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The Taj Mahal: A History
Everyone has seen photographs of the Taj Mahal. The massive, bulbous central dome, the four slender minarets, the shimmering marble, the long reflecting pool, the manicured gardens - all seem too striking for adequate description and proper appreciation. But there is more to the Taj than its beauty.
The world's best-known mausoleum celebrates the love story of the seventeenth-century Moghul emperor Shah Jahan and his queen, Mumtaz Mahal. They fell in love at first sight and were married for nineteen years. She ruled at his side as almost an equal, but her death in childbirth in 1631 left him wild with grief and determined to build a monument to their devotion.
Behind this romantic tale is the saga of the Moghul emperors who swept into North India only a century earlier. By the time of Shah Jahan, they had established an absolute monarchy comparable to Louis XIV's. The Moghul court was rich, cruel, and omnipotent. As descendants of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, they relished bloody combat, savage sports, and hideous torture of their victims. In the absence of primogeniture, brother fought brother for the throne - it was the law of the “throne or coffin.” But less than a century after Shah Jahan was deposed by his ruthless son, the dynasty was in decline and ripe for conquest by Great Britain.
For a time, it seemed like the Taj - like the Moghuls - would vanish. Only in the twentieth century was the Taj restored to something of its former glory.
Here is the dramatic and often tragic story of the Taj and the men and women of the dynasty that created it.
The world's best-known mausoleum celebrates the love story of the seventeenth-century Moghul emperor Shah Jahan and his queen, Mumtaz Mahal. They fell in love at first sight and were married for nineteen years. She ruled at his side as almost an equal, but her death in childbirth in 1631 left him wild with grief and determined to build a monument to their devotion.
Behind this romantic tale is the saga of the Moghul emperors who swept into North India only a century earlier. By the time of Shah Jahan, they had established an absolute monarchy comparable to Louis XIV's. The Moghul court was rich, cruel, and omnipotent. As descendants of Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, they relished bloody combat, savage sports, and hideous torture of their victims. In the absence of primogeniture, brother fought brother for the throne - it was the law of the “throne or coffin.” But less than a century after Shah Jahan was deposed by his ruthless son, the dynasty was in decline and ripe for conquest by Great Britain.
For a time, it seemed like the Taj - like the Moghuls - would vanish. Only in the twentieth century was the Taj restored to something of its former glory.
Here is the dramatic and often tragic story of the Taj and the men and women of the dynasty that created it.
103 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 20, 2021
This is a nice, compact survey of the Taj Mahal that begins with the background of the Mughal dynasty, covers Shah Jahan the ruler at its peak and then covers its decline in the 19th century. Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built as a masoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Cooper’s book is fairly short and would be good for someone looking for an introduction to the Mughals, their architecture and artistry and the building itself. Visitors that would like to read more than a pamphlet but less than a major book probably would find this suitable.
Cooper’s book is fairly short and would be good for someone looking for an introduction to the Mughals, their architecture and artistry and the building itself. Visitors that would like to read more than a pamphlet but less than a major book probably would find this suitable.
February 14, 2022
I picked up this book from a Giveaway box at an art school and enjoyed the large format photos from perspectives I had never seen in articles about the gorgeous main structure. The complex of buildings, gardens, and gates makes me hope I can visit there someday.
September 17, 2018
A history of how the Taj Mahal came to be built and its moguls. Fascinating details on the construction and how engineering obstacles were overcome and the wealth of the moguls was awesome enough to use precious stones in its decoration. I especially liked the blanket of pearls over the coffin of mumtaz. Sadly this beautiful building is going through the ravages of time itself after standing centuries of wars and insurrections. Receding river water so polluted it threatens the very foundations and hordes of flies that excrete on the white marble. It will be a sad ending when it comes.
November 20, 2017
I have visited the Taj Mahal in Agra India. Yet, this book adds to my knowledge and raises my understanding of this architectural marvel.
October 20, 2018
A beautiful monument of one man's love for his wife!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews