The Taj Mahal - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Taj Mahal: Shah Jahan’s Romantic Gesture Shah Jahan was a member of the Mughal dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid 18th-century. After the death of his father, King Jahangir, in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged the victor of a bitter power struggle with his brothers, and crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628. At his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, better known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), whom he married in 1612 and cherished as the favorite of his three queens. Did You Know? According to one gruesome (and most likely sensational) story, Shah Jahan had his minions cut off the hands of the Taj Mahal's architect and his workers after the structure was completed, ensuring they would never build another of its kind. In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to the couple’s 14th child.

The grieving Shah Jahan, known for commissioning a number of impressive structures throughout his reign, ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum across the Yamuna River from his own royal palace at Agra. Construction began around 1632 and would continue for the next two decades. The chief architect was probably Ustad Ahmad Lahouri, an Indian of Persian descent who would later be credited with designing the Red Fort at Delhi. In all, more than 20,000 workers from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, were brought in to build the mausoleum complex. Design and Construction of the Taj Mahal Named the Taj Mahal in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, the mausoleum was constructed of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones (including jade, crystal, lapis lazuli, amethyst and turquoise) forming intricate designs in a technique known as pietra dura. Its central dome reached a height of 240 feet (73 meters) and was surrounded by four smaller domes; four slender towers, or minarets, stood at the corners.

In accordance with Islamic tradition, verses from the Quran were inscribed in calligraphy on the arched entrances to the mausoleum, in addition to numerous other sections of the complex. Inside the mausoleum, an octagonal marble chamber adorned with carvings and semi-precious stones housed the cenotaph, or false tomb, of Mumtaz Mahal. The real sarcophagus containing her actual remains lay below, at garden level. The rest of the Taj Mahal complex included a main gateway of red sandstone and a square garden divided into quarters by long pools of water, as well as a red sandstone mosque and an identical building called a jawab (or “mirror”) directly across from the mosque. Traditional Mughal building practice would allow no future alterations to be made to the complex. As the story goes, Shah Jahan intended to build a second grand mausoleum across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, where his own remains would be buried when he died; the two structures were to have been connected by a bridge.

In fact, Aurangzeb (Shah Jahan’s third son with Mumtaz Mahal) deposed his ailing father in 1658 and took power himself. Shah Jahan lived out the last years of his life under house arrest in a tower of the Red Fort at Agra, with a view of the majestic resting place he had constructed for his wife; when he died in 1666, he was buried next to her. The Taj Mahal Over the Years Under Aurangzeb’s long rule (1658-1707), the Mughal empire reached the height of its strength. However, his militant Muslim policies, including the destruction of many Hindu temples and shrines, undermined the enduring strength of the empire and led to its demise by the mid-18th century. Even as Mughal power crumbled, the Taj Mahal suffered from neglect and disrepair in the two centuries after Shah Jahan’s death. Near the turn of the 19th century, Lord Curzon, then British viceroy of India, ordered a major restoration of the mausoleum complex as part of a colonial effort to preserve India’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Today, some 3 million people a year (or around 45,000 a day during peak tourist season) visit the Taj Mahal. Air pollution from nearby factories and automobiles poses a continual threat to the mausoleum’s gleaming white marble façade, and in 1998, India’s Supreme Court ordered a number of anti-pollution measures to protect the building from deterioration. Some factories were closed, while vehicular traffic was banned from the immediate vicinity of the complex. Tags Taj Mahal: Was India's 'monument to love' built out of guilt? - BBC News BBC News Taj Mahal: Was India's 'monument to love' built out of guilt? By Geeta Pandey BBC News, Delhi 25 June 2014 Close share panel Image copyright Other Often described as one of the wonders of the world, the stunning 17th Century white marble Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. But a new play which recently premiered in India gives a dramatic and unexpected twist to historical events.

The production of Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz suggests that all was not well in the lovers' paradise and questions the motive behind the building of the Taj. Everyone knows it as a monument to love, but could it in fact have been built out of guilt? The play was originally written in English in the 1970s as the Tale of the Taj by Dilip Hiro, a London-based author, playwright and expert on international affairs. "Conflict is the driving force in my script," Mr Hiro told the BBC. And here, he explores "the conflict between the couple whose mutual love is embossed on the popular psyche". Mumtaz was a far-sighted political thinker, an astute strategist and schemer, and the woman behind as well as ahead of her man M Sayeed Alam, Director of Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz "As an Indian, one is mesmerised by the Taj. The conventional story behind it is Shah Jahan's eternal love for Mumtaz.

