Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram[3] (5 January 1592 â 22 January 1666),[7] better known by his regnal nameShah Jahan,(Persian: شا٠جÙاÙ; 'King of the World'),[8] was the fifth Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1628 to 1658.[9]
Shah Jahan was widely considered to be the most competent of Emperor Jahangir's four sons and after Jahangir's death in late 1627, when a war of succession ensued, Shah Jahan emerged victorious. He put to death all of his rivals for the throne and crowned himself emperor in January 1628 in Agra under the regnal title 'Shah Jahan' (which was originally given to him as a princely title). Although an able military commander, Shah Jahan is perhaps best remembered for his architectural achievements. The period of his reign is widely considered to be the golden age of Mughal architecture. Shah Jahan commissioned many monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal in Agra, which entombs his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
In September 1657, Shah Jahan fell seriously ill, which set off a war of succession among his four sons, in which his third son Aurangzeb, emerged victorious.[10] Shah Jahan recovered from his illness, but Aurangzeb put his father under house arrest in Agra Fort from July 1658 until his death in January 1666.[11] On 31 July 1658, Aurangzeb crowned himself emperor under the title 'Alamgir'.[12]
The Mughal Empire reached the pinnacle of its glory during Shah Jahan's reign and he is widely considered to be one of the greatest Mughal emperors.[13]
Early life[edit]Birth[edit]
Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram was born on 5 January 1592 in Lahore, in modern-day Pakistan, and was the third son of Prince Salim (later known as 'Jahangir' upon his accession).[14] His mother was a Rajput princess from Marwar called Princess Jagat Gosaini (her official name in Mughal chronicles was Bilqis Makani). The name 'Khurram' (joyous) was chosen for the young prince by his grandfather, Emperor Akbar, with whom the young prince shared a close relationship.[14]
Just prior to Khurram's birth, a soothsayer had reportedly predicted to the childless Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, Akbar's first wife and chief consort, that the still unborn child was destined for imperial greatness.[15] So, when Khurram was born in 1592 and was only six days old, Akbar ordered that the prince be taken away from his mother and handed him over to Ruqaiya so that he could grow up under her care, and Akbar could fulfill his wife's wish to raise a Mughal emperor.[15] Ruqaiya assumed the primary responsibility for Khurram's upbringing and he grew up under her care.[16] The two shared a close relationship with each other as Jahangir noted in his memoirs that Ruqaiya had loved his son, Khurram, 'a thousand times more than if he had been her own [son].'[17]
Khurram remained with her until he had turned almost 14. After Akbar's death in 1605, the young prince was allowed to return to his father's household, and thus, be closer to his biological mother.[15]
Education[edit]
As a child, Khurram received a broad education befitting his status as a Mughal prince, which included martial training and exposure to a wide variety of cultural arts, such as poetry and music, most of which was inculcated, according to court chroniclers, by Akbar and Ruqaiya. In 1605, as Akbar lay on his deathbed, Khurram, who at this point was 13,[18][full citation needed] remained by his bedside and refused to move even after his mother tried to retrieve him. Given the politically uncertain times immediately preceding Akbar's death, Khurram was in a fair amount of physical danger of harm by political opponents of his father,[19] and his conduct at this time can be understood as a precursor to the bravery that he would later be known for.[citation needed]
Khusrau rebellion[edit]
In 1605, his father succeeded to the throne, after crushing a rebellion by Prince Khusrau â Khurram remained distant from the court politics and intrigues in the immediate aftermath of that event, which was apparently a conscious decision on Jahangir's part.[20][full citation needed] As the third son, Khurram did not challenge the two major power blocs of the time, his father's and his step-brother's; thus he enjoyed the benefits of Imperial protection and luxury while being allowed to continue with his education and training.[21] This relatively quiet and stable period of his life allowed Khurram to build his own support base in the Mughal court, which would be useful later on in his life.[citation needed]
Nur Jahan[edit]
Due to the long period of tensions between his father and step-brother, Khurram began to drift closer to his father and over time started to be considered the de facto heir-apparent by court chroniclers. This status was given official sanction when Jahangir granted the sarkar of Hissar-Feroza, which had traditionally been the fief of the heir-apparent, to Khurram in 1608.[22] Nur Jahan was an intelligent and beautiful lady with an excellent educational background. She was an active participant in the decisions made by Jahangir. Slowly and gradually, she became the actual power behind the throne, as Jahangir became more indulgent in wine and opium. Coins began to be struck containing her name along with Jahangir's name. Her near and dear relatives acquired important positions in the Mughal court, termed as the Nur Jahan junta by historians. After the death of Jahangir in 1627, Nur Jahan was put under house arrest and led a quiet life.
