. On the red -stone pavement at the foot of

the «rt*m building is a full scale replica of the gilded pinnacle

shaft that stands rooted in the Taj Mahal high * dome. Thereto

one may dearly *ee that the design shows a metal pitcher (based

on the midpoint of a curving shaft) with the sacred Vedic coconut

placed on curving mango-tree leaves. That the pinnacle replica is

displayed on the eastern flank is significant because of the importance

of the East In Vedic life. The two flanking buildings were

reception-pavilions of the temple-palace.

A pictorial Armlyeli

JIT

A close-up of the octagonal wen.^^ .

reaching down to the river level at the nortW**** U™*

Tejomahfllaya complex. ^* «* <- Q»

xat.com

911

The Taj Mihnl U A Tcmpln Pa^

murbie ptlnlh baa * rt* toil a ^•ton« »Wty«Pl At

f r earner* of th«l courtyard arc such identical oetaRonaj

^d pavilion*, vhich along with In* marble towers at

"Lr corners of lh» n™*1* Plinlh scrved M wa,ch lo*W8 fop

during the day am* 8s larnp towers during the night so

J ^ ^^1^ could identify the Tejomnhnlaya tcmplc-psta,

fnsned op In light* in <*"* ni8ht5 '

^ aci^wi has a special significance in Vedfc tradition which

boWa that Cod and the sovereign hold sway in all ten directions.

Theoctagon represents the eight surface directions while the pnnaclc

poinu to th* heaven and the foundation to the nether world.

Consequently octagonal patterns abound in Vedic (Hindu) temples

and palaces.

11* inverted lotas cap on top of the dome is also a Vedic

apeoafiiy because in Vedic etiquette the hands, feet, eyes and face

of respected and doted individuals are invariably referred to as

lotus-heads, lolus-feet. lotus-eyea and lotus face. Personal names

seefe as Kama]. Rajeev, Mrinal, Saroj are all synonyms of lotus.

Beyond the river stream may be seen a similar redstone tower

vfckh indicates that there used to be bathing ghats on either bank

which were iVmnfahed at Shahjahan's orders. Boats also used to

ply hi those days across the river stream. Iron rings fixed in

the redstone wall at the rear of the Tejomahalay were meant to

the ooau. The ruins on the other bank are remnants of

KTBcicrea which were razed by invading Muslims. But

»"¥ guides vying to impress gullible visitors in a hurry mislead

u«r by bluffing that those constitute the foundation or a

blade urbts mausoleum which Shahjahan intended for himself.

bus the Swbjaheo legend serves as a merry bandwagon in which

my number of audi Muslim bluffs could be shoved by anybody

immetely. When even the white Taj Mahal isn't Shahjahan's

b* couldn't even dream of raising its black marble match I

A ftcurlal AnHy*

A close-up of the southern wing of lh„the trident designs inlaid at the two »houidIand at the central apex.

,i.

••I

1

-!.,! ""Km Wo,

ki. *lifc» •t <"1 wNow lake a dose look at the white toarWt

JH

HITh* n.J Mohnl b A TeniHp 1^1^

h«] and gag the square window above the eni ranee arch. Abo nolle

cMprH «rf pinion of the red stone base of the window

Such close JnspedJnn from lop lo bottom, inside mnj ^of every ttUk* forming iV Tejo Marwlqya temple.pa\mx complex

will reveal bow the gn«gmg and Muling, blocking and barring or

thousand* of rooms and hundreds of ventilators, staircases nnd

doorways, uprooting idols and burying I hem inside Healed chambers

Ixj disfigure and defHr a world -famous specimen of glorious and

imperii V<dic architecture wilh the help of thousands of labourers

lotlinjr unpaid lo the crack of whips was misunderstood by

contemporary European visitors such as Tovernier. Hornier and

Peter Mundy as construction of u mausoleum

All thill was o colossal misunderstanding and misrupresenlalmn.

When the casual, stray, foreigners, ignorant of the local language

paturad to the local Mur.Um supervisors inquiring as to what

that furious 'building activity' for? they were informed that

it was a mausoleum being readied for Mumtnz. That was technically,

ironically and tragically Lrue but factually il was vandalism

accompanied by imperial Mogul robbery on a gigantic scale.

Note the pairs of cobra design on the red -stone panel at the

of in<. What ore the cobras there for if the building

waa a moaqui

A FfcUMilll AlmlH*

* edifice on the next page is even to this day known as

ma, literally meaning a drum house. Every prominenttemple Wd palace has such pavilions where sacred, soft

trains used to be played on the ahchnai to Ibe beat

morning and evening Tejomahslay temple prayers

txmgPBgulions. CorrespondLnnly music [a taboo both

Mm mosques and mausoleums. Moreover music sncl

are lotelly ruled out in burial grounds where the dead

we are told Thwefora the Nagar Kluma Is y<*

«00 of the temple palace origin of TejoMnhaluya mluut Tajmahul

ii

There is an exact twin of this Nsgar Ktuuu juat opposite on

the eastern border of the garden like this one an tha western aid*

to between them in the centre of the rectangular garden Ea a marbW

cistern.

Such symmetrical planning is an hall •mark of Vodic architecture

while Islamic constructions are all confused conjjlomcmut of

Jumbled -up, pell-mell pal term

The octagonal marble- lop lotus -petalled cupels of the Kagtr

Khana and its ochre stone, matching thu Hindu flog, is yet pr^thw

distinguishing Vedtc trail.

Though only three stories of this edifice nre «*i seaw Ui

garden-level it could be that underneath there are four m*

reaching down through the massive defensive will (o

complex) at the rear.

