The inconvenient truth of the Taj Mahal, Myth vs Reality
Landmarks Taj Mahal Discover Symbolism
Traduire en français
Copied from: https://www.wonders-of-the-world.net/Taj-Mahal/Symbolism-of-the-Taj-Mahal.php
(This
translation was done by Google from French, so the result is a bit stilted and
sometimes inaccurate. The gist is correct though.)
Disclosure:
I spent years learning about the Taj Mahal and its symbolism and I have given
many visiting Americans guided tours. Then I stumbled across Dr. Wayne Ernest
Begley’s treatise on which the following is based. He spent decades learning
about the Taj and its symbols and came to the conclusion that it had nothing to
do with a monument to love, but it was a machine built deliberately to get Shah
Jahan to heaven using a blueprint drawn by a Sufi saint.
It
did not take 22 years to build, there are no building records extant. It did
not take 22,000 labourers to build it, same reason. It did bankrupt Shah
Jahan’s empire and starved the people, which is why, when his son took over and
imprisoned him, no one shed a tear. He did not spend his days pining away for
his beloved wife, Mumtaz, but instead was busy with his harem of 400 women
across the river bend at his palace and indulged himself in nightly orgies and
lots and lots of drugs. The drugs finally did him in one night. Few mourned.
There
was never a “Black Taj” across the river, it was a scented garden for the Shah
alone to enjoy with the constant reminder of the ascent to heaven machine for
him to gaze upon in the background.
The
original gardens were built in Mughal style, meaning with fruit trees, paths,
scented flowers, small bridges signifying overcoming one’s sins and lots and
lots of symbolisms. The British decided to rip the whole thing out, Thank you Lord
Curzon, and replaced it with an English formal garden. It remains to this day a
very pale imitation of what was once there.
The
Shah and his wife are not buried in the crypt that you can visit, but in
another, underground one that was closed to visitors in the 1980’s. In the
upstairs crypt is, to me personally, a reminder of the deep cultural divide
that the ego of the British Empire represented. Above the fake sarcophagi of
the Shah and Mumtaz hangs a hideous lamp gifted by Lord Curzon. It totally
clashes with the simply elegant beauty of the pierced marble screens and inlay
work inside the octagonal cenotaph but no one has dared to remove this defiling
piece of shit, even now. Long rule the Empire!!
The
construction of the Taj deserves a book or 10, but it is in danger of sliding
into the Yamuna river. Due to farm irrigation and industrial uses, the river
level is far below what was there originally thereby exposing the network of
underground ironwood columns that support the entire platform that the Taj sits
on. As long as they are underwater, they will not, and have not rotted, but
once exposed to air, they deteriorate rapidly. Don’t worry, Archeological
Survey of India is on the job, so you can depend on them to watch the whole
thing collapse into the river. (Pierre))
The
architect never had his hands chopped off or eyes gouged out. He returned to
Persia and built many more palaces and mosques. He had copied most of his ideas
from the Jahangir tomb in Delhi, in any case. Just enlarged a bit.
Following is the Google translation of a French description.
Symbolism of the Taj Mahal
Certainly, the Taj Mahal is stunningly beautiful, but
this success owes nothing to chance, the proportion of buildings, their
provisions, the choice of materials, none of this is left to chance. Much
better: Not only has everything been studied to achieve this success, but the
Taj Mahal is full of symbols, starting with the layout of the premises
themselves, which is to say the analytical qualities that designers needed to
achieve this result.
For those who are interested in symbolism in art,
especially Muslim art, the symbols of the Taj Mahal are obvious. First, let's
look at the studies that have been done on the symbolism of the Taj Mahal.
Until the 20th century: A symbol of love
Until the middle of the 20th century the Taj Mahal has
not really been
studied. There are many documents, sometimes real studies on
the monument, but none reaches conclusions that would be acceptable today, if
we can talk about definitive results in art history.