"To put it bluntly, there is no drama in sentimental mush praising beauty and so on, so the play had to be about achieving the supreme power - the imperial throne." The play is being performed for the first time in Urdu, a language extensively used by people during Shah Jahan's reign and still spoken and understood by large numbers of Indians today. Not a beautiful-dutiful wife? Mumtaz was Shah Jahan's third and favourite wife and their love story is legendary. It is generally believed that she was a beautiful and devoted wife who was content to have lots of children with her husband - she died giving birth to their 14th child. "But there was another side to her that's not well-known - that she was not at all the beautiful-dutiful wife. She was a very good chess player, far better than Shah Jahan, and that she was ambitious and ruthless," says director M Sayeed Alam of the Delhi-based theatre group Pierrot's Troupe. Historians agree that imperial women in the Mughal period exercised significant political authority.

Image caption The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal "Mumtaz wielded considerable political power and influence and there are plenty of historical documents confirming her involvement in administrative matters and government orders," Delhi University professor Farhat Hasan says. The play recreates 17th Century Delhi, buzzing with political intrigue where the fight for political power was often ugly and bloody. It opens with the rivalry for the imperial throne between Shah Jahan and his brother Prince Pervez, and Mumtaz plays a crucial role in her husband's victory by poisoning his rival. As the play progresses, different shades of Mumtaz's personality come to the fore - a devoted wife who is a guide and adviser to her husband, but at the same time with a mind of her own. "She's a far-sighted political thinker, an astute strategist and schemer, and the woman behind as well as ahead of her man," Mr Alam says. Image copyright other Image caption Shah Jahan cradles his dying wife after the fall The play's great surprise centres on a high-stakes game of chess played one evening, when a pregnant Mumtaz nudges the emperor to bet his throne.

When he loses the game she ascends the throne, giving free rein to her ruthlessness and ambition. The emperor then realises that his beloved queen must be stopped. A tussle over the royal seal ends with her fall from the throne, and soon Mumtaz dies in childbirth. But was it a mere accident or was she pushed? The play is open-ended - it doesn't say in so many words that Mumtaz was killed. But it does leave one with a lingering suspicion, that perhaps the emperor did have a role in her death. The departure from accepted historical fact certainly didn't trouble the audience the night I went along - they gave it a standing ovation, and there have been rave reviews. "The play focuses on the politician in Mumtaz rather than the lover boy in Shah Jahan," The Hindu said, describing it as a "great idea". The Deccan Herald welcomed the fact that "what has been etched in our memories" had been questioned and the audience challenged to look at events from a female perspective. So, as some critics are asking - is the Taj Mahal truly "a monument to murder"? Well, it really is a work of fiction - there is no suggestion in history that she could have been murdered.

Mr Hiro says it is actually "faction" - where "fiction blends ingeniously with facts" to create interesting drama. The next performance of Shah Jahan-o-Mumtaz is at the Epicentre, Gurgaon, on Sunday, 29 June. Taj Mahal replica to be built in Dubai - BBC News BBC News Taj Mahal replica to be built in Dubai 4 October 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Image caption The iconic Taj Mahal is a Unesco World Heritage site and was built in the 17th Century A $1bn (£621m) project to build a replica of the Taj Mahal has been unveiled in the Gulf emirate of Dubai. The Taj Arabia complex would be much bigger than the original monument to love and include a 300-room hotel, shops and commercial buildings, developer Arun Mehra said. It would be ready by 2014 and be known as the "New City of Love", he said. The complex will also house other structures such as the Eiffel Tower, Pyramids and the Great Wall of China.

The Taj Mahal, which is situated in the northern Indian town of Agra, is a Unesco World Heritage site. It was completed more than 350 years ago by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a shrine for his wife Mumtaz and took more than 20 years to build. The white marble mausoleum, situated on the banks of the river Yamuna, is sometimes known as a teardrop on the cheek of time. The Taj Arabia complex will be built around the Taj Mahal which is a "symbol of love and will include various facilities to encapsulate the beauty of life, love and romance mixed with the long established Mughal architecture", Mr Mehra, who is the chairman of Link Global Group, told the Press Trust of India. The developers say they hope that the Taj Arabia will become a new wedding destination and attract couples to it. An earlier plan to build the complex was shelved when the company was hit by the global economic downturn. Taj Mahal | mausoleum, Agra, India | Britannica.com Taj Mahal Agra Taj Mahal, also spelled Tadj Mahall, mausoleum complex in Agra , western Uttar Pradesh state, northern India .

