Shah Jahan and His Paradise on Earth- The Story of Shah Jahan's Creations in Agra and Shahjahanabad in the Golden Days of the Mughals

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The rich socio-cultural and political heritage left behind by the Mughals stands in need of proper appreciation and attention at a time when the overwhelming onslaught of globalisation leaves us wondering whether we have at all a separate identity as Indians with a rich socio-pollical and cultural tradition not borrowed from the west. Such appreciation ought not to be equated with setting the clock back or turning away from modernity to seek solace in our medieval past, as was thought by the westernized Indian intellectuals after the great rising of 1857 Rather, it is to be regarded as an attempt at rediscovering ourselves, making us conscious of the wealth of culture we inherit from our Mughal past.

In the light of the above consideration the relevance of my present work may be assessed. Shah Jahan here occupies the centre-stage because by his outstanding contribution to the architectural and cultural heritage left by the great Mughals, he seems to outshine the others of his dynasty: His creativity, his ideas and ideals surpassed in grandeur and loftiness those of his predecessors as well as those of his successors. He was the only Emperor in the Mughal dynasty who claimed to have brought down the "Paradise" on earth through his architectural creations. In a small way, I have tried to highlight this aspect of Shah Jahan's achievements, using as backdrop the socio-political and cultural milieu of his golden reign. But how far I have been successful is not for me to determine.

In completing my work which took about two and a half years of dedicated effort and a lot of "re-living the past through visits to the sites relevant for my work, I have had to take the help of many persons and institutions to whom I stand in unrepayable debt. Throughout almost the whole period of my present undertaking. Dr. Raznaddin Aqil, Fellow, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, has helped me along with valuable suggestions, keeping me abreast of the recent publications on the subject and watching the progress of my work with genuine interest. I take this opportunity to thank him from the depth of my heart.

I stand equally indebted to the noted Persian scholar, Dr. Abdus Subhan, Fellow, Asiatic Society, Kolkata and Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society, London. His valuable guidance and the important books and articles from various sources which he brought to my notice, helped me immensely. In spite of his tight schedule, it was extremely kind of him to translate for me passages from relevant Persian texts. I have not words enough to thank him.

I must also acknowledge my indebtedness to the renowned Persian scholar of Delhi, Dr. Yunus Jaffery. I met him but once. But we spent hours discussing the various aspects of the subject I had chosen for my book. Even from Kolkata, he was readily available over the telephone.

I HAVE BEEN in love with the Mughals and the Islamic culture they embodied, ever since I learnt to think independently and see things in their right perspective. Anything reminiscent of the Mughals, be it a Mughal painting or a grand Mughal edifice like the Taj Mahal, or a simple Kos minar, makes me extremely nostalgic and years for the past glories of the Mughals. The muazzin's call for the evening prayer always gives me an ethereal feeling, making me oblivious of my present surroundings I am transported to the golden period when the Mughal emperors ruled supreme from their golden thrones (Aurangi Zartin) in Agra or Fatehpur Sikri or Shahjahanabad. The year in, year out obsession with the great Mughals crystallised into my present work begun after my retirement from service.

I wove my story around Shah Jahan and Shahjahani splendour because I was extremely fascinated by his engrossing love for the Islamic conception of 'Paradise' which was reflected in all his superb architectural creations, including the city of Shahjahanabad itself which he had founded to serve as his new capital. The charismatic personality of Shah Jahan is as fascinating as his grand creations and lofty ideas. His love of grandeur, his self-esteem, sense of justice, administrative acumen, military skill and above all, in spite of his pride, his endearing personality which made him a dutiful and loving son (till of course, Nur Jahan Begam opted to become a wedge between the father and the son), a devoted husband, a loving father and a just an impartial ruler to all his subjects - all these aspects of his personality make him as remarkable as the grand edifices he erected.

As to his fascination for "Paradise", many instances may be cited from amongst the monumental creations he has left behind. The southern arch of the ornamental gateway to the Taj mausoleum and gardens modelled on the garden of 'Paradise', is framed by all the 30 verses of Sura 89 (Al-Fajr or Break of Day) of the Holy Quran, ending with "And enter thou my Paradise!"

The inscription on the Diwan-i-Khas of Agra fort reads:

"The crection of this delightful lofty palace has exalted Akbarabad to the Ninth Heaven (arsh)On the Moti Masjid of Agra fort is this bold proclamation

its durable plinth is as high as the Divine Throne and its benefit-showering dome is arm in arm with the portico of Paradise.

A more decisive claim which lies in the following couplet of Amir Khusaru, was inscribed in elaborate style on both sides of the southern arch of Diwan-i-Khas in the Qila-i-Mubarak or the Red Fort of Shahjahanabad:

The entire city of Shahjahanabad with its majestic fortress, 'the Qila-i-Mubarak", was Shah Jahan's "Paradise on Earth" The palace within the fortress laid out in the form of tastefully decorated white marble pavilions of exquisite beauty, raised on a marble terrace facing the river Jumna (which no longer flows below the fortress, having receded further east), the well-planned fortress, which was almost a city within a city, the covered baraar, the unique of its kind in Hindustan, the Nahr--Bihist or Stream of Paradise flowing through the fort and the palace pavilions, justified Shah Jahan's claim that he had indeed brought down the "Paradise" on earth. The other integral parts of this "Paradise" were the beautiful gardens within and outside the fort wall, the elegant river-side mansions and the beautiful houses of the umaras within the city, well laid out streets with Nahr-+-Bihist flowing through them carrying fresh, potable water, colourful bazaars replete with goods from all over the world, the graceful and majestic mosques and the majestic Jama Masjid towering over them all, the beautiful rest- houses or sarais, and enclosing all, the imposing city walls, pierced by majestic gates.

Though immortalised by contemporary accounts which are readily available even today, the Shahjahanabad which was eulogised as "Paradise on Earth", seems to have vanished for ever. It is no longer the "City of Shah Jahan" It is simply "Old Delhi". Time and reversal of fortune have taken their toll on what was once the object of admiration to people of Hindustan and foreigners alike. Nonetheless, Shah Jahan the great dreamer and Shahjahanabad, the spectacular achievement of his dreams, exercise a haunting attraction on all sensitive visitors even today Speaking for myself, I can assert that I never detected any pulse of life or any haunting beauty in the posh and dazzling New Delhi laid out by Lutyen and Baker. The little that remains of Shahjahanabad engrossed all my attention on all my visits to Delhi. Beyond the squalor and congestion what I visualise is the Shahjahanabad of yore, resplendent with Shahjahani brilliance. No wonder the Shahjahanabad that comes alive in my present work is so different from the mutilated, vandalised Shahjahanabad bearing all the scars of the post-mutiny reprisal. Mine is a radiant Shahjahanabad with Shah Jahan and his brilliant court in the Qila-i-Mubarak, the drums and cymbals of the Naqqar Khana beating to the rhythm of the passing hours, the beautiful city with all civic amenities and efficient administration and peopled by worthy men and women who could make any metropolis proud to have them as citizens.