The Taj Mahal A History

The well-illustrated story of the building of the Taj Mahal, one of the world's most beautiful monuments, and the Mughal dynasty in India whose 5th emperor built it.

The Taj Mahal in India has been called a 'teardrop on the cheek of time'. This grand monument that was raised to house the mortal remains of Mumtaz Mahal, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's beloved wife, today draws millions of visitors from across the globe. One of more than 85 titles Campfire has published since their introduction to North America in 2010. This is the story behind the Taj Mahal - of the incredible love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, how they met and fell in love, and how Shah Jahan was to lose her as she died while giving birth. This is also the story of how the Taj Mahal was built, and how the great Mughal emperor spent his last days imprisoned in his fort, pining for his beloved Mumtaz, as he gazed over the river for a view of the magnificent edifice, a monumental reminder of his love and loss.

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal in Agra is arguably the most iconic image of India and is visited by eight million tourists annually. It was characterized as "pure, perfect and unutterably lovely" by the British Viceroy, Lord Curzon, and in 1983, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site of "outstanding universal value." For centuries the world has believed that it was built by Shah Jahan in 1631 to immortalize his love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Certain mysteries and myths that surround the monument have recently come to the fore in the country, stimulating a public debate about the place it holds as a true representation of Indian culture. Inside you will read about... - The Life of Mumtaz Mahal: The Jewel of the Palace - The Building of the Taj Mahal - A UNESCO World Heritage Site - Myths, Conjecture, and Controversy - The 22 Locked Rooms in the Basement And much more! This book presents the five main historical figures of the Mughal Empire in India during that period as well as many details of how the Taj Mahal was built. It traces the events that have led to the present controversy.

Last year Chowksey wrote Mahatma Gandhi and Cinema; now his fictional account of how the TAJ was created is being published. It is a historical fact that the Moghuls brought with them the Persian culture when they came to India. At that time Indian culture was a bit worn-out because of continuous foreign attacks for centuries. Moghuls were different from other invaders in the sense that they wanted to settle down here and the founder of the Moghul Empire Babur made it clear before entering Agra that the soldiers should not indulge in any atrocities. Chowksey’s Aurangzeb disapproved the wave of romanticism unleashed by Shahjahan and restored discipline and values in the life of the nation. He did not approve of huge sums of money being spent on the creation of the TAJ. However; this book has interesting character sketches and excellent dramatic scenes. A couple of years ago the TAJ MAHAL was voted as the number one wonder of the worldby an international survey. It has withstood the test of time and its classic beauty is of universal appeal therefore the story of its creation is worth reading. My friend Chowksey has done justice to the great subject. It is an ode to the synthesis of two great cultures. —Salim Khan

*Includes pictures. *Explains the Taj Mahal's construction history and cultural influences. *Includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. "Should guilty seek asylum here, Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin. Should a sinner make his way to this mansion, All his past sins are to be washed away. The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs; And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes. In this world this edifice has been made; To display thereby the creator's glory." - Emperor Shah Jahan's description of the Taj Mahal "The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time." - Rabindranath Tagore, Bengali Nobel Laureate Poet "Rahul had wondered how someone could love their beloved so much that their dedication to them became one of the wonders of the world." - Faraaz Kazi, modern novelist Taj Mahal is Arabic for "crown of palaces," and the name could not be more fitting for one of the most instantly recognizable buildings in the world. Constructed over a span of about 20 years in the mid-17th century as a mausoleum for the wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal is aptly described by UNESCO, which designated it a World Heritage site, as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." Indeed, the Taj Mahal is truly a global icon because it masterfully fused the artistic and architectural elements of several cultures, including Indian, Ottoman, Persian, and Islamic cultures across the region. While the marble dome is the first feature that pops out about the Taj Mahal, the careful layout of the entire structure is also incredibly impressive, and it took thousands of laborers several years to work on the other features, from the gardens to the calligraphy inscribed on the exterior. The Taj Mahal also includes other buildings, including a mosque and other tombs and mausoleums for people close to the emperor. Not surprisingly, given the scope and quality of the work, the Taj Mahal has fascinated people around the world for centuries, and naturally, all sorts of myths about it have sprung up. For the most part, however, people are simply drawn to it today as one of the premiere tourist sites in the world, and millions of people come from around the world to visit it every year. The Taj Mahal: The History of India's Most Famous Monument chronicles the origins, construction, and history of the Taj Mahal over the last 350 years. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about one of the world's most famous memorials like you never have before.

How Taj Mahal came about narrated as a love story.

Description In 1631, the empress Mumtaz Mahal died at childbirth, leaving her husband, the mighty emperor Shah Jahan, soaked in grief. Out of this sadness was born the idea of building a unique mausoleum or resting place for Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal went on to be considered the most beautiful building in the world. It symbolised Shah Jahan's love for his wife, and was a statement of Mughal power and splendour. In Taj Mahal, Tilottama Shome, an architect herself by training, lucidly narrates the story of the Mughal dynasty and how the Taj Mahal came to be built. Accompanied by detailed plans, maps, illustrations and photographs, it explains how the Taj was designed, the deep symbols that lie hidden everywhere in its plan, and the stories of the people who built it-from a mighty emperor to renowned architects to the humble stoneworkers and masons who worked on it for years. As wonderful as it is moving, this beautifully designed book will educate young readers on their heritage, as well as inspire them to create and appreciate beauty for themselves. Forthcoming in the Magnificent Monuments of India series: The Kailash Temple at Ellora

An enduring monument of haunting beauty, the Taj Mahal seems a symbol of stability itself. The familiar view of the glowing marble mausoleum from the gateway entrance offers the very picture of permanence. And yet this extraordinary edifice presents a shifting image to observers across time and cultures. The meaning of the Taj Mahal, the perceptions and responses it prompts, ideas about the building and the history that shape them: these form the subject of Giles Tillotson's book. More than a richly illustrated historyÑthough it is that as wellÑthis book is an eloquent meditation on the place of the Taj Mahal in the cultural imagination of India and the wider world. Since its completion in 1648, the mausoleum commissioned by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, has come to symbolize many things: the undying love of a man for his wife, the perfection of Mughal architecture, the ideal synthesis of various strands of subcontinental aesthetics, even an icon of modern India itself. Exploring different perspectives brought to the magnificent structureÑby a Mughal court poet, an English Romantic traveler, a colonial administrator, an architectural historian, or a contemporary Bollywood filmmakerÑthis book is an incomparable guide through the varied and changing ideas inspired by the Taj Mahal, from its construction to our day. In Tillotson's expert hands, the story of a seventeenth-century structure in the city of Agra reveals itself as a story about our own place and time.