Spring 2008

ANS 372 • The Taj Mahal and Diversity in Indian Art-W

Course Description

The Taj Mahal, one of the best known monuments in the world is frequently also one of the most misunderstood. For instance, this mausoleum is often called a palace. Built in the seventeenth century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife, the Taj Mahal significantly reflects the diversity to be found in the traditions of Indian art. Elements drawn from Hindu, Persian, and European traditions created a powerful and sophisticated visual culture during the rule of the Mughals in the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. This course will focus upon an investigation of the Taj Mahal in order to examine the diversity of Indian art as well as consider the significance of the shifts in constructing knowledge about this past.

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