The Taj Mahal
The vision that preceded the modern era was that of a
Taj Mahal symbolizing love, a symbol that is still widely used today. Indeed,
history has left us the explanation for the construction of the Taj Mahal,
namely that it is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the 3rd wife of the 5th Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan. The latter built "the most beautiful tomb" for
his wife who died during the delivery of his 14th child. This is a historical fact,
it is possible to follow the scene of the death of Mumtaz Mahal, her temporary
burial during the construction of the tomb, and her final burial on the spot.
When one nowadays sees the beauty of the Taj Mahal one
can imagine the depth of the love that the emperor bore to his wife, and it is
therefore natural that the Taj Mahal was the symbol of love. It was this vision
that prevailed until the end of the twentieth century, when historians leaned a
little more on the monument and discovered a different symbolism.
Late 20th century: A representation of Paradise
More recent studies changed the point of view of
historians. From now on, the monument is no longer a mere symbol of love but a
representation of Paradise associated with the notion of Last Judgment. This
vision is due to Wayne Ernest Begley, who published a comprehensive study on
the subject and serves as the basis for the texts below.
The Taj Mahal taken as a whole, ie including the walls,
the South buildings, the gardens and the terrace, corresponds to a physical
unit representing a unique symbolic message. One can not therefore exclude one
of the buildings without compromising the symbolic message. Similarly, the
transformation of one of the elements that constitutes the Taj Mahal
necessarily has an impact on the symbol that it represents, however small this
change may be (for example, a change of material or a modification of the
layout of the gardens. ).
Some features are more important than others. The main
ones are:
the use of symmetry,
the layout of buildings on a grid,
the decorations,
the ordering of materials according to their colors,
If contemporary texts of the creation of the Taj Mahal
specify it, it is essentially the works of Begley which confirms it: The plans
of the monument were made compared to the "Plain of the Assembly",
the eschatological place of the Last Judgment . Recall that escahatology is the
set of doctrines and beliefs concerning the ultimate fate of man after his
death (individual eschatology) and on that of the universe after his death
(universal eschatology). The layout of the buildings follows this
plain which is described in the manuscripts of the Illuminations of Mecca Ibn
Arabi here is a diagram:
Schéma de la plaine de l'Assemblée
The Assembly Plain, supposed to be in place on the day
of the Last Judgment, is a rectangular area surrounded on the right and left by
two rows of angels and down by three rows that can be seen as the boundaries of
the gardens of the Taj Mahal. The Throne of God, which is according to Islam
carried by 8 angels, is on the upper part, it is represented by an 8-pointed
star that is closer to the octagon of the mausoleum. He is flanked by the four
righteous (The mosque and the guests' pavilion) and, just below, by the Angel
Gabriel. The central basin of the plain of the Assembly is near the place where
the Prophet is, who uses the scales weighing the souls of the dead. Paradise
and Hell are equivalent gardens, at Taj Mahal. There is therefore an adequation,
certainly imperfect, between the internal disposition of the Taj Mahal and the
spiritual representation which is made of the hereafter according to the Moslem
religion. The main difference lies in the fact that the gardens of the Taj
Mahal are a representation of Paradise only, while the eschatological document
shows on the right Paradise and on the left Hell, with the bridge allowing
righteous souls to cross Hell for to access Paradise.
Diagram of "Plain of Assembly" (Ard al-Hashr)
on the Day of Judgment, from autograph manuscript of Futuhat al-Makkiyya by
Sufi mystic and philosopher Ibn Arabi, ca. 1238
It may be noted that the Christian religion has a
similar place, the entrance of Paradise, which is supposed to welcome the dead
for the weighing of souls and their redirections towards Paradise or Hell by
Saint Peter, the first of the apostles.
