Queen of Taj Mahal - Mumtaz 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.
