Which empire commissioned the original Taj Mahal in India?

The Mughal Empire commissioned the original Taj Mahal in India.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ordered the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 after giving birth to their fourteenth child. Construction began around 1632 in Agra, on the banks of the Yamuna River, and the principal mausoleum was substantially completed by about 1639 or 1643. Work on the wider complex continued for several more years.

The monument combines Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural traditions. Its central white-marble tomb is framed by four minarets and surrounded by gardens, a mosque, a guesthouse, and a monumental gateway. The main structure uses marble from Makrana in Rajasthan, while decorative work includes pietra dura inlay and calligraphy. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, not a palace or a temple, though the whole complex includes several buildings. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1983. Shah Jahan was later imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb and could view the monument from Agra Fort.