Taj: A Novel

What a wonderful piece of work by Timeri Murari...this beautifully written story is about love and loss. Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Arjumand shared a deep bond of love and after her death, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal. The story also covers extensive details about the day to day life in Agra of 16th century and the struggles inside the court of Mughal empire. I definitely love this book, would read it again and recommend to everybody who loves to read.

This book is one of the best I've ever written. I first read it at 14, and have been fascinated by the Taj and it's complicated history, ever since. I was heartbroken when I learned it was out of print, as my own copy was in tatters from constant reading, and I wanted to gift it to some 10 different friends. It's been reprinted now, and I know what everyone's getting for their birthdays this year!

A story of unimaginable power and suffering and how the two interrelate, Taj is a novel that is both serious and compelling. Unknown to many in the West, the Mughal Emperors of India ruled a vast kingdom and enjoyed unlimited power within their lands. To make their reign the setting for a book is a challenge; the reader must be transported into a very different time and place, and yet made to identify with the characters. The book succeeds on both counts. The characters are well developed and unique, while the details of their lives unfold in all of their exotic difference. Throughout, the question is asked what is the limit of power? The answer resounds darkly: death. The terse Mughal proverb Taktya Takhta Throne or Coffin is repeated along the bloody journey of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who commissioned the Taj Mahal, to the throne and beyond. Along with the historically accurate account of the political struggles of the time, a fictionalized yet plausible love story unfolds between Shah Jahan and his wife Arjumand Banu, a love that culminates in one of the most iconic monuments in the world, the Taj Mahal. The story is fictional because so little is known of the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built. A few passages from old manuscripts and a giant mausoleum are all that remain of her, yet Timeri Murari does a beautiful job reading the architecture itself and the few written clues available in order to construct a moving tale of love and power.

Great Book so far. I wish there was a glossary or better explanations of the Hindi and Muslim words used in the book but other than that the book is hard to put down. I love the story.

This is a beautifully written book, which is a wonderful love story, but also gives a great deal of historical understanding about the Mughals and the construction of the Taj Mahal. If you like historical fiction, this book is for you!