Taj Mahal: A Cultural, Social, and Technological Icon

Explore the cultural, social, and technological aspects of Taj Mahal, an iconic mausoleum in India. The article discusses the history, architecture, and impact on tourism and economy. Taj Mahal represents different religious cultures and promotes the culture of love. The compound is designed to promote social capacity and the inscriptions promote didactic representation. The mausoleum has a political representation and the design is optimized for social, cultural, and spiritual nature. The materials used for the external decoration are high technology and amazing. Taj Mahal has a great history of promoting didactic in the communities and people who visit the area.

Taj Mahal, located in India is a mausoleum and one of the wonder of
the world. Commission in 1632 by Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in the honor
of his dead wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died during childbirth. The Tal Mahal
has traditional, theological, architectural, artistic, economic as well as social
factors attached to the building. The organizational features and design of
Taj Mahal makes it to possess some key features which has influence in
many directions1. Located at the bank of Yunia River in Agra, Taj Mahal has
the inquest architecture combining architectural features from Indian,
Persian and Islamic influences and culture. Ustad Arhamd Lahaurī was the
main architect of this unique feature and his Indian Persian descent was
influential in giving Taj Mahal these unique architectural features of different
origins. It has turned out to be one of the most interesting tourism feature in
India and therefore plays a critical role in economic promotion in the region.
Additionally, the design is able to promote great sense of social promotion
within the region. Taj Mahal is a protected area under the legal protection as
part of the Archaeological sites and remains. Additionally, the developments
around the area is also controlled under development legislation2. The
construction materials used such as the white marble are unique in nature
and create a great tourism attraction. The decorative nature and Mughal
architecture of the building makes it unique. The building has beautiful
1 Fairchild, Ruggles, D. Islamic Gardens and Landscapes. University of Pennsylvania Press.
ISBN 9780812207286. 2011.
2 Terence, Harkness; & Amita Sinha. "Places / Projects – Taj Heritage Corridor:
Intersections between History and Culture on the Yamuna Riverfront" (pdf).
Vol. 16: No. 2. Places. pp. 62–69. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2007.

structural compositions and this makes it one of the iconic monuments and
center of attraction by many. The main features of the monument include
the gateway, garden, jawab mosque and mausoleum.
Taj Mahal has great sense of cultural representation of different
cultures. From the design perspective, the chief architect, Lahaurī was able
to ensure different cultural aspects were involved such as the Indian, Persian
and Islamic cultural beliefs. Due to its cultural representation, Taj, Mahal has
turned out to be one of the most recognized tourism attraction in India with
remarkable architectural icon3. First, Taj Mahal has a mosque inside and this
a true proof of promoting of the Islamic culture and religion. This is a
religious culture recognition of the owner of the idea of the monument. In
addition, to promote the religious culture of the monument, the use of white
marbles was employed. These marbles are used to highlight the brightness
of the mausoleum. In addition, Taj Mahal has a special recognition of culture
of love. The monument was built as a result of labour of love of the greater
ruler to his wife. The wife’s wish for him was "to build a tomb in her memory
such as the world had never seen before"4. The beauty of Taj Mahal is able to
present the culture of love to the present people owing that the monument
was built to honor a dead wife. This has been proved to be true as millions of
tourist troll to the monument each year. In addition, at the main gate, the
3 Muhammad, Salih Kambo. Ghulam, Yazdani. (ed.). Amal-i-Salih or Shah
Jahan Namah. Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press. Vol I. 1923, Vol. II 1927
4 Jonathan, M Bloom.; & Sheila, S. Blair. The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art
and Architecture. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001. ISBN
9780195309911. 1 January 2009.

domed pavilions on top are built in Hindu style and this helps to bring out the
diversity of culture representation. Additionally, to enhance the Islamic
culture in decoration, the mausoleum employs the use of paints, stucco,
stone inlays and carvings. The mausoleum was unable to employ the use of
anthropomorphic forms since they are prohibited in Muslim culture. To
enhance the Muslim culture, the mausoleum has a grave of Mumtaz and
Shah Jahan relatively placed. Additionally, in the aim of cultural presentation,
the mausoleum employs the use of floral decorations inside. The Muslim
culture is particular prohibits the use of human representations5. The plants
and flowers are able to represent the well-being and mostly associated with
afterlife. There is a great similarity between the garden paradise and the
floral decorations within the mausoleum. Through the garden and floral
representation, the Muslim culture is highly recognized in the mausoleum.
5 Thalia, Kennedy. "The Notion of Hierarchy: The 'Parchin Kari' Programme At
The Taj Mahal". Archnet-IJAR, International Journal of Architectural Research.
1 (1): 105–121. March 2011. Archived from the original (pdf) on 14 June
2009.

