A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time: The Story of the Taj Mahal (48 page)

‘small … building’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 43.

Although the Moghul chroniclers formally referred to the Taj as the
rauza-i-munavvara
or ‘Illumined Tomb’, Peter Mundy and other contemporary travellers wrote of the ‘Taje [sic] Mahal’.

Some … familiarity’
: all quotes in this paragraph are Qazwini,
IT
, pp. 13–14.

‘Mighty … power’
: quoted G. H. R. Tillotson,
Mughal India
, p. 20.

‘construction … fortune’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 10.

‘a memorial … ambition’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 43. (See also E. Koch, ‘The Taj Mahal: Architecture, Symbolism, and Urban Significance’,
Muqarnas
, vol. 22, pp. 128–49.)

‘a Venetian … it’
: S. Manrique, op. cit., p. 173.

‘a mausoleum … earth’
: R. Nath,
The Taj Mahal and Its Incarnation
, p. 6.

‘The royal … amendments’
: Lahori’s account appended to Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 570.

‘distasteful … Majesty … the … Queen’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 82.

‘All … show’
: P. Mundy, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 192.

‘The comptrollers … assemblage … His … crowds’
: ibid., p. 84.

10: ‘The Builder Could Not Have Been of This Earth’

E. Koch’s article ‘The Taj Mahal: Architecture, Symbolism and Urban Significance’, vol. 22,
Muqarnas
, pp. 128–49, provides much detailed and valuable information on the architectural theories behind the Taj Mahal and related matters.

‘evoke … paradise’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 66.

‘ “Astibisti” … divisions’
: quoted R. A. Jairazbhoy, ‘The Taj Mahal in the Context of East and West’,
Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes
, vol. 24, 1961, p. 75. This article also contains other examples of the use of the nine-fold plan.

‘of heavenly rank … shaped … guava’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 66.

‘like … heavens’
: ibid., p. 67.

‘accepted … skies’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 79.

The author who has suggested that the sight lines relate to Shah Jahan’s height is R. Lane-Smith.

H. I. S. Kanwar discusses the significance of the 58-foot diameter of the central chamber in ‘Harmonious Proportions of the Taj Mahal’,
Islamic Culture
, vol. 49, 1975, pp. 1–17.

A. J. Qaisar’s
Building Construction in Mughal India
gives much useful information on Moghul building practices.

To bear … flower
: all quotes in these three paragraphs come from Lahori,
IT
, pp. 65–6.

‘We … order’
: imperial order quoted
IT
, p. 163.

‘The … stones’
: P. Mundy, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 213.

‘Some … animals’
: S. Manrique, op. cit., p. 172.

Like
…
found
: Kalim,
IT
, p. 84.

‘the … dome … glittering … sun’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 66.

‘each line … as … Kashmir’
: quoted S. Stronge,
Painting for the Mughal Emperor
, p. 168.

But
…
Paradise
: Koranic inscription,
IT
, p. 195.

‘The … calligraphical writing [of others].’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 79.

‘All … water’
: ibid.

‘Everywhere … imaginable’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., p. 298.

‘In … Jahan’
: J.-B. Tavernier, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 101.

They
…
flowers
: lines from the court poet Kalim,
Padshahnama
.

‘look … topaz’
: Madame Blavatsky, quoted P. Pal
et al
., op. cit., p. 130.

‘wonder … making’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 67.

11: ‘This Paradise-like Garden’

Rose
…
diverse
: J. Milton,
The English Poems
, p. 211.

The quotes from the Koran come from S. Crowe
et al
.,
The Gardens of Mughul India
, p. 42.

‘As … guidance’
:
The Akbarnama
, vol. 2, pp. 486 & 487.

So
…
rain
: Kalim,
IT
, p. 85.

‘the trees … herbs’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 80.

‘full … flowers’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., p. 296.

‘laborious … dung’
:
The Baburnama
, translated W. M. Thackston, p. 335.

‘the black … speech’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 80.

12: The Illumined Tomb

Guests …
lamps
: all quotes in this paragraph are from Kalim,
IT
, pp. 82–4.

‘shining … perfections’
: John Ovington’s account,
India in the Seventeenth Century
, ed. J. P. Guha, p. 108.

‘for … Paradise’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 77.

‘highly … fasteners’
: Lahori,
IT
, p. 67.

‘Shah … nights’
:
Tarikh-i Khafi Khan
, ED, vol. 7, p. 484.

When
…
desert
: Qudsi,
IT
, p. 86.

‘of … preceptor’
: quoted P. Pal
et al
.,
Romance of the Taj Mahal
, p. 48.

‘great … rockets’
: P. Mundy, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 202.

Shah Jahan’s … burned’
: all quotes in this paragraph come from Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 309.

‘the merchants … them’
: J.-B. Tavernier, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 46–7.

An anguished … celebrated’
: all quotes in these two paragraphs come from Inayat Khan, op. cit., pp. 309–19.

‘to so … woman’
: original Latin text of J. de Laet, quoted in
IT
, p. 306.

‘The Great … times’
: P. Mundy, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 202–3.

The stories … chew
: all quotes in these two paragraphs are from F. Bernier, op. cit., pp. 11–13.

