বিশ্বাষঘাতক ঐতিহাসিকদের কারনেই পৃথিবীর মানুষ আজ তেজোমহালয় শিব মন্দিরকে একটি কবর বলে জানে। অথচ সম্রাট শাহজাহানের সভাসদ অবদুর হামিদ লাহোরী তার বাদশাহ নামার ৪০৩ ও ৪০৪ পৃষ্ঠায় তাজমহলের প্রকৃত ইতিহাস লিপিদ্ধ করেছেন।
তাজমহল সম্পর্কে মধ্যযুগের এই একমাত্র প্রামাণ্য গ্রন্থ খানাকে উপেক্ষা করে আধুনিক লেখকগন এক দৈব বাণী পেয়ে রাজা পরমার্দিদেবের তৈরী শিব মন্দিরটিকে শাহজাহানের স্ত্রীর কবর বলে চালিয়েছেন।
শুধু তাই নয়, সভাসদ যেখানে বলেছেন বিশাল ইমারতটি রাজা জয় সিংহের ছিল, সম্রাট শাহাজাহান সেটি তার কাছ থেকে নেন।
সেখানে আধুনিক ঐতিহাসিকগন দৈবী ক্ষমতা বলে সেটি নির্মানের শ্রমিক থেকে টাকার অংক পর্যন্ত কষে বের করেছেন। অথচ চান্দেলরাজ পরমার্দিদের(পরমল) কর্তৃক ১১৫৬ খৃষ্টাব্দে নির্মিত তেজোমহালয় শিব মন্দিরকে শাহজাহান মুর্তিশূণ্য করে ইসলামী রূপ দিয়েছিলেন সেকথা তার সভাসদই বর্ণনা করে গিয়েছেন।
এমনকি শাহজাহানের স্ত্রীর নাম আরজুমান্দ বানু পরিবর্তন করা হয় মন্দিরের নামের সাথে সংগতি রেখে।
মুলতঃ সম্রাট শাহজাহান মন্দিরটিকে অপবিত্র করার জন্যই এমন ব্যবস্থা করেছিলেন। অথচ আজ মিথ্যা প্রেমের কত কাহিনী প্রচার হয়েছে আমাদের জ্ঞানপাপী ঐতিহাসিকদের কল্যানে।একটি আমেরিকান ল্যাবরেটরী দ্বারা কার্বন 14 পরীক্ষায় এবং নিউ ইয়র্কের প্র্যাট স্কুল অফ প্রফেসর কর্তৃক প্রবর্তিত তেজের নদী প্রান্তের একটি কাঠের টুকরাটি প্রকাশ করেছে যে শাহজাহানের চেয়ে 300 বছরের পুরনো দরজাটি দাড়িয়েছে। 11 শতকের পর থেকে বারবার মুসলিম আগ্রাসীদের দ্বারা তাজতের দরজাগুলি ভেঙ্গে যায়, সময়-কাল পরিবর্তিত হতে থাকে। তাজ মসজিদটি অনেক পুরানো। এটি 1155 এডি এর অন্তর্গত, যথা, শাহজাহানের প্রায় 500 বছর আগের। video clip
হিন্দু ঐতিহাসিক হিসেবে খ্যাত লেখক পি এন ওক ‘তাজমহল : দ্য ট্রু স্টোরি’ নামের বিতর্কিত বইয়ে দাবি করেন ওই সৌধ আদৌ শাহজাহান স্ত্রীর স্মৃতিতে তৈরি করেননি। ওটি রাজপুত রাজা মান সিংহ উপহার হিসেবে দিয়েছিলেন।
তাজমহলে অনেক ঘড় আছে যা কিন্তু তালা দেওয়া আছে কাউকে সেখানে যেতে দেওয়া হয় না.. এই ঘড়গুলি খুললে উঠে আসতে পারে অনেক অজানা তথ্য..আমিরা এই ঘড়গুলি ছাড়াই দেখে নিতে পারি যে তাজমহলে হিন্দু ধর্মের কিছু আছে কি না.. ইতিহাসবিদ পিএন ওক কিন্তু অনেক তথ্য দিয়েছেন যাতে প্রমাণ হয় যে তাজমহল আসলে তৈরি করেছিলেন হিন্দু রাজপুত রাজা জয় সিংহ এবং তা ছিল তেজো মহল, শাহজাহান কেবল তা অধিকার করে তা বিকৃত করে নিজের স্ত্রীর কবরখানায় পরিণত করেছে..কিন্তু এই ইতিহাসবিদের কথাই বা কেন বিশ্বাস করবো আমরা? তাই আসুন দেখেনি যা বলা হচ্ছে তা সত্য কি না...
