The Taj Mahal

Book Categories: Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal, Fiction, Children's Books, Mughals, India

The Taj Mahal

The Complete Taj Mahal by Ebba Koch. Leads the reader through the mausoleum, explaining its design and construction, symbolic meaning, and history up to the present day. Features hundreds of new photographs.

The Moonlight Garden: New Discoveries at the Taj Mahal by Elizabeth B. Moynihan. About the gardens that once surrounded the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal by M.C. Joshi and Amina Okada, photographs by Jean-Louis Nou. Discusses how and why the Taj Mahal was built.

Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal

Shah Jahan: The Rise and Fall of the Mughal Emperor by Fergus Nicoll. Biography of the 17th century ruler who was responsible not only for the Taj Mahal, but also the Pearl Mosque, the Red Fort, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, and the priceless Peacock Throne.

Empress of the Taj: In Search of Mumtaz Mahal by Timeri N. Murari. Combines travel-writing and history with storytelling to create a portrait of Mumtaz Mahal, in whose memory Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal.

Their Family

The Emperor Who Never Was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India by Supriya Gandhi. Biography of the eldest son of Emperor Shah Jahan, whose death at the hands of his brother changed the course of South Asian history.

Dara Shukoh: The Man Who Would Be King by Avik Chanda. Shah Jahan's heir and favorite son has been portrayed as incompetent, but in many ways he was clearly ahead of his times.

Aurangzeb: The Life and Legacy of India's Most Controversial King by Audrey Truschke. Aurangzeb Alamgir is one of the most hated men in Indian history. His nearly 50-year reign (1658-1707) had a profound influence on early modern India.

The Mughal Nobility Under Aurangzeb by M. Athar Ali. Examines the composition and role of nobility under the rule of the great emperor Aurangzeb, who reigned from 1658 to 1707.

The Mughal Nobility Under Aurangzeb by M. Athar Ali. Examines the composition and role of nobility under the rule of the great emperor Aurangzeb.

Captive Princess: Zebunissa, Daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb by Annie Krieger Krynicki, translated by Enjum Hamid. Princess Zebunissa (1638-1702) influenced architecture and politics. She gave herself the pen name Makhfi, "The Hidden." She was sent to prison by her father for mysterious reasons.

The Mughals

The Mughal Feast: Recipes From the Kitchen of Emperor Shah Jahan by Salma Yusuf Husain. Recipes and tips for cooking, including methods to clean fish and soften bones.

Books About the Mughal Dynasty

Fiction About the Taj Mahal

Beneath a Marble Sky: A Novel of the Taj Mahal by John Shors. Princess Jahanara, daughter of 17th century Indian emperor Shah Jahan, schemes to protect her family from her ruthless brother in this colorful, romantic novel. The story has a strong, likeable heroine and plenty of palace intrigue. Highly recommended!

Shadow Princess: A Novel by Indu Sundaresan. Indian princess Jahanara and her sister scheme for power over their father's harem and their country. Only one of them can succeed. Third book in a trilogy; the first two are The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses.

Taj: A Story of Mughal India by Timeri N. Murari. After his queen dies, Shah Jahan spends 22 years building her marble mausoleum lined with gold, silver and precious jewels.

Taj: The Woman and the Wonder by Sandra Wilson. Tells the story of the creation of the Taj Mahal: the love story, a wicked stepmother, court intrigue, harems, battles and tragedy.

Children's Books

Taj Mahal: A Story of Love and Empire by Elizabeth Mann, illustrated by Alan Witschonke. Tells the story of India's Mughal dynasty through its greatest artistic achievement, the Taj Mahal. For children ages 9 to 12.

The Taj Mahal (Great Building Feats) by Lesley A. Dutemple. For children ages 9 to 12.

Mumtaz of the Taj Mahal Paper Dolls by Tom Tierney.

Taj Mahal: India's Majestic Tomb by Linda Tagliaferro. For children ages 9 to 12.

Jahanara, Princess of Princesses, India, 1627 by Kathryn Lasky. Novel about the daughter of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal from the Royal Diaries series, for children ages 9 to 12.

Omen for a Princess by Jean Bothwell. Another novel about Jahanara for children.