The spiritual journey
The Taj Mahal is divided into 4 parts, all aligned from
South to North. Each passage from one to the other corresponds to a symbolic
passage, from the most terrestrial to the most celestial. Thus the southernmost
part is the caravanserai, a vast square space alas today disappeared (It was
overtaken by the urbanization of Agra) which hosted a market and where caravans
from other cities arrived. It was a meeting place, trade and cultural exchange,
a place dedicated to earthly life without any reference to spirituality.
Further north is the inner courtyard, named Jilaukhana, which is a place of
preparation for spiritual life. Symbolically this is the place where people
from outside prepare to enter the holiest places of the monument, a place where
are the graves of the first two wives of Emperor Shah Jahan and where the
officiant resided religious, at the time. Then, further north, the visitor
passes under the main door, Darwaza-i rauza. This door (In fact, a very
impressive building) corresponds to the passage from life to spiritual life
since it allows to enter Paradise, represented on Earth by a garden. The latter
responds to a scheduling explained below. Finally, to the north, there is the
mausoleum, the most sacred part of the Taj Mahal. It is guarded by a mosque and
the guest house, a building similar to the mosque but not consecrated because
it is not oriented in the right direction.
This path has been studied by the builders and this
representation of Paradise is proved by a large number of elements.
Presence of the number 4
In all the Taj Mahal the number 4 is represented
everywhere, it is a common number in the Koran. It divides into equal parts,
has several geometric representations and is associated with logic, rigor, as
many characteristics sought by the Mughal builders. These are the 4 most
obvious channels, they divide the garden into 4 parts, themselves divided into
4. The garden is a perfect square, as is the central basin. The mausoleum is
flanked by four minarets, its four-domed roof surrounding the main dome and is
octagonal in shape with four long sides and four small ones.
The garden, a representation of Paradise
The garden consists of two long channels oriented along
the cardinal points, they form a cross. In the center of the cross, the canals
do not join, the center being occupied by a square basin. The 4 channels
symbolize the 4 rivers of Paradise according to Muslims, namely the river of
water, that of milk, that of wine and that of honey. This description is made
in sura 47, verse 15 of the Qur'an. Geometrically the 4 channels divide the
garden into 4 equal parts, this is another Koranic representation, that of
Surah 55, verses 46 to 50 and 62 to 66: The 4 gardens of Paradise. The central
basin, it is a representation of the possibility for the deceased to refresh.
The elevation of the mausoleum
Like all 3 religions of the Book, Islam evokes the
ascent of souls in Paradise. Thus we find in the Taj Mahal this notion of
ascension, and it is probably the religious notion most shared with Catholicism
and Judaism. It is found in several places: The shape of the dome, the
elevation of the minarets, and the position of the terrace.
The elevation of the mausoleum
The terrace is accessed by a hidden staircase, when
viewed from the entrance of the monument. So far, the mausoleum seems to float
in the air without constraints. As its architecture is of a great lightness
this sensation of floating is accentuated. In addition the mausoleum is
surmounted by a bulbous dome characteristic of Mughal art, the dome points to
the sky and further enlarges the elevation of the mausoleum. What does not
necessarily see the visitor is the symbolism that is attached to the forms: The
mausoleum, octagonal, is on a square base, a geometric form associated with the
earth. We must know that according to Muslims, we speak not of one but of 8
paradises. It is easy to get between these 8 paradises and the octagon of the
mausoleum, and we have a chain: Square to octagon to dome, which symbolically
represents the passage from the earth to Paradise. According to the Qur'an,
four angels support the divine throne, and they will be eight on the Day of
Judgment (Sura 69, verse 17).
The 4 minarets are a direct reference to the ascension
of souls to the sky. They surround the mausoleum whose dome has the same
function and seem to help it, make it the passage to Heavenly Paradise. In that
their finesse is an asset, they counterbalance the mausoleum, much more massive
whatever air enough for such volume.
Finally, the dome has an obvious function of
representing the ascension of the soul of the deceased towards Paradise.
The inverted lotus
The lotus is a symbolic flower from the Hindu
tradition, it is one of the elements proving the mix of culture of the Mughals.