Taj Mahal – Time to Tell the Truth-pdf
আর্কিওলজিক্যাল সার্ভে অফ ইন্ডিয়া একবার তাজমহলের একটি সার্ভে করে.. এই সার্ভেতে গোপন কিছু তথ্য উঠে আসে কিন্তু আজ পর্যন্ত তা গোপন রয়ে গেছে..তবুও ওই সার্ভের কিছু ফটো এবং তথ্য ফাঁস হয়ে যায়..এই সাদা কালো ফটোগুলি এবং তার সাথে থাকা কাগজপত্র থেকে অনেক কিছুই স্পষ্ট হয়.. তাজমহলের সাথে তাজের আদলে আছে আর এক প্রাসাদ যা পশ্চিম দিকে বলে তা মসজিদ এ ব্যপারে কোনও সন্দেহ না থাকবারই কথা..তাজমহল যাকে বলছি তা ৭ তিলা এবং এর মধ্যে ৫টিই তালা দেওয়া আছে.. যা মসজিদ হিসেবে দেখানো হচ্ছে তা তাজের আদলে কেন বানানো হলো তা একটি প্রশ্ন কারণ তাজ তো একটি কবরখানা!! কবরখানা এবং প্রার্থনার স্থান আলাদা রকম হবে এটাই তো স্বাভাবিক.. যাই হোক সেটিও বাদ দিলাম.. এখানে একটি গভীর কুয়ো আছে.. এবং এই কুয়োর চারপাশে অনেক কক্ষ আছে.. প্রমাণ পাওয়া গেছে যে এখানে নানা দপ্তরের কাজ করা হতো.. এখানে প্রচুর পরিমান ধন সম্পদ রাখা থাকতো এবং শত্রু আক্রমণ করলে তা কুয়োর মধ্যে ফেলে তা রক্ষা করার জন্যই এই কুয়ো..আর এই রকম কুয়োই সব প্রাচীন হিন্দু মন্দিরে থাকতো.. তাজমহল অষ্টকোণ হওয়ায় এর হিন্দু যোগ আরো প্রবল হয়..হিন্দু মতে দশ দিকের উল্লেখ করা হয় অনেক ক্ষেত্রে.. অষ্টকোণ আটটি দিকের দিকে ইশারা করে এবং বাকি দুই দিক সর্গ এবং মর্ত...
তাজের চারদিকে চারটি মিনার দেখা যায় যা আসলে তাকে প্রহরা দেওয়ার কাজে ব্যবহৃত হয়ে থাকতো এবং রাতে আলো দেওয়ার কাজেও লাগতো.. এই রকম টাওয়ার অনেক সত্যনারায়ণ মন্দিরে দেখা যায়.. খাজুরাহতেও আপনি তা দেখতে পাবেন..কোনও মসজিদের চুরাতে কোনও মঙ্গল কলস থাকে না কিন্তু তাজে এটি আছে..যদিও শাহজাহান এতে আল্লাহ খোদাই করে লিখে দিয়েছে তবুও তার ছায়া এখনও যখন মেঝেতে পড়ে তা মঙ্গল কলসই দেখায়.. দেওয়ালের অনেক স্থানে পদ্মফুল দেখেও মনে সন্দেহ হয় কারণ পদ্মফুল হিন্দু ধর্মের প্রতীক..নদীর দিকে ২২ টি ঘড় শাহজাহান বন্ধ করে দিয়েছে .. এই ঘড়গুলি থেকে সিরি নদীর দিকে গেছে যা দেখে মনে হয় এগুলি কোনও হিন্দু দেব দেবীর মন্দির..তাজমহলে এক নাক্কারখানা আছে যার মানে সঙ্গীত ভবন.. কিন্তু এ তো মুসলিম ধর্মের বিরুদ্ধে আর তা ছাড়া কবরখানায় মৃত মমতাজকে কে গান শুনাতে চাইবে? মুসলিম ধর্মে প্রার্থনা স্থলে সঙ্গীতালয়ের স্থান না থাকলেও হিন্দু মন্দিরগুলিতে সঙ্গীত চর্চার বা শিক্ষার ব্যবস্থা ছিল.. আরো একটি বিষয় হলো তাজমহলে ধুতরা ফুল খোদাই করা পাওয়া গেছে এবং তাতে ওম লেখা দেখে মনে আর কোনও দ্বিধা থাকে না যে তাজমহল আসলে শিব মন্দির যার নাম ছিল তেজো মহল..অনেকের মতে মমতাজকে তাজে কবর দেওয়াই হয়নি আগ্রা থেকে ৬০০ কিলোমিটার দুরে বুরহানপুরে তাকে কবর দেওয়া হয়েছিল এবং শাহজাহান কেবল মাত্র মন্দির ধ্বংস করে দিতে চাইছিলেন বলেই সব প্রমাণ মুছে দিয়েছিলেন..অনেকে বিশ্বাস করেন যে তাজমহলে মমতাজের নকল কবর আছে.. আমরা শুধু এটাই জানি যে শাহজাহান যারা তাজমহল তৈরি করেছিল তাদের হাত কেটে ফেলে দিয়েছিল বাস্তবটা অনেক ভয়ঙ্কর।
মুঘলরা আসলে বাইরে থেকে আসা দস্যু..কত মন্দির যে এরা ধ্বংস করেছে তার হিসেব নেই..কত হিন্দু রাজার রক্তে রাঙা এদের হাত তার হিসেব নেই.. এদের বিরুদ্ধে লড়ে বলিদান দেওয়া রাজাদের কথা চক্রান্ত করে কাউকে জানতে দেওয়া হয়নি.. অবশ্যই আমাদের ক্ষমতা লোভি রাজনৈতিক দলের নেতা মন্ত্রীরা এর জন্য দায়ী.. তবে দিন পাল্টাচ্ছে তাই সত্য সবার সামনে আসা উচিত..যদি তাজমহল সত্যি হিন্দু মন্দির হয়ে থাকে তাহলে তাকে আবার পূর্ব পরিস্থিতিতে ফিরিয়ে দেওয়া হোক.. একটি ভাল রাষ্ট্রের পরিচয় হলো ন্যায়ের প্রাতিষ্টা করা..এ ক্ষেত্রে কারো মনে এটা কেন আসবে যে সত্য সামনে নিয়ে এলে কোনও বিশেষ সম্প্রদায় আহত হবেন এবং আইন নিজের হাতে নিয়ে নেবেন তাই সত্যকে মিথ্যা দিয়ে ঢেকে দেওয়া হোক..ন্যায় প্রাতিষ্টা করতে রাষ্ট্রকে শক্ত হতে হবে..কিন্তু তার আগে সঠিক প্রদ্ধতিতে তদন্ত করে সব সামনে নিয়ে আসতে হবে।
Britishers when left India, stole every precious stone from Taj Mahal. These stones were brought and imported from Tibet and China and set in White Marble.