It is situated in the eastern part of the city on the southern (right) bank of the Yamuna (Jumna) River . Agra Fort (Red Fort), also on the right bank of the Yamuna, is about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of the Taj Mahal . Taj Mahal, Agra, India. © TMAX/Fotolia Taj Mahal, Agra, India, designated a World Heritage site in 1983. In its harmonious proportions and its fluid incorporation of decorative elements, the Taj Mahal is distinguished as the finest example of Mughal architecture , a blend of Indian, Persian , and Islamic styles. One of the most beautiful structural compositions in the world, the Taj Mahal is also one of the world’s most iconic monuments, visited by millions of tourists each year. The complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. History of construction The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān (reigned 1628–58) to immortalize his wife Mumtāz Maḥal (“Chosen One of the Palace”). The name Taj Mahal is a derivation of her name.

She died in childbirth in 1631, after having been the emperor’s inseparable companion since their marriage in 1612. The plans for the complex have been attributed to various architects of the period, though the chief architect was probably Ustad Aḥmad Lahawrī, an Indian of Persian descent. The five principal elements of the complex—main gateway, garden, mosque . jawab (literally “answer”; a building mirroring the mosque), and mausoleum (including its four minarets)—were conceived and designed as a unified entity according to the tenets of Mughal building practice, which allowed no subsequent addition or alteration. Building commenced about 1632. More than 20,000 workers were employed from India, Persia , the Ottoman Empire , and Europe to complete the mausoleum itself by about 1638–39; the adjunct buildings were finished by 1643, and decoration work continued until at least 1647. In total, construction of the 42-acre (17-hectare) complex spanned 22 years.

Red sandstone mosque (left, west) and mausoleum, in the Taj Mahal complex, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, … © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Similar Topics Agra Fort A tradition relates that Shah Jahān originally intended to build another mausoleum across the river to house his own remains. That structure was to have been constructed of black marble, and it was to have been connected by a bridge to the Taj Mahal. He was deposed in 1658 by his son Aurangzeb , however, and was imprisoned for the rest of his life in Agra Fort. Layout and architecture Resting in the middle of a wide plinth 23 feet (7 metres) high, the mausoleum proper is of white marble that reflects hues according to the intensity of sunlight or moonlight. It has four nearly identical facades, each with a wide central arch rising to 108 feet (33 metres) at its apex and chamfered (slanted) corners incorporating smaller arches.

The majestic central dome, which reaches a height of 240 feet (73 metres) at the tip of its finial , is surrounded by four lesser domes. The acoustics inside the main dome cause the single note of a flute to reverberate five times. The interior of the mausoleum is organized around an octagonal marble chamber ornamented with low-relief carvings and semiprecious stones (pietra dura). Therein are the cenotaphs of Mumtāz Maḥal and Shah Jahān. Those false tombs are enclosed by a finely wrought filigree marble screen. Beneath the tombs, at garden level, lie the true sarcophagi. Standing gracefully apart from the central building, at each of the four corners of the square plinth, are elegant minarets. The Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra, India. © Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock.com (image digitally enhanced) All About Asia Flanking the mausoleum near the northwestern and northeastern edges of the garden, respectively, are two symmetrically identical buildings—the mosque, which faces east, and its jawab, which faces west and provides aesthetic balance.

Built of red Sikri sandstone with marble-necked domes and architraves , they contrast in both colour and texture with the mausoleum’s white marble. Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The garden is set out along classical Mughal lines—a square quartered by long watercourses (pools)—with walking paths, fountains, and ornamental trees. Enclosed by the walls and structures of the complex, it provides a striking approach to the mausoleum, which can be seen reflected in the garden’s central pools. The southern end of the complex is graced by a wide red sandstone gateway with a recessed central arch two stories high. White marble paneling around the arch is inlaid with black Qurʾānic lettering and floral designs. The main arch is flanked by two pairs of smaller arches. Crowning the northern and southern facades of the gateway are matching rows of white chattris (chhattris; cupola-like structures), 11 to each facade, accompanied by thin ornamental minarets that rise to some 98 feet (30 metres). At the four corners of the structure are octagonal towers capped with larger chattris.

