The History of Shah Jahan in Agra

Every day thousands of people visited Shah Jahan’s recognising structure, Taj Mahal(Figure 1). His eternal love towards his wife and good administration towards his people leaded his reign towards a golden age of Mughal dynasty with highest land revenues in the capital Agra. This prosperity attracted foreign artists, poets, or musicians from Persia, Europe or the East to visit and to be parts of the establishing of many masterpieces in Agra and Delhi.

Though, Taj Mahal, was believed to be built for his beloved dead mistress, Mamtaz Mahal. Though at the last stage of his life, he described Taj Mahal as a tool to show the world of his own great power(glory).

“Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.”

The spreading of “white marble” from Persia Region leads it to be as one of Jahangir’s1 favourite architectural styles and as well as to be one of Shah Jahan’s obsessions. Other shifts in the styles during Shah Jahan which stressed out the use of double dome, the recessed archway inside a rectangular fronton. Symmetry and balance between parts of a structure were always emphasised, as was delicate ornamental details (Figure 2). Shah Jahan’s obsessions to these elements brought about numerous buildings in Agra, in the similar manners.

Symmetrical surrounding garden, including long strip pools and trees, was also part of architectural elements during Shah Jahan’s reign to soften the heavy materials of the structure down: which can be seen in the Taj Mahal and some gardens in Kashmir.

Following numbers of bloodshed overthrowing of the throne in Mughal family. Aurangzeb(aggressive son) overthrown his father’s throne and revolted almost every architectural styles from Shah Jahan’s reign in order to overcome glory. Aurangzeb prefer brick and rubble with stucco ornament rather than white marble which, moreover, leads to the demolition of the proposed black marble Taj Mahal (to be the tomb of Shah Jahan) on the other side of the Yamuna River (Figure 3).

The one day trip in Agra definitely showed almost every visitors that every grand structures built by Shah Jahan leaded India into a state of poverty and declination as money were put into building memorable memorials instead of developing country towards further prosperity. Though India had produced 'uncountable' numbers of arts and architecture during Mughal Dynasty(especially during Shah Jahan), unfortunately it ended up reducing country's treasure and prosperity.

400 words including 64-word-poet.