[L3 802 / Lord George Nathaniel Curzon], Viceroy of India at the turn of the century, was responsible for much of the restoration of the Taj. It was under him that the gardens, which at the time were very overgrown, were changed to the layout that exists today.
Lord Curzon, like Lord Hastings, who was the governor general from 1813-1823, believed the British had a duty towards preserving Indian heritage and urged the government to take an enlightened attitude towards it. Lord Curzon took a special interest in [G 15 / Mogul] architecture - which he paid specific attention to - although he lobbied for the preservation of buildings throughout the country. In 1904, he presented his efforts to renovate the Taj Mahal along with his preservation bill. In his presentation, Curzon took a firm line about the neglect of the buildings.
A year later, Curzon resigned his commission in disgust and left India after a dispute with Lord Kitchener over British policy of civil authority being above that of the military.