The sandstone gateway at the southern end of the Taj Mahal complex, Agra, India. © snaptitude/Fotolia Gateway to the Taj Mahal complex, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. © Ron Gatepain (A Britannica Publishing Partner) Two notable decorative features are repeated throughout the complex: pietra dura and Arabic calligraphy . As embodied in the Mughal craft, pietra dura (Italian: “hard stone”) incorporates the inlay of semiprecious stones of various colours, including lapis lazuli , jade , crystal , turquoise , and amethyst, in highly formalized and intertwining geometric and floral designs. The colours serve to moderate the dazzling expanse of the white Makrana marble. Under the direction of Amānat Khan al-Shīrāzī, verses from the Qurʾān were inscribed across numerous sections of the Taj Mahal in calligraphy, central to Islamic artistic tradition. One of the inscriptions in the sandstone gateway is known as Daybreak (89:28–30) and invites the faithful to enter paradise. Calligraphy also encircles the soaring arched entrances to the mausoleum proper.

To ensure a uniform appearance from the vantage point of the terrace, the lettering increases in size according to its relative height and distance from the viewer. A marble portal of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. © TMAX/Fotolia Taj Mahal - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Before it became the name of one of the world’s most beautiful buildings, Taj Mahal was the name of a woman. She was Arjumand Banu Begum (begum is a title for a Muslim woman of high social rank), the favorite wife of Shah Jahan, who was the Muslim ruler of India’s Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1658. He affectionately called her Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "ornament of the palace." The name Taj Mahal came from this term of endearment and was given to the mausoleum he built for her.

Article History 15 Facts You Might Not Know About the Taj Mahal | Mental Floss 15 Facts You Might Not Know About the Taj Mahal istock Like us on Facebook The Taj Mahal is widely considered one of the most beautiful—and romantic—buildings in the world, but there are probably a few things you don't know about India's most ornate mausoleum. 1. THE TAJ MAHAL WAS BUILT TO HONOR THE FAVORITE WIFE OF AN EMPEROR. Like many of his predecessors, Shah Jahan married several wives over the course of his adult life. Although Shah Jahan spread his heart around, none of these ladies found quite the same favor as his third wife (but first love), Arjumand Banu Begum, more famously known as Mumtaz Mahal. Their union lasted 19 years and led to the birth of 14 children. Complications during the birth of the final child led to Mahal’s untimely passing at the age of 39. Shah Jahan was so stricken by the loss of his longtime companion that he decided to memorialize Mahal with a spectacular tomb.

Construction on the Mahal and its surroundings began in 1632, one year after her death, and continued for just over two decades. 2. THE ONLY PART OF THE MAUSOLEUM THAT IS NOT ORNATELY DECORATED IS THE ACTUAL GRAVE. Per Muslim law, graves cannot be adorned with elaborate decoration, which would be an inappropriate expression of vanity. This rule explains the comparatively drab design of the lower level of the palace where Shah Jahan laid his wife to rest. 3. THE GRAVE SITE IS ALSO THE ONLY PART THAT IS NOT PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL. The Taj Mahal is any obsessive’s dream, with meticulous symmetry across its long and wide diameters. The sole exception to this otherwise uniform aesthetic scheme lies, again, in the gravesite. Mumtaz Mahal’s casket is located in the exact center of the palace crypt, but it is Shah Jahan’s grave—introduced to the mausoleum following his death in 1666—that rocks its artistic equilibrium with a west-of-center resting place. 4. THE PALACE WAS DESIGNED SO THAT EVERYTHING WOULD FALL AWAY FROM THE TOMB IN THE EVENT OF A COLLAPSE.

The placement of the Taj Mahal’s four minarets—the 130-foot-tall spires at the edge of the platform—was not an aesthetic choice but a strategic one. In the 17th century, it was hardly uncommon for massive architectural ventures to fall victim to their own weight. In order to protect the crypt of Mumtaz Mahal, chief architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri tilted the towers slightly so that they would fall away from the rest of the Taj Mahal, preventing the grave from incurring any damages. 5. THIS KIND OF COLLAPSE REMAINS A VERY REAL CONCERN. The passing years have only heightened worries about the monument’s structural integrity. In the 20th century, surveyors began to notice signs of structural decay that originated with the neighboring Yamuna River’s gradual drying. Scientists have even observed that between the 1980s and today, one of the minarets has undergone a one-and-a-half-inch shift. More extreme assessments of the situation predict that the Taj Mahal will collapse entirely by 2016, but the Architectural Survey of India has dismissed such projections and promised that the iconic building will be secure for the foreseeable future. 6.

