Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.58

v2.c11.58

Taj Mahal, the masterpiece of Mughal architecture art, was the most brilliant building built by Shah Jahan, and also the milestone in the history of world architecture. In 1631 CE, Shah Jahan's beautiful wife Arjumand Banu Begum died after she gave birth to the 14ᵗʰ child. Shah Jahan decide to build in her memory, an unprecedented tomb beside Yamuna River by southeast of Agra Fort to bury his wife. The construction of the tomb started in 1632 CE, and completed in 1643 CE. During the construction period, more than 20,000 artisans worked in a day. The whole architectural complex was a rectangular plane, 580 mt long from north to south, and 305 mt wide from east to west. There was a square Persian-style garden in the middle of the tomb, and the white marble pool in the centre of the garden reflected the beautiful shadow of Taj Mahal. White marble-domed tomb was in the middle of the north of the garden, with 57 mt high. The tomb was octagonal, with stone coffin – cenotaph of the queen Mumtaz Mahal (another name) being placed in the centre, and the simulate coffin of Shah Jahan in the west side. The stone coffin was surrounded by marble screen inlaid with gems. Taj Mahal was regarded as one of the architectural marvels in the world. After Aurangzeb's death, Mughal architecture art began to fall with the fall of the empire.