The Taj Mahal: An Incredible Love Story

by Rik Hoskin, Aadil Khan (Illustrator)

Overview

The Taj Mahal in India has been called a 'teardrop on the cheek of time'. This grand monument that was raised to house the mortal remains of Mumtaz Mahal, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's beloved wife, today draws millions of visitors from across the globe.

One of more than 85 titles Campfire has published since their introduction to North America in 2010.

This is the story behind the Taj Mahal - of the incredible love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, how they met and fell in love, and how Shah Jahan was to lose her as she died while giving birth. This is also the story of how the Taj Mahal was built, and how the great Mughal emperor spent his last days imprisoned in his fort, pining for his beloved Mumtaz, as he gazed over the river for a view of the magnificent edifice, a monumental reminder of his love and loss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789381182598
Publisher:	Steerforth Press
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Series:	Campfire Graphic Novels: Campfire History
Pages:	118
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Rik Hoskin is a comic book writer and novelist from Dorset, United Kingdom. He wrote the New York Times bestselling graphic novel, White Sand, with fantasy author Brandon Sanderson, and has also written Superman, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Mercy Thompson, Dean Koontz's Frankenstein and helped develop a successful Spider-Man title aimed at younger readers. He's recently written two animated 'motion comics' for BBC Television in the U.K. As a novelist, Rik has written Hercules, the Legendary Journeys and was previously the primary author on the Outlanders science fiction series under the pen-name 'James Axler', as whom he wrote twenty-four novels.

Aadil Khan, a resident of Delhi, has been interested in art ever since he was a small child. Growing up reading comics, he considers Jim Lee and Frank Frazetta as his major influences. Based in Delhi, he has previously worked as an artist with Raj Comics, Q2A and other organisations. This is his first book with Campfire.

Editorial Reviews

"The detailed, full-color illustrations enhance the story with their expressiveness and rich jewel tones." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2019-08-05
Gives readers a glimpse into the story behind one of the world's most famous monuments and oldest romances—Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, the Taj Mahal—and the people who built it.

A flashback to 1592 reveals a soothsayer informing the empress of the Mughal Empire that a child destined for greatness will be born into the royal family. Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram is raised by his grandfather, the Emperor Jalal-ud-in Akbar, and Akbar's first wife, the Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum. At the age of 15, Khurram meets and falls in love with Arjumand Banu Begum. Following the soothsayer's words, Khurram—who later becomes the fifth Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan—waits 5 years to marry his beloved, who comes to be known as Mumtaz Mahal; however, Arjumand becomes his second wife, as Khurram first marries a Persian princess as part of a political alliance. The detailed, full-color illustrations enhance the story with their expressiveness and rich jewel tones, but the narrative itself lacks depth and perspective. More important, the text either ignores or glosses over historic details: Shah Jahan had three wives (the last of whom does not make an appearance), and the laborers, who spend years constructing the Taj Mahal, look upon Shah Jahan as a benevolent ruler.

A passable introduction to the life of Shah Jahan for lovers of history. (historical and biographical notes) (Graphic history. 12-14)

Kirkus Reviews