Marriages[edit]
Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal
In 1607, Khurram became engaged to Arjumand Banu Begum (1593â1631), who is also known as Mumtaz Mahal (Persian for 'the chosen one of the Palace'). They met in their youth. They were about 14 and 15 when they were engaged, and five years later they got married. The young girl belonged to an illustrious Persian noble family that had been serving Mughal Emperors since the reign of Akbar. The family's patriarch was Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who was also known by his title I'timÄd-ud-Daulah or 'Pillar of the State'. He had been Jahangir's finance minister and his son, Asaf Khan â Arjumand Banu's father â played an important role in the Mughal court, eventually serving as Chief Minister. Her aunt was the Empress Nur Jahan and is thought to have played matchmaker in arranging the marriage.[citation needed]
The prince would have to wait five years before he was married in 1612 (1021 AH), on a date selected by the court astrologers as most conducive to ensuring a happy marriage. This was an unusually long engagement for the time. However, Shah Jahan first married Princess Kandahari Begum, the daughter of a great-grandson of Shah Ismail I of Persia with whom he had a daughter, his first child.[23]
Shah Jahan, accompanied by his three sons: Dara Shukoh, Shah Shuja and Aurangzeb, and their maternal grandfather Asaf Khan IV
Politically speaking, the betrothal allowed Khurram to be considered as having officially entered manhood, and he was granted several jagir, including Hissar-Feroze and ennobled to a military rank of 8,000, which allowed him to take on official functions of state, an important step in establishing his own claim to the throne.[citation needed]
In 1612, aged 20, Khurram married Arjumand Banu Begum, who became known by the title Mumtaz Mahal, on the auspicious date chosen by court astrologers. The marriage was a happy one and Khurram remained devoted to her. She bore him fourteen children, out of whom seven survived into adulthood. In addition, Khurram had two children from his first two wives.[23]
Though there was genuine love between the two, Arjumand Banu Begum was a politically astute woman and served as a crucial advisor and confidante to her husband.[24] Later on, as empress, Mumtaz Mahal wielded immense power, such as being consulted by her husband in state matters and being responsible for the imperial seal, which allowed her to review official documents in their final draft.[citation needed]
The Taj Mahal, the burial place of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal
Mumtaz Mahal died at age 37 (7 July 1631) while giving birth to Gauhara Begum in Burhanpur. She died of a postpartum haemorrhage, which caused considerable blood-loss after a painful labour of thirty hours.[25] Contemporary historians note that Princess Jahanara, aged 17, was so distressed by her mother's pain that she started distributing gems to the poor, hoping for divine intervention, and Shah Jahan was noted as being 'paralysed by grief' and weeping fits.[26] Her body was temporarily buried in a walled pleasure garden known as Zainabad, originally constructed by Shah Jahan's uncle Prince Daniyal along the Tapti River. Her death had a profound impact on Shah Jahan's personality and inspired the construction of the Taj Mahal, where she was later reburied.[citation needed]
In the intervening years Khurram had taken eight other wives, among which Kandahari Begum (m. 12 December 1609) and Izz un-Nisa Begum (m. 3 September 1617), the daughters of Muzaffar Husain Mirza Safawi and Shahnawaz Khan, son of Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, respectively. But according to court chroniclers, his relationship with his other wives was more out of political consideration, and they enjoyed only the status of being royal wives.[18]
Military commander[edit]
Prince Khurram showed extraordinary military talent. The first occasion for Khurram to test his military prowess was during the Mughal campaign against the Rajput state of Mewar, which had been a hostile force to the Mughals since Akbar's reign. In 1614, commanding an army numbering around 200,000, Khurram began the offensive against the Rajput kingdom.[citation needed] After a year of a harsh war of attrition, Maharana Amar Singh I surrendered conditionally to the Mughal forces and became a vassal state of the Mughal Empire.[27]
In 1617, Khurram was directed to deal with the Lodi in the Deccan to secure the Empire's southern borders and to restore imperial control over the region. His successes in these conflicts led to Jahangir granting him the title of Shah Jahan (Persian: 'King of the World') and raised his military rank and allowed him a special throne in his Durbar, an unprecedented honour for a prince, thus further solidifying his status as crown prince.[citation needed]Edward S. Holden writes, 'He was flattered by some, envied by others, loved by none.'[28]
Rebel prince[edit]
Shah Jahan on horseback (during his youth).
Inheritance of power and wealth in the Mughal empire was not determined through primogeniture, but by princely sons competing to achieve military successes and consolidating their power at court. This often led to rebellions and wars of succession. As a result, a complex political climate surrounded the Mughal court in Khurram's formative years. In 1611 his father married Nur Jahan, the widowed daughter of a Persian noble. She rapidly became an important member of Jahangir's court and, together with her brother Asaf Khan, wielded considerable influence. Arjumand was Asaf Khan's daughter and her marriage to Khurram consolidated Nur Jahan and Asaf Khan's positions at court.
Court intrigues, however, including Nur Jahan's decision to have her daughter from her first marriage wed Prince Khurram's youngest brother Shahzada Shahryar and her support for his claim to the throne led to much internal division. Prince Khurram resented the influence Nur Jahan held over his father and was angered at having to play second fiddle to her favourite Shahryar, his half-brother and her son-in-law. When the Persians besieged Kandahar, Nur Jahan was at the helm of the affairs. She ordered Prince Khurram to march for Kandahar, but he refused. As a result of Prince Khurram's refusal to obey Nur Jahan's orders, Kandahar was lost to the Persians after a forty-five-day siege.[citation needed] Prince Khurram feared that in his absence Nur Jahan would attempt to poison his father against him and convince Jahangir to name Shahryar the heir in his place. This fear brought Prince Khurram to rebel against his father rather than fight against the Persians. In 1622 Prince Khurram raised an army with the support of Mahabat Khan and marched against his father and Nur Jahan.[citation needed]. He was defeated at Bilochpur in March 1623. Later he took refuge in Udaipur Mewar with Maharaja Karan Singh II . He was first lodged in Delwada Ki Haveli and subsequently shifted to Jagmandir Palace on his request. Prince Khurram exchanged his turban with maharana and that turban is still preserved in Pratap Museum, Udaipur.(R V Somani 1976). It is believed that mosaic work of Jagmandir inspired him to use mosaic work in Taj Mahal of Agra.His rebellion did not succeed and Khurram was forced to submit unconditionally. Although the prince was forgiven for his errors in 1626, tensions between Nur Jahan and her stepson continued to grow beneath the surface.