In the Hindu imaginary it represents the knowledge, the
opening on the world and in a more spiritual way the uniform and continual
widening of the universe. This is due to its ability to deploy when in the
water, Hindus believing that it has the opportunity to open to the world for it
may be in a conducive environment, a metaphor for life on earth .
Materials, colors
The materials used to build the Taj Mahal are not
neutral, they were certainly dictated by practical constraints, but not only.
So white marble was used to highlight the brightness of the mausoleum. Of a
good whiteness, the mausoleum always appears illuminated whatever the quality
or the color of the light. In the Qur'an we speak of "Pearl of
Paradise" to evoke holy places. A pearl of Paradise can be, logically,
coated with white accentuating the transparency of the place. This brilliant
whiteness at any time of the day is never interrupted in shadows because the
iwans (Persian-inspired porches carved around the mausoleum) are wide, high and
shallow, shadows can form there do not alter the brightness of the monument.
In addition, the colors provided by the morning or
evening sun, depending on the climatic environment, leave the mausoleum just as
bright. Muslims can then compare it to what is inscribed in verse 35 of the
24th Sura "light of heaven and earth".
The color of the materials is also important for the
Hindu symbolism. The Taj Mahal is essentially white and red (white marble, red
sandstone). In the Hindu civilization red is the color of warriors while white
is that of Brahmans. Brahmins are literate men, teachers or priests. to use the
colors red and white is therefore, vis-à-vis the Hindu community, to highlight
the duality Earth-Sky by evoking their representatives on Earth.
Floral decorations
The mausoleum is covered with floral or plant
decorations that are of two types: Either in Pietra dura (ie in stone
marquetry), or in low relief. The use of bas-relief rather than high relief
(whose relief is more accentuated) is justified by the limitation of the game
of shadows it will cause on the monument itself, the goal being to leave the
mausoleum the sunniest possible.
Decoration of the Taj Mahal
Why flowers and plants, not animal or human
representations? The answer is also purely symbolic. In Islam, all human
representation is prohibited, so there is none. Then, plants represent
well-being because Islam has developed in arid regions, water, plants were
therefore precious goods and as all that is valuable is logically associated
with the afterlife , plants are in a good place in the list of divine elements.
Moreover, the garden is a representation of Paradise, it is totally related to
the representation of plants on the mausoleum, these plants evoking the eternal
paradise life. The flowers have even more this notion of paradisiacal plants
since they do not have terrestrial vocations, the fruits, being nutritious they
are closer to the terrestrial life.
The floral decorations thus participate in the
representation of the Paradise that is the Taj Mahal.
The geometry of the mausoleum
The mausoleum has, externally, various symbolic
notions: Bright white color, octagonal shape reminiscent of the 8 paradises,
dome stretching towards the sky. But its interior is also symbolic. Access to
the central part containing the cenotaphs can only be done through
anti-chambers corresponding to a final purification of the soul before the
arrival to the holiest places of the Taj Mahal. This passage is identical to
what can be done when the visitor enters the gardens. The center piece, also
octagonal, has 4 passages opening on the 4 cardinal points. The perfect
orientation of the mausoleum is closer to the Paradise vision of the Mughals,
who focused on geometric precision. Thus, in the mausoleum, the notion of space
is lost since everything is perfectly identical, the visitor being in a place
without spatial reference, which increases his impression of being in Paradise.
The exceptional acoustics of the mausoleum is also a
symbol of purity. The sound spreads by bouncing on the walls without being
stopped, reflected until the loss of power that marks its end. It can hold 30
seconds.
