Busting an urban myth about the Taj Mahal

A monument of national importance, the Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO describes it as a “masterpiece of architectural style in conception, healing and execution”. This 17th-century wonder is once again at the center of many ideology-driven narratives. In this process, history is being pushed into the shadows.

The latest attempt to build an ideologically driven narrative took place against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham in December 2021. In a commendable gesture, Mr Modi showered flower petals on the sanitation workers working at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, thanking them for keeping the temple clean. But this heart-wrenching gesture soon became another reason to criticize the Mughals. Many news channels started comparing Mr Modi with the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The main point was that unlike the Prime Minister who showered flowers on the sanitation workers, Shah Jahan cut off the hands of the builders of the Taj Mahal. Some politicians from the ruling party raised the thread in their misogynistic gaiety. Within no time, social media was flooded with posts suggesting that the workers who built the Taj Mahal had their hands chopped off.

The fact is that this is a well-known urban myth. There is no historical evidence to prove that Shah Jahan did this. This urban myth goes back to the 1960s or at least got resurrected around that time. As this controversy has been raised again, let us revisit the written record to protect the truth.

maker of fresh

The Taj Mahal was conceived by Shah Jahan as a monument to his wife Mumtaz Mahal. UNESCO says that many historical and Quranic inscriptions in Arabic script have helped us understand how the Taj Mahal was built. Masons, stonecutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome makers and other craftsmen were sought from all over the empire and also from Central Asia and Iran for the construction of the monument. UNESCO says: “The Taj Mahal is considered the greatest architectural achievement in the whole range of Indo-Islamic architecture … The uniqueness of the Taj Mahal lies in some of the remarkable innovations made by Shah Jahan’s horticultural planners and architects.”

While we cannot discount the skill and craftsmanship of the artisans and workers, it was indeed the expertise and creative potential of architects and planners, including from Central Asia and Iran, that gave us this marvel. The supervision of the process, from the idea stage to the conception and execution stage, was entrusted to the Mughal nobles.

For example, the account books and Mughal records state that Ata Muhammad, a mason, was paid ₹500 per month. Shakir Muhammad of Bukhara received ₹400, while Muhammad Sajjad, a mason from Multan and Chiranjilal, a mask worker from Lahore, were paid ₹590 and ₹800 per month respectively. The normal salary of such workers was around ₹15 per month, as shown in the period records for trained workers. Therefore, it can be safely assumed that the people cited in the accounting books were the team leaders who were responsible for certain tasks. They were probably tasked with engaging local and other workers. These large sums were redistributed among several people.

In addition, in addition to these masters, architects, calligraphers and organizers are included in the historical record. Some of them belonged to, or became, the Mughal elite. The uniqueness of the monument is attributed to the calligraphy. We know from historical records that this distinguishing feature in the monument was designed and supervised by a noble, Amanat Khan, who was originally a calligrapher from Shiraz, Iran, and visited the Mughal court with his elder brother Afzal Khan in 1608 CE. I had gone. He began working in the royal library of Emperor Shah Jahan, while Afzal Khan soon became the prime minister of the empire. Amanat Khan was appointed to design the calligraphy on the tomb in Agra, which came to be known as the Taj Mahal. Impressed by his work, Shah Jahan awarded him the title of ‘Amanat Khan’ (like an heirloom) and a ‘mansab’, a land title with the nobility. Amanat Khan worked on the Taj Mahal for six years. The calligraphy inside the domed hall of the grand mausoleum was completed in 1638. However, when he completed the most important project of his life, a personal tragedy struck him. Afzal Khan died in Lahore. V Begli, an eminent scholar of Indian and Islamic art, has written that the old calligrapher spent his entire income in the construction of a monument for his brother. It is said that Amanat Khan did not return to Iran at the request of his closest friend Ustad Ahmed, who was the chief architect of the Taj Mahal.

respected architect

Ustad Ahmed was a respected architect who was compared to the elite of the time. The court historians of Shah Jahan emphasize his personal involvement in the construction. More than any other Mughal emperor, he showed great interest in the construction of new magnificent buildings. He held daily meetings with his architects and supervisors.

The court historian, Abdul Hamid Lahori, wrote that Shah Jahan would make “appropriate changes” and “ask competent questions to the architects” in whatever the skilled architects had built after much deliberation. In the writings of Lahori’s son, Lutfullah Muhandis, the names of two architects are mentioned: Ustad Ahmad Lahori and Mir Abd-ul Karim. Ustad Ahmad Lahori laid the foundation of the Red Fort in Delhi. Mir Abd-ul Karim was the favorite architect of the previous Emperor Jahangir. Many designers and architects, 37 in total, are mentioned by name in Mughal history. It is possible that they all worked together to shape the Taj Mahal. These include Ismail Afandi (aka Ismail Khan), who worked as a designer and builder of domes for the Turks in Turkey; Kazim Khan, a goldsmith from Lahore, who cast the dome-crowned gold phenyl; Chiranji Lal, a lapidary from Delhi, who was chosen as the chief mosaicist; Amanat Khan, the master calligrapher whose signature is engraved on the entrance to the Taj; Mohammad Hanif, a master mason from Delhi; and Mukarimat Khan and Mir Abdul Karim from Shiraz, chief supervisors and administrators.

While the efforts and hard work of artisans and workers played a significant role in the construction of the monument, we do know that projects of this nature and scale have been created by planners and architects. All of them were honored and rewarded by Shah Jahan for shaping their passion and vision. The records conclusively show that the hand-cutting rumors were just that: rumours. For leaders to repeat this myth over and over again shows their ignorance and lack of understanding of history.

M. Salim Baig, who retired as Director General Tourism of Jammu and Kashmir, and was a member of the National Monuments Authority, heads the Jammu and Kashmir chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.