To the right about 50 yds. away is the »«***£»£between this Nagar Khana and the W'^W "^^ ^os* s

like nn octagonal tower outwardly. Hal

•even -storied well with circular stairways

w*t*r level lollyinir with the nearby river level-

leading ri*bt «P»

CM

Ttw Tii) Mahil la A Temple Ptf&c,

m(V. »m# of the* **"<* ** -ncieftl a***"1*1"**^ knives

eapaitjnenb. in the seven stones served as a royal treasury.

nnuTt-choais used to be in (he lowermost storey so that

. -uw br pushed into the well for safety in case the premise

iU> be surrendered to a superior enemy. Cashiers occupied the

to*er stories w^e '"* wKher ofndais *lu»tUsd on the "P**1" storfe»-

Ite waUT in the well served as natural airconditioner with no

roadsaoJsm (liable to breakdowns) involved. Such ingenious

l^umitof of nature to human needs requiring no maintenance

ataff, equipment or funds is a unique speciality of Vedic architecture.

Encyclopaedias and other reference books carelessly record that

the Tajmnhal complex consists of guest rooms ,guard rooms , stables

,

hopping arcades and pleasure pavilion a. All these are

•Wwtenaocaa of a Vedlc abrine and not of premises cluttered with

»TPHi. The picture above deplete a kitchen for pilgrims

the aide of what wta an earlier sentinel tempi*tan - now poiniad out u standi Begum', tomb.

A Pictorial Analysis

The correapondinK tomb of Satumth. «tIt what is dubbed a* Fatohpuri Ba^JSZT ^ ****** «

All this shows how the !avisb> extensive, ancient, «ucrvd, V«dlc,

Hindu Tejomahalaya pilgrimage complex in being wfldfr.

indiscriminately, loosely and wantonly contained «««y ea tiroqw*

and tombs of nondisseript harem women *tio bad not evm i dwxtrt

roof over their heads during their life-times mid who* nam** hn*t

been hardly ever mentioned to histoid

Aa onecome, out ofIteomlon,0**O»UI-*""**"*.„d ton,, loft to p™«d «o*n thoH« "< *J"J^on the .oft o toil gotowoyM into tho r

; ' ;<' £*

while . little further on tho *« b tht»^ l "*™,JTboing mlmSco si„« 1631 A. D. » » "oodcenpt mo^-

What we have shown above is only » rw

sculptural islamic forgery abounding in t»»

^^^The Itynuiha) oompte* li ' ^ , wUh ^ usldsrs *

im army of technicians and scholars **«<«»

OT:iiK-]?.

Th# Taj Mahal Is A TVmple Pa^

min««iv ww m> nook, comer ami wall from the crypts to

pinnae** of all the seven storied edifices Including the seven storfoi

wO.HundwlJof nwnt. staircases and balconies sealed by Shahjahan

vf) have to be opened up and pried into.

The four cenotaphs ought to be dug up w<\ examined for therauou that Shabjahan and Mumtaz, just two Individuals.

arvtbeen buried in two cenotaphs each. Thai clearly showstwo of those four cenotaphs are fakes . Then Lb© questiona which of those are fakes , the ones in the upper octagonal

i or in Lhe basement chamber ? What is the purpose offake cenotaph* ? What are Lhey hiding ? And how- does

wpaam away Mumtaz'* cenotaph in Burbanpur 7

lundreds of Vedic idols must have been buried or walledrijmabal eornpto .hould be apparent from the analysis

tto book. A corroborBUon was unexpectedly recentlytWe published by a fortnightly titled India Tunes

It. **Atofton, D.C.. U.S.A. on page 12 of the issue&. mi. To* ml* of the article, contributed by Mr.

;<f"«au». T«. U.S.A. was Karhnla in Falehpor

^b«J how when in 1978 he visited the Taj

K Pictorial Analyirii

Mnhol "I met on old prdener k u «*

of the Taj and he toTd ^^^r,^going on inside the Taj no }££**»* *>m, r^***the closed rooms. He saw with hC,'^ * ***^Zstacked on the four aid* of Uw^^""** »n*,S£Hindu saw him there he •» i,d 7'^ *» wwrataT.room without permission. The poor 11 ,* wn* "«• u»job left forthwith but evenrfnee, he hathL .

f("r <* T«ta« bis

to people who would believe him. He «T,t!. l^^ H**Vthe undent faith of the land where L ,n^ ^ ' * *accept Islam, by the sword.A*^^^^ *

TheghostsofShahjahan,Mumtiaindan,™k„ , . t

men and women buried in theT^^£**+fierce and cruel so as to force Govern^ of i££^and academicians flaunting high qualification* and aodtJ.^Zthe world to desist from disclosing tbe *JF«25SXincessantly for the last 350 and odd years. This is a tad cxamuJon tbe frailty of human character They would rather put up withfalsity and fraud than disclose the truth and be damned.

Through tbe threadbare discussion of the Thj Mahal Issue

presented in this book our objective is to awaken and den scholar!

and bureaucrats to the fact that historic edifices throughout tbe

world advertised as Muslim are invariably captured property. Timthe so-called Cardova mosque and Athambra in Spain, the A) Acpa

and Dome on the Rock in Jerusalem, the Shah-i-23nd and Tanwtow

mausoleum in Russia, the Ghazni tower in Afghanistan and the

numerous forts, palaces mosques, mausoleums and townships

advertised as Muslim in India will be found to pre-date bdam If

the present gullible and shoddy methods of namesake historical

research are severely shunned.

Untfl I published my discovery in 1965 A. D. that the TJJMabifl

fa not a Muslim mausoleum but a captured and miwsi

temple - palace called Tejo Mahalnya, for over 300 yean '<;*

been completely oblivious of the abounding boh- ™»JJ""~in the edifice such as the one shown on the next page. TW> "

the world of difference in viewing tbe T«) Mahal a* a nuuw

or as a temple palace. .^jWhen one stands near Mumtax's cenoUph (wt h^ ^^

the ancient sacred Shivhng) and looks up a*)**.

I

I

Th* T*J Mahal la A Tempi* PbJ,^,

the concave domed oslina* the holy Hindu pattern shown below.