Figure 1: View of the Mosque
Taj Mahal has a great history of prompting didactic in the communities
and people who visit the area. The Muslims have been holding their prayers
and this mausoleum and this helps in improving their morals according to
their spiritual culture. Qur’anic inscriptions are all over the monuments and
they help in promoting the morals of the visitors6. These inscriptions are able
to enhance the morals for the reforms of those visiting Taj Mahal. The
aesthetic values of the building are also fringed with the didactic
representation of the people visiting. The use of white marbles represents a
holy place worth visiting and therefore promoting the didactic expectation of
the people. The inscriptions all over the monuments are encouragements of
holding the high religious standards which are well tied with the moral
expectations of the people.
6 Ebba, Koch. The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra
(Hardback) (First ed.). Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp. 288 pages. ISBN 0-500-
34209-1. August 2016.

The Taj Mahal has a wide perspective of representation of the social
promotion. The mausoleum has a garden which is well designed to promote
the social capacity for the visitors. The garden has four different parts with
formal arrangements7. Additionally, there are 16 sunken parterres which are
well designed to enhance the social aspects of the visitors. The reflection
from the pool helps to create a gorgeous scenario which is worthy attracting
tourist and enhancing the social aspects. Moreover, the design of the
pavilions on the west and east are able to reflect each other and therefore
enhancing the architecture which is worth attracting. The mausoleum has a
well design for crowd to rest with shady tree which are well lined. This design
creates an environment which promotes socialism among the people. This is
an environment which has been considered to be a heaven on earth due to
the design and peaceful nature. The improved aesthetics are critical in this
area to enhance the social aspect. The design of the garden is appealing and
therefore promotes the tourism and social aspects8. The location of the
garden is such that the view of Taj Mahal is well seen with different
inscriptions and decorations. This view helps the people to relax while
appreciating the interesting features of the mausoleum.
7 Janice, Leoshko. "Book Review: The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at
the Taj Mahal". Persimmon – Asian literature, Arts and Culture. 2002.
Retrieved 13 February 2017.
8 Abd al-Hamid, Lahauri. Maulawis Kabir al-Din Ahmad and 'Abd al-Rahim
under the superintendence of William Nassau Lees (ed.). Badshah Namah.
Calcutta: College Press. Vol I. 1867, Vol. II 1868.

Figure 2: Taj Mahal reflection to the pool Figure 3: View of the
Plinth from the garden
The Taj Mahal has drawn so many political issues during the
construction and at present. The religious politics between the Hindus and
Islam has not been left behind. The honoring of the Taj Mahal as part of the
historical archives. The Indians and Muslims have been in political wars on
whom the Taj Mahal represents910. This war was seen lastly when the Indians
failed to list the Taj Mahal as one of the historical places in the records. Many
agree that the history of the mausoleum cannot be erased from the Indians
even without the listing of the mausoleum. The shortlisting the historical
sites raised a lot of political heat just because the mausoleum was missing.
9 Wayne, E Begley. The Garden of the Taj Mahal: A Case Study of Mughal
Architectural Planning and Symbolism, in: Wescoat, James L.; Wolschke-
Bulmahn, Joachim. Mughal Gardens: Sources, Places, Representations, and
Prospects Dumbarton Oaks, Washington D.C. 2015. ISBN 0-88402-235-8.
10 Siraj, Qureshi. "Another court petition challenges Taj Mahal's story as a
symbol of love". India Today. 2017

In addition, during the construction, use of materials which represented the
political and social hierarchy was employed11. The material hierarchy was
used to bring out the social and political nature of the monument. For
instance, the all marble tomb bearing the royal bodies are representation of
the politics of the time. being part of the political clan of the emperor entitled
one to be buried on that tomb. The construction of the mausoleum was
meant to bury the wife of the emperor. This was a political reason to ensure
that the remembrance of the political lineage is remembered12. There is no
way one can talk about the Taj Mahal without mentioning the ruling of the
time and reasons for the construction of the mausoleum. The Taj Mahal
therefore is a great feature which has an iconic representation of the politics
of the time and the power they had while governing.
To enhance the functionality of Taj Mahal, the design is done to
optimize the social, cultural and spiritual nature. The paradise garden in the
compound helps to enhance the social functionality of the building13. The
garden is able to offer a pleasant and enjoyable micro-environment within
Taj Mahal. This social functionality of the monument is also enhanced
through the architecture of the building. In addition, to enhance the
11 Vikas, Khatri. Greatest Wonders of the World. V&S Publishers. ISBN 978-93-
81588-30-7. 2012.
12 Dilip, Ahuja R. & Rajani, M.B. "On the symmetry of the central dome of the
Taj Mahal" (PDF). Current Science. 110 (6): 996–997. 2016.
13 Jāvīd, Alī. & Javeed, Tabassum. World Heritage Monuments and Related
Edifices in India, Volume 1. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87586-483-9.
2013.

