8. Shah Jahan Built the Taj Mahal As a Mausoleum for His Favorite Wife, Mumtaz Mahal
In 1612, the beautiful and intelligent Arjumand Banu Begum married Prince Khurram, the son of the Mughal Emperor. Overshadowing his other wives, the royal bride held the prince’s full attention. Nicknaming her Mumtaz Mahal – “the Jewel of the Palace” – Khurram relied on his wife’s political advice, and she accompanied him on military campaigns. In 1628, Prince Khurram became the Emperor of the Mughal Empire – Shah Jahan. The couple reigned over a flourishing court, funding an architectural revolution in India. They ordered several new constructions, including the Red Fort of Agra, which would become Shah Jahan’s prison.
In June 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died from childbirth complications. The loss devastated the Emperor. Using his love of architecture, he built the most beautiful mausoleum in the world to honor his beloved wife’s memory. For the next two decades, 20,000 workers used 1,000 elephants to construct Mumtaz’s final resting place – the Taj Mahal. In 1657, the elderly Shah Jahan’s health failed. His son Aurangzeb imprisoned him in the Red Fort of Agra, taking the throne for himself. Remaining under house arrest, Shah Jahan spent his last years in full view of the Taj Mahal, until his death in 1666.