With the likes of members of the high and lesser nobility, it was yet another New Year’s Fair at Royal Meena Bazaar in Agra, India. As Prince Khurram, also known as Emperor Shah Jahan, approached to haggle for gems at the stall of Arjumand Bano, their hands met simultaneously for the first time. That way, in which their eyes clashed, their sweat dripped out of every pore, and their hearts pounded, it was true love at first sight. Five years passed before the promising day arrived for their wedding, and from that moment on, Arjumand Bano, now known as Mumtaz Mahal, became his beloved partner. Over the next 18 years, she travelled with him on his military campaigns and provided him with her compassionate guidance, often on behalf of the poverty-stricken Muslims. In fact, she was an incalculable source of strength that also provided her loyalty, support, and love to the emperor. One day, among the scene of desperate and sanguinary affray, Shah Jahan was filled with despair when he sat by his wife’s bedside and watched her leave for the holy abode after giving birth to their fourteenth child. Following the death of Mumtaz Mahal, he felt disconnected from the world around him – emotionally, spiritually, and physically. As a result, it is said that he locked himself in his room for eight days, refusing to take any food or wine. And to everyone’s surprise, the doors opened on the ninth day, it seemed that he had undergone a physical transformation: “the emperor’s back was now bent in a peculiar way and his hair, which had been raven black, had turned totally white” (Carroll 14-24). It wasn’t until that moment that Shah Jahan focused his mind upon great construction projects that marked the height of Mogul architectural prowess. In Decemb...
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...se it wouldn’t have the same significance as the original design as it had its own story. For instance, in Bangladesh, they have recently opened a gigantic replica of the original version of Taj Mahal. Apparently, the wealthy builder Ahsanullah Moni, “built it to pay honour to Emperor Shah Jahan and enable the ordinary people including students to have an idea about the heritage as most of them don’t have scopes to visit Agra spending huge money.” Although it was built on over four acres of lander, it took only five years to complete the life-size replica with machinery, which was formed of the same materials of the original Taj Mahal. As modest as his contribution may seem to the society of Bangaladesh, it has sparked a controversy about the claim of copyright on the original Taj Mahal between India and Bangladesh. Now, is imitation the sincerest form of flattery?
In The Book of Ser Marco Polo, chapter X (Polo, 2) tells about Genghis Khan great Palace and how unique the building was structurally and by design. Polo stated how Genghis Khan palace was so vast, so rich, and so beautiful, that no man on earth could design anything superior to it. The walls were covered with gold and silver throughout the palace. Not only was his palace was so extraordinary and unique, ther...
Bihzad has placed strong emphasis on the complexity of the palace’s architecture which he has adorned with colorful ornaments and emblazoned with gold. Each room is decorated with rugs and tiles featuring complex floral and asymmetrical patterns that cover each chamber from floor to ceiling. The palace appears to be three stories tall and features a balcony on the left and a zigzagging staircase on the right. The asymmetrical style of these two architectural features gives the impression of the work being 3-dimensional ...
Indulging the plot into the political and social situation of Afghanistan at the time, Hosseini profoundly incorporates a strikingly realistic theme into the novel and expands the outreach of his ideas to the extent that they can be applied to the present-day state of affairs. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, the lives of the women, men, and children presented are derived and driven by the customs and traditions that root from the country’s political and cultural backdrop. Centering the many twists of the story on the political and cultural influences in Afghanistan, Hosseini develops the novel in close parallel to reality and presents a story that motivates to endure and always be optimistic. The influence of the political and cultural backdrop on the novel signifies the harsh reality of life in developing nations that persists even today and presents the hardships that life poses, along with the inequality that accompanies it.
Haddawy, Husain. The Arabian Nights. Rpt in Engl 123 B16 Custom Courseware. Comp. Lisa Ann Robertson. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta, 2014. 51-64. Print.
Today the Pyramids of Giza continue to be a mystery to researchers and admirers of ancient Egyptian architecture. One of these great pyramids, Cheops, is among the Seven Wonders of the World and is renowned for its geometric eccentricities. They were built around 4500 years ago and are located on the western bank of the Nile River in Al-Jizah, Egypt. These buildings took on original construction that was sought after an Egyptian sophistication of a concept called a “mastaba.” A mastaba is a term that means “platform.” These platforms were built over royal tombs and eventually acquired numerous additions. Several stacked mastabas were incorporated together and tapered to form the pyramid shape. It is believed that this process took place over a 20 year time span. To begin, once the construction site was cleared and prepared, the blocks were transported into place. These blocks however, were made of stone and weigh around 2 tons each. Without the equipment and technology that we have today, one may ponder on how these massive building blocks were transported and set into place. There are several theories describing methods that may have been used such as ramps and counterweights.
