Itmad-ud daulah, one of the most beautiful of Mughal
tombs, stands across the river Yamuna from the Taj Mahal, nearly one and a
half kilometers up-stream. Belonging to the age of Jahangir, it contains
cenotaphs of Mirza Ghiyas and Asmat Begum, parents of the powerful Mughal
Empress Nurjahan queen of Jahangir, an exceptional beauty and an astute
administrator. The tomb marks a significant departure from the tombs of the
Mughal dynasty built before its construction.
Tale
of Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb
The tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah is as interesting as the life of the person for
whom it was built. Mirza Ghiyas-ud-din or Ghiyas Beg (later known as
Itmad-ud-Daulah) was a poor merchant and lived in Persia (modern-day Iran).
While on his way to India for business, his wife gave birth to a baby girl.
As the family was extremely poor and had nothing to eat, the parents decided
to abandon the child. However, the wails of the baby girl forced the parents
to come back and take her with them. The baby girl brought a stroke of good
luck to her parents, for Ghiyas Beg found a caravan that straightaway took
him to the court of the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. In the course of time,
Ghiyas Beg rose to become a minister and a trusted treasurer in Akbar's
court. After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jahangir became the Mughal
emperor, who made Ghiyas Beg his chief minister or Wazir. Ghiyas Beg was
also honored with the title of Itmad-ud-Daulah or the pillar of the state.
Ghiyas Beg's daughter grew up to be a beautiful lady and came to be known
as Mehr-un-Nissa or the sun of womankind. In the course of time, the fame of
her beauty spread. She was married off, but she soon became a widow. She
returned to the court of Jahangir where her father was employed. Emperor
Jahangir fell in love with her and married her. She soon became a powerful
personality in Jahangir's court and was called Nur Mahal, the light of the
palace, and Nur Jahan, light of the world. When Ghiyas Beg (Itmad-ud-Daulah)
died in 1622, Nur Jahan undertook the project to build his mausoleum. Later
she built the tomb of her husband (in a similar style) in Lahore. Nur Jahan
had a brother whose daughter was married to Jahangir's son, Shahjahan. She
was known as Mumtaz Mahal in whose memory Shahjahan built the world famous
Taj Mahal.
Itmad-ud-Daulah was buried in a tomb that resembles a jewel box and set in
a garden. This tranquil, small, garden located on the banks of the Yamuna
was to inspire the construction of the Taj Mahal in the later years. It is
the first tomb in India built entirely in white marble. The tomb is also
justly famous for the glorious pietra dura (stone inlay) decoration
depicting cypresses, wine glasses, and an amazing variety of geometrical
arabesque. The jali screens set in arched recesses are splendid. Four small
minarets rise at the four corners of the small tomb structure. The whole
structure gives the impression of an enlarged precious object. Due to the
profusion of intricate work done on marble and the beautiful marble
screen-work, the tomb easily qualifies as a veritable forerunner of the
famous Taj Mahal.
Architecture
The pure white and elaborately carved tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah conforms to
the Islamic style of architecture. The use of arched entrances, octagonal
shaped towers or minarets, use of exquisitely carved floral patterns,
intricate marble-screen work and inlay work are all representative of the
Islamic style. The absence of a dome and the presence of a closed kiosk on
top of this building and the use of chhatris (small domed canopies,
supported by pillars) atop the four towers (minarets) instead of proper
domes are reflective of local influence.
