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?
Solution
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.
