The Bibi Ka Maqbara was built to rival the Taj Mahal, yet it remains in its shadow, a fact that has obscured its own considerable charm for centuries. This mausoleum, located in the city of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly known as Aurangabad, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, was commissioned in 1660 by Prince Azam Shah, the son of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It stands as a tribute to his mother, Dilras Banu Begum, who was posthumously known as Rabia-ul-Durrani, or Rabia of the Age. The structure bears a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb's mother, Mumtaz Mahal, which is why it is also called the Taj of the Deccan or the Dakkhani Taj. Despite the comparison, the Bibi Ka Maqbara is the principal monument of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and its historic city, and it is currently maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The monument is the second largest structure built by Aurangzeb, the largest being the Badshahi Mosque, and it serves as a testament to the complex legacy of the Mughal Empire in the Deccan region.
A Princess From Persia
Dilras Banu Begum was born a princess of the prominent Safavid dynasty of Iran, the daughter of Mirza Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi, who held the title of Shahnawaz Khan and served as the viceroy of Gujarat. She married Prince Muhi-ud-din, who later became known as Aurangzeb upon his accession, on the 8th of May 1637 in Agra. Dilras was his first wife and chief consort, as well as his favourite, and together they had five children: Zeb-un-Nissa, Zinat-un-Nissa, Zubdat-un-Nissa, Muhammad Azam Shah, and Sultan Muhammad Akbar. After giving birth to her fifth child, Muhammad Akbar, Dilras Banu Begum possibly suffered from puerperal fever due to complications caused by the delivery and died a month after the birth of her son on the 8th of October 1657. Upon her death, Aurangzeb's pain was extreme, and their eldest son, Azam Shah, was so grieved that he had a nervous breakdown. It became Dilras' eldest daughter, Princess Zeb-un-Nissa's responsibility to take charge of her newborn brother. Zeb-un-Nissa doted on her brother a lot, and at the same time, Aurangzeb greatly indulged his motherless son, and the prince soon became his best-loved son.The Architect's Legacy
The Bibi Ka Maqbara was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect, and Hanspat Rai, an engineer, as mentioned in an inscription found on the main entrance door. Ata-ullah was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal, creating a direct lineage of architectural genius between the two monuments. The construction of the mausoleum is believed to have taken place between 1668 and 1669 C.E. According to the Tarikh Namah of Ghulam Mustafa, the cost of construction was Rs. 668,203-7, which Aurangzeb had allocated only Rs. 700,000 for its construction. The marble for this mausoleum was brought from mines near Jaipur, and according to Tavernier, around three hundred carts laden with marble, drawn by at least 12 oxen, were seen during his journey from Surat to Golconda. The mausoleum was intended to rival the Taj Mahal, but the decline in architecture and proportions of the structure, both due to the severe budgetary constraints imposed by Aurangzeb, had resulted in a different and particular monument with its own significant beauty.