
Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah (''I'timād-ud-Daulah Maqbara'') is a
Mughal mausoleum in the city of
Agra
Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n state of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
. Often described as a "jewel box", sometimes called the "Bachcha Taj" or the "Baby Taj", the tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is often regarded as a draft of the
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
.
Along with the main building, the structure consists of numerous outbuildings and gardens. The tomb, built between 1622 and 1628,
represents a transition between the first phase of monumental
Mughal architecture
Mughal architecture is the style of architecture developed in the Mughal Empire in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the Indian subcontinent. It developed from the architectural styles of ea ...
– primarily built from red sandstone with marble decorations, as in
Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's tomb (Persian language, Persian: ''Maqbara-i Humayun'') is the tomb of Emperor of Hindustan, Emperor Mirza Nasir al-Din Muhammad commonly known as Humayun situated in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife and ...
in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
and
Akbar's tomb in
Sikandra – to its second phase, based on white marble and ''
pietra dura
''Pietra dura'' (), ''pietre dure'' () or intarsia lapidary ( see below), called ''parchin kari'' or ''parchinkari'' () in the Indian subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to c ...
'' inlay, most elegantly realized in the Taj Mahal.
The mausoleum was commissioned by
Nur Jahan, the wife of
Jahangir
Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...
, for her father
Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, originally a Persian Amir in exile,
[کتا�]
سفرنامه هند
ص55–58 در سال ۱۳۵۰ خورشیدی. نوشته محمدرضا خانی. به فارسی. who had been given the title of ''I'timād-ud-Daulah'' (pillar of the state). Mirzā Ghiyās Beg was also the grandfather of
Mumtāz Mahāl (originally named Arjumand Banu Begum, daughter of Asaf Khan), the wife of the emperor
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
, responsible for the construction of the Taj Mahal.
Tomb

The
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...
, located in the centre of a
quadrangle (
charbagh
A ''charbagh'' or ''chaharbagh'' (; , , ) is a Persian gardens, Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden with a layout of four gardens traditionally separated by waterways, together representing the four gardens and rivers of Paradise, ...
) on the left bank of river Yamuna next to
Chini Ka Rauza, covers about , and is built on a
red sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains, cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed o ...
plinth of about and about high. On each corner is an octagonal ''
minaret
A minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generally used to project the Muslim call to prayer (''adhan'') from a muezzin, but they also served as landmarks and symbols of Islam's presence. They can h ...
'', about tall.
[
The walls are made up of white marble from ]Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations: cornelian, jasper
Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to ...
, lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, ''lāžward'', lapis lazuli is ...
, onyx
Onyx is a typically black-and-white banded variety of agate, a silicate mineral. The bands can also be monochromatic with alternating light and dark bands. ''Sardonyx'' is a variety with red to brown bands alternated with black or white bands. ...
and topaz
Topaz is a silicate mineral made of aluminium, aluminum and fluorine with the chemical formula aluminium, Alsilicon, Sioxygen, O(fluorine, F, hydroxide, OH). It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural ...
formed into images of cypress
Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America.
The word ''cypress'' ...
trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light penetrates to the interior through delicate ''jali
A ''jali'' or ''jaali'' (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectu ...
'' screens of intricately carved white marble.[ The interior decoration is considered by many to have inspired that of the Taj Mahal, which was built by her stepson, Mughal ruler Shah Jahan.
Many of Nūr Jahān's relatives are interred in the mausoleum.][ The only asymmetrical element of the entire complex is that the ]cenotaph
A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...
s of her father and mother have been set side-by-side, a formation replicated in the Taj Mahal.
History
This is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and his wife Asmat Begum. He hailed from Iran and served Akbar and was the father of the famous Nur Jahan and grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal in whose memory the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
was built. He was made Vazir (Prime Minister) after Nur Jahan's marriage with Jahangir
Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir (; ), was List of emperors of the Mughal Empire, Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal ...
in 1611 and held the mansab of 7000/7000 and the title : "I'timad-Ud-Daulah" (The Lord treasurer). He died at Agra in 1622, a few months after his wife's death. Nur Jahan built this tomb for her parents between 1622 and 1628. Her own tomb and that of Jahangir are at Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
.
