Taj Mahal
A Story of Love and Empire
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The Magnificent Mughals of India.
Shah Jahan, ruler of India, murdered three of his brothers in his bloody rise to power. Yet when his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, suddenly died, the grief-stricken emperor built the world's most beautiful tomb as a monument to her memory.
Shah Jahan was the fifth emperor of the Mughal dynasty. The Mughals combined the brute force and fierce ambition of their legendary ancestor Genghis Khan with a delicate artistic sensitivity. Theirs was a world where even forts were architectural gems, where emperors had their life stories told in exquisite miniature paintings, and where each new ruler competed with the previous one by building a grander palace, fort, mosque and city.
The Taj Mahal tells the story of this remarkable dynasty through its greatest artistic achievement. From the soaring domes, to the marble columns inlaid with precious gems, to the vast gardens, to the perfect symmetry of its design, the Taj Mahal expressed the power, grandeur, glory and beauty of the Mughal world.
About this Author
Elizabeth Mann is the author of 11 Wonders of the World books, cited by Booklist as one of the ten best series for young readers.
Alan Witschonke has illustrated five Wonders of the World books.
Reviews
Elizabeth Mann has produced another outstanding offering in her Wonders of the World series... Opulent illustrations by Alan Witschonke supplement the text. A double-page foldout containing the floor plan of the entire Taj Mahal shows the enormity of the architectural feat. Timeline, Taj Mahal facts, glossary, and bibliography are included.
The ongoing Wonders of the World series hits a high point with this dramatic retelling of the construction of the Taj Mahal. Mann begins with two pages of prose that relay the commonly told legend, but then proceeds to explode that legend with descriptive writing, colorful illustrations, ancient paintings, maps, and photographs.... Startling details abound... the photos of priceless relics bring the story alive, and young readers will love the fold-out Taj Mahal diagram, which resembles a game board.... Shah Jahan's excesses helped bring about the demise of the Mughal Empire, and this insightful book will bring readers closer to understanding the meaning of what has been left behind.
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