Muslims claim ownership of Taj Mahal

Independent
By Justin Huggler in Delhi
16 March 2005


The Indian state is facing an extraordinary legal challenge to its ownership of the country's most famous national monument, the Taj Mahal. And the claim of ownership comes from the minority that has arguably faced the most discrimination and mistreatment in recent decades: Muslims.

The Taj Mahal was built by the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, over whose death he was inconsolable. As well as her tomb, the Taj complex includes a mosque.

The ownership claim comes from the Sunni Waqf Board, a Muslim trust. The Waqf claims it has a legal title to the Taj because the Indian government granted it ownership of all Muslim tombs and graveyards in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the Taj is located.

Since the Waqf has quasi-judicial powers, it is threatening to make a ruling and seize ownership of the Taj if the Archaeological Survey of India and the central government do not reply to its claim by the end of March.

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