Peacock Throne

The famous golden throne captured from India by the Persians in 1739. Thereafter lost, it (and its reproductions) remained the symbol of the Persian, or Iranian, monarchy.

The original throne, built for the Mughal emperor Shāh Jahān in the early 17th century, was reportedly one of the most splendorous thrones ever made. It was ascended by silver steps and stood on golden feet set with jewels, and it was backed by representations of two open peacocks’ tails, gilded, enamelled, and inset with diamonds, rubies, and other stones. The throne was seized along with other plunder when the Iranian conqueror Nādir Shāh captured Delhi in 1739. Before leaving India, he had a divan made in the same style and brought both Peacock Thrones back to Iran, only to lose both in warfare with the Kurds, who apparently dismantled them and distributed the precious stones and metals. Later Peacock Thrones or divans (probably reproductions) were made for subsequent shāhs, notably Fatḥ ʿAlī Shāh (reigned 1797–1834). The dazzling chairlike throne used by the two Pahlavi shāhs at their coronations (1926, 1941) was a reproduction dating from the Qājār dynasty.

References-https://www.britannica.com/topic/Peacock-Throne

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess who died giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death of Mumtaz Mahal illustrate the love story held as the inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1643 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished about five years later.

The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.

The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.^[14]

The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners forming an unequal eight-sided structure that is approximately 55 metres (180 ft) on each of the four long sides. Each side of the iwan is framed with a huge pishtaq or vaulted archway with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.

References-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

Tolerance , culture and refinement marked Shah Jahan's reign . Painters, scholars and musicians recieved lavish court patronage . Importance was given to Hindi, and Shah Jahan's son Dara translated the Upanishads into persian

References- Std 7th textbook ICSE