Mumtaj Mahal
The
story of Taj Mahal is inseparable from the life of Mumtaz Mahal who was the
chief queen of Shahjahan. Prince Khurram, as Shahjahan was known before he became
the Mughal emperor, was a handsome twenty-year-old man, when he was betrothed
to Mumtaz. It is said that the imperial capital of Agra was agog with the description
of her beauty at the time of the betrothal. The maiden name of Mumtaz Mahal
was Arjumand Banu Begum. Prince Khurram had been married twice before he met
and married Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz bore him 13 children and accompanied him wherever
he went.
On June 17, 1631 Mumtaz Mahal breathed her last after delivering her 14th child,
at the age of 39. Saddened by her sudden demise, Shahjahan resolved to immortalize
their love. It is said that Mumtaz Mahal on her deathbed had herself asked her
husband to create a symbol of their love for posterity. Shahjahan is said to
have accepted her proposal and resolved to do so. According to another school
of thought however, no such conversation transpired between the two and the
grief stricken emperor decided to build the Taj Mahal to immortalize the memory
of his beloved queen, on his own. Either, way the Taj remains as whimsical in
conception as it is majestic in construction. Before the construction of Taj
Mahal began, Mumtaz Mahal was given a temporary burial in the Zainabadi garden
in Burhanpur for a period of six months, before the body was exhumed and brought
to Agra, for the final burial.
Taj Mahal is a monument of love. Taj is the pride of India. The story behind
Taj Mahal is also as beautiful as the monument. It is the love story of a prince
and a beauty girl that turned into a legend.
Arjumand Banu a shopkeeper was sitting at her shop in Meena Bazar, the private
market attached to the harem, when Prince Khurram saw her for the first time.
He saw a piece of glass at her shop and asked for it's worth she replied that
it is a diamond and not glass. The prince picked up the piece of glass and gave
her rupees ten thousand (an amount she boldly said that he could not afford).
Next
day the prince went to emperor Shah Jahan to seek his permission to marry Arjumaand
Banu. Emperor Jahangir gave the permission at once but it took five years for
him to marry his beloved. Meanwhile he was married to a Persian Princess Quandari
Begum due to some political reasons.
On an auspicious day, 1612 they tied the knot. It was a grand wedding. It was
a perfect match; she was inseparable from Khurram and even accompanied her when
he went to fight wars.
Emperor Jahangir entitled Prince Khurram as 'Shah Jahan' And when he became
emperor he entitled his wife as Mumtaz Mahal 'the chosen one of the palace'.
Mumtaz was very compassionate, generous and demure. She was also involved in
administrative work. She continually interacted on behalf of petitioners and
gave allowances to widows. She is said to have enjoyed the spectacle of man
in combat with animals.
In 1630 Mumtaz Mahal died in childbirth. Before dieing she extracted a promise
from Shah Jahan that after her death he would build the most beautiful building
of the world as a tribute to their love.
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