Why Sangeet Som's logic on Taj Mahal and Indian history is wrong on many levels

Sangeet Som called Taj Mahal a blot on India culture but, here is why Mughals and their monuments are and always will be a great part of Indian history.

IndiaToday.in  | Written by: Neha Vashishth
October 16, 2017 | UPDATED 18:05 IST
Photo: ReutersPhoto: Reuters

Sangeet Som, a BJP lawmaker, during one of his speeches, said that Taj Mahal is a blot on Indian culture and should not be a part of India's history.

He also said that Taj Mahal was built by traitors.

Taj Mahal, a 17th century marble mausoleum, was excluded from a Uttar Pradesh tourism booklet which was recently released by the government to mark its 6 month completion.

During the rally held in Meerut, Som also said that people should not be worried that Taj Mahal wasn't there on the list. He said, "If this is history, then it is very unfortunate and we will change this history, I guarantee you."

Many people, irrespective of their religion, were angered by this insensitive hate-speech because many found his comment to be illogical. Taj Mahal is also one of the highest earning monuments in India when it comes to tourism generating revenue.

These Mughal marvels are an important part of India's history and are a mirror of Indian tourism.

According to Press Information Bureau's 2013-14 report, Taj Mahal topped the list of the highest earning places in India's tourism list and attracts millions of tourists every year.

Here are the following reasons why Mughals are and always will be a great part of Indian history:

Language: Mughals are somewhat responsible for the development of Urdu and Hindi language. Mughals also gave us great poets like Mirza Ghalib etc.

Military: Babar was credited with the first use of canons in India which he used as a means of countering the Sultanate's elephants. The Mughals also pioneered the use of rockets (which Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan later improved upon).

Religious tolerance: Akbar established a great degree of religious tolerance. He built alliances with Rajputs and allowed Hindus to rise up to political positions in his court.

Shah Jahan's dream: Even though, all the Mughal monuments were built with utmost perfection, Shah Jahan wanted his monuments to stand apart. He created marvels like the Taj Mahal, Red Fort etc in a hope to make Agra an Urban centre as a rival city to Istanbul (Constantinople).

Mughals also started new trade routes to Arab and Turk lands.

Persian art and culture amalgamated with native Indian art and culture is one of the major reasons why India's art and history is so rich.

Many can debate on the importance of the Mughals and Mughal monuments when it comes to Indian history but, one should never forget that India is where it is supposed be as a result of history itself.

Here's all you should know about the Taj Mahal, an architectural marvel:

  • When was it built: between 1632 and 1653 AD
  • Who built it: Shah Jahan, 5th Emperor of the Mughal dynasty
  • Time taken: 21 years Where is it located: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
  • Why was it built: As a memorial to Shah Jahan's beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death in 1631
  • Dimensions: situated in a 170000 sq. m complex; 57 m at the base; 68 m in height and raised platform height 6 m
  • Materials used: White Marble for the main mausoleum, Red Sandstone for fortifying structure and accents
  • Architect: Ustad Ahmed Lahori
  • Architectural Style: Mughal
  • Cost of Construction: 32 crore rupees
  • Maintained by: Archeological Survey of India (ASI)
  • Special Recognitions: Declared UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 and winner of the New 7 Wonders of The World List Initiative between 2000 and 2007.