The Taj Mahal: Architecture, Symbolism, and Urban Significance

Koch, Ebba

doi:10.1163/22118993-90000087

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…The distinctive trait of this architectural style was the emphasis on symmetry, elaborate decoration, and the frequent use of white marble decorated with inlay work. The Taj Mahal persists as a timeless symbol of Shah Jahan's profound love for his wife, evidence to his opulent wealth and the immense power he held as the Mughal emperor (Koch, 2005).…”

Section: Flourishing Of Artistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Unfolding the Opulent Golden Age: Gold in Mughal Miniature Court Paintings in the era of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658)

Asghar

2023

plhr

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This study explores the extravagant usage of gold in Mughal miniature court painting to depict overgenerous lifestyle of Mughal emperors, especially evaluates the lavish epoch of Shah Jahan. This paper employs descriptive research method to analyze that gold deeply impacted the visual attraction and became symbolic depiction of Mughal art, with a particular emphasis on Shah Jahan's era, often mentioned to as the Golden Age of the Mughal Empire. With the historical imagery references in Mughal miniature paintings, this paper aims to illuminate the various roles that gold has played, such as a symbol of wealth, decoration, and its connection to Mughal traditional art. The conclusion refers that the gold's enduring symbolism of wealth and power that remains vibrant in contemporary society, preserving its coveted position as a symbol of significance and prestige.

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Section: Flourishing Of Artistrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Unfolding the Opulent Golden Age: Gold in Mughal Miniature Court Paintings in the era of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658)

Asghar

2023

plhr

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“…126 Shah Jahan's expression of the sacrality and universalism of Mughal kingship took its most brilliant form in architecture, exemplified by the case of Taj Mahal that presented the emperor's mausoleum as a monumental imperial abode situated amid the gardens of paradise. 127 In this new ideological paradigm inaugurated around 1580, the spiritual status of the living emperor overshadowed the mystical authority of the dead Sufi. Having briefly enjoyed the status of an imperial shrine-comparable to the status of the shrine of Imam Reza at Mashhad for the Safavids-Ajmer was now overshadowed in sacrality by both the imperial court of living Mughal emperors and the monumental tombs of deceased ones.…”

Section: End Of the Pilgrimages And A New Form Of Kingshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pilgrimage, performance, and peripatetic kingship: Akbar's journeys to Ajmer and the formation of the Mughal Empire

Nath

2022

JRAS

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Between 1562 and 1579, the third Mughal emperor Akbar undertook 17 pilgrimages to the Sufi shrine of Muinuddin Chishti in Ajmer in western India. This article analyses them as a form of peripatetic kingship. It studies specific actions of the emperor in and around Ajmer to show how they articulated a specific understanding of monarchy, one that derived legitimacy from the spiritual authority of Sufi masters and sacred sites. It then shows how the strategic location of the town of Ajmer allowed the young emperor to use it as a base for military expansion and political consolidation in western and central India. It also discusses how the journeys allowed Akbar to carry out vital facets of imperial governance, like exploring the realms, forging alliances with local chieftains, and creating public infrastructure. They also served as a public site for the performance of kingship and sovereignty. The final portion of the article explains how a paradigmatic shift in the conceptualisation and performance of Mughal kingship—whereby the ideal of monarchy as a product of Sufi charisma and Islamic piety made way for more universalist and millenarian ideals—brought a sudden end to the pilgrimages after 1579.

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“…Some features from the Mughal era, including fort walls, gardens (Baghs) and canals survive today. Ebba Koch 38 has identified 44 such baghs along the banks of the Yamuna river by studying Mughal and British era texts, and through onsite identification of physical remains. By carefully georeferencing the two earlier maps with the Google Earth image, the boundaries of most baghs on the inner (left) bank of the river are identifiable (Figure 4).…”

Section: Agramentioning

confidence: 99%

The Need for a National Archaeological Database

Gupta¹,

Das²,

Balan³

et al. 2017

Current Science

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India's economic development is evident in its industrial growth, extensive transportation network, and rapidly expanding cities, towns and villages. While this growth has numerous positive aspects, it also has the potential to cause irrevocable damage (directly or indirectly) to rich archaeological heritage of the country. The present study makes three contributions. First, it examines several archaeological sites where economic developmental activities have caused significant damage. Second, it demonstrates how the risk of further damage can be minimized using geospatial solutions to protect and manage such sites. Third, it conceptualizes a framework for incorporating spatial and non-spatial knowledge of archaeological sites into a National Archaeological Database. We propose that this national archive should be made publicly accessible under the Digital India programme, where it can assist decision makers (development authorities, state departments, etc.) and help citizens plan for future economic growth while preserving the fragile remnants of our past.

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The Taj Mahal: Architecture, Symbolism, and Urban Significance

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Unfolding the Opulent Golden Age: Gold in Mughal Miniature Court Paintings in the era of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658)

Unfolding the Opulent Golden Age: Gold in Mughal Miniature Court Paintings in the era of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658)

Pilgrimage, performance, and peripatetic kingship: Akbar's journeys to Ajmer and the formation of the Mughal Empire

The Need for a National Archaeological Database

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