INSTITUTE FOR REWRITING
INDIAN HISTORY ( U. K.)
Newsletter No 3 of 6th
February. 1981
Mr. Godbole (02.54.57388)
Diary of Events
1.1 Mr. B.K. Tiwari is the reporter of "Indian Express" in
1.2 A letter was sent to Prof. Shreenivas Joshi of
1.3 Students of Fine Craftsmanship and Design Department,
1.4 Mr. Lars Mahinske of Encyclopaedia Britannica has replied. He says "we
are forwarding your letter to our contributor who is also a scholar - on South
Asian Art and Civilisation. We will carry out necessary changes". After
waiting far three months another letter was sent to Mr. Mahinske.
1.5 "SOBAT" a Marathi weekly from Pune (
1.6 A detailed letter was sent to Mr. Ramarakhas, our member in the
1.7 Prince Charles visit to Taj Mahal
1.7.1 Editors of all the leading newspapers were informed that Prince Charles
was cheated by the Government of India officials. None of them published Mr. Godbole's
letter, but the editor of The Times asked for a copy of the analysis of the
legend. It was promptly sent.
1.7.2 A similar letter was sent
to Kate Adie, the B.B.C. reporter.
1.7.3 A letter was sent to Prince Charles himself. An acknowledgement
has been received from
1.8 "MANOOS" a Marathi
weekly from Poona carried an article by Dr. Abhyankar (20th September 1980)
pointing cut how even today Indians are blindly following the Europeans in
every walk of life and making fools of themselves. A letter was sent to the
editor pointing out that such blind following is still prevalent in historical
research. The editor was requested to publish Marathi translation of Air.
Godbole's analysis.
1.9 A similar letter was sent to the editor of "KIRLOSKAR", a
monthly from
1.10 A book entitled "World's Great Architecture" has recently
been published by Hamlyn Publications for W.H. Smith. A letter was sent to the General
editor. Dr. Patrick Nuttgens, who is also the Director of Leeds Polytechnic.
His secretary was contacted after six weeks on two occasions. She said that Dr.
Nuttgens found Mr.
Godbole's analysis very interesting and would reply at a. later date.
1.11
1.12 Mr. Malkani, the editor of The Organiser (
1.13 Prof. Doshi of Ahmedabad is an internationally known expert on
Islamic Architecture. A letter was sent to him pointing out the baselessness of
Indo-Sarasenic Architecture.
1.14 Prof. R. Nath obtained a Ph.D. from
1.15 John Murray of
Major Research Findings
1.16 Marble Temples
Mahmood of Gazani (1020 A.D.) has recorded that he destroyed more than a
thousand temples in Mathura, the greater number of them in MARBLE (Percy Brown - Indian Architecture Volume I
page 40). It is surprising how Mr. Oak missed this vital point. Since Hindus
had built MARBLE TEMPLES on such a vast scale, it follows that the art of
decorative work ("pietra dura") on marble was known and practised by
them for hundreds of years before the arrival of the Mughals.
1.17 Santa Sophia
This famous building in
We also find that five Ottoman Sultans are buried in its precincts. The
baptistery was converted into a tomb of Mustafa I and Ibrahim. (17th century).
The other imperial tombs stand in the garden beyond the baptistery. The
earliest tomb is of Selim II who died in 1574. From the fragments in the garden
to the west of the church one can see that this must have been a vast building.
Thus there is a strong parallel between Santa Sophia and Taj Alahal. Mr. Oak knows it very well but has never used
this information in any of his works.
Why?
Strangely enough Santa Sophia is not mentioned in the .Encyclopaedia Britannica. Look through any edition, yourself.
1.18 Taj Mahal
1.18.1 A survey map of 1828 exists in the India Office Library,
* The garden at the South is oval shaped. The place where Mumtaz is said
to have been buried temporarily is not shown.
* Mr. Oak has been asked to see if any more information can be obtained
from the Government of India archives.
1.18.2 Colonel Hodgson who made this survey wrote an article entitled
"Memoir on the length of the Illahee Guz or Imperial Land Measure of
Hindostan". It was published in the journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
of Great Britain and
The survey was made for establishing a relationship between the Guz and the
Inch.
On page 52 of the article he says ".. In Taj Mahal I also procured
from the Darrogha (attendant) a. Persian manuscript compiled by him purporting to
give the dimensions of several parts of the Taj in the Guz measure.
I measured many parts mentioned but they gave discordant results and in my
report to the Government I observed that these operations were of no value. The
manuscript was evidently the fabrication of an impostor .." - Why
should anyone have fabricated such a document in those days?
Later on Hodgson tells us that he found various dimensions in
Shahjahnama. These gave consistent results.