CONSTRUCTION DEMANDED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MANPOWER. Architect Lahauri led a team of 20,000 artisans in the development of the Taj Mahal. 7. …AND A GOOD DEAL OF ELEPHANT-POWER, TOO. About a thousand elephants handled the transport of heavy building materials during the two-decade construction project. 8. THE TAJ MAHAL’S CALLIGRAPHER SIGNED HIS WORK WITH A SELF-DEPRECATING TITLE. Countless beautifully printed lines of Muslim scripture line the walls of the Taj Mahal, each of which was transcribed from the Quran under the supervision of head calligrapher Abd-al Haqq, known professionally as Amanat Khan Shirazi. Abd-al Haqq also received attribution for his calligraphy, an exceptionally rare opportunity for the era. Ever the humble gentleman, Abd-al Haqq inlaid his John Hancock with the humble, “Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi” at the base of the interior dome. 9. THE PALACE GARDEN TRANSFORMED UNDER BRITISH IMPERIALISM.

Contemporary Muslim culture influenced the Taj Mahal’s remarkably bountiful original garden, which included both rich foliage and more than 60 elaborate flowerbeds. This landscaping held up until India became part of the British empire and colonial powers imparted their own horticultural ideologies onto the palace lawn. Under English control in the late 19th century, the Taj Mahal’s greenery adopted a subtler character more common to British gardens. 10. THE TAJ MAHAL “HIDES” DURING TIMES OF WAR. The Taj Mahal’s status as an Indian icon has made it a vulnerable target in times of international hostility. During World War II and the collected wars waged between India and Pakistan throughout the 20th century, the Indian government and people have gone to great lengths to protect their valued landmark from attack. To this end, architects added extensive scaffolding that concealed the structure from airborne bombers. When the ruse was working, instead of seeing one of the wonders of the world, pilots would see what looked like a pile of bamboo. 11. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A PLAN FOR A SECOND, BLACK TAJ MAHAL.

A 1665 voyage to the Indian state of Uttar Prudesh left French explorer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier with stories of a colorful encounter with Shah Jahan just one year before the ruler’s death. Tavernier’s supposed conversation gave rise to the legend that Shah Jahan had abandoned plans to build a second palace across the Yamuna River. This mausoleum was supposedly meant to house the crypt to Shah Jahan himself, and was envisioned as a black complement to the Taj Mahal’s white façade. 12. TWO SCHOLARS HAVE QUESTIONED SHAH JAHAN’S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE TAJ MAHAL’S CREATION. While whether Shah Jahan ever really intended to build the black Taj Mahal remains an open question, most scholars agree that he was indeed responsible for the first one. Not everyone is on board with this conclusion, though. Among the chief detractors are writer P.N. Oak and sociologist Amarnath Mishra.

In 2000, the Supreme Court of India rejected Oak’s proposal to give credit for the Taj Mahal’s construction to the 12th century Hindu king Raja Parmar Dev, whom he theorized developed the building as a Shiva temple called Tejo Mahalaya. Five years after Oak’s failed endeavor, Mishra approached the Allahabad High Court to raise a similar point in the name of the long deceased monarch. Mishra’s movement was similarly unsuccessful. However, earlier this year , the district court of Agra allowed a new lawsuit claiming this, so it seems as though this theory isn't going away anytime soon. 13. AUTOMOBILES HAVE TO STAY AWAY TO KEEP THINGS GLEAMING. Cars and buses are strictly prohibited from coming within 500 meters of the Taj Mahal . The rule was put into effect to prevent exhaust from gasoline-powered vehicles from further tarnishing the exterior of the building. 14. THERE IS ONE WALL IN THE TAJ MAHAL THAT VISITORS KEEP PUNCHING. As a centuries-old mausoleum with both cultural and religious significance, the Taj Mahal has attracted a bit of a supernatural reputation.