Nanda, Serena. Neither Man nor Woman: The Hijras of India. 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub., 1990. Print.
Whereas the relationship between Maha and Harb is one of passion and love, Ihsan and Nadia are the complete opposite. Nadia hates how Ihsan looks at her as a woman always and never a person. She struggles to prove her capability of being an individual and forming an identity of her own that is separate and goes beyond Mrs. Natour. She proves that she can ‘think and feel’ for herself and by herself. In the West where we have women out on the streets rallying for equality between men and women, fighting in the armies, present in the workforce, these victories may seem minute. However if one pays close attention to social structures and social norms in different cultures one can realize that this challenging and questioning is as important and holds as much weight as getting equal wages for women in America.
When discussing the controversial authors of Indian literature, one name should come to mind before any other. Salman Rushdie, who is best known for writing the book “Midnights Children.” The first two chapters of “Midnights Children” are known as “The Perforated Sheet”. In “The Perforated Sheet” Rushdie utilizes magic realism as a literary device to link significant events and their effects on the lives of Saleem’s family to a changing India. In fact, it is in the beginning of the story that the reader is first exposed to Rushdie’s use of magic realism when being introduced to Saleem. “On the stroke of midnight/clocks joined palms” and “the instant of India’s arrival at independence. I tumbled forth into the world”(1711). Rushdie’s description of the clocks “joining palms” and explanation of India’s newfound independence is meant to make the reader understand the significance of Saleem’s birth. The supernatural action of the clocks joining palms is meant to instill wonder, while independence accentuates the significance of the beginning of a new era. Rushdie also utilizes magic realism as an unnatural narrative several times within the story to show the cultural significance of events that take place in the story in an abnormal way.
When walking around a city, you may notice that the architecture and art look similar to other works. Many of these designs have changed along the course of history and time whilst others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and day to day living is from two of the many cultures of the old civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms from the Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, have both adopted from other cultures and have made their own discoveries in the art and architecture worlds. The Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary drastically from each other and yet have varying comparisons between the two.
Weatherford, J. (2010). The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire. USA: Crown Publishers
It was during the year 1026 that Mahmud of Ghazni raided the Somanatha temple for its wealth, leading to the destruction of its many idols. In Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History, Romila Thapar explores the distinct narratives that were written at the time by placing them into the historical context of the period. Her goal, through this monograph, was not to reestablish how we perceive the history of the raid, but to instead study the diverse perspectives and views represented in the various sources collected on the topic. Historical interpretations range from the Turko-Persian narratives of the period to the Colonial writings long after the raid. Through the investigation of the sources one would hope to point out the variations in the texts, and then analyze why these deviations in the story came to be. Thapar’s findings would assist any historian in determining the nature of these sources and the way they are currently used. One must remember that any and all sources could be of significant importance when looking at the attitudes of the individuals of the time.
The other artwork I will be comparing to the Taj Mahal is the Great Stupa at Sanchi. The stupa is a dome shaped building that covers the body of the Buddha, who was regarded very greatly by many Buddhists. In t...
The Hagia Sophia church and the Suleymaniye mosque are separated by a thousand years but are tied together eternally. One representing the achievement of the Christian-Byzantine empire and the other representing the ability of the Islamic-Ottoman empire and its architect Sinan. Two empires that had very little in common other than their architecture and region. In earlier history the Dome of the Rock represented the Islamic empire's attempt to rival the newly defeated Byzantine empire and its architectural achievements such as the Holy Sepulchre. As history often repeats itself, with similar political motives the Suleymaniye mosque became the Ottoman's answer to the Byzantine's great achievement in their area- the Hagia Sophia. The result is that one finds in the Suleymaniye mosque the inspiration of the Hagia Sophia as well as the distinctive Islamic qualities that Sinan brought to it.
Ranjan,Mukesh. “Mahesh Dattani’s Where There’s a Will: Exorcising the Patriarchal Code”.The Dramatic World of Mahesh Dattani-A Critical Exploration.Ed.Amar Nath Suri.Sarup Book Publishers,2009.136-144.Print.