The Tomb of I'timad-Ud-Daulah is a masterpiece of the domeless class of Mughal tombs. It is the first building finished in white marble and marks the transitional phase from red sandstone to white marble, from Akbar's tomb Sikandra to the Taj Mahal.
Architecture
The tomb, situated on the eastern bank of the river Yamuna
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Bandarpunch peaks of the Low ...
, is planned in the centre of a Char-Bagh (four-quartered garden), with the usual enclosing walls and side buildings. As conditioned by its situation, the main gate is on the eastern side. Ornamental gateways with prominent lawns are built in the middle of north and south sides. A multi-storeyed open pleasure pavilion is there on the western side, overlooking the river impressively. These buildings are of red sandstone with bold inlaid designs in white marble.[
Shallow water channels, sunk in the middle of the raised stone paved pathways, with intermittent tanks and cascades, divided the garden into four equal quarters. They are only slightly raised from the parterres which could be converted into flower beds. Space for large plants and trees was reserved just adjoining the enclosing walls, leaving the mausoleum fully open to view.
The main tomb of white marble is marvellously set in the centre of the garden. It stands on a plinth with a stairway of red stone, having in the middle of each side facing the central arch, a lotus tank with fountain. The tomb is square in plan with octagonal towers at the corners, surmounted by ]chhatri
''Chhatri'' are semi-open, elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. They are most commonly square, octagonal, and round.
Originating as a canopy above tombs, they largely ser ...
s, attached to its corners. Each facade has three depressed arches: the central one providing the entrance, and the other two on the sides being closed by ''jalis''. Each side is protected by a ''chhajja
A ''chhajja'' is an overhanging eave or roof covering found in Indian architecture. It is characterised with large support brackets with different artistic designs. Variation is also seen in its size depending on the importance of the building on ...
'' and a jali balustrade above it. There is no dome; instead, the building is roofed by a square ''baradari'' and an ogee
An ogee ( ) is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine- or extended S-shape (Sigmoid curve, sigmoid). Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combination of two semicircle, semicircula ...
-curved roof with a '' chajja'', having three arched openings on each side which are closed by jalis except in the middle of the north and south sides. Each minaret has cusped arches and is crowned by a domed roof with ''padmakosha'' (lotus petals) and ''Kalasha finials''. The plinth and the roof is lined with a parapet
A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...
of sandstone and marble respectively with lattice-work. The plinth also has a star-pattern inlay The interior is composed of a central square hall housing the cenotaphs of Asmat Begum and her husband, Mirza Ghiyas. four oblong rooms on the sides and four square rooms on the corners, all interconnected by common doorways. The cenotaph of Asmat Begum and her husband occupies the exact centre of the hall. Corner rooms have tombstones of Nur Jahan's other relations.[
The most important aspect of this tomb is its polychrome ornamentation. Beautiful, floral, and stylized ]arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foliate ...
(spandrel
A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...
and interior), geometrical designs (parapet and ''jali''), opus sectile mosaic with (stones, tiles, glass and enamel) and slices of pietra dura
''Pietra dura'' (), ''pietre dure'' () or intarsia lapidary ( see below), called ''parchin kari'' or ''parchinkari'' () in the Indian subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to c ...
inlay (of semi-precious stones) have been decorated on the whole exterior in inlay and mosaic techniques, in various pleasing tints and tones.[ Wine vase, dish and cup, cypress, honeysuckle, ''guldasta'' (flower bouquet) and such other Iranian motifs, typical of the art of Jahangir, have been emphatically used. Some compositions have been inspired by the plant studies of Ustad Mansur Naqqash, the famous "fauna and flora" painter of Jehangir.] Some stylized designs have also been done in exquisite carving, both incised and relief. They look like embroidery work done in ivory. Delicacy is their quality. Stucco and painting have been done in the interior where minute animal and human figures have also been shown. The inspiration has come from the contemporary art of painting. There is no glazed tiling and the decoration is largely by coloured stones which is an indigenous development.