two elephant’s trunks, one on either side of the design, which would indicate Ganesh.
Inverted water-pots on top. Their number is always odd, 11 in this case, typical of the Vedic system. Notice also the cobra design in pairs below the gallery. Koranic inscriptions were a graffiti added by Shahjahan.
Wall decorations as we see here are typical Rajput style. There is also a balcony at first floor level.
A close up of the the graffiti, i.e. Koranic inscriptions put up by Shahjahan.
The symbols are derived from Hinduism
Typical of the four minarets on the Taj Mahal.
The design on the underside of a staging on the Minaret look similar to elephant faces.
Replica of the pinnacle design of the top of the main dome as found in the garden.
Typical view of the 2 basement floors along the Yamuna River.
Stones for anchoring boats. On the North side of the Taj Mahal, there is a platform 3 ft 6 inches wide and it runs for the entire length. The platform also has embedded into it several stone rings for anchoring boats. In the photo we can see two such stones, one in the lower right front corner, the other further up the stream. This shows that the building was planned for facilitating boats for river transportation for the residents in the Taj. Again, these are not something you would need for a quiet or even vacant grave site.
The Distorted History of Taj Mahal
By Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari
There is no doubt that Taj Mahal in Agra is the most beautiful architectural marvel in the entire world and hence it is called one of the great wonders of the world. But who is the author of this excellent exhibit of architecture? Opinions in this regard are highly contentious. The general notion is that, it is the creation of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. In previous articles, we have seen how the authorship of excellent pieces of architecture in Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri are being falsely attributed to the foreign Muslim invaders, who occupied and ruled India for nearly eight centuries. So, the question naturally arises – Is the claim of Shah Jahan’s authorship of Taj Mahal true? Or the said view is merely a part of the process of distortion of Indian history, to appease the Muslims? In this article, we shall try to find a plausible reply to these questions.
In this regard, the Encyclopedia Britannica states, “Taj Mahal is a mausoleum complex in Agra, in western Uttar Pradesh state, in northern India, on the southern bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River. …the Taj Mahal is distinguished as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a blend of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. One of the most beautiful structural compositions in the world, the Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān (reigned 1628–58) to immortalize his wife Mumtāz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”). The name Taj Mahal is a derivation of her name. She died in childbirth in 1631, after having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612. The plans for the complex have been attributed to various architects of the period, though the chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahawrī, an Indian of Persian descent.” [1]
The Wikipedia Encyclopedia maintains a similar view and says, “The Taj Mahal (pronounced /tɑdʒ məˈhɑl) is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal (also “the Taj”) is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.” [2]
In this context, we should mention what the India ’s historians have to say in this matter. Historian R C Majumdar, in this regard, writes, “The Taj Mahal, a splendid mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, at a cost of fifty lacs of rupees, over the grave of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is rightly regarded as one of the wonders of the world for its beauty and magnificence.” [3] Another historian S K Saraswati writes, “But all the above architectural creations of Shah Jahan are thrown into shade by that superb conception of the mausoleum that the emperor raised up at Agra to enshrine the mortal remains of his beloved consort, Arjumand Banu Begam, better known as Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal, as it is called after the title of the empress, stands on an elevated ground on a bend of the river Jamuna so that it has a fine view from whatever angle it is seen.” [4]
As a result of this worldwide propaganda, Shahjahan’s authorship of Taj Mahal, mixed with story of romantic love between Shah Jahan and his wife, has become so pervasive that it has become a universal symbol of love between a husband and his wife. Even a common man, at first instance, refuses to admit any other version, even if it is more convincing and rational. Even the Nobel Laureate Poet Rabindranath Tagore, being swayed by the above story, described the Taj Mahal, in one of his poems, as a drop of tears of the grief-stricken Emperor Shahjahan.