Upon the death of Jahangir in 1627, the wazir Asaf Khan, who had long been a quiet partisan of Prince Khurram, acted with unexpected forcefulness and determination to forestall his sister the empress Nur Jahan's plans to place Prince Shahryar on the throne. He put Nur Jahan in close confinement.He obtained control of Prince Khurram's three sons who were under her care. Asaf Khan also managed palace intrigues to ensure Prince Khurram's succession the throne.[29] Prince Khurram succeeded to the Mughal throne as Abu ud-Muzaffar Shihab ud-Din Mohammad Sahib ud-Quiran ud-Thani Shah Jahan Padshah Ghazi (Urdu: Ø´Ùاب اÙدÛÙ Ù
ØÙ
د خرÙ
), or Shah Jahan.[30]
His regnal name is divided into various parts. Shihab ud-Din mean 'Star of the Faith', Sahib al-Quiran ud-Thani means 'Second Lord of the Happy Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus'. Shah Jahan means 'King of the World', alluding to his pride in his Timurid roots and his ambitions. More epithets showed his secular and religious duties. He was also Khalifat Panahi ('Refuge of the Caliphate'), but Zill-i Allahi, or the 'Shadow of God on Earth'.[citation needed]
His first act as ruler was to execute his chief rivals and imprison his step mother Nur Jahan. Upon Shah Jahan's orders several executions took place on 23 January 1628. Those put to death included his own brother Shahryar; his nephews Dawar and Garshasp, sons of Shah Jahan's previously executed brother Prince Khusrau; and his cousins Tahmuras and Hoshang, sons of the late Prince Daniyal Mirza.[31][32]This allowed Shah Jahan to rule his empire without contention.
Reign (1628â1658)[edit]Administration of the Mughal Empire[edit]
Shah Jahan at his Durbar
Throne of king Shah Jahan, Red Fort, Delhi
Evidence from the reign of Shah Jahan states that in 1648 the army consisted of 911,400 infantry, musketeers, and artillery men, and 185,000 Sowars commanded by princes and nobles.
During his reign the Marwari horse was introduced, becoming Shah Jahan's favourite, and various Mughal cannons were mass-produced in the Jaigarh Fort. Under his rule, the empire became a huge military machine and the nobles and their contingents multiplied almost fourfold, as did the demands for more revenue from their citizens. But due to his measures in the financial and commercial fields, it was a period of general stabilityâthe administration was centralised and court affairs systematised.
The Mughal Empire continued to expand moderately during his reign as his sons commanded large armies on different fronts. India at the time was a rich centre of the arts, crafts and architecture, and some of the best of the architects, artisans, craftsmen, painters and writers of the world resided in Shah Jahan's empire. According to economist Angus Maddison, Mughal-era India's share of global gross domestic product (GDP) grew from 22.7% in 1600 to 24.4% in 1700, surpassing China to become the world's largest.[33][34]
Rajput rebellions[edit]
Shah Jahan annexed the Rajput kingdoms of Baglana, Mewar and Bundelkhand. He then chose his 16-year-old son Aurangzeb to serve in his place and subdue the rebellion by the Bundela Rajputs led by Jhujhar Singh.
Famine of 1630[edit]
A famine broke out in 1630â32 in Deccan, Gujarat and Khandesh as a result of three main crop failures.[35] Two million died of starvation, grocers sold dogs' flesh and mixed powdered bones with flour. Parents ate their own children. Some villages were completely destroyed, their streets filled with human corpses. In response to the devastation, Shah Jahan set up langar (free kitchens) for the victims of the famine.[36]
Relations with the Deccan Sultanates[edit]
In 1632, Shah Jahan captured the fortress at Daulatabad, Maharashtra and imprisoned Husain Shah of the Nizam Shahi Kingdom of Ahmednagar. Golconda submitted in 1635 and then Bijapur in 1636. Shah Jahan appointed Aurangzeb as Viceroy of the Deccan, consisting of Khandesh, Berar, Telangana, and Daulatabad. During his viceroyalty, Aurangzeb conquered Baglana, then Golconda in 1656, and then Bijapur in 1657.[37]
Sikh rebellion led by Guru Hargobind[edit]
A rebellion of the Sikhs led by Guru Hargobind took place and in return Shah Jahan ordered the destruction of the Sikh temple in Lahore.
Relations with the Safavid dynasty[edit]
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, hunting lions at Burhanpur.
Shah Jahan and his sons captured the city of Kandahar in 1638 from the Safavids, prompting the retaliation of the Persians led by their ruler Abbas II of Persia, who recaptured it in 1649.
The Mughal armies were unable to recapture it despite repeated sieges during the MughalâSafavid War.[38] Shah Jahan also expanded the Mughal Empire to the west beyond the Khyber Pass to Ghazna and Kandahar.
