Located in Agra in northern India, a typical visit takes two to three hours. Foreign visitors pay about $15 (U.S.). Before entering the mausoleum, visitors remove their shoes or wear protective covers to keep sand and dirt from scuffing the marble floors.
Photo: Derrick Brutel / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0
Arab merchant sailors set up trading posts along the coast of India by the seventh century. These merchants practiced Islam, a monotheistic faith very different from Hinduism, the traditional religion of the subcontinent. For the next several centuries, Muslims remained a small minority, living mainly in coastal settlements and in the northwest.
Muslim Conquests
Muslim leaders called sultans invaded northern India and set up small kingdoms. During their conquests, some sultans destroyed Hindu temples and imposed special taxes on subjects who kept their traditional beliefs. By 1206, Muslim rulers established a sultanate, or kingdom, in Delhi, a major center of trade in northern India.
The Mughal Empire
In the sixteenth century, a new group of invaders called the Mughals came from Central Asia. Their leader, Babur, became king at only 12, but enemies soon drove him from power. After years of trying to win back his homeland, Babur gave up and turned his attention south toward India.
In 1526, Babur’s forces captured Delhi despite being outnumbered. He had lost his homeland, but now ruled a far wealthier kingdom. His victory founded the Mughal Empire, which would eventually expand across nearly the entire subcontinent.
Babur did not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of his victory. He died only four years after capturing Delhi. Under his descendants, the Mughal court became one of the most powerful and luxurious in the world.
Akbar
Babur’s grandson, Akbar, ruled for nearly fifty years and expanded the empire across much of northern India. His conquests gave the empire wealthy trading cities and access to sea routes connecting India with Europe and the Middle East. Unlike some earlier Muslim rulers, he did not force Hindus to convert. He ended the special tax on non-Muslims and appointed Hindus to important positions in his government. He even married a Hindu princess and encouraged her to practice her faith.
Mughal Art and Architecture
The Mughals brought Persian and Central Asian traditions to India, where they blended with local customs. Persian became the language of the Mughal court, while Hindu and Muslim artists worked together to create new styles of painting and architecture. Mughal rulers built massive forts, palaces, mosques, tombs, and gardens, often decorated with intricate carvings and colorful stone.
Mughal architecture remains one of the most visible reminders of Muslim rule in India. Huge domes, graceful arches, slender towers, and carefully planned gardens became trademarks of Mughal design. Centuries after the dynasty fell, these buildings stand among India’s most famous landmarks. Later architects adapted the style for grand palaces, government halls, and hotels worldwide.
The Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan ruled the Mughal Empire from Agra, a thriving trade hub in northern India. When his wife died in childbirth in 1631, he ordered a magnificent mausoleum, or grand tomb, built for her on the banks of the Yamuna River. About twenty thousand workers spent more than twenty years building the white marble structure we know today as the Taj Mahal. Its central dome rises above four corner towers, while reflecting pools and symmetrical gardens lead visitors toward the monument.
The Taj Mahal is one of the most celebrated landmarks on Earth and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. The organization calls the monument “the greatest architectural achievement” of Indo-Islamic art, renowned for its balance, symmetry, and craftsmanship.
Islam in India Today
Today, India is a Hindu-majority nation, but it is also home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the world. Its 213 million Muslims account for about one in every seven people. Ranking third globally behind only Indonesia and Pakistan, Islam remains the nation’s second-largest faith, more than a thousand years after the first Muslim communities appeared on the subcontinent.
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Mr. Donn has an excellent website that includes a section on India.