A m^ dhafn hang* Aw™ Trom the con in- of 1 he dome surrounded

br ihsftl P^'Jnif * 'he ^ifr* Vodfc «JI«cUons-

A"««nd them is

darter ct Jfi cobras, since J*rd Shiv is always associated with

Own- In th* circle around the cobras are .12 tridents, the special

missile of I^rd Shtv. Hie outer wider circle is made up of Hi lotus

H,i All Ihwe concentric circles represent petals of the myslic

, taut mad* up of multiples of eight.

A Rctorln) Analyst

Igji

The lofty red - atone gateway to ^ T«,try tickets in decorated («t abotit theWw? Whcre^

^

surface) by the above continuous dM»„ih J*frWn iht &*r

and out.UV* '"win* b«h h^

Peer at it carefully to realize that the entire bunting ii msdt

up of such cleverly wrought .three -in-one Gsnesfa image* (two In

profile at the right and left with trunks raised and one frontal

In the centre). Lord Ganesh is appropriately at the entrance iwi

Vedic saffron colour. Tf carefully counted they are likely toin

in exact Vedic multiples of 8.

Burhanpur is a very ancient historic city on the Cenlr^"*between Khnndwiiand Bhusawal junctions,^ ttn*^j£^of the building on the next page bears witness to Wu ^^for the upkeep of captured Hindu Vnf^9'T^ ^ ,i .11

of their pinnacles Is proof of our succinctf^ ^ MluUra

historic sites the construction is all Hindu and dartr**"

Burhanpur and the nearby Asirgarh «°*>

I

Th* Tij Mihd la A Temcfe Pa«*

toosjiuliiy to Hindu royalty proceeding north or south on imTgrimaie.

9 military expeditions.

Burhanpur has many magnificent mansions which are currently

being described as mosques and tombs of alien Islamic Invaders,

became of protracted Islamic occupation.

This building is one such ancient Hindu royal palace captured

by the Moghuls. Mumlaz died here during her 14th delivery around

1631 A. D, while the and Shahjahan were camping here. She b

said to be buried in a Hindu pavilion in front of this palace, shown

in another picture earlier.

Tba corridors at the approach to the Taj Mahal are typically

Hindu. They may be seen In any ancient Hindu capital. Note In*

two octagonal towers (cupolas) at the right and left top in the

photo overleaf. Only Hindus have special names for the eigW.

direction! vtd celestial guards assigned to each . Any octagonal feature

in hieioric bufldinga ibould convince the viaitor of their Hinduongin. Guaida. palanquin -bearers and other attendants resided in

bsndreda of room* ilang numerous auch corridors whr-n tbf

A PfcUJfW Analyrfi

Taj Malud was • Hindu implt pafck* tw»magnificent and majeatie before rt »» l^fcaJ ,

*

cemetery

.

™*w»*'ea«gbP|

The whole spacious quadrangle outside the Wty «rtnsw to

the Taj garden la lined by such stately ihoppng are*

the French visitor. Taveraier describe* t> * baar of «ii court..

AD outstanding Hindu tempi* bavt seen baa* around »hm.

I

m Th* Taj Mahal h A Tempte Fa]aco

Visitors standing on the marble platform of the Taj Mahal facing

its lofty entrance arch should carefully study this design whichadorns rts top, Th* uppermost pattern is that of rows of cob™facing ouch cither with hoods raised. Underneath them Is an inlaid

bunting of bells. Underneath them are koranic extracts (nkid in

bits of marble of different hues and sizes to fill up flaps left after

ctfrociinp Sanskrit inscriptions and Hindu decor.

A Pictorial Armlyds

*1

The dome of Ite Tfcj Mahal bearing * W(h|Af rt mm -rusting cigtaUmeUil Hindu bDm T^ ni^T*^

"l*ta

a lightning deflector Ux>. * ™* *"«> *

The T*j M*h«l Ti A Tempi* p,^

TUt pnnad* tm brm blindly assumed by mawy to be an Islamic

and alar or b %hmio* conductor installed by the British.

Thm t$ * mm*tr* of the caretesa manna- in which Indian history

has ton studied lDJ no* Visually identifiable things like thit pmnacktoo h«Mf bee© mFsinterpeelfid with impunity. The Tatus -top of I h?

dam*, beknr the pimuicli*. in vn unmistakable Hindu sign . A full-scale

figure of ihi> pinnacle ia inlaid in the eastern courtyard

.

Thr decorative ginfle around the lower pun of the dome also

idrfpiru k*us petal*, which id • stricUy Hindu motif.

A dow-up of the upper portion of the pinnate* of the *ftj

liahaJ, photographed from the parapet beneath the protruding dome.

The Hindu horizontal crescent and the coconut top together

look like a trident from the garden level

lalaznte cracenLa arc always oblique. Moreover they are almostelwtyi complete drcks leaving a little opening for i star.

Thii Hindu pinnade had all these centuries teen misinterpreted

m an Islamic crescent and star or a lightning conductor installed

by the British.

The emboned writing on the pinnacle needs a thorough forensic

probe Researcher* must climb up to the upper-pan of the pinnacle

ahown abov* to doaely dmpber the erode lettering on the piLcher

front bdow the coconut design. It is suspected that the fSn/t British

anrhaaok^cal chief in India, Alexander Cunningham got the Islamic

riogan Alliho Akbar emboased on the metal surface with a

flame-thrower atove. fine* Cunningham had mired as a Major

Central from the British Indian Army engineering group it ia

bdUe**d thai among the trusted lieutenants whom he entrusted

th*L forging job wm* one Taylor and others who took care to Imprint

th«ir own names too at the same tpot at the front or back. Gen.

aai made the first archaeological chief in India only

r he had vuggoted to hia higher upa a cunning plan to attrfbuta

mc* hE*orkal adlffcw in India to Muslima to put them at loggerhead*

wkh Hindu* to «Aiure perpetuation of British rule in India. It wa»

A Pictorial AMlyiii

in pursuance of that nefarious plan that ^"'^T. ^ te kvfe

historical bridges towen. fort*, tn*iw***>g fW t^.

to invading Mualims. It ia thpt biw* chkan«*

like a halter around Indiana historical nide.