Relations with the Ottoman Empire[edit]
While he was encamped in Baghdad, the OttomanSultanMurad IV met Shah Jahan's ambassadors, Mir Zarif and Mir Baraka, who presented 1000 pieces of finely embroidered cloth and even armour. Murad IV presented them with the finest weapons, saddles and Kaftans and ordered his forces to accompany the Mughals to the port of Basra, where they set sail to Thatta and finally Surat.[39][page needed]
War with Portuguese[edit]
Shah Jahan gave orders in 1631 to Qasim Khan, the Mughal viceroy of Bengal, to drive out the Portuguese from their trading post at Port Hoogly. The post was heavily armed with cannons, battleships, fortified walls, and other instruments of war.[40] The Portuguese were accused of trafficking by high Mughal officials and due to commercial competition the Mughal-controlled port of Saptagram began to slump. Shah Jahan was particularly outraged by the activities of Jesuits in that region, notably when they were accused of abducting peasants. On 25 September 1632 the Mughal Army raised imperial banners and gained control over the Bandel region and the garrison was punished.[41]
Religious and language tolerance[edit]
Shah Jahan preached equality among Hindus and Muslims. He introduced various new policies to unite all the religions. As a result, his reign worked for 30 successful years. He used to celebrate all the festivities of Indian origin and tried to converse with every problem.
Hindavi, the origin of Hindi language, was introduced for the first time in his court. Realising that everyone could not speak Persian, he introduced a new court language, that maintained a perfect balanced mixture of Sanskrit and Persian.
Ministers[edit]
Shah Jahan's treasurer was Shaikh Farid, who founded the city of Faridabad.
Later life[edit]
Shah Jahan and his eldest son Dara Shukoh.
When Shah Jahan became ill in 1658, Dara Shukoh (Mumtaz Mahal's eldest son) assumed the role of regent in his father's stead, which swiftly incurred the animosity of his brothers. Upon learning of his assumption of the regency, his younger brothers, Shuja, Viceroy of Bengal, and Murad Baksh, Viceroy of Gujarat, declared their independence, and marched upon Agra in order to claim their riches. Aurangzeb, the third son, and ablest of the brothers[citation needed], gathered a well trained army and became its chief commander. He faced Dara's army near Agra and defeated him during the Battle of Samugarh. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and put him under house arrest in Agra Fort.
Jahanara Begum Sahib, Mumtaz Mahal's first daughter, voluntarily shared his 8-year confinement and nursed him in his dotage. In January 1666, Shah Jahan fell ill. Confined to bed, he became progressively weaker until, on 22 January, he commended the ladies of the imperial court, particularly his consort of later years Akbarabadi Mahal, to the care of Jahanara. After reciting the Kal'ma (Laa ilaaha ill allah) and verses from the Quran, Shah Jahan died, aged 74.
Shah Jahan's chaplain Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji and Kazi Qurban of Agra came to the fort, moved his body to a nearby hall, washed it, enshrouded it and put it in a coffin of sandalwood.[24]
Princess Jahanara had planned a state funeral which was to include a procession with Shah Jahan's body carried by eminent nobles followed by the notable citizens of Agra and officials scattering coins for the poor and needy. Aurangzeb refused to accommodate such ostentation. The body was taken to the Taj Mahal and was interred there next to the body of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.[42]
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Contributions to architecture[edit]
Shah Jahan left behind a grand legacy of structures constructed during his reign. He was one of the greatest patrons of Mughal architecture.[43] His most famous building was the Taj Mahal, which he built out of love for his wife, the empress Mumtaz Mahal.
Its structure was drawn with great care and architects from all over the world were called for this purpose. The building took twenty years to complete and was constructed from white marble underlaid with brick. Upon his death, his son Aurangzeb had him interred in it next to Mumtaz Mahal. Among his other constructions are the Red Fort also called the Delhi Fort or Lal Qila in Urdu, large sections of Agra Fort, the Jama Masjid, the Wazir Khan Mosque, the Moti Masjid, the Shalimar Gardens, sections of the Lahore Fort, the Mahabat Khan Mosque in Peshawar, the Mini Qutub Minar[44] in Hastsal, the Jahangir mausoleumâhis father's tomb, the construction of which was overseen by his stepmother Nur Jahan and the Shahjahan Mosque. He also had the Peacock Throne, Takht e Taus, made to celebrate his rule. Shah Jahan also placed profound verses of the Quran on his masterpieces of architecture.[citation needed]
The Shah Jahan Mosque in Thatta, Sindh province of Pakistan (100 km / 60 miles from Karachi) was built during the reign of Shah Jahan in 1647. The mosque is built with red bricks with blue coloured glaze tiles probably imported from another Sindh's town of Hala. The mosque has overall 93 domes and it is world's largest mosque having such number of domes. It has been built keeping acoustics in mind. A person speaking inside one end of the dome can be heard at the other end when the speech exceeds 100 decibels. It has been on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage list since 1993.[45]
Coins[edit]
Shah Jahan continued striking coins in three metals i.e. gold (mohur), silver (rupee) and copper (dam). His pre-accession coins bear the name Khurram. Rainbowweddingnetwork.
Full title[edit]
Shah Jahan's full imperial title was:
Shahanshah Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Malik-ul-Sultanat, Ala Hazrat Abu'l-Muzaffar Shahab ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan I, Sahib-i-Qiran-i-Sani, Padshah Ghazi Zillu'llah, Firdaus-Ashiyani, ShahanshahâEâSultanant Ul Hindiya Wal Mughaliya
See also[edit]Issue[edit]
Ancestry[edit]
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shah_Jahan&oldid=899288777'
The architectural wonder of India, the Taj Mahal in Agra, is considered the âJewel of Muslim Art in Indiaâ. The story of the building of this magnificent structure goes back to the early 1600s, during the Mughal Empire Period. The Emperor Shah Jahan, led India through its architectural Golden Age. Shah Jahan built many monuments during his reign, all of them exquisite and breath-taking. He was titled as âThe Builder of Marvels.â His most famous work of art is the Taj Mahal, a tomb for Jahan and his Wife.
