can anyone tell me about the history of taj mahal?

Answer 1

The construction of this marble masterpiece is credited to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who erected this mausoleum in memory of his beloved wife, Arjumarid Bano Begum; popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal, who died in A.H. 1040 (A.D. 1630).

Her last wish to her husband was "to build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before". Thus emperor Shah Jahan set about building this fairy tale like marvel.

The construction of Taj Mahal was started in A.D. 1632 and completed at the ended in 1648 A.D. For seventeen years, twenty thousand workmen are said to have been employed on it daily, for their accommodation a small town, named after the deceased empress- 'Mumtazabad', now known as Taj Ganj, was built adjacent to it.

Amanat Khan Shirazi was the calligrapher of Taj Mahal, his name occurs at the end of an inscription on one of the gates of the Taj. Poet Ghiyasuddin had designed the verses on the tombstone, while Ismail Khan Afridi of Turkey was the dome maker. Muhammad Hanif was the superintendent of Masons.

The designer of Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The material was brought in from allover India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site. The central dome is 187 ft. high at the centre.

Red sandstone was brought from Fatehpur Sikri, Jasper from Punjab, Jade and Crystal from China, Turquoise from Tibet, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Coal & Comelian from Arabia and Diamonds from Panna. In all 28 kind of rare, semi precious and precious stones were used for inlay work in the Taj Mahal.

The chief building material, the white marble was brought from the quarries of Makrana, in distt. Nagaur, Rajasthan. Copies of orders (farmans) issued to Raja Jai Singh, for the purpose by Shah Jahan, can be seen in the Taj Museum.

Taj Mahal's outer court, also known as Jilo Khana, was formerly used both as a bazar and a caravansarai (Rest house). On the south-east and south-west comers are the tombs of Sirhindi Begum and Satiunnisa Khanum. The Taj has a jewel-like quality.

The shadow and light play demonstrates its many moods.

Some feel the Taj is best seen on a full moon night, others find it ethereal at dawn while some insist that it is sensuous at sunset.

Answer 2

The Taj Mahal was built as a tomb (grave) by Shahjahan in memory of his departed wife Mumtajmahal
When it was completed it was the grandest and most expensive structure ever built in India
More than 25000 workers were employed to complete the single structure
Indian History also states that after Construction Shahjahan ordered that the arms of every worker should be cut off their bodies so that nobody ever replicates or duplicates the Taj Mahal

Answer 3

Taj Mahal History :

Mumtaz and Shah Jehan were married in 1612 A.D had 14 children together. The Empress Mumtaz used to accompany her husband in his military campaigns, and it was in Burhanpur in 1630, that she gave birth to her last child, after which she died. So great was the Shah Jahan's love for his wife Mumtaz, that he ordered the building of the most beautiful mausoleum on Earth for her, The Taj Mahal.

As soon as construction work began in early 1630, sculptors, masons, craftsmen, and calligraphers were called from Persia, Ottoman Empire and Europe to work on construction of the Taj.

The architectural complex of the Taj Mahal comprises of five main elements: the Darwaza or main gateway, the Bageecha or garden, the Masjid or mosque, the Naqqar Khana or rest house, and the Rauza or the Taj Mahal mausoleum. The actual Tomb of Mumtaz is situated inside the Taj. The unique moghal style architecture combines elements & styles of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture. Most striking are the black and white chessboard marble floor, the four tall minarets (40 m high) at the corners of the structure, and the majestic grand dome in the middle. On closer inspection, the lettering of the Holy Quran verses around the archways appear to be uniform. The lettering spacing and density has been customized to give this impression to the viewer. The impressive pietra dura artwork includes geometric elements & style, plants & flowers, which are common in Islamic architecture. The level of sophistication in artwork includes a 3 cm decorative element containing more than 50 inlaid gemstones.

