University:
Utah State University
Course:
ENGL 1010 | Writing as Inquiry
Academic year:

2024
Views:

210

Pages:

2
Author:

Charlie D

The Taj Mahal is a gigantic mausoleum built out of white marble by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his beloved wife. It was built for twenty years, commissioned in 1632, on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India and was a prime example of the Mughal architecture. It was named the Taj Mahal in honor of Mumtaz Mahal, and it was formed by intricate designs in a technique known as pietra dura. Even after the decline of the Mughal empire, the architect was preserved to show India’s culture and heritage. Importance to World History The Taj Mahal was important to world history because it became a symbolic jewel of the Muslim art in India and represented the Mughal heritage. By building the Taj Mahal, it showed the rest of the world how the Mughal empire was financially and intellectually able enough to build complex buildings during that time period. Incorporating their knowledge on architecture, they were able to create a grand building that wielded power over there subjects, and the building itself, became a symbolic representation of India. Importance to the Period The Taj Mahal was important to its time period because it was one of the most prominent of all Islamic edifices, and showed the great power the Mughal empire possessed. By creating such a marvelous and complex monument for his beloved wife, Shah Jahan showed how financially and academically successful his empire was. The Shah was able to show at the time, how technologically advanced his empire was, and by doing so, he was able to wield power over his subjects. Culture Built to show the culture and heritage of the Mughal empire, the Taj Mahal is considered to represent an Islamic identity. The Taj Mahal was based off of the aesthetic characteristics of the Mughal empire including but not limiting to the walls, decorated with carvings, and the incorporated architectural building designs. The Taj Mahal relates to the culture theme of world history because it showed the cultural aspects of the Mughal empire including its heritage and the architectural designs of the complex monument. Interactions with Environment The Taj Mahal also showed how the Mughal empire utilized their environment’s resources in order for them to build the monument. The usage of precious stones around the Mughals reflected how they were able to utilize the given resources in India. By using these resources, it shows how intelligent and financially able the Mughals were to build this complex building, using their environment and transforming it into better uses. Conclusion To sum up, we can say that the Taj Mahal is a pearl of the Mughal cultural heritage, the importance of which cannot be overestimated.