A Great Love
Shah Jahan had three wives, but was forever devoted and thoroughly in love with his first wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She traveled with him frequently, and was equally devoted to him. She had 14 children, but died while giving birth to her last child. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal out of grief, love and devotion for Mumtaz Mahal.
For the task of designing the structure, Shah Jahan employed architects from all over the world to create the tribute to his great love. Several artists, stonecutters, brick-layers, and 20,000 laborers from India, Persia, and throughout Asia were employed during the 22 year construction of the Taj Mahal. A thousand elephants were utilized to move the large pieces of white marble.
Construction
The marble was brought to Agra from China, Tibet, Afghanistan, and Arabia, and cut and fashioned onsite to build the monument. Calligraphers inscribed marble with holy passages from the Quran, the 99 names of God, and welcoming messages for all visitors. There has been a rumor that Shah Jahan cut off workersâ hands so they could not repeat the building process.
The structure was completed in 1653. The grounds of the Taj Mahal include a beautiful reflecting pool and walkway that guides visitors to the entrance of the famous structure. The Paradise Garden is a beautiful manicured garden with fountains and trees, though it was likely more elaborate in the 1650s. There are other decorated buildings on the property, including a gateway building, a mosque, a mausoleum for Shah Jahanâs other wives, and a mausoleum dedicated to Mumtaz Mahalâs favorite servant. Shah Jahan was laid to rest next to his wife in 1666.
Renovations
Throughout history, the building has gone through many renovations. The earliest was in 1908, when British Viceroy Lord Curzon headed an intricate resurfacing and detailing to try to replace the missing lapis lazuli, turquoise, and sapphire stones that were inlayed in the walls. It sustained a lot of damage during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
During World War II and the Indian-Pakistan Wars of 1965 and 1971, the Indian government erected huge protective scaffolding to attempt to shield the Taj Mahal from possible air attacks. Several resurfacing jobs and cleaning have taken place in the last century, but the marble is turning brown. From far away and in photos, the Taj Mahal still appears glistening white. When close, it is obvious that centuries of air pollution and decay has caused the white marble to lose its luster. Visiting tours are not allowed to bring automobiles near the structure in hopes that keeping the car exhaust away will help maintain the old-world marble.
Today, the historic Taj Mahal is probably the most famous structure in India. The story of the Taj Mahal inspires tourists to travel from all over the world to experience it. They come to visit the translucent white monument, with its rounded, elegant domes and hand-cut stone decorations. The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and is amazing to see, both inside and out.
The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World is the greatest example of Indo-Islamic architecture.
The name âTaj Mahalâ is translated to mean âCrown of Palacesâ in Persian language and it undoubtedly is.
This perfectly symmetrical building is an ode to love from a time of kings and queens, kingdoms and its people. With grand entrances, beautiful gardens and engraved with semi-precious stones, Islamic inscriptions, floral paintings and motifs; the Taj Mahal reflects the grandeur and unswerving love of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to his queen, and is one of the most visited monuments of the world today. Blocklauncher pro latest version apk.
Letâs Begin With The Taj Mahal Facts Now, Shall We?
Fact 1: The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died in the childbirth. She is known to have been in labour for 30 hours before conceiving their 14th child after which she lost her life.
Fact 2: Shah Jahan christened Arjumand Bano Begum as Mumtaz Mahal meaning the âJewel Of The Palaceâ. Her maiden name was Arjumand Bano Begum.
Fact 3: Mumtaz was the third wife of Emperor Shah Jahan but was the closest to him. From military fields to hunting campaigns, Mumtaz Mahal always accompanied Shah Jahan; she was no less than a friend, philosopher and guide to the emperor.
Fact 4: An epitome of love, the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built for Mumtaz and her tomb rests within its walls. After the emperorâs death, his tomb was laid beside hers. You can see 99 names of Allah inscribed calligraphically around the tombs.
Fact 5: The Taj Mahal is the collective product of over a 1,000 elephants and 20,000 labourers including artists, painters, architects, stone cutters, craftsmen, calligraphers, dome builders, masons and many others. The mausoleum took 20 years with the construction starting in 1632 AD and completed in 1648 AD; the outer courtyard and its cloisters were subsequently added and completed in 1653 AD. The living quarters of these many immigrant labourers is now a nearby colony built from the remnants of their stay.
With over a 100 million votes, The Taj Mahal was listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
Fact 6: The Taj Mahal is a gift of love with silver entrances, gold leaved designs, engraved with semi-precious stones, with floral paintings and motifs. The emperor made sure that the Taj Mahal lived up to her name the Jewel of the Palace. Built in white marble, the whole mausoleum is studded with 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones. Shah Jahan imported turquoise from Tibet, Jade from China, Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan, Sapphire from Sri Lanka, Carnelian from Arabia and the white marble hailed from Makrana, Rajasthan. Unfortunately, most of these semi-precious stones were ripped off during the reign of the British rule in India.