>M

XU Th* Tnj Mahal U A Tcmpfe p^Thts ful scalt figure of the pinnacle on the dome, has been

iniaid in ibe red -stone courtyard of the Taj Mahal.

One may see it to the east M the foot of the rivemfde wch

a picUJrW Analyris

of the flacOdflB building wrongly dubbed a* jWlfa (__(,,„.alias Jnifiiat Khana (community haul by Muslim W|_ftaor-aketcbe* in courtyards are common Hind., trait Zv^g^ri H to the uackgammoo board which la aketcbod in „ «courtyard Thai the pinnacle design has been sketched on to*Z«mnank to also significant since the east is of primordial important,

In Vedjc culiure.

The coconut-lop and the bent mango leaves underneath rerttau

on a kalnsh (i.e. a water pot) ia a sacred Hlnda motif, Hindushrines in theHimalayan foothills have identical pinnack*. Thaisstern

location of the sketch is also typically Hindu. The length measuraalmost 32 ft.

The apex of the lofty entrance arches on all four aide* of the

Taj Mahal bears this red and white lotus Indent - tadtaUn* that

the building originated as o Hindu temple The Koranic letumay

forming the middle strip was grafted after Shahjohan seised toe

buudtng from Jaipur state's Hindu rotor, Notice the puicba of

marble of dissimilar sizes and shades around the Karon, making

it dear thai the stones bearing Koranic «tracU were used only

to fill up gaping cavities left after digging out Sanskrit inscription!

and Vedic idols around the archways on all four a'da of lb* Taj

edifice.

This is the Dhatur. flower essential f0r Hindu Shiy*^k.

Tne flow b depicted in the .hup* of the ascred e«JTTr* ?"

i»c*nteiion *OM: Embossed daafcna of this blooming qjJdrawn over the exterior of the octagonal cenirtl sanctum of

<**"*

where now . fake grave in MumUu's name, has been .^ZTWWe perambulating around the contra! chamber one may .WZt'CW deafens all along the exterior aurfac* of the marble wall

iVlorUlAnalyst S7

J

Alio on the same wall (not seen In this photo) are embossed

marble panels showing foliage of the conch- shell design which wain

i» a aacred Hindu motif.

Such are the magnificent marble -paved shi/iintf, cool, while

bnght rooms of the Taj Mahal temple palace's marble ground floor

Even thelowar third portion ofthe walla iseovcrod withroagninew t

marble mosek. The doorway at the left looks suspiciously closed with

a alone abb. One caui perambulate through these room* around the

. octagooal sanctorum row occupied by Mumteas fix* «rs»*.ccnlrl*

rlunj noen through the central door, cnsblod perambuWitu

^oJpa to a<*P lncir ey€S fixed °" the Shiv* -rcon ,n *• «"WJfbor This perambulaUwy passage is yet another proof of (he

eX» having originated as a temple.

Hindu Shiva icona are consecrated in two chambers one above

the other. Therefore Shahjahan had to raise two grave

of MuroUs - one In the marble basement and U» otter

ground floor to desecrate and hide both the ^"*££*oubJie view. That explains why two cenotaphs on l*

to be erected for a single corpse.

srbk structure

Such are the rooms on the 1st floor of T^^ floor

of the Taj Mahal. The two staircases kudm* ° ^ a>m 4«re kept locked and barred since Shabjahwis ^^ t**u*

Iheee upper storey chambera Is darkened by ^^^ ^rj

Mogul troopers who encamped in Uw» **** ^^ ggprf ****ay silver doors, the gold mflin« «nd other

*o hotl water and cook meals.

Tlw Taj Mahal \s A Temple Pnlac*

4 u* wall* of such upper «<»r rooms cm *» seen

ThffV,or*V >ww««trioDed off their marble panels Shahjahan

I

contraiing grave* rod engraving the Koran because he did nol

t wbmfrocn to procure marble matching the splendour of the

Lb* Tij Mahal. Ho was also so stingy as not to want lo

nmcb even on convening a robbed Hindu temple into ann* mwKteum. He addressed four letters to Raja Jafeingh of

•nd tome sundry mv\to. That was adding Insult toJ^n*b fat wrp«t*d to supply marble to disfgure«W. lAundmd lemple-paiace by littering it with

^T^ltt^** ? And lhere">re «"*»» nol only"»»y marble but afco^^ W(jrk|fr3

^ dwn l«> ih* tton^»y>«n»*triol one at the other end

MurctM f «»« *cb Btthp** marWc platform Two such

"*rbW piinUi i^ *J^»

»d western ends) behind Lbc««tner chambers.

A Pfctortal Analysis

Visitors may go to the back of the m* yor wafern end and descend down lb, ?|Z* ^* "l th°^to In. *y- Bui al the foot the iS&Sj? * *Wup an iron -grill door which It keeps locked y

hlH "*fnrni the iron grill m the upp,,. Mrt n,\ * "* »V **p

uH «„ „W ,- K .«. uTOr wnicti it keeps locked vLinside from the iron grill fa the «mr pari of'tbeC

MBThe Toj Mahal is A Trnipfo p„j

Shiihjntwn had *»l«l (>vcn lhese lwo stairea*M- It wm the

Mfch who flpn*^ lh«n. ftul from ^Mahaii's time the storio

bttar ind above themnrble ground floor have been barred to visitors,

W# are still following Mogul dictates and Muslim secrecy though

tang free IWffl Mbful '^m"* ru,e-

One of the S locked rooms fn the secrel storey bene-nth the

mxrhl? pisiform of «hi« Taj MahaL which the Archaeological Survey

«

t

A Pictorial AnnlynJH

of India k<*pa conopiniloriaUykic]ttri

Therefore th« public must,jnTOmria? u,^*** U* **,

locked and sealed chambers in *!l moaumW^T to ** *Strip, of Undent Hindu paint UJ> ,

