Tomb of Itimad-Ud-Daulah Agra has a special place in the chronicles of both history as well as architecture. This is precisely because Itmad ud Daula is the very first tomb in India that is entirely made out of Marble. This is actually a mausoleum that overlooks the River Yamuna and is a tomb of Mir Ghiyas Beg, a minister in the court of Shah Jahan.
The story of Itmad-ud-daula is an inspirational rag to riches saga. The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah is as interesting as the life of the person for whom it was built. Mirza Ghiyas-ud-din or Ghiyas Beg (later known as Itimad-ud-Daulah) was a poor merchant and lived in Persia (modern-day Iran). His wife gave birth to a daughter whom he wanted to abandon for he has no money to feed her but the persistent wails of the infant changed his heart. The baby girl brought a stroke of good luck to her parents, for Ghiyas Beg found a caravan that straightaway took him to the court of the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. . After Akbar's death in 1605, his son Jahangir became the Mughal emperor, who made Ghiyas Beg his chief minister or Wazir. Ghiyas Beg was also honored with the title of Itimad-ud-Daulah or the pillar of the state.
Jahangir fell in love with his widowed daughter who processes unspeakable beauty. She was later christened Noor Jahan and went down in the history as one of the most beautiful and artistically gifted women in the world. Jahangir conferred the title of Itmad-ud-daula or 'Pillar of the Empire' to his father-in-law. Noor Jahan ordered the tomb after the death of her father in 1622.
Itmad-ud-daula is a pure white and elaborately carved tomb that conforms to the Islamic style of architecture. The Indo-Islamic architecture becomes prominent because of the fusion that this tomb displays. While the use of arched entrances and octagonal shaped towers signify the Persian influence, the absence of a dome and the presence of a closed kiosk on top of this building and the use of canopies talks about the possible Indian influence. From out side, when you take a bird eye view, Itmad-ud-daula looks like a jewel box set in a garden. This tranquil, small, garden located on the banks of the Yamuna was to inspire the construction of the Taj Mahal in the later years.
Itimad Ud Daulah's History:
Itimad-ud-Daulah was a Persian noble who visited Akbar's court. Itimad-ud-Daulah story is also as interesting as his tomb. Itimad-ud-Daulah original name was Mirza Ghiyas-ud-Din or Ghiyas Beg. He was a poor merchant who lived in Persia and travelled to India for business. On the way his wife gave birth to a baby girl who was named as Mehrunnissa. Ghiyas Beg and his wife wanted to abandon the child due to their pathetic condition but the wails of the baby made them take her with them. Ghiyas Beg was lucky to travel in a caravan which took him straight to Akbar's court and he swiftly worked his way up to become his trusted treasurer. Akbar died in 1605 and Jahangir became the Emperor. He made Ghiyas Beg his Chief Minister. His beautiful daughter Mehrunissa married Jahangir and came to be known as Nur Jahan. She became a powerful personality in Jahangir's court with her father's support. Jahangir honoured Ghiyas Beg with the title of Itimad-ud-Daulah which means ‘Pillar of the State’. Itimad-ud-Daulah died in 1622 and Nur Jahan built a beautiful tomb in the memory of her father. Nur Jahan was a great patron of architecture and the influence of Nur Jahan's Persian heritage on the decorative elements of this tomb is very strong.
Architecture of Itimad Ud Daulah:
The tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah architecture is one of the finest example of Islamic architecture. It has beautiful arched entrances, octagonal shaped minarets, exquisitely carved floral patterns and intricate marble screen work. The tomb was built entirely of white marble in the center of a garden. This mausoleum architecture is called Tomb in a Garden. The marble tomb stands majestically on a red sandstone platform. It has four monumental gateways but the main entrance is eastern gate. Each gateway is made of red sandstone with geometric designs. The walls have marble latticework with beautiful geometric design carvings. The main tomb has four turrets which are crowned with small dome shaped cenotaphs. There is an octagonal base in each of the four corners from which the cenotaphs rise. The tomb is geometrically divided into nine chambers. The central chamber has the mortal remains of Itimad-ud-Daulah and his wife Asmat Begum. The garden of the tomb is square shaped and is divided into four parts called Charbagh by water channels. There are four rectangular pools in the garden with fountains.