Fact 7: The Taj Mahal is a colossal monument, covering an area of 42 acres in total and is to be taller than a 20 storey building with a height of 171 metres (561 feet) and is one of the most symmetrical monuments in the world. Thereâs also a beautiful garden, a central pool that perfectly reflects the Taj Mahal in its waters, an east-facing mosque that is functional to this day and a west-facing guesthouse guest house built for royal families visiting the kingdom.
The lush gardens encircling the Taj Mahal portrays the love of the queen for gardens while the River Yamuna ripples by, narrating the saga of eternal love.
Fact 8: It cost Shah Jahan 32 million Indian rupees to build this marvellous memorial for wife, an approximate 52.8 billion Indian rupees today.
Fact 9: The Persian architect of the Taj Mahal, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri built the symmetrical mansion with its 4 minarets flanking the domed tomb, with them titling outwards such that the towers would fall away from the mausoleum in case of an earthquake. The Taj Mahal is a wonderful amalgamation of Indian, Islamic and Persian style of architecture.
Fact 10: An infinite number of beautifully carved inscriptions from the Quran adorn the inner walls of the Taj Mahal. It was the work of the calligrapher Abd-al Haqq. He was honoured by the emperor the title AmÄnat Khan Shirazi. The calligraphy inside the great domed hall of the Taj Mahal beholds AmÄnat Khanâs signature at its base. It reads: âFinished with His help; written by the humble faqÄ«r AmÄnat Khan Å Ä«rÄzÄ« in the year 1048 heÇ°rÄ«, corresponding to the twelfth year of the auspicious reign [of Shah JahÄn].â
Fact 11: AmÄnat Khan is also known to have laid the foundation for another historical monument of India, The Red Fort in Delhi. This stands proof against the age-old myth that Shah Jahan had ordered to cut-off the hands of all those who built the Taj Mahal after the construction was completed.
Fact 12: The two tombs visible to public arenât the actual tombs of the Emperor Shan Jahan and his Queen Mumtaz Mahal. They are gorgeously ornamented cenotaphs inlaid with gemstones and inscriptions, although the actual toms lie exactly under the cenotaphs at garden Level.
Fact 13: According to Muslim laws, graves cannot be adorned with elaborate decoration and have to laid such that they face the direction of the Mecca. This why the actual tombs of the the royal couple are designed to follow religious protocols.
The larger cenotaph is laid in the honour of the Emperor Shah Jahan while the smaller cenotaph is in reverence to his beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal.
Fact 14: Shah Jahan wanted to build an identical black Taj Mahal across the Yamuna with the two structures connected by a bridge. It was where his tomb would lay. Mumtaz Mahal was a princess from Persian nobility. Local folklore has it that Shah Jahan built the white Taj for his wife since she was fair-skinned and built the Taj Mahal as a ode to her flawless beauty. On the other hand, it is said that he wished to build a Black Taj Mahal for himself due to his dark complexion.
Fact 15: The Black Taj Mahal could never become a reality since Shah Jahanâs son, Aurangzeb, sentenced his ailing father to house arrest until death. He was then buried next to Mumtaz, but it said that he was never meant to be buried there. You can see how Mumtazâs cenotaph is right at the centre and in sync with the symmetry of the building, whereas Shah Jahanâs cenotaph is on the west and oddly more than thirty years later faltering the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal.
Fact 16: Aurangzeb was fighting for the succession over the throne against more favoured brother, Dara Shikoh. He then killed Dara and also his other brothers who were fighting the same battles and declared himself as the emperor. Ironically, both Aurangzeb and Dara where the children of Mumtaz Mahal.
Fact 17: The River Yamuna has been the ultimate powerhouse for this gorgeous mausoleum all these years. The foundation of the Taj Mahal is made of Timber, and the water from the river provides it the right amount of moisture to retain the structure and evade the erosion of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Fact 18: This white beauty changes colour with every phase of the day and as per folklore, every changing colour exhibits the changing moods of the empress. As the day advances, the Taj Mahal changes colour from soft grey to light pink in mornings, pale yellow to a pearly cream in the noon , a sparkling golden at sunset, and transform into a cool shade of milky silver on a full moonâs night.
The Taj Mahal takes on a beautiful pink in the early mornings of Agra.
Fact 19: The Taj Mahal has been on a constant decline for decades now, thanks to the horrendous air pollution in Agra and the governmentâs lack of efforts put-in to conserve what is globally recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Due to various chemical pollutants in the air, the marble is depleting and is turning yellow by the day.
Fact 20: The Mughal Empire flourished during the 30 years of Shah Jahanâs reign in India. Apart from the Taj Mahal, he also built the following monuments in India:
You can also visit the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri located at close proximity to the Taj Mahal on your visit to this historic and symmetrical wonder.
Fact 21: This majestic Mughal ruler was deeply loved by his people. But he spent the last eight years of his life as a prisoner of his son, Aurangzeb in the Shah Burj of the Agra Fort. He wasnât allowed to meet anybody in the prison except his beloved daughter Jahanara Begum. It was said that Shah Jahan would always gaze at the Taj Mahal from his prison window, until his final day of death, January 22, 1666.
Maybe the heart-touching story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz is what inspired the Nobel-prize-winning Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to describe the Taj Mahal as âAn eternal teardrop on the cheek of time.â
There is so much more to the Taj Mahal; it sets a classic example in history of how love holds the ability to create beautiful things, even a tomb.
If you have already visited the Taj Mahal, I recommend that you visit it again with the Deccan Odyssey. I bet these interesting Taj Mahal facts will get you looking at this âwhite pearl of loveâ in a completely different perspective.