Wlll'*B^Uvdoo^v Uomch« nboveh^^nlin^Jn^ *** lhrt*frubbed off by Muslim d«Bcr,,tora

Hjn|h ¥«l». obfe^

The rooms may be ween 4oor- within dpublic knew that the Taj Mahal b • gtoeJTj!?,

*T tf "*room* they would inata en seeing U* wh.1* ofTil * ' *only peep inta ife grave chamber and *«% ,,,

mL lhflr

One of the ffi room, in the seer*^ underorth U* »«*phnth of the Taj Mahal. Many Wch fctun* f th. •£££

u

MSThf Taj MftbnJ ta A Tempi*p^

unknown to the P" 1^ w teng M ilM* *• IL °"ly M ' **">°.

If ihe p«W>f *«** **•* much ll tS mbsIn* in the ^ Ml^al it

vffl Inwrt that th* gawmmwii unseal all the seven stories in all

fi9 buildings.

A Pictorial Analysis

A comer of one of I he 22 rooms in the secret storey immediately

below the marble platform of the Taj Mahal. Note the strips of

Hindu paint on the wall. The ventilator at the left, meant for air

and light from I he riverside, has been crudely walled up by Shahjahan.

He did not bother even to plaster it. Had Shahjahan built the Taj

is mausoleum what was the purpose of such 22 rooms ? And

why arc they kept locked ? Such crude, unplastcred fillings constitute

Shabjahnn's much -flaunted building-work which is carefully and

deliberately hidden from the public.

One of the 22 riverside rooms inMahal unknown to the public. ShahjahanfJISV*'5' * «* TWmarble Taj wantonly diari^

it Cr^£T*W* tt**4n doorway Such imperial Mogul vandault.^? •** *public. This room is in ih* red stone mT t

ff<im **»

the marble plaform. Indian history has b^f'

™*ta% W«in lauding destroyers as tfreat buildm. Tb^tn^jT3 tUn*be referred to not as the creator of^^^m *»*of its costly fixtures and disfTgurer or the iiZ"Jj£t!!!7of the holy Tejomahalaya. *' *eren* }™a*X

t " W

Th* TaJ Mahnl fa A Temple Pbjb^

344

^niilator of one of the 22 rooms in n secret,

xco bPi* middy sealed with unplastert^l bricks by

HjStorv has been so perverted and Inverted that alien

Z?to* Shahjahan who spoiled, damaged, desecrated and

ZZ* historic Hindu buildings, are being falsely paraded as

m« This crude unplsstered wall blocking the tail arched

El venfcW Isfahan'sgrand building work. Govt, of India's

^togcal Survey of India CAS) i> hidin* such waging and

lone of the Taj Mahal from the Public and fraudulently passing

^Hpic and span Hindu features of the Taj Mahal as the creations

Swhjahan

• r

A Pictorial Analysts

Tills eaoteric Hindu design m painM m ^the 22 kicked rooms in the secret at™ bti™ «,_

** *of the Taj Mahal

. Its Hindu name isR^^ *^ P**'*™

fled Shahjahan built the Taj »MWJ-J £«J

such elaborately painted rooms sealed an be^Mo^ F-Even now one can enter these rooms only if one can

the archaeology department to remove its locks.

340

Th# TkJ Mahd T» A TVm|Jo Pntnw

On U* tnnw flunk of the 22 locked rooms Cin tbe secret storey

.__ »^™« iho mnrbk* platform) fa this corridor aboutin r«d *ton*

bout

8.5 a. brood and 320 ft, long. Note the scallop design at the base

of the plinth Huppurung the arches, This is Hindu decoration which

A pictorial Analyris

m

enables one to identify even a hare plinth u Hiajj.

i> pitch dark bwauaeShiihl^iinhMaeai^^^^^ Jfcwrrtaor

allowing light and air. "^"Wmiihrt*,

Many such doorways of chambers in secret atones underneath

the Taj Mated have been seated with brick and lime. Concealed

inside could be valuable evidence such as Sanskrit inscriptiona, Hindu

idols, the original Hindu model of the Tiij, the deaecratwi Shiva

Lings, Hindu scriptures and temple equipment. The Congress Govt

in Delhi is deliberately refraining from opening hundreds of such

sealed chambers inside the Taj Mahal for fear ef enraging Muatos

and exposing the incompetence of historians worldwide.

Besides such sealed chambers there are many which in kepi

locked by the Government. The public must raise its voice to hare

these opened or should institute legal proceedings.

Shree P. N. Sharma of F-26 Safdarjang Development Area,

New Delhi -16 who peeped through an aperture into tbeae chamte

In 1934 A. D. saw a pillared hall with images carved on the pfl

Mr. Ganu an optician of Swapna Neguri. Ksrve Road. P^e o«

also had a glimpse of some of those hidden dark *«^"^vital evidence of the rape of the Hindu Taj Mahal. But

M The Taj Mahal la A Thnpl* p^

were teen-agers then and felt baffled by the incongruity of Vedic

idols. <m wrmi was ftdvertbwd H BO hlarnji won ijff4Pl!<oleum.

