Explain why the construction of the Taj Mahal took so long?

The technical and architectural challenges encountered.

Building a monument like the Taj Mahal in the 17th century represented a monumental undertaking. First, everything relied on extremely delicate foundations that were difficult to implement: near a river like the Yamuna, a solution had to be found to prevent everything from sinking or sliding over time. They installed wooden piles under the structure to stabilize it sustainably.

Next, there was the need for perfect symmetry, almost obsessive, required by Shah Jahan. Every stone, every engraving had to be exactly identical from one side to the other of the building: can you imagine the puzzle at the time, without our modern tools?

Another major challenge was the colossal marble dome. Raising this enormous white dome, which sits atop, required extraordinary craftsmanship at the time, with enormous dangers for the workers.

Finally, let's not forget the issues of water supply and drainage: creating fountains, pools, and ensuring their operation without leaks or infiltrations, all integrated into a vast garden, was far from obvious in India at that time.

The selection and preparation of complex precious materials

The Taj Mahal was not built with ordinary materials: the emperor clearly wanted the best of the best. As a result, it features very pure white marble transported from the Rajasthan region located several hundred kilometers from the construction site. Each block had to be carefully polished to achieve that smooth and shiny appearance. There are also thousands of precious and semi-precious stones embedded in the marble, including jade, agate, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. These stones had to be sourced from even further away—some even came from Afghanistan, Persia, or China—before being cut one by one to the exact size. This entire process took whole months, sometimes even years, which explains why it significantly slowed down construction.

The management and organization of a considerable workforce

Building the Taj Mahal wasn’t just about assembling stones: it required managing over 20,000 workers from all over Asia. To coordinate this whole group, there was a real hierarchy: masons, sculptors, specialized artisans, and unskilled laborers, each with their clearly defined role. The workdays were long and precisely structured, overseen by strict monitoring teams. And with so many workers, organizing housing, food, and transportation became a real logistical puzzle. Small communities were even set up near the construction site so that workers could live on-site, thus minimizing travel. In short, it was meticulous organization, a true human ballet to keep everything running smoothly over more than two decades of work.

The disruptions caused by the political and economic context of the time.

As the Taj Mahal slowly emerged from the ground, the Mughal Empire was going through a frankly unstable period, both politically and economically. Regular regional revolts seriously disrupted the management of resources and personnel, often leading to forced stoppages of the construction site. Internal disputes, family rivalries, and armed conflicts regularly hampered the supply of precious materials. And on the financial side, things were also tight: funding such an ambitious monument was expensive, very expensive indeed. The imperial treasury took a significant hit, sometimes forcing a slowdown in the construction pace to stay within budget. All of this explained why the construction progressed slowly, with mandatory pauses due to the complicated context of the time.

The modifications required by Emperor Shah Jahan

Emperor Shah Jahan was particularly demanding: as the construction progressed, he often spotted details that needed improvement and frequently ordered modifications. Some were purely aesthetic, such as the addition of precious stones or the creation of even more refined engravings. Others directly affected the structure, sometimes requiring a complete overhaul of already approved plans, which slowed down the teams. Shah Jahan wanted absolute perfection, even if it meant repeatedly pushing back deadlines and seriously extending the work of the artisans. These incessant modifications partly explain why the construction spanned over twenty years.