Watercolour of the interior of the mausoleum of I'timad al-Daula, Agra. I'timad al-Daula (Emperor's Pillar) was the title bestowed upon Mirza Ghiyas Beg by Emperor Jehangir. Of Persian descent, Mirza Ghiyas Beg became the first treasurer and then the prime minister (wazir) under Emperor Jehangir. His daughter, Nur Jahan, later married the Emperor and commissioned the mausoleum to honour the memory of her father upon his death in 1622. The exterior of I'timad al-Daula is faced entirely in white marbl. It was the first Mughal structure to be completely encased in marble and extensively use pietra dura, the marble inlay work that is associated with the Taj Mahal. The tomb is of a modest scale, built on a low platform 1.22 metres high. It has a square plan subdivided into nine chambers, with four corner octagonal towers in the form of minarets. The minarets frame the central roof pavilion that marks the central tomb chamber below. The kiosks of the minarets consist of small hemispherical copulas resting on arches supported by eight pilasters. The roof pavilion imparts a distinct Hindu feel in its use of Bengali roof with wide overhangs or eaves (chhajja). The mausoleum is set within a garden surrounded by walls forming a perimeter of 165 metres on each side. The approach is from the east through a red sandstone gateway that is decorated with rich marble mosaics. Sandstone pathways lead up to the main tomb. Each of the façade has a central arched entrance, flanked by two recessed arches that are closed by beautiful marble screens (jali). Fine corbels support the cornice, which has a marble tracery (jali) balustrade running along the length of it. The platform and tomb is embellished with mosaics and inlay work of coloured marbles. The interior is a series of rooms and corridors arranged around a verandah that surrounds the central chamber containing the cenotaph. The square roof pavilion above the central chamber allows the light to filter down through its perforated marble screens (jalis) to wash over the two porphyry yellow cenotaphs of I'timad al-Daula and his wife. The interior boasts stucco and paintings in a variety of patterns with motifs inspired by motifs of Persian origin. Intricate stalactites have been done one the soffits of the corner chambers and the main hall. The surfaces above the dados have regular distributed niches, alcoves and decorative panels that allow for variations in decoration to take place. Inscribed on the front in English: 'Interior of the Tomb of Ittamed ud' 'Dowlah'; in Persian characters: 'Saqaf i andarun i raudah i I'timad al-Daulah 'amal i Latif' (Interior of the mausoleum of I'timad al-Daula. The work of Latif). Inscribed on the front: 'Section of the Central Chamber of the Mausoleum Eatimad-ul-Dowlah.' 21.75 by 29.75 ins. Source : British Library

Itmad-ud-Daulah - the monument is often known as Baby Taj for being completely encased in marble. The tombstones inside as can be seen from the above painting, are made out of yellow stone. Ghiyas Beg's son Asaf Khan was a trusted general of Jahangir and his daughter Arjumand Begum married Shahjahan the 5th Great Mughal and later was known as Mumtaz Mahal, the lady of The Taj. Nur Jahan's own daughter from her first husband was married to Shahriyar the 4th son of Jahangir. Hence Nur Jahan did her best to promote Shahriyar as the successor to Jahangir, but was foiled in her attempt by Khurram aka Shahjahan and Asaf Khan, his brother-in-law, whose daughter was Mumtaz Mahal.

This is one of the finest monuments, a perfect visual treat.... The 'pietra-dura' inlay work can match the best of the Persian carpets in design. Though much smaller before the grandeur of the Taj, it is greater when beauty is evaluated....!! See and make yourself believe the truth..!

Apparently this tomb is an inspiration for Taj Mahal.

This is a really beautiful monument in Agra.The pietra dura comprises geometric patterns and not floral like those in the TAJ

Very beautiful, and I must add nicely maintained by the Government.

The Taj actually shrouds the beauty of all other monuments in Agra including the Moti Masjid inside the Red Fort. Itmad-ud-daula, Sikandra, Marium's (Akbar's principal Hindu wife , princess of Amber, whom he bestowed with the title of Marium-u-Zamani) mausoleum and the more recent Dayalbagh.

@Pulin..Can you give a little brief on Nurjahan's early life as well Sir ?

It's gorgeous! I wish I'd known about it when I visited Agra. Now, I'll have to put it on my list of places to see before I die ; )

it's lovely and worthsee

Itmad-ud-Daula has some interesting features. First, it is a demonstration of the exquisite tastes of Empress Noor Jahan in architecture. This is displayed in this building, in the beautiful gateway to Akbar's tomb in Sikandra, and to a lesser extent in Jahangir's tomb in Lahore (since she had lost much power after the death of her husband, the Emperor Jahangir). It represents the use of marble for constructing a monument in its entirety, but the marble used here is of a pale variety, slightly different from the Makrana marble used in the Taj Mahal. Although the picture above is of the interior, my recollection is that this monument is an elegant composite of Persian architecture with Indian architecture. The four minarets are distinctly Persian but the central dome (if a dome it can be called) is decidedly of Indian style. It is like three domes coalesced into one and this style can also be seen in some palaces in the Agra Fort and elsewhere. Perhaps Pulin, a trained architect, could tell us more about this kind of dome. He seems to have answered my last point that Asaf Khan is also buried in the Itmad-ud-Daulah. Shaista Khan (his son) was probably buried in Lahore.