reception of the guest, the great gatehouse from the south was meant for
the reception of the royal visits. The gatehouse was well connected to the
river bank to help in reception of guests from a boat. Nevertheless, this
access has been rendered unused due to lack of docking area. To increase
the reception and attraction, the design and architecture of the entrances
are done with appealing designs and materials. This helps to set the tone on
the site and improve the reception capacity for the tourists. The framing
arch, flanking guldastras and chattri repeated all through the major
structures of the site helps to improve the reception functionality for the
guests14. In addition, the entrances are well designed with decorative
features, use of iconic colors and materials helps to increase the functionality
of the building. Moreover, the inscriptions also play an important role in the
functionality of Taj Mahal. For instance, Surah al-Fajr, helps to provide a
critical introductory style, content and location to the monument. Others
such as Thuluth are well located and easily recognized from the entrance
point. To enhance the functionality, the entrances has several checks which
enhance the security operationalization of the mausoleum15. Most
importantly, on entering the gate house, the spatial demarcation of the area
is well maintained by the dim lighting, expansive space, aural disjunctions.
14 Catherine, Ella Blanshard Asher. [first published 1992]. The New Cambridge
History of India, Vol I:4 – Architecture of Mughal India (Hardback).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 368. 2013. ISBN 0-521-26728-5.
15 Wayne, E Begley. "The Myth of the Taj Mahal and a New Theory of Its
Symbolic Meaning". The Art Bulletin. 61 (1): 14. doi:10.2307/3049862. March
2012.

To enhance the tourism factor, the exterior of the mausoleum is highly
decorated. From the base to the dome and the minaret are well design with
uniqueness to enhance the tourism attraction.
Although built many decades ago, Taj Mahal is able to attract many to
view its technological advancements. The design of the mausoleum is unique
and helps to promote and be an amazing technological advancement. First,
the materials used for the external decoration are high technology and
amazing16. In the morning, the building has a different color from the noon
sun striking and evening sun striking view. This has been one of the major
factor of attraction for many to the mausoleum. This is a great technological
factor which make the Taj Mahal an amazing feature in the current world and
technological era. The entrances of the mausoleum are well designed to
create a great view of the mausoleum. The design of view is able to conform
to the current technological designs although the mausoleum was designed
many year ago17. This represents the great thinking and technology applied
during the era. The design is more fascinating that till today it is more
current.
During the construction of the mausoleum, materials were sourced
from the whole of India and Asia. This is a show of the power which the
mausoleum is attracted to. Due to the attachment to the royalty, the quality
16 François, Bernier. Travels in the Moghul Empire A.D. 1657–1668.
Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. 2012.
17 Trewin, Copplestone. (ed). World architecture – An illustrated history
(Hardback). London: Hamlyn. ASIN B0000CNOL6. 2017.

of the materials was high emphasized during the sourcing. The Mughal
Emperor had a great source of power and this helped to ensure quality
materials were sourced from whether location they could be identified18. For
instance, the white marbles were sourced from quarries belonging to Raja Jai
Singh in Makrana, Rajasthan, which is 400 KM away. At the time of
construction, the country has come out of war and it needed great power to
be able to come up with a magnificent building like Taj Mahal. The time of
construction shows the power which the country and Emperor Shah Jahan
had. By construction of this mausoleum, the Emperor was able to exemplify
the amount of power he had over his people. The hard times did not prevent
the Emperor from the construction of this iconic building. This is a
demonstration of the power to conquer and be able to do great things for the
people. He was able to prove to the people that he had the power to deliver
great even at those challenging moments. In another view, the Taj Mahal has
turned out to be a key economic power in the region19. Millions of tourists are
able to stream in to view the amazing view of the mausoleum. This
mausoleum has become an economic hub for this region through the tourism
attraction factor. In reality, the mausoleum has internal power in economic
sense and therefore contribute highly in the regional GDP.
18 Wayne E. Begley; Oleg, Grabar, (Ed.) "Four Mughal Caravanserais Built
during the Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan". Muqarnas Volume I: An
Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Yale University Press (Newhaven).
pp. 167–180. 2015. Archived from the original (pdf) on 12 June 2006.
Retrieved 24 July 2007.
19 Wayne, E Begley; Z.A. Desai. Taj Mahal – The Illumined Tomb (Hardback).
University of Washington Press. p. 392. 2014. ISBN 978-0-295-96944-2.

