Schimmel Annemarie. The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture

London: Reaktion Books, 2006. — 355 p.The Mughal Empire (1526-1857) has long been viewed as a wonderland of unimaginable treasure. Annemarie Schimmel describes its rise to political, military, and economic ascendancy, the development of its power and splendor, and finally its gradual disintegration. This is a fascinating portrait of an advanced oriental culture, whose historical and cultural legacy — such as Mughal paintings and the marble-clad Taj Mahal in Agra — still inspires universal admiration today.