The name, Taj Mahal means Crown Palace, and is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals – the Muslim rulers of India – and also one of the most famous buildings in the world.
Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble, and there aren’t words adequate enough to describe its beauty. In the light of the full moon, the Taj glows; and on a foggy morning, visitors claim it appears like it is suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.
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It was built by the Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal, whose real name was Arjumand Banu Begum. In the tradition of the Mughals, important ladies of the royal family were given another name at their marriage or at some other significant event in their lives, and that new name was commonly used by the public.
Shah Jahan’s own real name was Shahab-ud-din, and he was known as Prince Khurram before ascending to the throne in 1628.
Love At First Sight – Shah Jahan Meets Arjumand Banu Begum
Shah Jahan succeeded his father to the throne upon his death in 1627. Because of his military exploits which secured the border of the empire, his grateful father gave him the all-surpassing title of Shah Jahan Bahadur, which in Persian means King of the World.
After emerging the victor of a power struggle with his brothers, he crowned himself emperor at Agra in 1628. And at his side was Arjumand Banu Begum, a Persian princess, better known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”), with whom he fell in love at first sight, got married to in 1612 and cherished as the favourite of his three queens, and for whom the Taj Mahal is named.
His Beloved Dies
In 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died after giving birth to their 14th child. The grieving Shah Jahan then ordered the building of a magnificent mausoleum or burial place across the Yamuna River from his own royal palace.
The Taj Mahal was built in 22 years, from 1631-1653, but some historians say construction began in 1632. The mausoluem itself, housing the remains of his dear wife was completed in 1648; while the mosque, the guest house, the main gateway on the south, the outer courtyard and surrounding buildings were subsequently added and completed in 1653.
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In all, twenty thousand workers from India, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants were brought in to build the complex; with the construction cost running into about $827 million dollars by today’s standards.
What Does The Taj Mahal Look Like?
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The Taj is at the farthest end of this large complex, with the river Jamuna behind it. The large garden contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the centre. Inside the mausoleum is a cenotaph, or false tomb, of Mumtaz Mahal, the real sarcophagus containing her actual remains lay below, at garden level.
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In accordance with Islamic tradition, verses from the Quran were inscribed in calligraphy on the arched entrances to the mausoleum, in addition to numerous other sections of the complex. Also, according to Mughal tradition, the tomb is a representation of the house of the queen in Paradise.
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At dawn, when the first rays of the sun shines on the dome of this spectacular monument, witnesses testify that:
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It radiates like a heavenly abode; and that when the sun sets on its facade as it basks at dusk in the glory of moon, it shines like a perfectly carved diamond.
There are claims that the Shah intended to build a second grand mausoleum – in black – across the Yamuna River and opposite the Taj Mahal where his own remains would be buried, with the two structures connected by a bridge. This was not to be though. as his third son with Mumtaz, Aurangzeb, overthrew his sick father in 1658 and took power for himself.
Shah Jahan lived out the last years of his life under house arrest, with a view of the majestic resting place he had constructed for his wife. When he died in 1666, he was summarily buried next to her, united forever in love.
Myths abound that the Shah had the hands of Taj Mahal’s architect and workers cut off after completion of the structure, to ensure they would never build another of its kind; but according to historians, no evidence to this exists.
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