The True History of Taj Mahal:
But according to Stephen Knapp, a well known researcher on Taj Mahal, it was not built by Shah Jahan and he writes, “There is ample evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex and Shah Jahan merely acquired it (by brute force) from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh.” [5] Not only Stephen Knapp but many other researchers like Yogesh Saxena, V S Godbole and Prushottam Nagesh Oak (or P N Oak) hold a similar view and P N Oak is the most prominent and pioneer among scholars who worked to discover the real author of Taj Mahal.
It is well known that Emperor Akbar got Akbarnama, a history of his reign, written by his court-chronicler Abul Fazl and in a similar manner, Shahjahan had the history of his reign titled Badshahnama written by his court-chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori. The original Badshahnama was written in Persian using Arabic alphabets and in 1963, P N Oak made a startling discovery the the pages 402 and 403 of the edition of Badshahnama, published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal (see the fascimile of the page 402 and 403 of the edition in Figure-1), contain the true history of the building now known as Taj Mahal. An English translation of the contents from line 21 of page 402 to line 41 on page 403 of Badshahnama is given below.
Meanwhile, we should notice another important point. It is well known that the two British historians, H M Elliot and J Dowson, have done the great job of writing history of India, under Muslim rule, starting from the attack on Sindh by Mohammed bin Kasim in the 8th century to the fall of Marathas in the 19th century, a period, covering nearly 1200 years. It has been written, based on chronicles of the court chroniclers of the Muslim rulers only. The work of Elliot and Dowson’s was published in 8 volumes during 1867 to 1877 and the Volume 7 of their work deals with the reigns of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. But it is really astonishing that there is not even a mentioning of Taj Mahal in the said work.
Many Muslim chroniclers have described the times of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, e.g.
(1) Badshahnama by Abdul Hamid Lahori,
(2) Wakiyat Jahangiri by emperor Jahangir,
(3) Shahjahan-nama by Enayet Khan,
(4) Tarikh-i- Mufajjali by Mufajjal Khan,
(5) Mirat-i-Alam by Bakhtyar Khan,
(6) Alamgirnama by Muhammad Qazim and
(7) Mustakhab-ul-Lubab by Kafi Khan.
But in none of above works, there is even mentioning of Taj Mahal, except Badshahnama by Lahori and that too as a palace of Jai Singh
While commenting on this point, Dr Yogesh Saxena, writes, “The authors should have said, “Though we have presented history of Shahjahan based on his official chronicle Badshahnama, we did not find any reference to Taj Mahal in it.” They did no such thing. And Historians have kept even this information from us for the last 130 years.” [6] It was Professor P N Oak, who, for the first time, made the startling discovery that there is mentioning of the building now called Taj Mahal, but as a palace of the Hindu king Jai Singh, in Badshahnama.
There is another important point to note. There is a well established rumour that Shah Jahan engaged 20,000 labours who toiled for 20 (or 22) years to complete the construction of Taj Mahal, originates by the French traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier. It is really unthinkable that, Shah Jahan completed such a gigantic job, spending so much money, employing so many people throughout so many years, but it escaped the attention of his sycophant chroniclers, and they did not even say a single word about the said job in their works. So, the logical conclusion is that, the said gigantic construction never took place during the reign of Shah Jahan and Badshahnama confirms this fact.
The original Badshahnama was written in Persian using Arabic alphabets and the pages 402 and 403 of the edition published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal (see the fascimile of the page 402 and 403 of Vol-I of the edition given above) contain the true history of the building now known as Taj Mahal. Professor Oak got the two pages translated into English by a scholar of Persian language and said trnslation of the contents from line 21 of page 402 to line 41 on page 403 of Vol-I of Badshahnama is given below.
“Friday, 15th Jamadiulawal, the sacred dead body of the traveller to the kingdom of holiness Hazrat Mumtazul Zamani, who was temporarily buried, was brought, accompanied by Prince Mohammad Shah, Suja bahadur, Wazir Khan and Satiunnesa Khanam, who knew the pemperament of the deceased intimately and was well versed in view of that Queen of the Queens used to hold, was brought to the capital Akbarabad (Agra) and an order was issued that very day coins be distributed among the beggers and fakirs. The site covered with a majestic garden, to the south of the great city (of Agra) and amidst which the building known as the palace of Raja Man Singh, at present owned by Raja Jai asingh, grandson of Man Singh, was selected for the burial of the Queen, whose abode is in heaven. Although Raja Jai Singh valued it greatly as his ancestral heritage and property, yet he agreed to part with it gratis for Emperor Shahjahan, still out of sheer scrupulousness and religious sanctity, he (Jai Singh) was granted Sharifabad in exchange of that grand palace (Ali Manzil). After the arrival of the deadbody in that great city (of Agra), next year that illustrious body of the Queen was laid to rest and the officials of the capital, according to royal order, hid the body of that pious lady from the eyes of the world and the palace so majestic (imarat-e-alishan) and capped with a dome (wa gumbaje) was turned into a sky-high lofty mausoleum”. [7]