The proximity of the Yamuna
The Yamuna
The Yamuna River that runs through Agra City runs just
north of the resort. This river is a tributary of the Ganges which is the
purifying stream of Hindus. It is in the Ganges that the ashes of the Hindu are
dispersed because the river is what purifies the soul of the deceased before
the continuation of its course towards the sky. The proximity of the tributary
of the Ganges with the Taj Mahal is therefore a symbol of the Mughal's desire
to purify the soul of the late Mumtaz Mahal, and that vis-à-vis the Hindu
community rather than Muslim. For information according to Hinduism Ganges is a
sacred river coming from the foot of Vishnu and joining Mount Meru which is the
cosmic mountain, the axis of the universe.
Conclusion
In conclusion we can say that the Taj Mahal was built
according to standards imposed by religious imperatives centered on the concept
of life after death. If Islam is the main source of inspiration, Hinduism has
not been forgotten with, for example, the use of stone decorations and
purification of the soul by the Yamuna.
Calligraphic inscriptions
The mausoleum of the Taj Mahal is very largely
decorated with floral motifs, mostly engraved in marble or pietra dura, a
technique of stone marquetry. But we can not miss the splendid inscriptions in
Arabic seems it, inscriptions that run around the iwans (these porches broad
traditional Persian architecture). There are also on the entrance gate of the
gardens, and on the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and his wife for whom was built the
monument, Mumtaz Mahal.
But what do they mean?
Meaning of texts
The text is written in a language close to the
'Thuluth', a style associated in particular with the Persian calligrapher
Amanat Khan who resided at the Mughal court and who was responsible for making
the calligraphy of the entire Taj Mahal. His signature appears besides many
times in the marble. Historian Wayne Begley suggests, relatively recently, that
Amanat Khan was responsible not only for the practical design of the script,
but also for the choice of texts. Most of the texts come from the Koran. There
are twenty-two passages in all, including fourteen entire chapters, some of
which are read as part of Islamic funeral ceremonies. The chosen texts
generally refer to themes of the judgment and reward of the faithful, with
their entries to Paradise. Moreover, the inscription on the entrance gate of
the gardens of the Taj Mahal invites the reader to enter Paradise, the home of
the faithful and the reward for the righteous. Its presence on the gateway to
gardens is not trivial because gardens are a representation of Paradise
according to Islam, especially that of the Taj Mahal, which was really designed
as such.
The main inscription that receives visitors, on the
great gate, before entering the gardens, is:
O soul, you are at rest. Return to the Lord in peace
with him, and he at peace with you
As we get closer to the mausoleum, the text changes its
tone. While at the entrance it was an invitation to enter Paradise, the
inscriptions on the outer walls of the tomb leave no doubt about the impending
disaster awaiting the infidels, the day of judgment. It is a message of
severity that is distilled, and it contrasts a lot with the sweetness of
architecture, which is rather a symbol of love than a warning. Inside the
mausoleum the tone is more reassuring, with long descriptions of Paradise
adorning certain walls. The main text, and finally the most important one, is
on the upper cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal. The words of the Qur'anic prayer,
recited by angels, implore Allah to allow the faithful to enter Paradise, a
touching request for God's mercy to his devoted servant, Mumtaz Mahal.
Recall that the Quran is divided into Sura, independent
texts referring to the same set. There are 114, more or less long, each with a
title and a number of verses. The verses used on the monuments of the Taj Mahal
refer to the theme of the last judgment, they are derived from the following
suras:
36: Ya Sin (It contains 83 verses) The chosen verses
speak of the moral responsibility of men, the resurrection and the prayer of
the dead
39: Groups (75 verses). The encrusted text is an
allegory at the last hour and the day of the last judgment.
48: Victory (29 verses). These verses speak of the
"Treaty of Hudaybiyyah" which provoked the first pilgrimage.
67: The Kingship (30 verses). These are sentences that
put forward man's dependence on guiding souls to divine revelation.
77: The Envoys (50 verses). This refers to the
revelation of the Qur'an.
81: The Decline (29 verses). These verses speak of the
last hour and the resurrection of men.
82: The Breaking of Heaven (19 verses). This text is an
explanation of the separation that takes place in the heavens and gives a
description of the last judgment.