The Mughal interest in garden design was not restricted to funeral architecture.Babur, a great horticulturist who described in his memoirs (Baburnama) the many gardens that he had laid out, detested the heat and dust of the Indian climate and so included baths (Hamaams( in his garden design.At Agra he laid out the Hasht Bihisht *Eight paradises) garden , which served as a court and residence. The site later developed as a a pleasure garden known as the Bagh-i-Nur Afshan was one among 33 residential gardens along the river front, which were re-modelled by the members of the court at that time.A,omg these courtiers was Itmad-ud-Daula, Nur Jahan's father and vizier to Jehangir, who laid out a garden with a pavilion in the centre. It was entered via an orchard, continuing a Timurid custom whereby the sale of the produce contributed to the upkeep of the garden.The tomb of itmad-ud Daula, designed as a Hasht Bihisht plan was located as a classic Mughal form of char Bagh. It was probably first used as a pleasure garden since according to the mughal fiscal system land reverted to the Emperor on the death of the owner, an exception being the establishment of an endowment for religious purposes (Waqf). Consequently it was a frequent practice among the nobility to develop gardens with pavilions which ultimately became family tombs. The tomb of Itmad-al-Daula, Agra 1626-1628 was laid out by emperess Nur Jahan for her father, Jehangir's vizier and her mother Asmat Begum. The square building with four pavilion type minarets at the corners , is entirely clad with white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. This is a stage of technical refinement foloowing on from the gateway to Akbar's tomb and was refined still further in the mosaic style stone intarsia on the Taj Mahal.

The gardens of Kashmir, which Jehangir used as teh summer residence of the court, most faithfully realised the poetic vision of paradise. In the Tuzuk-i-Jehangiri he gave a detailed account of Kashmir, that garden of eternal spring ...with enchanting cascades beyond all description where even the roofs of houses and mosques were planted with tulips. Although the first garden in Kashmir, Nasim Bagh,laid out by Akbar, was a plantation of trees in which the design element of water was absent, it was the channels, pools,and fountains which provided the main feature of parks laid out in the time of Jehangir.On teh banks of lake Dal,at Srinagar the springs and rippling streams descending into the lake were harnessed to create a main channel (nahrr) flowing through the centre of the garden with occassional cross-axial canals( Jadwal) in teh Persian form of chaar Bagh.A series of terraces (Martabahs) provided cascades between each level oftenm with a platform above, the main faeture consisted of the large pools where fountains played around a central pavilion. In the Shalimar (Abode of Love) begun in 1620 whose constructionm was initially undertaken by prince Khurram and further extended by him in 1634 after his accession to the throne as Shah Jahan , therer were three: a small foregarden serving as an ante-chamber for the public, a lower 'Joy Imparting' garden (Bagh-e-Farahbakhsh) for imperial audiences and an upper garden Bestower of Plenty (Bagh-i-Faizbaksh) for private use where the higher section was reserved for the ladies of the court and inner family circle. From 1654 they were collectively called shalimar bagh.Nur Jahan herself , and also Shah Jahan's eldest daughter and first lady of the realm, pricess Jahanaara, laid out several gardens. Jahangir also laid out gardens as resting places along the ardous route to Srinagar from Lahore. Hasan Abdal near Islamabad where the prolific springs could provide water for an army of 50,000 was the last manzil before Srinagar. Hydraulic engineering was so evolved at the court of Shah Jahan taht the emperor could commission aa garden at his capital of Lahore laid out on the Kashmiri linear model with terraces and cascades despite the lack of gradient at the place and absence of fast flowing water. This was achived by building a canal 160 km in length fed by the river Ravi where it leaves the mountains. water was supplied at a uniform pressure to 410 fountains and five cascades , the level of the canals and pools constantly regulated to remain full without overflowing. A similar canal was built later to supply Shahjahanabad and it's gardens.

Actually the original water supply plan at the Taj Mahal is also very intricate since it involved raising water from Jumna to a much higher level at the Taj Gardens. When walking towards the main building, one can notice, on the left, some brick walls. No one pays attention to it but that is where this engineering project is located. I hope to examine this irrigation work next time. Digvijay: Is the original 'Bagh-e Nur Afshan' of Babur the same as Aram Bagh or Ram Bagh of today?

Suhag : Try this link - http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelfoleyphotography/340836883/in/set-72157594451743534/

@ Asad uncle: Aram Bagh is indeed Ram Bagh of today. All old people of Agra still refer to it as Aram Bagh.I did my college from Agra continuing a family tradition as my father, his elder brothers and brothers-in-law and also my grandfather (d 1949) all had studied there as there was no university in Rajasthan till 1961. I used to to very frequently to the Taj that time. I am one of the lucky few who has the rare honour of having seen the Taj on the full moon night.This is now not allowed for fear of terrorist threat for the last 25 years. The zenith of Taimurid architecture, the gardens of the Taj are an exact replica of paradise as described in Islam.The middle raised pool is Qausar ! Huge logs of trees have gone in the foundation of the The Taj and it is built on marshy land to be able to withstand earthquakes.The four free standing minarets are so designed that they would never fall on the main structure in case they topple in an earthquake.The mehman-khana was a unique feature alongwith a mosque inside the maosoleum. The original screen surrounding the two graves was originally in gold which was later removed (for fear of getting plundered) and replaced with a marble trellis. I remeber what the guide used to tell the gawking American tourists in the seventies and eighties : "And this ladies and gentlemen we built without any American aid !"

Digvijay: Chances are that, if a disaster happens to the Taj Mahal, the Americans will be the first to come to help. I hope the need never arises. There still are a few good things about them.