Among the more popular legends is one that involves spurts of water rushing forth as a result of hitting a carving of the palace located in the riverside forecourt. More specifically, the myth provokes visitors to strike the image at the silhouette of the finial—the cross-like structure at the very top of the Taj Mahal. Farfetched as it is, groundskeepers find consistent evidence, in the form of superficial damage to the carving, that visitors slam their knuckles against the wall. 15. SHAH JAHAN WAS NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER THE TAJ MAHAL DURING THE FINAL YEARS OF HIS LIFE. Nine years before Shah Jahan passed away, he fell gravely ill, which led to his sons fighting over succession. When Shah Jahan unexpectedly recovered, it was already too late. Two of his sons with Mumatz Mahal, Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb, had begun fighting. Shah Jahan sided with Dara, but Aurangzeb emerged victorious, killing Dara and imprisoning their father in Agra to undercut any attempts to return to power.

Thus, Shah Jahan was barred from visiting the Taj Mahal for the remainder of his life and was only allowed to view his monument from the grounds of his neighboring residence. Taj Mahal: Mughal Architecture, Islamic Decoration India: Painting, Sculpture . Summary Along with the Angkor Wat Khmer Temple in Cambodia and the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Madhya Pradesh, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, ranks among the most beautiful examples of religious art in the whole of Asia. A wonderful example of Mughal (Mogul) Islamic architecture , it is comparable to any of the great expressions of Gothic architecture or Renaissance architecture , to be seen in Europe. Situated on the south side of the River Yamuna, near Agra, it was built in the 17th century by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) as a mausoleum and memorial for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth while accompanying the Shah on a military campaign.

Designed by a committee of the greatest architects of the day, chaired by the Persian designer Ustad Ahmad Lahauri (1580-1649) and including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan and Makramat Khan, the Taj Mahal (known originally as "rauza-i munawwara", or illustrious tomb) took 22 years to build and is acknowledged to be the jewel of Islamic art in India. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, and receives more than 3 million visitors a year. In a recent 100-million voter poll, it was voted one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World ". Note: Another site of world importance located in India, is the Auditorium Cave - home to the famous Bhimbetka petroglyphs which are believed by scholars to be the oldest art ever found.

History In 1631, the grief-stricken Emperor Shah Jahan - the greatest of the Mughal builders who was responsible for the city of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi), among and other structures - ordered the building of a tomb to commemorate his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess, who died giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction began in 1632 and the entire site took roughly 22 years to complete, at an estimated cost of about 32 million Rupees (17th century value). The mausoleum itself was completed in 1648; the other buildings and garden were finished some five years later. Roughly 20,000 craftsmen and artisans worked on the project, including calligraphers from Syria and Persia, stone carvers from Bukhara, stone cutters from Baluchistan, mosaicists from southern India, to name but a few of the specialist craftsman employed. On completion, it is said that Shah Jahan ordered the amputation of the chief stone mason's right hand, to prevent the replication of the Taj Mahal's exquisite decoration.

For more about the sorts of skills used to complete the Taj Mahal, see also: Marble Sculpture and Chinese Jade Carving . In addition, more than 1,000 elephants which were used to transport materials from all over Asia: jasper was brought from the Punjab; white marble from Makrana, Rajasthan; turquoise came from Tibet; Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan; jade and crystal from China; while sapphire was shipped from Sri Lanka and carnelian from Arabia. Five years after the completion of the project, Shah Jahan was forced to abdicate by his son Abul Muzaffar Aurangzeb (1618-1707), who duly became the 6th Mughal Emperor. Upon Shah Jahan's death in 1666, Aurangzeb had him interred in the mausoleum next to his wife. During the 18th century, following the invasion of Agra by the Jat rulers of Bharatpur, the Taj Mahal was vandalized and certain items were stolen. By 1850, several areas of the site had fallen into disrepair.

At the end of the century, the British viceroy Lord Curzon commissioned a major restoration of the site, which took some 8 years to complete. It was during this restoration that the garden was redesigned with a British-style layout. Architecture The Taj Mahal is renowned for its Mughal architecture, although its style combines elements from Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architecture, and was inspired by certain Timurid and Mughal buildings, such as the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, Samarkand), Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb ("Baby Taj", Agra), and the Jama Masjid in Delhi. (See also: Ancient Persian Art .) One major difference is that while previous Mughal buildings were mainly built out of red sandstone, Shah Jahan preferred to use white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. For a major European religious building completed during the 17th century, see: Saint Peter's Basilica (Rome) (1506-1626). The central feature of the building complex is the royal tomb containing the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, enclosed within a perforated marble screen.