Many historians try to convince that Shah Jahan purchased a piece of land from Raja Jai Singh and erected Taj Mahal on that land. But the lines 29 and 30 of page 403 of Vol-I of Badshahnama reads, “Pesh az ein Manzil-e-Rajah Mansingh bud wadari waqt ba Rajah Jaisingh (29) Nabirae taalluq dasht barae madfan e an bahisht muwattan bar guzeedand .. (30).” According to experts, the correct translation of the phrase “Manzil-e-Rajah Mansingh bud wadari waqt ba Rajah Jaisingh”is “.. the building known as the palace of Raja Man Singh, at present owned by Raja Jai asingh”. So, it is evident that it cannot be a transaction of land but of a magnificent palace. In line 37, further clarification has been made and said that it was a transaction of an imarat-e-alishan (i.e. a gigantic building) and not of land
In 1964, when Prof P N Oak started to disclose his doubts about Shah Jahan’s authorship of Taj Mahal and presented the document in Badshahnama as the proof, many of his opponents said that his translation of Badshahnama was not correct. One of his bitter critiques was a Kashmiri Pandit. He was also a scholar of Persian language. To narrate the incident Dr Yogesh Saxena writes, “One of his opponents was a Kashmiri Pandit. Eventually they went to Government of India Archives. At the suggestion of the Librarian there the Pandit started to read Badshahnama, soon he came to Volume I, page 403. One line read – va pesh azin manzil-e-Raja Mansingh bood, vadari vakt ba Raja Jaisingh. He confessed that Shah Jahan took over Raja Mansingh’s palace for burial of Mumtaz. We owe so much to this honest opponent of Mr Oak. He gave word by word translation of pages 402 and 403 to Mr Oak who promptly published it in his book Taj Mahal is a Hindu Palace (1968). However, Mr Oak never stated that the translation was his. It was done for him by a Persian expert.” [6]
The name of the Queen, in whose memory the Taj Mahal is being said to have been erected, was Arjumand Banu. She was married to Shahjahan in 1612 A.D. and within 18 years of her married life she gave birth to 14 children and in fact she died in 1630 (or in 1631) while she was delivering her 14th child. According to Badshahnama she was buried temporarily at Burhanpur and in the same year her body was brought from Burhanpur to Agra and the next year her body was permanently buried at the majestic palace of Raja Man Singh.. From the Badshahnama it becomes evident the edifice, now known as Taj Mahal, was not authored by Emperor Shahjahan.
Who was The Author of Building called Taj Mahal:
So, according to the narrations of Badshanama and from other evidence, it becomes clear that the edifice, now known as Taj Mahal, was not authored by emperor Shah Jahan. The question, therefore, naturally arises – Who built that magnificent building?
A locality, nearly 4 km away from Taj Mahal, is called Bateswar and in 1900 A.D., General Alexander Cuningham, the then Director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), conducted an excavation at Bateswar and discovered an edict, now known as the Munj Bateswar Edict and kept at the Lucknow Museum. The epigraph contains 34 verses written in Sanskrit, out of which 25th, 26th and 34th verses are important in the present context. The original Sankrit text and English translation of the above verses are given below –
Prasādo vaiṣṇavastena nirnimitotavahan hari /
Murdhn āspriśati yo nityaṃ padamasaiva madhyamam // (25)
“He built a marble temple which is the abode of Lord Vishnu and the King bows down to touch His feet” (25).
Akāryacca sphatikāvadātamasāvidam mandiramindumauleḥ /
Na jātuyasminnibsnsadevah kailāsvasayacakara cetaḥ // (26)
“The King has built another marble temple which has been dedicated to the Lord Who has the moon as His ornament on His forehead and Who, getting such a beautiful abode, has forgotten to return to Kailash ” (26).
Pakṣa tryakṣamukhāditya saṃkhye vikramavatsare /
Aśvina śukla pañcmyāṃ bāsare vāsave śitu // (34)
“Today, the 5th day of the bright half in the month of Ashwin, the Sunday, in the year 1212 of the Vikram Samvat, the edict is being laid” (34).
Mr. D. J. Kale, a well known archaeologist, has mentioned the said Munj Bateswar Edict in his celebrated work Epigraphica India. On page 124 of the said work, Mr. Kale writes, “The sais Munj Bateswar Edict was laid by King Paramardidev of the Chandratreya dynasty on Sukla Panchami in the month of Ashwin, in the year 1212 Vikram Samvat (or A.D. 1156). … King Paramardidev built two magnificent temples with white marble , one for Lords Vishnu and the other for Lord Shiva and they were desecrated later on by the Muslim invaders. Perhaps a farsighted man took the edict to a safer place at Bateswar and buries it beneath the ground”.[8] Perhaps, after the said desecration, the temples were no longer used as religious places and due to this reason Abdul Hamid Lahori mentioned them as palaces, not as temples. According to the renowned historian Mr. R. C. Majumdar, the other name of the Chandratreya or Chandel King Paramardidev was Paramal and their kingdom was known as Bundelkhand, a.k.a.Jejakabhukti [9]
Today, there are two marble palaces in Agra, one is the Mausoleum of Idmat-ud-Daula, the father of Noorjahan and the other is Taj Mahal, and it is evident from the Munj Bateswar edict that, once upon a time, one of them was the temple of Lord Vishnu and the other was a temple of Lord Shiva. Experts believe that it is the temple of Lord Vishnu that has been made the mausoleum of Idmat-ud-Daula, and the temple of Lord Shiva has been converted into the mausoleum of the queen Arjumand Banu. There are so many evidence that support of this conclusion and we shall try to discuss them in future installments of this article.