Not … service’
: all quotes in this paragraph come from N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 208–11.

‘she … asked’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 212.

‘is one … Hindustan’
: Lahori, ED, vol. 7, p. 50.

‘great … infidelity’
: ibid., p. 36.

‘with cannon … war’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 85.

‘heretics’
: ibid.

‘Some … dear’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., p. 170.

‘warriors of Islam’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 87.

‘The handsome … faith’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., p. 177.

‘kept … confinement … such … pieces’
: Lahori,
Badshah Nama
, ED, vol. 7, p. 43.

‘under … companions … had determined … occupations’
: ibid., p. 69.

‘I knew … [of rivals]’
: quoted W. Hansen,
The Peacock Throne
, p. 128.

‘due … sister’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 319.

13: ‘The Sublime Throne’

Unlike … honour
: all quotes in this paragraph are from S. Manrique, op. cit., pp. 214–18.

‘some … river’
: Inayat Khan, ED, vol. 7, p. 85.

‘Nearly … felt’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., p. 267.

The gem-studded … materials?’
: the quotes in this paragraph are from S. Manrique, op. cit., pp. 197–8.

‘the most … believer’
: quoted G. H. R. Tillotson,
Mughal India
, p. 22, and J. D. Hoag’s
Islamic Architecture
, p. 10.

For a discussion of the costs of Shah Jahan’s building projects and of the Taj Mahal see S. Moosvi, ‘Expenditure on Buildings Under Shah Jahan – A Chapter of Imperial Financial History’,
Proceedings of the Forty-Sixth Session of the Indian History Congress
, 1985, and R. Nath,
Art and Architecture of the Taj Mahal
, pp. 16–17.

The Venetian … pleasure’
: the quotes in these two paragraphs come from N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 187–8.

‘with … follies … transgressed … decency’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., pp. 273–4.

‘a good … shop’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., p. 189.

Preoccupied … wine’
: quotes in these two paragraphs are from F. Bernier, op. cit., pp. 6–7.

‘reserved … dissimulation … contempt … elevation’
: ibid., p. 10.

‘undeserving … stars’
:
Adab-i-Alamgiri
, Aurangzeb’s letter to Jahanara written in the 1650s, translated by J. Scott, p. 424.

‘did not … him’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 181.

‘constant thought … was … himself … he … arm’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., pp. 10–11.

‘the home … Timur’
: Lahori, ED, vol. 7, pp. 70–1.

‘Natural … climate’
: ibid.

‘from … spirit’
: Inayat Khan, ED, vol. 7, p. 90.

‘with such … reduced … the troops … recalled’
:
Adab-i-Alamgiri
, Aurangzeb recalled his father’s words in a letter to Shah Jahan, translated by J. Scott, pp. 432 & 439.

In December … hand
: all quotes in this paragraph are from W. M. Thackston’s translation given in
The Moonlight Garden
, ed. E. Moynihan, p. 28.

‘to seat … throne’
: Inayat Khan, ED, vol. 7, p. 105.

In early 1656 … his orders
: the quotes in these two paragraphs come from A. Eraly, op. cit., p. 327.

14: ‘Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth’

‘a monarch … against him’
: Abul Fazl quoted A. Eraly, op. cit., p. 139.

Had … Murad
: the quotes in this paragraph are from N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 230.

‘The emperor … strangury’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 543.

‘was … constitution’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., pp. 24–5.

‘Shah … drugs’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 231.

‘turned … state … requesting … heir-apparent’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 545.

‘bigot … prayer-monger’
: ibid., p. 220.

‘The emperor … sinful … I … design’
: W. Hansen, op. cit., pp. 235–6.

‘with … meeting’
: Inayat Khan, op. cit., p. 550.

Niccolao … murdered
: all quotes in these eleven paragraphs are from N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 255–7, 269, 276, 282, 295 and 352.

Dara … excuses
: the quotes in this paragraph come from F. Bernier, op. cit., pp. 89–90.

‘disgraceful procession’
: ibid., p. 98.

‘revived … Musulman’
: Aurangzeb’s letter to Shah Jahan,
Adab-i-Alamgiri
, translated by J. Scott, pp. 358–9.

‘not … blood’
:
Tarikh-i Khafi Khan
, ED, vol. 7, p. 267.

During … occurred?’
: the quotes in this paragraph come from
Adab-i-Alamgiri
, translated by J. Scott, pp. 358–9.

‘the whole … others’
: F. Bernier, op. cit., p. 166.

‘The Great … death’
: quoted
IT
, p. 309.

‘a grand … funeral’
: Salih,
IT
, p. 144.

Shah Jahan died on 26 Rajab 1076 in the Muslim calendar.

15: Fall of the Peacock Throne

‘bade … quick’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 3, p. 276.

‘the boldest … turbulent’
: N. Manucci, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 227.

‘the inexperienced … Rajputs’
: the chronicler is Khafi Khan, translated in ED, vol. 7, p. 301.

‘as … instructed … that … fire’
: ibid., p. 304.

‘divert … drink’
: quoted W. Hansen, op. cit., p. 465.