Taj Mahal's Effects

The Taj Mahal was completed around 1658 and was built, as others have said, by the Mughal Emperor Shah Janan in memory of his wife. The beautiful and ornate monument was only recently opened to the public, but has since then become a huge source of tourism and revenue for India. It has become a national symbol and icon for the country and attracts between 2 and 4 million visitors every year. The Taj Mahal has even been listed as one of the seven wonders of the world, hugely increasing the appeal of India to tourists in general. The building also functions as a mosque, adding to the cultural and social aspects of the building. 

As Rina says in her post, the Taj Mahal demonstrates the dominance of Islam in the Mughal Empire. Not only did the emperor bury his wife there as was the Islam way, (Hindus believed in cremation) but the building was used part-time as a mosque, as stated above. This may have foreshadowed the Islamic rule that would soon sweep the empire.