84: The Tear (25 verses). There is written detail of
the last judgment when questioning each one about his actions.
89: Dawn (30 verses). These verses tell of the
destruction of the unbelievers and the entrance of the faithful to Paradise.
91: The Sun (15 verses). This is the story of the
Thamud, an ancient tribe who is now extinct.
93: The brightness of the day (11 verses). These verses
tell how Muhammad was comforted, how his anxiety disappeared.
94: The Opening (8 verses). The text explains how
Muhammad was reassured that the difficult period will be short.
95: The Fig Tree (8 verses). The perfect life of the
humans makes it possible to enter the glory on the day of the last judgment.
98: The Decisive Proof (8 verses). This text explains
the need to send a messenger to Earth with the Qur'an.
112: Pure Worship (4 verses). These verses speak of the
unity of God.
Verse 58 of Sura 36 is "Peace, this is the word
that will be spoken to them from a merciful Lord." This is one of the few
verses that evokes the contact between God and humans.
Inscriptions on the graves
Both tombs are also covered with calligraphic
inscriptions referring to the Koran. Thus on Mumtaz Mahal one can read the
ninety names of God, on the sides of the tomb, in the crypt. There is, for
example: "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Unique, O Lord, O glorious,
etc.". That of Shah Jahan bears the calligraphic inscription "He
traveled from this world to the banquet hall of eternity on the night of the
twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri". However, the
central point is filled with passages from the cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal. The
words of the Qur'anic prayer recited by the angels, implore Allah to allow the
faithful to enter paradise, a moving request for the mercy of God to His
devoted servant, Mumtaz Mahal.
To resume
In summary, the message delivered by the inscriptions
on the Taj Mahal is clear: This is an invitation to live on Earth as a good
Muslim, with three separate passages: A call to see what Paradise is (on the
entrance gate), a severe warning (on the mausoleum facades) and a more personal
call to mercy (on the cenotaph).
Style of writing
These inscriptions are in Arabic, but a bit of a
special Arabic nowadays. They are made of black marble are used both to spread
a message and to decorate. The black marble lettering is inlaid on white marble
slabs that highlight the architectural features of the monument. The rounded
letters have a generally elongated shape, mostly horizontally, but this
alternation of vertical and horizontal lines gives the impression that it is a
grid.
The stone used for writing is black marble. It is not
veined with white as often, this stone is a deep black.
In addition, the calligrapher Amanat Khan had designed
the text so that all the letters turned to the viewer with an identical size.
To make this effect he had to enlarge the highest signs because the visitors
see them closely. It is a technique that requires a great mastery of
perspective, proof of the great capacity of the Mughal culture to create
decorations of great qualities.
Inlay technique
The work of incrustation stones in a support also stone
must be of great precision. The artists who worked on the Taj Mahal were
endowed with a capacity for concentration and meticulousness, because in many
places the quality is irreproachable. Moreover this quality of execution of the
works is one of the elements proving the success of the whole building.
To make these inlays have used the technique of pietra
dura. It is a simple method developed by the lapidaries of Florence, Italy, who
were masters in the art of stone marquetry. It was they who carried out a large
part of the incrustation work, having moved to India to bring their know-how.
In practice, the principle is to abrade a marble plate
serving as a support until it is perfectly polished. Then, the artist makes a
sketch of the drawing to realize and cuts in the stones corresponding to the
good colors the forms to be incrusted, like parts of a puzzle. Finally, it
carries over on the marble plate the contour of the cut stones and digs until
obtaining a cavity corresponding to the stone. We imagine the precision needed
for the two parts to become perfectly embedded, as well in width as in length,
and even in depth, because if at the end the artist polished again the marble
plate to level everything , it was not necessary too much difference in height
between the support and the stone.
This method is called pietra dura, it is still used
nowadays. This is the same method that is still used today for detailed and
beautiful inlay work, painstakingly done.
