History Of The Taj Mahal
Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons, via CC Shah Jahan poured a lot of his wealth during the creation of this great monument. Situated at the banks of Agra’s Yamuna River, Taj Mahal is an achievement of almost 20,000 stone carvers, masons, and artists. These workers were employed from all over India, and some came from as far as Turkey and Iraq. It took them almost 20 years to complete the monument and its lush gardens in year 1654. Sadly all the artists were rewarded for their good work in a very unusual way – their hands were chopped off so that could never recreate a beautiful monument like the Taj Mahal again.
Image Credit: Flickr User friarsbalsam, via CC The Taj Mahal is made from white marble stone with precious gems and stones embedded in its walls. The precious stones were plundered and looted by foreign invaders in recent times. The monument appears pink in the morning, white during daytime and golden during evening. The four pillars (called minarets) around the main dome are slightly tilted so that they fall away from the central tomb, in case they were to collapse.
Taj Mahal History And Purpose
The Taj Mahal is a perfectly symmetrical building except at one place, and that is the tomb of the Emperor and his Queen. This is because Taj Mahal was to have the tomb of only the Emperor’s wife when it was planned. Shah Jahan died in 1666, about 12 years after Taj Mahal was built and was then buried right next to Mumtaz Maha;’s tomb.
Male Protagonist: Shah Jahan (Prince Khurram) Female Protagonist: Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum) Taj Mahal, the magnificent monument that stands at the heart of India has a story that has been melting the hearts of millions of listeners since the time Taj has been visible. A story, that although ended back in 1631, continues to live on in the form of Taj and is considered a living example of eternal love. It's the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two people from the course of history who set an example for the people living in present and the future to come. An English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold best describes it as 'Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones.' The story that follows next will prove why the statement is true.
The 'Taj Mahal' represents the finest and most sophisticated example of Mughal architecture. Its origins lie in the moving circumstances of its commission and the culture and history of an Islamic Mughal empire's rule of large parts of India.
History Of Taj Mahal India
Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. In 1607 when strolling down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, Shah Jahan caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. It was love at first sight and the girl was Mumtaz Mahal, who was known as Arjumand Banu Begum at that time. At that time, he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her.