In conclusion, the Taj Mahal has remained to be an iconic building in
India and all over the world. Millions of tourists visit the site each year to see
the architecture and innovation applied to this mausoleum. The design and
architectural developments of this building are unique and therefore worth
mentioning of them and their idea behind their employment. First, from the
construction, different religious cultures have been represented. The Indian,
Persian and Islamic cultural beliefs are well encrypted to the building since
the start. The designs and inscriptions are able to borrow from these cultures
and therefore making the monument unique. The morals are well
emphasized from the materials used to the inscriptions all over the
mausoleum. In addition, the compound of the mausoleum is well designed
to promote the social nature of the people. The meeting points are done
such that all the visitors are able to view the fascinating features of the
mausoleum. Additionally, the idea of the construction was from a political
point of view since it was conceived by a Politician. Material hierarchy are
able to represent the political point of view.

References
Ahuja, Dilip R.; Rajani, M.B. "On the symmetry of the central dome of the Taj
Mahal" (PDF). Current Science. 110 (6): 996–997. 2016.
Alī Jāvīd, & Tabassum Javeed. World Heritage Monuments and Related
Edifices in India, Volume 1. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87586-483-9.
2013.
Asher, Catherine Ella Blanshard. [first published 1992]. The New Cambridge
History of India, Vol I:4 – Architecture of Mughal India (Hardback).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 368. 2013. ISBN 0-521-26728-5.
Begley, Wayne E. "The Myth of the Taj Mahal and a New Theory of Its
Symbolic Meaning". The Art Bulletin. 61 (1): 14. doi:10.2307/3049862. March
2012.
Begley, Wayne E. The Garden of the Taj Mahal: A Case Study of Mughal
Architectural Planning and Symbolism, in: Wescoat, James L.; Wolschke-
Bulmahn, Joachim. Mughal Gardens: Sources, Places, Representations, and
Prospects Dumbarton Oaks, Washington D.C. 2015. ISBN 0-88402-235-8.
Begley, Wayne E.; Desai, Z.A. Taj Mahal – The Illumined Tomb (Hardback).
University of Washington Press. p. 392. 2014. ISBN 978-0-295-96944-2.
Begley, Wayne E.; Grabar, Oleg (Ed.) "Four Mughal Caravanserais Built
during the Reigns of Jahangir and Shah Jahan". Muqarnas Volume I: An
Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture. Yale University Press (Newhaven).
pp. 167–180. 2015. Archived from the original (pdf) on 12 June 2006.
Retrieved 24 July 2007.
Bernier, François. Travels in the Moghul Empire A.D. 1657–1668.
Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. 2012.
Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S. The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art
and Architecture. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195309911.001.0001. ISBN
9780195309911. 1 January 2009.
Copplestone, Trewin. (ed). World architecture – An illustrated history
(Hardback). London: Hamlyn. ASIN B0000CNOL6. 2017.
Harkness, Terence; Sinha, Amita. "Places / Projects – Taj Heritage Corridor:
Intersections between History and Culture on the Yamuna Riverfront" (pdf).
Vol. 16: No. 2. Places. pp. 62–69. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2007.

Kambo, Muhammad Salih. Yazdani, Ghulam (ed.). Amal-i-Salih or Shah Jahan
Namah. Calcutta: Baptist Mission Press. Vol I. 1923, Vol. II 1927
Kennedy, Thalia. "The Notion of Hierarchy: The 'Parchin Kari' Programme At
The Taj Mahal". Archnet-IJAR, International Journal of Architectural Research.
1 (1): 105–121. March 2011. Archived from the original (pdf) on 14 June
2009.
Khatri, Vikas. Greatest Wonders of the World. V&S Publishers. ISBN 978-93-
81588-30-7. 2012.
Koch, Ebba. The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra
(Hardback) (First ed.). Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp. 288 pages. ISBN 0-500-
34209-1. August 2016.
Lahauri, Abd al-Hamid. Maulawis Kabir al-Din Ahmad and 'Abd al-Rahim
under the superintendence of William Nassau Lees (ed.). Badshah Namah.
Calcutta: College Press. Vol I. 1867, Vol. II 1868.
Leoshko, Janice. "Book Review: The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at
the Taj Mahal". Persimmon – Asian literature, Arts and Culture. 2002.
Retrieved 13 February 2007.
Qureshi, Siraj. "Another court petition challenges Taj Mahal's story as a
symbol of love". India Today. 2017
Ruggles, D. Fairchild. Islamic Gardens and Landscapes. University of
Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9780812207286. 2011.