A pictorial Analysis

Most people content to «„, Mumta*'*, „_,to go to Ibl rear riverside. TO, te tbe riv^T- ***» f«one mny notice that the few-Aorta] marhv * !

f""n **below || two more Aortal in red atone. Not, \Z^ ? ^ **

in the arrb at the left indicating that there ar. «, "'* i*TttlT*

ibfl row of arches In the upper^ of ^ ^' lra£- *"

In addition to the Tour atoriea in marble, this one thatarches in the 5th atoroy. ^^ n

The «th storey lies in the plinth in the low** p*^photo. In another photo a doorway would be awn In the left

!

of the plinth, indicating the presence of apartment* Inside f™where one could emerge on the river for a hotb.

rtdfUw,

This is a riverside view of the Tij Mahal- TW *""•«**

marble structure above has under it these two itortw

down to the river level. The 22 rooms shown in other pboUj

behind that line of arches seen in the middle. Each sreb u

hy Hindu lotus discs in white marble. Just above lb* gro

kat.com

360 Th» Taj Mahal ) A Tomja,p^Is the plinth In the bfc corner of the plinth is a doorway indicating

that inside the plinth are many rooms sealed by Shahjahan, OnJcould s**P out <* tn* "ver ^nk fnjrn l"* door at the left. Tho7th storey is surmised to be under the plinth below the groundbecause every ancient Hindu mansion had a basement. Excavation

to reach the basement chambers should start under this door. There

is an identical door (not seen in this photo) at the right corner

of the plinth

Mumtaz's so-called graves (in the marble chamber and the

basement) are above these two red stone stories, That raises a

suspicion that Mumtaz is not at all buried in the Taj Mahal because

bow can a corpse be buried on a stone base two stories above

th«» river level ? Her mock -burial was a mere ruse to capture

ant plunder the Hindu mansion.

ngtfbl Analyirf'

This ia the massive octagonal well with palatial apartments along

its seven stories. A royal staircase descends right down to the

m^wr level indicated by the tiny white p** ahowl

of the photo Hash. Aa one stands on the red .tone pavernmt£J, marble plinth of the Taj Mahal, the red .none o«3 £?rt the left-hand extremity houses the weft „*„ >bovfl

This was the traditional treasury well of the Hindu tempi* n&waTreasure chests used to be stacked in the lower stories. Accountant*

^niers and treasurers sat in the upper stories. On being beaiwed

if the buflding had to be surrendered to the enemy the treasure

chests used to be pushed into the water for salvage later after

recapture. For real research, water should be pumped out Qf this

WG1) to reveal the evidence that lies at the bottom. This weB is

inside a tower near the so-called mosque to the west of the marble

Taj. Had the Taj been a mausoleum thia octagonal multi- storied

well would have been superfluous.

An aerial view of the Taj Mahal alias Tejo Mahalaya, ancient

Hindu temple palace complex in Agra. For the last 300 years the

world has been fooled into believing that this stupendous edifice

was buBt by the 5th - generation Mogul emperor 9iahj»nioi to

commemorate one of his dead wives - Mumtaz. The two Hanking

Swings although identical, only the one in the rear is known

« a mosque. But since the building on the east ii a nan -mosque

jt* counterpart on the west must also be a non mosque. Thougl

jt is being misused aa a mosque, its qfbla i* not aligned to the

The TnJ Mahal l» A Tempi* Pal^

Kab* and ft tJs» l«c»» • muezxln'a tower.

The Taj MaM hut seven stork*. 3S* of them lip sealed and

tarred cflivwitfiif rich evidence. The marble building in the centre

t» flwifo) by «"« symmetries) ones. The one in the foreground

I, tbr tastfm one. The one in the background is being mfercpnaunfed

m • mosque because ft Is lo the west. Those should not have

been identical if only one was to be a mosque. In the courtyard

at the foot of the eastern building b inlaid o full-scale replica of

lb» trident pinnacle- The tiny tower at the left near the western

building, aldoses I huge octagonal seven -storied well.

A Pictorial Ariftlyiil"

m

This is a riverside view of the Taj Mahal. The four-storied

marble structure above has under it these two stories reaching

down to the river level. The 22 rooms shown in other photos are

behind that line of arches seen in the middle- Each arch is flanked

by Hindu lotus discs In white marble, Juat above tbe ground level

is the plinth. Io the left corner of the plinth notice the doorway

indicating that inside the plinth are many rooms sealed by Shahpihan.

One could step out to the river bank from the door it the left-

The 7th storey is surmised to be under the plinth below the ground

because every ancient Hindu mansion had a basement. Esrawition

U> reach the basement chambers should fUrt under this door-

Mumtai's »o-caJled graves (in the marble chamber and tbt

beaement) are nbove these two red stone storiw That misaa a

^scipdon that Mumtaa is iwt it aH buried In tbo Taj Mahal beeaoat

tow can corpse be buried on a atow haaa two ftoriae»the river level ?

The T»J Xlahil U A Tfenpfc p^

PAVANA

VAAUNA

GAGAMA

wrHvi

TAMA

The square diagram to the right above enclosing nine equal

divisions, pertaining to the Vedic deities personifying cosmic forces,

forms the sanctum of every Vedic temple, and is known as Ihe

V«tu Purosh Mandal.

That square sanctum is then endowed in an octagonal frame

depicted in the diagram at the left, That is the contour of the

sanctum of the Vishnu temple at Decgarb (India) and of every

other Vedic temple.

Figures 8 and ICH are considered very holy in Vedic tradition

becauseof their cosmic signifiance . For instance the distancebetween

the earth and the sun is 108 times the diameter of the sun, the

distance from the earth to the Moon is 108 times the diameter

of the Moon, modem computer calculations are octal; satellite?

into space are octagons], and so on.

Above is a sketch of the Brahadeeshwar temple of Tanpvur

in Tamiln&du province of India. The layout of the Taj Mahal shown

on the front cover of this book and in the arris! view of the Taj

shown hereunder being identical proww ihst so -called Taj Mahal

originated as a Shjv temple centuries before the 5th generation

Mogul emperor Shah>ahan,

All ancient churches in Euncje follow the same layout because

they too were pre-Christian Vedic temples which wot misused as

churches by invading Christian zealots

Three centuries later Mohammedans too emulating Christian

usurpation advertised and misused captured Vedic temples and

palaces as Islamic mosques and tombs.

