In the sixteenth century, Emperor Jahangir ruled in India. Legend has it that his fifth son, Prince Khurram, was his favorite. The emperor eloquently wrote of Khurram's intelligence and superiority in art and battle. The prince led military campaigns that consolidated the empire. Because of his many victories, Jahangir gave Khurram the title of Shah Jahan, King of the World. The death of Emperor Jahangir incited fierce rivalry and intrigue among his sons. Eventually, in 1628, Shah Jahan took the throne. His beautiful queen was at his side.
There are stories that Prince Khurram first saw Arjumand Banu at a bazaar within the palace walls. Reportedly, it was love at first sight and the two were married several years later. After the prince, now known as Shah Jahan, ascended the throne, he gave his queen the title Mumtaz Mahal, Beloved Jewel of the Palace. She became one of his most trusted counselors. During their time together, Mumtaz Mahal bore 14 children. She traveled everywhere with her king, even staying in tents with him when he went to battle.
In 1631, the pregnant Mumtaz accompanied Shah Jahan on an expedition. During their travels, she died in childbirth. Legend tells us that her dying request of the king was that he build her a mausoleum more beautiful than any other structure in the world. Shah Jahan was devastated and the court mourned for two years. There were no celebrations, no music and no feasts.
Six months after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, construction began on her tomb. Shah Jahan selected the site so that no other building was nearby and so it could be seen from his palace. The best architects, stone carvers, masons and calligraphers came from Turkey, Persia and all over India to create the Taj Mahal. Precious gems were brought from Arabia, Yemen, Persia and other parts of Asia to be inlaid in the marble. For 17 years, 20,000 laborers worked on the queen's memorial.
Not long after the Taj Mahal was completed, Aurangzeb, one of Shah Jahan's sons, deposed his father and placed him under house arrest at Agra's Red Fort. Shah Jahan could view the Taj from the fort and lived there until his death. Aurangzeb honored his father by burying his body next to his beloved wife.
Time was not kind to the Taj Mahal. Some parts fell into disrepair by the late nineteenth century. In 1857, during the Indian rebellion, British soldiers defaced the Taj and removed precious stones from the walls. As the century ended, British Viceroy Lord Curzon ordered restoration of the Taj. It was his commission that placed the large lamp, inspired by a Cairo mosque, in the interior chamber. The garden was remodeled during this time, and the British-style lawns are what visitors see today.
In modern times, the threat to the Taj Mahal is environmental pollution. Acid rain has yellowed the pristine white exterior. The Indian government took measures to control this pollution in the 6,000 square miles surrounding the Taj Mahal. In 1983, UNESCO designated the Taj Mahal a World Heritage Site.
