Ustad Ahmad Lahori

Ustad Ahmad Lahori was an architect in present day India during Mughal Empire.[1][2] It is said that he was the chief architect of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, built between 1632 and 1648 during the ruling period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Its architecture, being a combination of Persian and Mughal architectural styles, is widely praised around the world and Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the 'wonders of the world'.

Ahmad Lahori also known as Ustad Isa
Died	Mughal India
Occupation	Architect

Life

Ahmad Lahori is believed to have been the main architect of the Taj Mahal.

As his name indicated, Ustad Ahmad originally hailed from Lahore.[3]

Shah Jahan's court histories emphasize his personal involvement in the construction and it is true that, more than any other Mughal emperor, he showed the greatest interest in building new magnificent buildings, holding daily meetings with his architects and supervisors. The court chronicler Lahori, writes that Shah Jahan would make "appropriate alterations to whatever the skilful architects had designed after considerable thought and would ask the architects competent questions."[4]

In writings by Lahori's son, Lutfullah Muhandis, two architects are mentioned by name; Ustad Ahmad Lahori[5][6] and Mir Abd-ul Karim.[7] Ustad Ahmad Lahori had laid the foundations of the Red Fort at Delhi (built between 1638 and 1648). Mir Abd-ul Karim had been the favourite architect of the previous emperor Jahangir and is mentioned as a supervisor, together with Makramat Khan,[7] for the construction of the Taj Mahal.[8]

See also

• Ustad Isa

Notes

1. Hugh Honour, John Fleming (2005). A World History of Art. Laurence King Publishing. p. 541. ISBN 978-1856694513. a Persian who later ....CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
2. Janin, Hunt (2006). The Pursuit of Learning in the Islamic World, 610-2003. p. 124. ISBN 978-0786429042. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
3. Indian Journal of History of Science, Volume 44, Issues 1-3. National Institute of Sciences of India. 2009.
4. Koch, p.89
5. UNESCO advisory body evaluation, Ahmad Lahori, architect of the emperor, Retrieved 9 May 2016
6. Begley and Desai (1989), p.65
7. Asher, p.212
8. Dunkeld, Malcolm (Ed) (June 2007). "Construction history society newsletter" (PDF). Chartered Institute of Building. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2007.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)

References

Asher, Catherine Ella Blanshard (1992) [2003]. The New Cambridge History of India, Vol I:4 - Architecture of Mughal India (Hardback) (First published 1992, reprinted 2001,2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 368. ISBN 0-521-26728-5. Begley, Wayne (March 1979). "The myth of the Taj-Mahal and a new theory of its symbolic meaning". Art Bulletin. The Art Bulletin, Vol. 61, No. 1. 61 (1): 7–37. doi:10.2307/3049862. JSTOR 3049862. Begley, Wayne E.; Desai, Z.A. (1989) [1989]. Taj Mahal - The Illumined Tomb (Hardback). University of Washington Press. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-295-96944-2. Begley, Wayne E. (1983). Grabar, Oleg (ed.). "Four Mughal Caravanserais Built during the Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan". Muqarnas Volume I: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Yale University Press (Newhaven). pp. 167–180. Archived from the original (pdf) on 12 June 2006. Retrieved 24 July 2007. Koch, Ebba (2006) [Aug 2006]. The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra (Hardback) (First ed.). Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp. 288 pages. ISBN 0-500-34209-1.