Emperor Sfashjphan himself and his son and successor Auranpub

have been very honest tn laying no claim to the authorship of the

Taj Mahal. So much so that the very ram* Taj Mahal doesn't

figure in their court records or contemporary Islamic chronides.

Contmrily Shahjahans letter dated 3 Febrraiy 16© tfistad &No. 35. earlier No. 46) in the State Archives in BDcaoer (lafia).

"tossed to Raja Jaisingh orders marble from the Makrane, <puny(in Jaipur State) for Islamic tempering in ih* Taj MataJ and dif^cta

Utat the marble be delivered at the 'buildings* in the ftk«ui capul

TW TsJ Mahal to A TWipi, py^

Agra signifying the Tnj Mahal complex comprising of several aev«nitorwS building* K needs to be noted thai all Mogul records shunthe use of the term Taj Mahal like a plague because lhal la the

holy Hindu, Sanskrit Vedk term, Tejomahalaya (Sbiv) temple So-

calW historians all over the world are totally ignorant of thii vital

detail.

A PictorUI Analywi

The bufldlng above located in Agra I* being currently dubbed a*

ithnad Uddaula, That being a title conferred on Muslim courtiers

K is absurd to designate a building by thai Ulk-

Tbe Muslim canard is that Mirxs Chios Beg who held that Utlt

during the 4th generation Mogul emperor Jehangir'i regent.had

that grand palatial building raised over hb corpse By whom

By his wife, son. daughter or his ton -in-law emperor ? And i

Ghias Beg's corpse could command such a palace for it where are

the palaces in which Ghias Beg lived wmn alive and kicking

Historians the world over have proved highly gaffiNe in gulping

such Mualim canards and have totally failed in their academic dut>

to closely cross-question such bogus claims.

Mirza Ghias Beg was the father of Nurjshan. Emperor Sato

Jebangir being infatuated by Nurjahan'a beauty, had her husband

murdered to kidnap and detain Nurjahan as an inmate of his teaming

harem. Consequently her father was elevated to the pot* of

minister and was decorated with the title Itinwd tWdaula.

The latter too had a large harem in the usual Uustm

Even so there is only one pair of cenotaphe in the csntrai

of the above building for Mr. and Mrs. (Which Mrs

had one loo many) Chins Begs

3M Th* Tal Muhal 1. A Tim,,**^But that is not all. Every room of the above palatial buiMf

is cluttered with Mr. and Mr*, pair* Of Muslim cenotaphs ihou"hffvcry Mualim dSgniLory had scares of wives

.

And yet none of Lhe cenotaphs bears any name, that Is Whthose cenotaphs BTO mere Muslim sftaimps and scare-crow- girnmirkito occupy Hindu mansions.

Had the above budding own really raised over Chios fk^'s corpsehow come other Mohds. and Ahmcds and FaUrnaa and Ayeshasrest there incognito ?

Had the building been asombre multitudinous Muslim mausoleumwhy should its walls be adorned with decorative painted designs ?

And why should the building have three stones built in exquisite

multi-coloured gleaming marble ? Besides the two stories seen fn

the photo above the third is underground. All such consideration!!

prove that the above building is the king's palace built during Raja

Parsmardidev's regime 500 years prior to Shahjahan, as mentioned

it* the Sanskrit inscription quoted in an earlier chapter.

.

The above analysts should serve to alert honest historians alt

over the world to totally jettison the current gulliblemode of teaching

and replace it by the legal mode of judicious cross -questioning or

every claim and assertion

.

INDEX

Abdul Karim 84. 85, 109.115

Abd Fnznl 345

Ahmad B7, 11'

Ahmad -bin Arabshah 194

Ahmedsnah Abdul I 88

Akbar79.89. 119. 157,221,224.

226. 236-

Akbarabadi Mahal 133.

Alaptagin 118

Alimardan Khan 211

Allah 245.

AUsuddln KhElji 157,

Alimash 157.

Amanat Khan Shirffll 180.

Ambedkar 71

.

Anderson 153.

Aneesh Ahmad 222

Asaf Khan 13, 133.

Aurangxeb 53, 6*, 73. Ill,

141*143, 151, 213.

Austin de Bordeaux 116.

Azam Khan 139.

Axcexoodeen 110. 111.

Azizulls 99.

BaWH.12, 146-150, 179,221,

2S7

.

B&gw&n-fM

Bahlo! IjhII '221.

Bakhtawar Khan 89,

llannuhar 81.

•H:r.v.mlI;"18

Brnier 75. 87.90. 110. 132. 133.

1% 215.

Ahaglrath Bhil 139.

Uliawani 206.

BSkramJit 139.

Brown, Percy 167.

Chsmanl Begum 133.

Chanda. Ramesh 186, 197.

Chandl Sewa 176,

Chandragupta Maurya 212.

Chandrsmauleeshwar 201

.

Collingwood R. G. 15. 244.

Cunningham 166. 167. 174. 199.

Daniel 154.

Dara Shikoh 65. 131 149

Daubl Afaal 131-

DauktKhan 154.

Dells VaUe 130.

De LaeL 133.

Der Spiegel 26.

Dhama B. L. 127.

Dome on the Rock 31

.

Diwanji Begum 160.

Dawson J 18. 40. 50. 138. 210.

Einstein 12.

Elliot Sir, H. M. 18, 19, 40. 50.

58, 59. 110. 138, 145, 152. 153.

155. 157, 177. 210, 245,

Earn 84,

Fatah Khan 42.

Fatehpuri Mahal 133,

Fergusson 125. 161

FcrtreshahTughlak 157, 2-13. 245

Galileo 12, 26.

Gandhi. Mahatmo 222.

Gauharn 131.

Geronimo Vironeo 116. 125-

Chhuuddin Tughlak 225

Ghosh. Arvind 23

Ibsdtfl Bc»fum 150, 2."

Harvard UnhrrsUy 27

HawetlE.B.69. 116-118 125-127.

129,172,

Hernu (Himu) 119, 154.

