Ustad Ahmad Lahauri

Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is the most likely candidate as the chief architect of the Taj Mahal. The assertion is based on a claim made in writings by Lahauri's son Lutfullah Muhandis. [http://whc.unesco.org/archive/advisory_body_evaluation/252.pdf UNESCO advisory body evaluation] ] Asher, p.212] Begley and Desai, p.65]

Shah Jahan's court histories emphasise his personal involvement in the construction and it is true that, more than any other Mughal emperor, he showed the greatest interest in building, holding daily meetings with his architects and supervisors. The court chronicler Lahouri, writes that Jahan would make "appropriate alterations to whatever the skilful architects designed after many thoughts, and asked competent questions."Koch, p.89] In writings by Lahauri's son Lutfullah Muhandis, two architects are mentioned by name; Ustad Ahmad LahauriBegley and Desai (1989), p.65] and Mir Abd-ul Karim. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri had laid the foundations of the Red Fort at Delhi. Mir Abd-ul Karim had been the favourite architect of the previous emperor Jahangir and is mentioned as a supervisor,Ref_label|H|h|none together with Makramat Khan, of the construction of the Taj Mahal.cite web| url =http://constructionhistory.bosenet.com/uploadfiles/chs_newsletter_63.pdf_1.pdf | title =Construction history society newsletter | accessdate =2007-07-23 | accessmonthday =| accessyear =| author =| last =Dunkeld | first =Malcolm (Ed)| authorlink = | coauthors = | date = | year =2007 | month =June | format = | work = | publisher = Chartered Institute of Building| pages = | language = English | archiveurl =| archivedate =]

Citations

References

*cite book| last = Asher | first = Catherine Ella Blanshard | title = The New Cambridge History of India, Vol I:4 - Architecture of Mughal India | origdate = 2003 | format = Hardback | edition = First published 1992, reprinted 2001,2003 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = Cambridge | language = English| id = ISBN 0-521-26728-5 | pages =368
*cite journal | quotes = | last = Begley | first = Wayne | authorlink = | coauthors = | date = | year = 1979 | month = March | title = The myth of the Taj-Mahal and a new theory of its symbolic meaning | journal = Art Bulletin | volume = | issue =
pages = 7–37 | issn = | pmid = | doi = | id = | url = | language = | format = | accessdate = | laysummary = | laysource = | laydate = | quote =
*cite book| last = Begley | first = Wayne E. | coauthors=Desai, Z.A.| title = Taj Mahal - The Illumined Tomb | origdate = 1989| format = Hardback | edition = | publisher = University of Washington Press | location = | language = English| id = ISBN 978-0295969442 | pages =392
*cite web| url = http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.tcl?document_id=3688| title = Four Mughal Caravanserais Built during the Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan | accessdate = 2007-07-24| last = Begley| first = Wayne E.| coauthors = Grabar, Oleg (Ed.) | date = 1983| format = pdf| work = Muqarnas Volume I: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture |publisher = Yale University Press (Newhaven)| pages =167-180| language = English
*cite book| last = Koch | first = Ebba | title = The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra | origdate = Aug 2006| format = Hardback| edition = First| publisher = Thames & Hudson Ltd | location = | language = English| id = ISBN 0500342091| pages = 288 pages