He safely concludes that 1 Guz = 31.456 inches. The trouble was that he
took all the measurements in plan. When we take the height of pinnacle on the
main dome and the height of the minarets into account we find that 1 Guz = 27.25 inches.
Had Hodgson taken the dimensions in elevation he would have found out the
fabrication in Shahjahanama as well.
On page 56 of the article Hodgson gives a description of Taj. Towards the
end of the page he says " .... It must be remembered that this is not a
temple but a tomb.
Surprise! Surprise!! When no one had even expressed a doubt that the Taj
might be. a temple, why did Hodgson say that it was not a temple but a tomb? It
is very important to find out.
1.18.3 In 1831 we find a. news
item in "John Bull" of
Lord William Bentinck wanted to demolish Taj Mahal. It was put on sale. The highest bid was for
1.5 lakhs rupees.
1.18.4 Archaeological survey of
Gaushala Burj - A kiosk at the south west corner was repaired
Gaushala - This building was in a very dilapidated and dangerous Condition.
So even after 250 years of misuse of the building, the Sanskrit term "Gaushala"
still seems to have survived. It is a pity that this Gaushala is not
shown in the survey map at the end of the report. And once again we do not find
the tombs of Satiumnisa Khanum and Sarhani Begum. They are called Saheli Burj No.
1 and 2. The place where Mumtaz is said to have been buried temporarily is not
shown.
1.18.5 The Basements
a) Once again there is no record of the discovery of 22 basement rooms in
the annual reports of the Archaeological survey of
b) James Fergusson's famous book "History of Indian and astern
Architecture"
contains a cross section showing a sealed basement under the(so called)
real grave chamber. Ref (1891 edition page 597 / 1910 edition Vol. II
page 315.) It is surprising that Mr. Oak has not mentioned this fact. Why?
c) “Edward Heath Travels" by Mr. Edward Heath, the former
Conservative Prime Minister of
d) July 1974 issue of "Islamic Culture" published from
On page 174 Mr. Kanwar tells us ".. A little distance away there was
evidence of another excavation. We observed the exposed portion of the wall and
from the manner in which the red sandstone slabs had been arranged, it gave the
appearance of a sort of entrance into the interior lying further South
(i.e. to the chamber containing Shiva Linga, under the so called real grave chamber.)…….
However from what one can make of the two excavations stated above it would
appear that there were doors or points of entry in the southern perimeter of
corridor, (i.e. there are two corridors 300 ft. apart and running north-south.
But the entrances to them are blocked up).
As for the purpose of the 22 basement rooms Mr. Kanwar tells us on Page
168
".. when this writer discussed the matter with persons who professed
to known the manner in which these underground rooms could have been utilised I
was told that some of these chambers might have been used for storing
provisions and refreshments to be served during the Emperor's visits. Other
rooms were probably used for temporary storage of equipment such as utensils to
warm the provisions, and tents and shamianas, and it is possible that this
series of curious chambers provided an opportunity for indulging in hide and
seek games - an interesting pastime with some of the rulers.
The lunacy of the traditionalist knows no bounds.
1.18.6 The Architect of Taj
a) Encyclopaedia Britannica tells us that a council of architects was appointed
by Shahjahan. Where do they get this information?
We find that such a statement was made by the French traveller Thevenot.
He was in
(Ref. - Indian Travel of Thevenot and Gareri - edited by Surendranath Sen
1949)
Thevenot at least says that all the architects were from
b) The Italian goldsmith Veronemo
This man is believed to be the architect by many Europeans. A Portuguese
missionary Sebastian Manrique was in
- He says "..., The architect of these works was a Venetian by name
of Geronimo Verenemo who had come to this part in a Portuguese ship and died in
the City of Lahore just before I reached it ....". (Ref - Travels of Fray
Sebastian Manrique - translated by Lt. Col C E Luard, Hakluyt Society 1927 -
Vol. II page173).
- If Manrique did not meet
Veronemo how did he know that he was the architect?
- He was told by Father De Castro
- But where was Father De Castro?
- Ever since the Mughal attacked
on the Portuguese settlement in Hugli, in 1652
Father De Castro was imprisoned
at
After dismissing several flaws in this information Mr. Luard says "..At any rate all of us - who have some
experience of historical research will be ready to admit that the silence of a.
score of writers does not weigh against
one clear, circumstantial, un-
contradictal testimoney such as Manrique's ….".
- Manrique's testimony could indeed have some meaning if he was a man of
unquestionable integrity. But was he? On
pages 169-170 Manrique describes Akbar's tomb. In the footnote Mr. Luard says…."…The
account given shows that Manrique's description is mainly from hearsay …. Entrance
was not easy if possible at all. Mundy notes that no one could enter "by
reason the Kinge keepes the key of the door which is also sealed with his
signett".