Words By: Jovita Elveera Mendonca
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Mumtaz Mahal (Persian: Ù
Ù
تاز Ù
ØÙ [mumËt̪aËz mÉËɦÉl]; born Arjumand Banu; 27 April 1593 â 17 June 1631)[1] was Empress consort of the Mughal Empire from 19 January 1628 to 17 June 1631 as the chief consort of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.[2] The UNESCO World Heritage SiteTaj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World,[3] was commissioned by her husband to act as her final resting place.[4]
Mumtaz Mahal was born Arjumand Banu Begum in Agra to a family of Persiannobility. She was the daughter of Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan, a wealthy Persian noble who held high office in the Mughal Empire, and the niece of Empress Nur Jahan, the chief wife of Emperor Jahangir and the power behind the emperor.[5] She was married at the age of 19 on 30 April 1612 to Prince Khurram,[6] later known by his regnal name Shah Jahan, who conferred upon her the title 'Mumtaz Mahal' (Persian: the exalted one of the palace).[7] Although betrothed to Shah Jahan since 1607,[8] she ultimately became his second wife in 1612.[9][10] Mumtaz and her husband had fourteen children, including Jahanara Begum (Shah Jahan's favourite daughter),[11] and the Crown prince Dara Shikoh, the heir-apparent,[12] anointed by his father, who temporarily succeeded him, until deposed by Mumtaz Mahal's sixth child, Aurangzeb, who ultimately succeeded his father as the sixth Mughal emperor in 1658.[13]
Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 in Burhanpur, Deccan (present-day Madhya Pradesh), during the birth of her fourteenth child, a daughter named Gauhar Ara Begum.[14] Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built as a tomb for her, which is considered to be a monument of undying love.
Shah Jahan Taj Mahal Story
Family and early life[edit]
Mumtaz Mahal was born as Arjumand Banu on 27 April 1593[15] in Agra to Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan[8] and his wife Diwanji Begum, the daughter of a Persian noble, Khwaja Ghias-ud-din of Qazvin.[16] Asaf Khan was a wealthy Persian noble who held high office in the Mughal Empire. His family had come to India impoverished in 1577, when his father Mirza Ghias Beg (popularly known by his title of I'timad-ud-Daulah),[17] was taken into the service of Emperor Akbar in Agra.[5]
Asaf Khan was also the older brother of Empress Nur Jahan, making Mumtaz a niece, and later, a step daughter-in-law of Nur Jahan, the chief consort of Emperor Jahangir, Shah Jahan's father.[18] Her older sister, Parwar Khanum, married Sheikh Farid, the son of Nawab Qutubuddin Koka, the governor of Badaun, who was also the emperor Jahangir's foster brother.[19] Mumtaz also had a brother, Shaista Khan, who served as the governor of various provinces in the empire during Shah Jahan's reign.[20]
Mumtaz was remarkable in the field of learning and was a talented and cultured lady.[21] She was well-versed in Arabic and Persian languages and could compose poems in the latter.[22][21] She was reputed to have a combination of modesty and candor, a woman warmly straightforward yet bemusedly self-possessed. Early in adolescence, she attracted the attention of important nobles of the realm. Jahangir must have heard about her, since he readily consented to Shah Jahan's engagement with her.[23]
Marriage[edit]
Mumtaz Mahal with an attendant.
Mumtaz Mahal was betrothed to Shah Jahan around 30 January 1607,[6] when she was 14 years old at the time and he was 15. They were, however, married five years after the year of their betrothal on 30 April 1612 in Agra.[6] The marriage was a love-match.[24] After their wedding celebrations, Shah Jahan, 'finding her in appearance and character elect among all the women of the time', gave her the title 'Mumtaz Mahal' Begum ('the Exalted One of the Palace').[25][26] During the intervening years between their betrothal and marriage, Shah Jahan had married his first wife, Princess Kandahari Begum in 1609 and in 1617, after marrying Mumtaz, took a third wife, Izz-un-Nissa Begum (titled Akbarabadi Mahal),[27] the daughter of a prominent Mughal courtier.[28][29] According to the official court historians, both the marriages were political alliances.[28]
By all accounts, Shah Jahan was so taken with Mumtaz that he showed little interest in exercising his polygamous rights with his two other wives, other than dutifully siring a child with each.[30] According to the official court chronicler, Motamid Khan, as recorded in his Iqbal Namah-e-Jahangiri, the relationship with his other wives 'had nothing more than the status of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and favour which Shah Jahan had for Mumtaz exceeded what he felt for his other wives.'[26][31] Likewise, Shah Jahan's historian Inayat Khan commented that 'his whole delight was centered on this illustrious lady [Mumtaz], to such an extent that he did not feel towards the others [i.e. his other wives] one-thousandth part of the affection that he did for her.'[32]
Mumtaz had a loving marriage with Shah Jahan. Even during her lifetime, poets would extol her beauty, grace, and compassion. Despite her frequent pregnancies, Mumtaz travelled with Shah Jahan's entourage throughout his earlier military campaigns and the subsequent rebellion against his father. She was his constant companion and trusted confidant, leading court historians to go to unheard lengths to document the intimate and erotic relationship the couple enjoyed. In their nineteen years of marriage, they had fourteen children together (eight sons and six daughters),[32] seven of whom died at birth or at a very young age.[14]
Mughal empress[edit]
Upon his accession to the throne in 1628,[33] Shah Jahan designated Mumtaz as his chief empress with the title of 'Malika-i-Jahan' ('Queen of the World')[6] and 'Malika-uz-Zamani' ('Queen of the Age').[34] Mumtaz's tenure as empress was brief, spanning a period of only three years due to her untimely death, nonetheless Shah Jahan bestowed her with luxuries that no other empress was given before her. For example, no other empress' residence was as decorated as Khas Mahal (part of Agra Fort), where Mumtaz lived with Shah Jahan. It was decorated with pure gold and precious stones and had rose water fountains of its own. Each wife of the Mughal emperor was given a regular monthly allowance for her gastos (housekeeping or travelling expenses). The highest allowance on record is the 1 million rupees per year given to Mumtaz Mahal by Shah Jahan.[35]
