Question

An inscription is Shah Jahan’s diwan-I khas in Delhi stated: “If there is Paradise on Earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.” How was this image created?

Answer 1

The image of Paradise on Earth was created through the construction of audience halls, which were modelled like a mosque. The pedestal of Shah Jahan’s throne was frequently described as the Quibla, the direction which Muslims face while praying. These architectural features communicated a sense of divine justice and the idea that the king was the representative of God on earth.