References:
[1] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/581007/Taj-Mahal
[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal)
[3] R. C. Majumdar, H. C. Raychaudhury and K. Datta, An Advanced History of India, MacMillan & Co (1980),586..
[4] R. C. Majumdar (Gen Ed), History & Culture of the Indian People (in 12 Volumes), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai (1996), VII, 793.
[5] Stephen Knapp,Taj Mahal: Was it a Vedic Temple ? The Photographic Evidence ( http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm )
[6] Yogesh Saxena Taj Mahal – It is time to tell the truth, (http://agrasen.blogspot.com/2009/04/hidden- facts-in-indian-history.html )
[7] P N Oak, Tajmahal – The True Story, Published by A Ghosh, p 9-12.
[8] D J Kale, Epigraphica India , published by S D Kale & M D Kale, I, 270-274.
[9] R C Majumdar, ibid, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Vol-5, p-122
By Dr Radhasyam Brahmachari
There is no doubt that Taj Mahal in Agra is the most beautiful architectural marvel in the entire world and hence it is called one of the great wonders of the world. But who is the author of this excellent exhibit of architecture? Opinions in this regard are highly contentious. The general notion is that, it is the creation of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. In previous articles, we have seen how the authorship of excellent pieces of architecture in Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri are being falsely attributed to the foreign Muslim invaders, who occupied and ruled India for nearly eight centuries. So, the question naturally arises – Is the claim of Shah Jahan’s authorship of Taj Mahal true? Or the said view is merely a part of the process of distortion of Indian history, to appease the Muslims? In this article, we shall try to find a plausible reply to these questions.
In this regard, the Encyclopedia Britannica states, “Taj Mahal is a mausoleum complex in Agra, in western Uttar Pradesh state, in northern India, on the southern bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River. …the Taj Mahal is distinguished as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a blend of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. One of the most beautiful structural compositions in the world, the Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān (reigned 1628–58) to immortalize his wife Mumtāz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”). The name Taj Mahal is a derivation of her name. She died in childbirth in 1631, after having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612. The plans for the complex have been attributed to various architects of the period, though the chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahawrī, an Indian of Persian descent.” [1]
The Wikipedia Encyclopedia maintains a similar view and says, “The Taj Mahal (pronounced /tɑdʒ məˈhɑl) is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal (also “the Taj”) is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage.” [2]
In this context, we should mention what the India ’s historians have to say in this matter. Historian R C Majumdar, in this regard, writes, “The Taj Mahal, a splendid mausoleum built by Shah Jahan, at a cost of fifty lacs of rupees, over the grave of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is rightly regarded as one of the wonders of the world for its beauty and magnificence.” [3] Another historian S K Saraswati writes, “But all the above architectural creations of Shah Jahan are thrown into shade by that superb conception of the mausoleum that the emperor raised up at Agra to enshrine the mortal remains of his beloved consort, Arjumand Banu Begam, better known as Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal, as it is called after the title of the empress, stands on an elevated ground on a bend of the river Jamuna so that it has a fine view from whatever angle it is seen.” [4]
As a result of this worldwide propaganda, Shahjahan’s authorship of Taj Mahal, mixed with story of romantic love between Shah Jahan and his wife, has become so pervasive that it has become a universal symbol of love between a husband and his wife. Even a common man, at first instance, refuses to admit any other version, even if it is more convincing and rational. Even the Nobel Laureate Poet Rabindranath Tagore, being swayed by the above story, described the Taj Mahal, in one of his poems, as a drop of tears of the grief-stricken Emperor Shahjahan.
The True History of Taj Mahal:
But according to Stephen Knapp, a well known researcher on Taj Mahal, it was not built by Shah Jahan and he writes, “There is ample evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex and Shah Jahan merely acquired it (by brute force) from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh.” [5] Not only Stephen Knapp but many other researchers like Yogesh Saxena, V S Godbole and Prushottam Nagesh Oak (or P N Oak) hold a similar view and P N Oak is the most prominent and pioneer among scholars who worked to discover the real author of Taj Mahal.
It is well known that Emperor Akbar got Akbarnama, a history of his reign, written by his court-chronicler Abul Fazl and in a similar manner, Shahjahan had the history of his reign titled Badshahnama written by his court-chronicler Abdul Hamid Lahori. The original Badshahnama was written in Persian using Arabic alphabets and in 1963, P N Oak made a startling discovery the the pages 402 and 403 of the edition of Badshahnama, published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal (see the fascimile of the page 402 and 403 of the edition in Figure-1), contain the true history of the building now known as Taj Mahal. An English translation of the contents from line 21 of page 402 to line 41 on page 403 of Badshahnama is given below.