Chapters 48 and 73 of the Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
have been carved on the 64 panels on the external sides of the ground floor. The date of writing A.H. 1037/1627 A.D. is mentioned in the last panel. Chapter 67 of the Quran is inscribed on the 12 internal panels of the upper pavilion.
This is protected and conserved by the Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander ...
(ASI).
Gallery
File:Itimad-ul-Daulah.jpg, Corner view
File:Agra 03-2016 01 Itmad-Ud-Daulah riverside.jpg, General view from the river
File:Agra 03-2016 17 Itmad-Ud-Daulah east gate.jpg, Entrance gate, outside view
File:Itmad-ud-Daula 29.JPG, Entrance gate, inside view
File:Itmad-ud-Daula 24.JPG, Mausoleum seen from the gate
File:I'timād-ud-Daulah, Agra.jpg, Mausoleum from the west
File:Itmad-ud-Daula 15.JPG, Corner view
File:Itmad minar.jpg, Domed top of minaret
File:Decoration on the wall of the masoleoum of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb 4.jpg, Cornice and supports, detail
File:Itmad detail.jpg, Exterior wall, detail with niche
File:A gate of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb.jpg, Exterior wall, detail with niche
File:Decoration on the wall of the masoleoum of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb 3.jpg, Geometrically patterned panel with 10-point stars
File:Grills of the masoleoum of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb 2.jpg, ''Jali
A ''jali'' or ''jaali'' (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of calligraphy, geometry or natural patterns. This form of architectu ...
'' pierced stone screen
File:Itmad5.jpg, Pietra dura
''Pietra dura'' (), ''pietre dure'' () or intarsia lapidary ( see below), called ''parchin kari'' or ''parchinkari'' () in the Indian subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to c ...
vases in marble wall with geometric floral border
File:Decoration on the wall of the masoleoum of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb.jpg, Interior decorated with vases, vegetal and geometric patterns
File:Decoration on the wall of the masoleoum of Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb 0.jpg, Pietra dura
''Pietra dura'' (), ''pietre dure'' () or intarsia lapidary ( see below), called ''parchin kari'' or ''parchinkari'' () in the Indian subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to c ...
on mausoleum interior wall
File:Baby Taj - detail of inlay work.JPG, Pietra dura
''Pietra dura'' (), ''pietre dure'' () or intarsia lapidary ( see below), called ''parchin kari'' or ''parchinkari'' () in the Indian subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to c ...
on mausoleum interior wall
File:I'timād-ud-Daulah -AGRA.jpg, Corner View (under direct sunlight )
See also
* Tomb of Nur Jahan
* Indo-Islamic architecture
* Tomb of Jahangir
The Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor Jahangir is buried in a mausoleum dating from 1637, located in Shahdara Bagh near city of Lahore, along the banks of River Ravi, in Punjab, Pakistan. The site is famous for its interiors that are extensively embe ...
* Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
* Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's tomb (Persian language, Persian: ''Maqbara-i Humayun'') is the tomb of Emperor of Hindustan, Emperor Mirza Nasir al-Din Muhammad commonly known as Humayun situated in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife and ...
* Mirza Ghiyas Beg
* Agra
Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...
* Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri () is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Mughal emperors, Emperor Akbar, servin ...
* Bibi Ka Maqbara
The Bibi Ka Maqbara (English: "Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb located in the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's son, Prince Azam Shah, in the memory of his mother ...
* Bahmani Tombs
* Tughluq tombs
References
External links
*
Pictures of Etimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
Pictures of Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb from a backpackers trip around India
{{Authority control
I'timād-ud-Daulah
Tourist attractions in Agra
Mausoleums in Uttar Pradesh
Buildings and structures in Agra
Buildings and structures completed in 1628
Persian gardens in India
Sandstone buildings in India
1628 establishments in India