Taj Mahal and Mughal Agra

by John Lall

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The Taj Mahal, one of the world's acknowledged wonders, represents the culmination of the arts of architecture and decoration which had developed in India during centuries of Mughal rule. In this book, John Lall briefly traces the history of the Mughals in India. The account of the lives of the six great Mughal emperors has been enlivened by a lucidly written text which successfully recreates the spirit of the time and place. The greatness of the Mughals has been vividly captured by the sumptuous photographs of D.N. Dube.

The Taj Mahal, built by an emperor in memory of his beloved consort, is the apogee of Mughal magnificence and this book traces the rise of the Mughal dynasty in Agra right up to the building of the Taj Mahal. .

Perhaps no other dynasty has shaped the fortunes of India as much as the Mughal. Its visible presence in art, architecture, etiquette, literature and learning has had as powerful an impact as the historical process it set into motion, uniting far-flung provinces and, with martial feats and matrimonial alliances, establishing an empire of consequence in the country..

The Mughal seat of power was shared between Delhi and Agra, but there is no doubt that for many decades it was the latter that was the center of government, and of the dynasty's largesse. It was on Agra then that the Mughals lavished their greatest love - of architecture. The mausoleums of Akbar and Ghiyas Beg, the abandoned capital city of Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort itself where all the emperors have left behind their distinctive stamp . . And rivaling their excellence by far, the world's most beautiful monument, the Taj Mahal.

About the Author:

John Lall who writes the text for this book with so much feeling is an octogenarian who retired from the Indian Civil Service to become the first Dewan of Sikkim. A student of history, his interest in the Mughals and their monuments was rekindled during his tenure as Commissioner in Agra during the fifties. Always a keen writer, he contributes incisive insights on polity to the editorial pages of newspapers.