Shah Jahan consulted Mumtaz in both private matters and the affairs of the state, and she served as his close confidant and trusted adviser. At her intercession, he forgave enemies or commuted death sentences.[36] His trust in her was so great that he gave her the highest honour of the land â his imperial seal, the Mehr Uzaz,[37] which validated imperial decrees.[38] Mumtaz was portrayed as having no aspirations to political power, in contrast to her aunt, Empress Nur Jahan, the chief consort of Emperor Jahangir, who had wielded considerable influence in the previous reign.[39]
A great influence on him, often intervening on behalf of the poor and destitute, she also enjoyed watching elephant and combat fights[clarification needed] performed for the court. Mumtaz also patronized a number of poets, scholars and other talented persons. A noted Sanskrit poet, Vansidhara Mishra, was the Empress' favourite.[21] On the recommendation of her principal lady-in-waiting, Sati-un-Nissa, Mumtaz Mahal provided pensions and donations to the daughters of poor scholars, theologians, and pious men.[40] It was quite common for women of noble birth to commission architecture in the Mughal Empire, so Mumtaz devoted some time to a riverside garden in Agra, which is now known as Zahara Bagh. It is the only architectural foundation which can be connected to her patronage.[41]
Death and aftermath[edit]
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taj Mahal is the final resting place of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan.
Mumtaz Mahal died from postpartum hemorrhage in Burhanpur on 17 June 1631[42] while giving birth to her fourteenth child, after a prolonged labor of approximately 30 hours.[14][15] She had been accompanying her husband while he was fighting a campaign in the Deccan Plateau. Her body was temporarily buried at Burhanpur in a walled pleasure garden known as Zainabad originally constructed by Shah Jahan's uncle Daniyal on the bank of the Tapti River.[43] The contemporary court chroniclers paid an unusual amount of attention to Mumtaz Mahal's death and Shah Jahan's grief at her demise. In the immediate aftermath of his bereavement, the emperor was reportedly inconsolable.[44] Apparently after her death, he went into secluded mourning for a year.[44] When he appeared again, his hair had turned white, his back was bent, and his face worn.[45] Mumtaz's eldest daughter, Jahanara Begum, gradually brought her father out of grief and took her mother's place at court.[46]
Mumtaz Mahal's personal fortune (valued at ten million rupees) was divided by Shah Jahan between Jahanara Begum, who received half and the rest of her surviving children.[47] Burhanpur was never intended by her husband as his wife's final resting spot. As a result, her body was disinterred in December 1631 and transported in a golden casket escorted by her son Shah Shuja and the deceased empress's head lady-in-waiting back to Agra.[48] There it was interred in a small building on the banks of the Yamuna River. Shah Jahan stayed behind in Burhanpur to conclude the military campaign that had originally brought him to the region. While there, he began planning the design and construction of a suitable mausoleum and funerary garden in Agra for his wife. It was a task that would take 22 years to complete: the Taj Mahal.[49]
The Taj Mahal[edit]
Cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal.
Tomb of Mumtaz Mahal in the Taj Mahal, alongside her husband Shah Jahan.
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan to be built as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. It is seen as an embodiment of undying love and marital devotion. English poet Sir Edwin Arnold describes it as 'Not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passion of an emperor's love wrought in living stones.' The beauty of the monument is also taken as a representation of Mumtaz Mahal's beauty and this association leads many to describe the Taj Mahal as feminine.[50] Since Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decorations on graves, the bodies of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan are placed in a relatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber with their faces turned to the right and towards Mecca.[51]
The Ninety Nine Names of God are found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal in the crypt including, 'O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Gloriousâ¦'.[52] There are many theories about the origin of the name of this tomb and one of them suggests that 'Taj' is an abbreviation of the name Mumtaz. European travelers, such as François Bernier, who observed its construction, were among the first to call it the Taj Mahal. Since it is unlikely that they came up with the name, it is suggested that they might have picked it up from the locals of Agra who called the Empress 'Taj Mahal' and thought the tomb was named after her and the name began to be used interchangeably. However, there is no firm evidence to suggest this. Shah Jahan had not intended to entomb another person in the Taj Mahal;[53] however, Aurangzeb had Shah Jahan buried next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal rather than build a separate tomb for his father.[54][55] This is evident from the asymmetrical placement of Shah Jahan's grave on one side of his wife's grave which is in the centre.[56][57]
In popular culture[edit]
A crater was named in her honour on asteroid 433 Eros, along with another one after her husband.[58]
Literature[edit]
Films[edit]
Other[edit]
Issue[edit]
Ancestry[edit]Shah Jahan Taj Mahal Story English
References[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
External links[edit]
Media related to Mumtaz Mahal at Wikimedia Commons
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