- In the footnote on page 199 Mr.
Luard says "….The whole description of the palace and throne is unconvincing
and looks as if it was taken from some amount Manrique found and perhaps from
what he heard".
- In the footnote on page 203 Mr. Luard says " … It is worth considering
how much of this amount refers to what was actually seen by Manrique and how
much is derived (as he is entirely devoid of scruple in such matters)
from what he read .."
- In the footnote on page 274 Mr. Luard says ".. one cannot
accept this statement as reliable in view of the proofs of Manrioue's plagiarism
from de Laet ...".
- Similarly on page 275 Mr. Luard says ".... AS we know that the next
chapter is entirely copies from de Laet, we can scarcely rely on this
statement ...".
- On page 297 Mr. Luard says
"….. Manrique never obtained this information locally (as he maintains)
but plagiarised shamelessly without acknowledgment, taking this amount out of de
Laet ....."
- Need we say mere?
c) Ustad Isa
Sir Mortimer Wheeler says "... Nor has the "celebrated
architect" Ustad Isa variously described as of Persia or Constantinople or
Shiraz or China or Qandahar any better
claim to be considered as its architect; there is in fact no evidence at least
before the nineteenth century that such a person ever existed .." (Page
156 Splendours of the East 1965).
But was Sir Wheeler seeking the truth? The answer is No. He did not open
up a single chamber, hall, doorway, ventilator or passage blocked up by
Shahjahan, when he was the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India.
His own department published a bulletin called "Repairs to Taj Mahal"
in 1946. It contains translation of Aurangzeb's letter of 1652. And yet Sir
Wheeler makes no reference to this letter nor does he mention the 22 basement
rooms, in his book.
d) Killing of the Architect
Contrary to popular belief, Bernier does not say that Shahjahan killed the
Architect so that a rival to Taj would not be constructed.
(Ref - Travels in the Mughal Empire by Francis Bernier translated by Archibald
Constable, published by S. Chand & Co.,
1.l8.7. The Layout
Claude Batley, former Professor of Architecture at J J School of Art:;
“ …..The fact that such planning
is certainly indigenous to India can be traced in the layout of the simplest
temple, in the magnificent temple town plans of South India and in the various
Indian mediaeval town layouts as reflected in the design of such a comparatively
modern Indian town as Jaipur .(Indian Architecture - 1934)
HOW CAN A TOMB FIT IN THS LAYOUT OF A
1.18.8 Music in Tomb
Have you even seen or heard anyone playing music in a tomb? The obvious
answer is No. But this is precisely what an author claims. He says "...
Surrounding the central chamber are eight smaller ones far the mullahs who
chanted the Koran and for musicians who played soft Indian and Persian melodies
...."
The person is E.B. Havell, late Principal of Government School of Art,
(Ref. Handbook to Agra and the Taj 1904 edition page 83)
1.18.9 East
The (English) East India Company had a factory at
1.18.10 Dutch East India Company Records
We know that Shahjahan took over
He says ".... everyone had tried to be close to the river bank, and
consequently the waterfront is occupied by the costly palaces of all the famous
lords which make it appear very gay and magnificent and extend for a distance of
3 1/2 miles I will record the chief of these palaces in order.
Beginning from the north there is the
Goulziaer Begam, Khwaja Muhammad Thakkar, Khwaja Bansi, Wazir Khan,
Traeghporea (where Akbar's widows live) Ehtibar Khan, Bagar Khan, Mirza Aboussagiet,
Asaf Khan, Itimad-ud Daula, Khwaja Abdul Hasan, Rochia Sultan Begum.
Then comes the Red Fort.
After passing the fort there is the Nakhas, a great market. Beyond it
lie the houses of some great lords such as Mirza Abdulla, Aga Naur,
Jahan Khan, Mirza Mhurram, Mahabat Khan, Khan Alam, Raja Bet Singh, the late RAJA MANSINGH, Raja Madhao Singh. The
other side of the river is populated chiefly by banian merchants.
(Ref - Jehangir's
No one should now have the slightest doubt that Raja Mansingh's
palace is Taj Mahal.
Further research of the Dutch records may provide some vital evidence.
1.18.11 Badshahnama
a) It is important to note that
when Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal compiled and. published Badshahnama in 1867
it was edited by two Muslims - Mawlawis Kabir Al-Din Ahmad and Abd Al-Rahim
under the superintendence of Major W.N. Lees.
b) Mr. Oak is net a scholar of Persian, how did he translate the pages 402/403?