Meanwhile, we should notice another important point. It is well known that the two British historians, H M Elliot and J Dowson, have done the great job of writing history of India, under Muslim rule, starting from the attack on Sindh by Mohammed bin Kasim in the 8th century to the fall of Marathas in the 19th century, a period, covering nearly 1200 years. It has been written, based on chronicles of the court chroniclers of the Muslim rulers only. The work of Elliot and Dowson’s was published in 8 volumes during 1867 to 1877 and the Volume 7 of their work deals with the reigns of Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. But it is really astonishing that there is not even a mentioning of Taj Mahal in the said work.
Many Muslim chroniclers have described the times of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, e.g.
(1) Badshahnama by Abdul Hamid Lahori,
(2) Wakiyat Jahangiri by emperor Jahangir,
(3) Shahjahan-nama by Enayet Khan,
(4) Tarikh-i- Mufajjali by Mufajjal Khan,
(5) Mirat-i-Alam by Bakhtyar Khan,
(6) Alamgirnama by Muhammad Qazim and
(7) Mustakhab-ul-Lubab by Kafi Khan.
But in none of above works, there is even mentioning of Taj Mahal, except Badshahnama by Lahori and that too as a palace of Jai Singh
While commenting on this point, Dr Yogesh Saxena, writes, “The authors should have said, “Though we have presented history of Shahjahan based on his official chronicle Badshahnama, we did not find any reference to Taj Mahal in it.” They did no such thing. And Historians have kept even this information from us for the last 130 years.” [6] It was Professor P N Oak, who, for the first time, made the startling discovery that there is mentioning of the building now called Taj Mahal, but as a palace of the Hindu king Jai Singh, in Badshahnama.
There is another important point to note. There is a well established rumour that Shah Jahan engaged 20,000 labours who toiled for 20 (or 22) years to complete the construction of Taj Mahal, originates by the French traveler Jean Baptiste Tavernier. It is really unthinkable that, Shah Jahan completed such a gigantic job, spending so much money, employing so many people throughout so many years, but it escaped the attention of his sycophant chroniclers, and they did not even say a single word about the said job in their works. So, the logical conclusion is that, the said gigantic construction never took place during the reign of Shah Jahan and Badshahnama confirms this fact.
The original Badshahnama was written in Persian using Arabic alphabets and the pages 402 and 403 of the edition published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal (see the fascimile of the page 402 and 403 of Vol-I of the edition given above) contain the true history of the building now known as Taj Mahal. Professor Oak got the two pages translated into English by a scholar of Persian language and said trnslation of the contents from line 21 of page 402 to line 41 on page 403 of Vol-I of Badshahnama is given below.
“Friday, 15th Jamadiulawal, the sacred dead body of the traveller to the kingdom of holiness Hazrat Mumtazul Zamani, who was temporarily buried, was brought, accompanied by Prince Mohammad Shah, Suja bahadur, Wazir Khan and Satiunnesa Khanam, who knew the pemperament of the deceased intimately and was well versed in view of that Queen of the Queens used to hold, was brought to the capital Akbarabad (Agra) and an order was issued that very day coins be distributed among the beggers and fakirs. The site covered with a majestic garden, to the south of the great city (of Agra) and amidst which the building known as the palace of Raja Man Singh, at present owned by Raja Jai asingh, grandson of Man Singh, was selected for the burial of the Queen, whose abode is in heaven. Although Raja Jai Singh valued it greatly as his ancestral heritage and property, yet he agreed to part with it gratis for Emperor Shahjahan, still out of sheer scrupulousness and religious sanctity, he (Jai Singh) was granted Sharifabad in exchange of that grand palace (Ali Manzil). After the arrival of the deadbody in that great city (of Agra), next year that illustrious body of the Queen was laid to rest and the officials of the capital, according to royal order, hid the body of that pious lady from the eyes of the world and the palace so majestic (imarat-e-alishan) and capped with a dome (wa gumbaje) was turned into a sky-high lofty mausoleum”. [7]
Many historians try to convince that Shah Jahan purchased a piece of land from Raja Jai Singh and erected Taj Mahal on that land. But the lines 29 and 30 of page 403 of Vol-I of Badshahnama reads, “Pesh az ein Manzil-e-Rajah Mansingh bud wadari waqt ba Rajah Jaisingh (29) Nabirae taalluq dasht barae madfan e an bahisht muwattan bar guzeedand .. (30).” According to experts, the correct translation of the phrase “Manzil-e-Rajah Mansingh bud wadari waqt ba Rajah Jaisingh”is “.. the building known as the palace of Raja Man Singh, at present owned by Raja Jai asingh”. So, it is evident that it cannot be a transaction of land but of a magnificent palace. In line 37, further clarification has been made and said that it was a transaction of an imarat-e-alishan (i.e. a gigantic building) and not of land
In 1964, when Prof P N Oak started to disclose his doubts about Shah Jahan’s authorship of Taj Mahal and presented the document in Badshahnama as the proof, many of his opponents said that his translation of Badshahnama was not correct. One of his bitter critiques was a Kashmiri Pandit. He was also a scholar of Persian language. To narrate the incident Dr Yogesh Saxena writes, “One of his opponents was a Kashmiri Pandit. Eventually they went to Government of India Archives. At the suggestion of the Librarian there the Pandit started to read Badshahnama, soon he came to Volume I, page 403. One line read – va pesh azin manzil-e-Raja Mansingh bood, vadari vakt ba Raja Jaisingh. He confessed that Shah Jahan took over Raja Mansingh’s palace for burial of Mumtaz. We owe so much to this honest opponent of Mr Oak. He gave word by word translation of pages 402 and 403 to Mr Oak who promptly published it in his book Taj Mahal is a Hindu Palace (1968). However, Mr Oak never stated that the translation was his. It was done for him by a Persian expert.” [6]
The name of the Queen, in whose memory the Taj Mahal is being said to have been erected, was Arjumand Banu. She was married to Shahjahan in 1612 A.D. and within 18 years of her married life she gave birth to 14 children and in fact she died in 1630 (or in 1631) while she was delivering her 14th child. According to Badshahnama she was buried temporarily at Burhanpur and in the same year her body was brought from Burhanpur to Agra and the next year her body was permanently buried at the majestic palace of Raja Man Singh.. From the Badshahnama it becomes evident the edifice, now known as Taj Mahal, was not authored by Emperor Shahjahan.
