Mahal (palace)

Mahal (palace) (/mɛˈɦɛl/), from Arabic محل maḥall 'place' is an Urdu word meaning "palace". In classical Urdu poetry, the word is used in its Arabic origin to mean a place of rest often alluding to the final resting place (i.e. the grave). The translation of the word as palace was done only in contrast to the European usage, as the Muslim rulers in India would build forts and ornate areas or buildings within the forts, which would be designated as palaces. It is a summer house, private lodgings, or a landed division of pre-independent India. Both Muslim and Hindu rulers built many Mahals in India.