One of his opponents, 15 years ago, was a Kashmiri Pandit. He used to
argue that there was documentary evidence proving that Shahjahan did build Taj
Mahal. Mr. Oak challenged him to show the evidence. They went together to the
Government of India Archives. The Director said "there is no such
evidence, but we have Badshahnama". The Pandit started to read the page
containing reference to the death of Mumtaz. When he came across the line
"... Va Pesh Azin Manzil-e-Raja
Mansingh bood .." he was surprised. Within two minutes he confessed
that he was wrong. So the credit of the discovery goes to this honest, open
minded opponent.
It is a great pity that Mr. Oak has never mentioned this fact
explicitly. This would have only enhanced his prestige. Credit must be given
where credit is due,
1.18.12 Maharashtriya Dnyanakosh
The contributors of this work were much impressed by the works of Sir
Yadunath Sarkar, who was then very famous. They just copied his information on
Taj. When this Dyankosh (Encyclopaedia) was published in Marathi in 1924 it
came as a great surprise to Indians who never thought it possible to write an
encyclopaedia in an Indian language. Naturally whatever was written in that
book went unquestioned by later scholars.
Mr. Oak refers be the Dyankosh in his Taj Mahal book but does not give this
background.
1.18.13 Date of Death of Mumtaz
a) This is commonly quoted as 17th zi-il-quada
1040 A.H. (
Mr. Oak says in his book that this date is given in Badshahnama, but
cannot say where.
We do find this date in Sir Yadunath Sarkar's book "Anecdotes of Aurangzeb
and other Historical essays". (1912) But he gives no reference.
b) Moreover neither the Cenotaph nor the Epitaph of Mumtaz gives this date. It simply says that she died in the year 1040
A.H. Mr. Oak does not make this point quite clear.
c) Even assuming that 17th zi-il-quada is the correct date the whole legend is full of blunders.
- On pages 181-182 of Peacock Throne we find ",.. even as early as 1632 on the first anniversary of Mumtaz Mahal's
death .. entire court assembled to pay homage …. Shahjahan had graced the event
with his presence ..". (Peacock Throne by Waldemar Hansen, published by
Holt Rhinehart and Winston, 1975)
- The same story is repeated on
pages 87/88 of The Taj and its environments by Maulvi Moinuddin Ahmad, 1924. Here
we find a reference to Badshahnama Vol I.
pp 429-450.
- The traditionalists do not even know how to count the days of the
year. The first anniversary would have fallen on 17th Zi-il-quada 1041 A.H. And
according to Badshahnama Shahjahan came to
Badshahnama Volume I, page 421
New Members
1.19 Mr. Mukesh Patel after reading Mr. Godbole's analysis has joined us
2. Mr. P.V. Begde
He has not yet replied to Mr. Godbole's letter of
3. Dr. P.B. Sharma
He has new gene back (permanently) to
4. Mr. B.K. Patel (01- 205-2181)
4.1 Visit to
His brother Dr. K.K. Patel has agreed to become a life member.
He will also get Mr. Godbole's analysis translated into Gujrati.
At Bateshwar he found out that the information given by Mr. Oak in the
Annual Report of 1969 is totally wrong. For example:-
a) Number of temples is 32 not 100.
b) There is no marble an outside.
c) There is no inscription - giving the date of construction.
d) No minarets but there is evidence to show that they were there,
e) At Bateshwar arches are
similar to these in Taj.
- At Taj Mahal did net see the seven storeys, as the keys were not
available on that particular day.
- Discovered that the so celled real grave of Mumtaz is quite different
from the two graves in cenotaph chamber and the so called real grave of
Shahjahan. The difference lies in the base slab It is plain, whereas ether
three base slabs are decorated
See - Historic
- Gave copies of Mr. Godbole’s analysis, draft brochure our newsletter
etc. to members like Shrish Desai, Jeevan Kulkarmi, Dr. Bhide. They were asked
to convey their opinions. No one has bothered. Mr. Oak has not given any
comments as yet.
Due to pressure of work Mr. Patel has net been able to give full account
at his experiences at the Taj Mahal,
5 Miscellaneous
a) We need help of some one who can translate Mr. Godbole's analysis into
Punjabi
b) Are you aware at the excellent Inter Library Service in this country?
If your public library does not have a particular book, ask the Librarian to borrow
it for you from some other library. The charge for this service is nominal 14
to 30 pence per book For quicker service
you should knew the name of the author, name of the publisher, the year of publication
and, of course, the title of the book.
c) In the next newsletter we hope
to include historical notes, book reviews, critical examination of the
Institute's work so far, and a list of members in the U.K. If you have something
to contribute please contact us. If you can help us with typing, it would be
appreciated.
Yours sincerely,
s/d V