(Their actual graves lie in a subterranean chamber, directly underneath.) Constructed from a brick and rubble core, veneered with white marble secured by metal dowels, it stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an inner domed roof about 80 feet (24m) in height. This inner dome is surmounted by a spectacular onion-shaped outer dome, about 200 feet (61m) tall, which rests on a central drum surrounded by four octagonal towers, each supporting a small domed pavilion. The outer dome is crowned by a 56-foot high gilded brass finial, in a mixture of Persian and Hindustani styles. The onion shape of the dome is emphasized by four smaller domed building (chattris) standing at its corners, which open through the roof of the tomb and provide additional light for the interior. A number of tall decorative spires (guldastas), complete with finials, extend upwards from the walls, giving extra emphasis to the height of the dome. mixes traditional Persian and Hindustani decorative elements. The tomb complex is surrounded on three sides by red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open.

Outside the walls there are several other mausoleums, built for Shah Jahan's other wives, as well as a red sandstone mosque and a symmetrical building, opposite, which serves as an outhouse. The main gateway (darwaza) into the complex is a large structure whose pishtaq arches are embellished with the same style of calligraphy that decorates the tomb, while its ceilings and walls feature similar geometric designs, to those found in the main buildings of the complex. The entire rectangular complex is overlooked at its corners by four minarets - each more than 130 feet (40m) in height - used by the muezzin to call the faithful to prayer. Overall, the architecture expresses a beatiful sense of harmony and balance between the individual buildings, as well as a feeling of immense peace. The white marble used throughout the Taj Mahal reflects the changing light, allowing a subtle range of tones that lend the whole complex an ethereal tranquility. Exterior Decoration The surfaces of the Taj Mahal contain some of the finest decorative art known to Mughal architecture.

Since Islam forbids anthropomorphic sculpture or painting , the decoration consists mainly of abstract art in the form of abstract forms or curvilinear vegetative motifs. These decorative elements, which incorporate a wide variety of media, including murals and mosaic art , as well as calligraphy and architectural features like the relief sculpture found in the spandrels and vaults, or the dados (decorative band) around the lower walls of the tomb. In these bands, the white marble of the mausoleum is inlaid with flower motifs as well as precious stones, amber, coral, jade and lapis lazuli. The Taj Mahal's exterior calligraphy - laid out using a flowery thuluth script - was created in jasper or black marble, set in white marble panels. Almost every outside surface contains some type of art , whether it is incised painting, calligraphic script, carved geometric-style reliefs, or pietra dura inlays. Additional patterns can be seen in the coloured stains applied to the mortared areas of the walls, and the geometric tessellation of contrasting tiles on floors and walkways.

Interior Decoration The interior decoration of the octagon-shaped chamber of the mausoleum is particularly intricate, with nearly 30 different types of precious and semi-precious gemstones appearing in the chamber's stonework. The walls are ornamented throughout with floral and abstract patterns formed by dado bas-reliefs, intricate pietra dura inlays and complex calligraphic panels, all of which reflect in miniature the decorations seen on the outside. The royal cenotaphs are enclosed by an intricately carved octagonal marble screen (jali), whose surfaces are inlaid in detail with semi-precious stones forming patterns of fruits, flowers and vines. Each casket is inlaid with precious and semiprecious gemstones, as well as a number of calligraphic inscriptions. Garden In contrast to most Mughal gardens (charbaghs), which are rectilinear in shape and usually feature a tomb in their centre, the 17-acre (980-foot square) Taj Mahal garden leads up to the tomb instead of surrounding it. According to the Archeological Survey of India, this may be because the Yamuna river itself was also incorporated into the design of the grounds.

The principal axis of the garden runs north-south from the gate to the tomb. It is divided into four quarters by four intersecting canals, symbolizing the Four Rivers of Paradise, reinforced with fountains and lined with cypress trees. The four waterways meet at a raised, central lotus pond of white marble, whose surface reflects the image of the mausoleum. Each quarter of the garden is quartered further by avenues of trees and fountains re-landscaped during the 19th century in the formal English style. More Articles about Art in India  Classical Indian Painting (Up to 1150 CE) Ajanta, Panamalai, Sittanavasal, Tanjore, and Polotmaruva schools of painting plus late classical Buddhist art in Bengal and Sri Lanka.  Indian Sculpture (3300 BCE - 1850) Indus Valley culture, Pillars of Ashoka, Gupta sculpture, Elephanta Caves, Pallava, Pandya, Pala, Chandela, Chola and Mughal (Mogul) schools of plastic art.

Question: In which century was the mausoleum known as the Taj Mahal built ?
Answer: 17th