Answer 4

The Taj Mahal (Nastaliq: تاج محل, Devanagari: ताज महल) is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal (also "the Taj") is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." While the white domed marble mausoleum is most familiar, Taj Mahal is an integrated complex of structures that was completed around 1648. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered as the principal designer of Taj Mahal.[1]

Answer 5

Taj Mahal, a dream etched in milky white pristine marble is the peerless monument portraying the beauty of eternal love! A commemoration of the memory of Shahjahan's beloved wife, Mumtaz. Taj Mahal is indeed India's rich tribute to womanhood. Renowned for its aesthetic beauty, this extravagant building of timeless beauty is the outcome of a unique combination of passion and architectural exuberanceLovers die, but love shall not and death shall have no dominion…
In the year 1607 when a prince of the royal Mughal household strolled down the Meena Bazaar, accompanied by a string of fawning courtiers, he caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. Five years and a wife later (in those days princes did not marry for love alone) the regal 20-yr-old went to wed his 19-yr-old bride. It was a fairytale union from the start, one that withstood court intrigues, battles for succession and finally, the grand coronation. And when she died on the 19th year of their marriage, he etched her story in stone. The Taj Mahal is the living symbol of the monumental passion of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Banu. Which other love story has so grand a memorial? The Chosen City
Agra was the chosen city of the Mughal emperors during the early years. It was here that the founder of the dynasty, Babur, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of the River Yamuna. Here, Akbar, his grandson, raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort. Within its walls, Jehangir built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens. Shahjahan embellished it with marbled mosques, palaces and pavillions of gem-inlaid white marble. Agra is globally renown as the city of the Taj Mahal, a monument of love and imagination, that represents India to the world.

Build me a Taj
As Mumtaz Mahal lay dying, she asked four promises from the emperor: first, that he build the Taj; second, that he should marry again; third, that he be kind to their children; and fourth, that he visit the tomb on her death anniversary. He kept the first and second promises. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years. Twenty thousand people were deployed to work on it. The principal architect was the Iranian architect Istad Usa; it is possible that the pietra dura work was coordinated by an Italian artist

Answer 6

If you want to know about Taj Mahal and it's history , simply try the following link -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

You will get detailed information on Taj Mahal.

Answer 7

A Mentally sick person and cruel, called ShahJehan,
who had several thousands of labourers
working under him had a beautiful wife
called Mumtaj mahal.

She got a promise for herself from her
husband, 3 years before her death. That
after her death, he made a tomb there
at that exact forest ( it was forest then), in
a white marbel.

Shahjehan, after her death, called all his
300 Harem Girls ( with whom the Moghul
emperors enjoyed sex, when unsatisfied
with their own wives) and sought their
opinion.

Some one, who wanted to be the next
queen of him suggested the Taj Mahal
type building and he ordered to be made
by labours and an intelligent man ( architect).

After 12 years, he completed the Taj and
suddenly he realised that he was too old
for having another queen, and killed the
lady, who had suggested.

Blood rushed to his head and ordered
chopping off the fingers of 35000, workers,
who had built the Taj.

The family members of those 35000 workers
became mentally ill and cried for months
along with their half dead husbands in Agra.

This infuriated the Emperor and he then put
all the persons in a jail, which is now called
the Worlds' Oldest Mental Asylum.- Agra
Mental Hospital. In fact, Agra has 95% mental
deranged population, even now as its' water
contains some virus.

Answer 8

In brief -

The Taj Mahal at Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, is a mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658) in memory of his favorite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, and its name is believed to be an etymological distortion of her title Mumtaz Mahal (Chosen One of the Palace). The Taj Mahal took more than a decade to complete (1632–1643), and it reflects mausoleum or sepulchral architecture of the Mughal period in India, combining Central Asian architectural practices, mainly of the Timurid dynasty (flourished fifteenth–sixteenth centuries), and Mughal influences within its planning, layout, architectural style, and decoration.

for more info go to the below sites :-)

http://www.bookrags.com/Taj_Mahal

http://www.taj-mahal.net/pr/prEng.htm

Answer 9

taj mahal was build by shajahaan in memory of his beutiful wife

Answer 10

In the lovely memory of his Begam Mumtaz, Sharjahan made Taj mahel the real name Mumtaz Mahel