THE VARIOUS THESIS ALTERNATIVES OF TAJ MAHAL – CREATION OF ESTEEMED DR ABDULLAH CHAGHATAI

The famous but rare thesis done in Paris on Taj Mahal. Versions many. Well here they are for the first time at one place:

The thesis on Taj Mahal presented in Paris with his signatures on it. Dated 1937.

The printed thesis on Taj Mahal printed in Brussels in 1938. Very few copies printed and hardly ten brought to Lahore. Some presented here and there. The edition in Brussels lost during the World war. Chughtai Museum has a copy. There is a copy in the National library, Islamabad, formerly in the library of Dr Abdullah Chaghatai himself. Perhaps on or two in India. Rarest of rare books. Hardly quoted anywhere. Written in Urdu and translated into French. The speculation is that his friend Dr Hameedullah did that in Paris. Details not known. He never shared this with others.

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The Urdu edition of the Taj Mahal printed in Lahore in 1963. A 1000 copies printed, never printed again. Rarely available but exists here and there.

The English edition planned to be printed. Translated under his guidance with the help of Ahad Chughtai, his architect son. It is very unfortunate that it never got printed and the manuscript lost in issues pertaining his home after his death. It should be printed, even with some lapses pertaining to his character. He wanted to be one to discover Ustad Ahmad Mimar and it was not his luck, that the Diwan of Lutufullah Muhandis reached the writer Mazhmud Bangloree, before he could do so. Something he knew at home, and became second place in his research. His deep resentment against Mahmud Bangaloree rechedc in his tirade against Lutufullah himself.

We will be covering a lot on Dr Abdullah Chaghatai very soon. To reveal the special inside story on him. Well done!