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Artistic depiction of Mumtaz Mahal

The Taj Mahal

Mumtāz Mahal (Persian: ممتاز محل, meaning "beloved ornament of the palace"; pronunciation /mumtɑːz mɛhɛl/) is the common nickname of Arjumand Banu Begum, who was born in April of 1593 in Agra, India. Her father was the Persian noble Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, the brother of Nur Jehan, wife of Jahangir, and she was religiously a Muslim. She was married at the age of 19, on May 10, 1612, to then-Prince Khurram, who would later ascend the Peacock Throne as Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I. She was his second wife, and became his favorite. She died on June 17, 1631 in Burhanpur in the Deccan (now in Madhya Pradesh), during the birth of her fourteenth child, a daughter named Gauhara Begum. Her body was buried in the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Not much is known about her except that she was a woman of legendary beauty and virtue, who had a very deep and loving marriage with Shah Jahan. Even during her lifetime, poets would extoll her beauty, gracefulness and compassion. It was said that even the moon would hide in shame from her beauty. Mumtaz Mahal was Shah Jahan's trusted companion, traveling with him all over the Mughal empire and visiting the lands. He trusted her so far, that he even gave her his imperial seal, the Muhr Uzah. She was a big influence on him, apparently often intervening on behalf of the poor and destitute. But she also enjoyed watching elephant and combat fights performed for the court.

Together they had fourteen children, seven of whom died young. Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth, while accompanying Shah Jahan during a war campaign against the Lodi lords in the Deccan. Legend has it that on her deathbed, her last wish to the emperor was for a symbol or a monument to their love. She also asked her husband not to marry anyone. Inconsolable, the emperor promised immediately. Apparently after her death, Shah Jahan went into secluded mourning for a year; when he appeared again his hair had turned white, his back was bent and his face worn out. He kept his promise and built her tomb, the Taj Mahal, in Agra. It took more than 20 years and most of the treasury, to finish it. Today, it stands as the ultimate monument to love, and an homage to her beauty and life.

• Shahzadi Jahanara Begum (Imperial Princess) (April 2, 1614 - September 16, 1681)
• Shahzadi Huralnissa Begum (March 30, 1613 - 14 June 1616)
• Shahzada (Imperial Prince) Dara Shikoh (March 30, 1615 - September 8, 1659 in the succession wars at the hands of his brother Aurangzeb)
• Shahzada Mohammed Sultan Shah Shuja Bahadur (July 3, 1616 - 1660)
• Shahzadi Roshanara Begum (September 3, 1617 - 1671)
• Badshah (Emperor) Mohinnudin Mohammed Aurangzeb (November 3, 1618 - February 21, 1707)
• Shahzada Sultan Ummid Baksh (December 18, 1619 - March 1622}
• Shahzadi Surayya Banu Begum (June 10, 1621 - April 28, 1628)
• Shahzada Sultan Murad Baksh (September 8, 1624 - December 14, 1661)
• Shahzada Sultan Luftallah (November 4, 1626 - May 14, 1628)
• Shahzada Sultan Daulat Afza (May 9, 1628 - ?)
• Shahzadi Husnara Begum (April 23, 1630 - ?)
• Shahzadi Gauhara Begum (June 17, 1631 - 1706)

• Mumtaz Mahal is the name of an album, released by Water Lily Acoustics, featuring Taj Mahal, V.M. Bhatt ad N. Ravikiran.