What was there on land on which Taj Mahal was built? The land was owned by…, not Mughals
Taj Mahal history: India’s iconic monument Taj Mahal is an eternal symbol of love and Mughal grandeur known across the world for its beauty and architecture. However, only a few people know that the land on which the iconic monument stands today has a unique story. It is widely believed in India and across the world know that the iconic Taj Mahal of India was built on a land which once belonged to a Hindu king, Raja Jai Singh I of Amer and not the Mughal empire which was ruling the land. Here are all the details you need to know.
Media reports have it that the iconic Taj Mahal, which stands across the world for its enduring symbol of love and a UNESCO World Heritage Site did not originally belong to the Mughal Empire but it was brought on purpose.
Historical records from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have indicated that Emperor Shah Jahan acquired this land from Raja Jai Singh in exchange for four mansions (havelis) in Agra.
As part of the exchange process to acquire the land on which the iconic Taj Mahal was built, Raja Jai Singh, one of the allies of the Mughal Empire ceded the land to the Mughal emperor. In return of the land, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan granted him four mansions (havelis) in different parts of Agra.
‘Shah Jahan captured Hindu palace to build Taj Mahal’: BJP MP
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Diya Kumari had earlier claimed that the land on which the Taj Mahal has been built in Agra belonged to the Jaipur royal family and there used to be a palace that was captured by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, as per a report by news agency ANI.
“As per documents with us, property (Taj Mahal) on that land was a palace. Shah Jahan captured it during his rulen. The land belonged to Jaipur royal family (erstwhile) and we have got the documents that it belonged to us,” Kumari told media persons here.
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the tomb of his wife Mumtaz. The constriction of the marble monument began in 1632 and took 22 years to finally be completed in 1653. The architectural magnum opus was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.
(With inputs from agencies)
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