The Taj Mahal was built in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his favorite wife so she would be housed throughout eternity in splendor.  It has become one of the great wonders of the world and is widely known as “the jewel of Muslim art in India.”  What is not so well known is that after the construction was completed, Jahan took measures to ensure that the great architectural building would never have a rival, so he had the chief architect and all the key artisans put to death.  All the stone masons who had performed the difficult work to the best of their abilities had their hands amputated.  All the artists that were responsible for the beautiful and delicate inlay work were blinded so they would never work on another building again.  Such extreme measures were obviously effective because the Taj Mahal is unique and there never has been another building in this category to match or surpass its beauty and wonder.