Who was The Author of Building called Taj Mahal:
So, according to the narrations of Badshanama and from other evidence, it becomes clear that the edifice, now known as Taj Mahal, was not authored by emperor Shah Jahan. The question, therefore, naturally arises – Who built that magnificent building?
A locality, nearly 4 km away from Taj Mahal, is called Bateswar and in 1900 A.D., General Alexander Cuningham, the then Director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), conducted an excavation at Bateswar and discovered an edict, now known as the Munj Bateswar Edict and kept at the Lucknow Museum. The epigraph contains 34 verses written in Sanskrit, out of which 25th, 26th and 34th verses are important in the present context. The original Sankrit text and English translation of the above verses are given below –
Prasādo vaiṣṇavastena nirnimitotavahan hari /
Murdhn āspriśati yo nityaṃ padamasaiva madhyamam // (25)
“He built a marble temple which is the abode of Lord Vishnu and the King bows down to touch His feet” (25).
Akāryacca sphatikāvadātamasāvidam mandiramindumauleḥ /
Na jātuyasminnibsnsadevah kailāsvasayacakara cetaḥ // (26)
“The King has built another marble temple which has been dedicated to the Lord Who has the moon as His ornament on His forehead and Who, getting such a beautiful abode, has forgotten to return to Kailash ” (26).
Pakṣa tryakṣamukhāditya saṃkhye vikramavatsare /
Aśvina śukla pañcmyāṃ bāsare vāsave śitu // (34)
“Today, the 5th day of the bright half in the month of Ashwin, the Sunday, in the year 1212 of the Vikram Samvat, the edict is being laid” (34).
Mr. D. J. Kale, a well known archaeologist, has mentioned the said Munj Bateswar Edict in his celebrated work Epigraphica India. On page 124 of the said work, Mr. Kale writes, “The sais Munj Bateswar Edict was laid by King Paramardidev of the Chandratreya dynasty on Sukla Panchami in the month of Ashwin, in the year 1212 Vikram Samvat (or A.D. 1156). … King Paramardidev built two magnificent temples with white marble , one for Lords Vishnu and the other for Lord Shiva and they were desecrated later on by the Muslim invaders. Perhaps a farsighted man took the edict to a safer place at Bateswar and buries it beneath the ground”.[8] Perhaps, after the said desecration, the temples were no longer used as religious places and due to this reason Abdul Hamid Lahori mentioned them as palaces, not as temples. According to the renowned historian Mr. R. C. Majumdar, the other name of the Chandratreya or Chandel King Paramardidev was Paramal and their kingdom was known as Bundelkhand, a.k.a.Jejakabhukti [9]
Today, there are two marble palaces in Agra, one is the Mausoleum of Idmat-ud-Daula, the father of Noorjahan and the other is Taj Mahal, and it is evident from the Munj Bateswar edict that, once upon a time, one of them was the temple of Lord Vishnu and the other was a temple of Lord Shiva. Experts believe that it is the temple of Lord Vishnu that has been made the mausoleum of Idmat-ud-Daula, and the temple of Lord Shiva has been converted into the mausoleum of the queen Arjumand Banu. There are so many evidence that support of this conclusion and we shall try to discuss them in future installments of this article.
References:
[1] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/581007/Taj-Mahal
[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal)
[3] R. C. Majumdar, H. C. Raychaudhury and K. Datta, An Advanced History of India, MacMillan & Co (1980),586..
[4] R. C. Majumdar (Gen Ed), History & Culture of the Indian People (in 12 Volumes), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai (1996), VII, 793.
[5] Stephen Knapp,Taj Mahal: Was it a Vedic Temple ? The Photographic Evidence ( http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm )
[6] Yogesh Saxena Taj Mahal – It is time to tell the truth, (http://agrasen.blogspot.com/2009/04/hidden- facts-in-indian-history.html )
[7] P N Oak, Tajmahal – The True Story, Published by A Ghosh, p 9-12.
[8] D J Kale, Epigraphica India , published by S D Kale & M D Kale, I, 270-274.
[9] R C Majumdar, ibid, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Vol-5, p-122
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