Herbert Thomas 133.

ffindallSG.

Hoshang Shah 226,

HunwyunSS, 149. 150, 166,167,1T4. 204. 221.

Huriri Nka 131

Tbribim 125. 147, 148, 204.Inayil Khan 89. 138

India Book House 22.

India Allah Khan 222.

In 116.

Ismail Khan Rumi 84.

Itfnvad-rjddaulah 68. 200 2112H. 219.

*"' m '

Jafar Khan 132. 133,

Agsl Singh HI. 221

-J*****!!Gutabrao 70.

JaaanaraTT,131

m mr

.St"*3 «• «o.

J*"* ".42. 45.8, 134 .«

J^Khwa,

******&

«*d j ,.7-

^,"r wants:

1.12. MiU7

' "25, ^Kasim Khan 130. I35>

KeeneH. C. m ina*'

I«2. 207. 2M. 215 21a' i2'la°*

Khan Jahan 138-140.

Khan Zaman 140.

Khawaspum 176, 220.

Khusru CKhossrau) 131. tfig

Khwajs Abul Hasan 160.

Krishna 146.

Kutubuddin 157.

Lakshrninarayan 140.

Langley 15*

Langlots 244.

Latfulk 88, 1.1 1.

Mahabat Khan 138.

Makammal Khan 84, 85. 115.

Makramat Khan 109.

Manilqaj 140.

Manrfque 116, 133.

Mansingh 12, 32. 42 t 148, 149,

154, 156, 221. 232. 249.

Manuccl Nicolao 132. 163, 236.

Margabandhu 192.

Marshall, Sir John 116,

Massachusseis Institute ofTechnology 27.

nud Khan 87.

^1*. Marvin l|. tW< m l87iWO. 207. 251.

Mohd- AmEn Knrwfni 89.Mohd-Wn KaaJm

! 257Mohd Ghaua 14

^nd-Ghiiiannvi 28. J 18. |ftfl,

&l, M2H.

Indti

Mohd Ghprl 1W.

Mohd. Ibrahim 44.

Mohd tea Afandl 116

Mohd. Jalal 195. 196

M hd Kaalm 138. 143.

Mohd Khan 89-91. IW.

Mohd. Prophet 27.

Mohd Sadtk Khon 89. 138.

Mahd. Shah 44.

Mohd. Sharif Ranif 89.

Mohd. Woris 89. 138.

Moinuddin Ahmed 109, 112. 129,

169, 160. 170-172, 175, 177.

Moinuddin Onfall 14.

MonseitnUs 245

Mubarak Manzfl 119, 120.

MufazzalKhan 89, 117.

MukhcrjiS. P ifiS^

Multa Abdul Hamid Labor I 12. 40.

51. 57, 80. 83. 100, 115, 130.

132.138,140,142,160,210.211.

227, 237, 238.

Mumlaz (occurs frequently)

Mundy , Peter63, 72. 73. 78. 133.

l&\ 242.

Murad Bakih 131, 141, 144.

Nadir Shah 210.

Niujaraja, Rao Dr. M. S. 186.

187.

Nupolean 49.

Norasimhniao P. V. 191, 192.

Nar Singh Deo 138.

Nuwub Ibrahim Khan Iluzbar

Jung 88.

NiaiunShah 138-140.

Nixnmuddin 14.

Nurjnhnn 133, 21

9

Nuiulltas5mSiddii|uMI,12,I IS,

Ml

237,

Oak P. N. 33. 191-193.

Paramardi Dev, KaUi 199.

Parikahil 140.

Parvez, Prince 154-

Ptra 84.

Pratt School of ArchlUsciure 183.

Piice, Major 153.

Princeton 30.

PrilhviraJ 140.

Purenchond 70,

Roghu 138.

Rat Bharat Malla 89.

Raja Basil 141

Rama 83.

Ramlal Kashmiri 84.

Ram Singh 217.

Renicr G. 3. 15. 247.

Rudradaa Khajanchi 109, 110,

Snbuktogfn 118.

Sadutta Khan 141.

Safdarjang 59.

Saksena B> P. 116, 227.

Salim Chisti 14.

Sanders J, H. 194.

Sang I Bemkhal 140.

Sankey. Lord 15. 218.

Sarhandi Begum 78. 79. 134*136

Schiller F. C. S- 244.

Sefgnbos 244.

Sen S. N. 58.

Shuh Ismail Safwi 1#>.

si ihJahan (occurs fivquenLly)

Shahji 133

Shaht-iar 131.

Shah Shuja 131. 139, 144.

Shahu I 10

Shama-I-Shlrw Afif 245,

The Taj Mah | fo A Temple fc^

Shanand Satyadeva 23, 24.

Shayista Khan 133,

SherShahmShta32, 125, 151.198.201,202*

201-236. 208.

Shivaji 217

Shukrullah Arab 42. 44.

$ikandarLodi221.

Sleonan W. H. 109. 115, 216,

217,

Smith. Vincent ll. Ufi , m, 149.

221.

SuriaBano 131

Syed Muhammad LaMf ifif),

Syed Sulaiman Sahib Nadvi 88.Tamer-tain 28. 144. M5 ity iqa

228,

Wnieru, 12.21.50,^72.« *. 122. 123. m 1.17

Taylor, Bayard 109, 207. 208Tessftori 245.

Ujla 138.

Umaid Baksh 131.

Valmlkl 83.

Vaze K. V. 126, 127,

Verma R. S, 69.

VikramadiLya 212.

Vishnu 199, 200, 207.

Vishaldeo 59. 221

.

Waldemar Hansen 76, 77.

Walsh W. H. 244, 247.

Warls 133;

Wazii' Khan 42.

Williams. Evan T. ia5.

Zafar Khan 140.

ZaLmulla 84.

Zorawar fti.

OTHER BOOKSBY^HRjQAjPublished ByHINDI SAH1TYA SAIUN

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