The Complete Story of India's Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a breathtaking white-marble mausoleum commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wifeMumtaz Mahal. Located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River near AgraIndiathe Taj Mahal took 22 years to build and finally reached completion in 1653.

This exquisite monumentconsidered one of the New Wonders of the Worldastounds visitors with its symmetrystructural beautyintricate calligraphyinlaid gemstonesand magnificent garden. More than just a memorial dedicated to a spousethe Taj Mahal was a declaration of lasting love from Shan Jahan to his departed soulmate.

The Love Story

In 1607Shah Jahangrandson of Akbar the Greatfirst met his beloved. At the timehe was not yet the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire. Sixteen-year-old Prince Khurramas he was then calledflitted around the royal bazaarflirting with the girls from high-ranking families that staffed the booths. 

At one of these boothsPrince Khurram met Arjumand Banu Begumthe 15-year-old young woman whose father was soon to be the prime minister and whose aunt was married to Prince Khurram’s father. Although it was love at first sightthe two were not allowed to marry right away. Prince Khurram first had to marry Kandahari Begum. He later took a third wife as well.

On March 271612Prince Khurram and his belovedto whom he gave the name Mumtaz Mahal (“chosen one of the palace”)were married. Mumtaz Mahal was beautifulsmartand tender-hearted. The public was enamored with herlargely because she cared for the people. She diligently made lists of widows and orphans to ensure they received food and money. The couple had 14 children together but only seven lived past infancy. The birth of the 14^th child killed Mumtaz Mahal.

The Death of Mumtaz Mahal

In 1631three years into Shah Jahan’s reigna rebellion led by Khan Jahan Lodi was underway. Shah Jahan took his military out to the Deccanabout 400 miles from Agrato crush the usurper.

As usualMumtaz Mahal accompanied Shah Jahan’s side despite being heavily pregnant. On June 161631she gave birth to a healthy baby girl in an elaborately decorated tent in the middle of the encampment. At firstall seemed wellbut Mumtaz Mahal was dying.

The moment Shah Jahan received word of his wife’s conditionhe rushed to her side. Early in the morning on June 17just one day after the birth of their daughterMumtaz Mahal died in her husband's arms. She was buried immediatelyaccording to Islamic traditionnear the encampment at Burbanpur. Her body would not stay there long.

Reports say that in Shah Jahan’s anguishhe went to his tent and cried for eight days without ceasing. When he emergedhe was said to have aged considerablysporting white hair and glasses.

Bringing Mumtaz Mahal Home

In December 1631with the feud against Khan Jahan Lodi wonShah Jahan asked that Mumtaz Mahal's body be dug up and brought 435 miles or 700 kilometers to Agra. Her return was a grand procession with thousands of soldiers accompanying her body and mourners lining the route.

When the remains of Mumtaz Mahal reached Agra on January 81632they were temporarily buried on land donated by nobleman Raja Jai Singhnear where the Taj Mahal would be built.

Plans for the Taj Mahal

Shah Jahanfilled with griefpoured his emotion into designing an elaborate and expensive mausoleum grander than any other. It was also unique because it was the first large mausoleum dedicated to a woman.

Although we know of no primary architect for the Taj Mahalit's believed that Shah Jahanpassionate about architecture himselfworked on the plans directly with the input and aid of a number of the best architects of his time. The intention was for the Taj Mahal“the crown of the region”to represent HeavenJannahon Earth. Shah Jahan spared no expense in making this happen.

Building the Taj Mahal

The Mughal Empire was one of the richest empires in the world at the time of Shah Jahan's reignand this meant that he had the resources to make this monument incomparably grand. But though he wanted it to be breathtakinghe also wanted it erected quickly.

To speed up the productionan estimated 20,000 workers were brought in and housed nearby in a town built especially for them called Mumtazabad. Both skilled and unskilled craftsmen were contracted.

Builders first worked on the foundation and then the giant624-foot-long plinth or basewhich would become the base of the Taj Mahal building and the pair of matching red sandstone buildings that would flank itthe mosque and guest house.

The Taj Mahalsitting on a second plinthwas to be an octagonal structure constructed of marble-covered brick. As is the case for most large projectsthe builders created a scaffolding to build higher. Their choice of bricks for this scaffolding was unusual and remains perplexing to historians.

Marble

White marble is one of the most striking and prominent features of the Taj Mahal. The marble used was quarried in Makrana200 miles away. Reportedlyit took 1,000 elephants and an untold number of oxen to drag the extremely heavy marble to the building site.

A giant10-mile-long earthen ramp was built for the massive marble pieces to reach higher spaces of the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is topped with a huge double-shelled dome that stretches 240 feet and is also covered in white marble. Four thinwhite marble minarets stand tall at the corners of the second plinth and surround the mausoleum.

Calligraphy and Inlaid Flowers

Most pictures of the Taj Mahal show only a large white building. Though lovelythis image doesn't do the structure justice. These photos leave out many intricacies that make the Taj Mahal astoundingly feminine and opulent.

Passages from the Quran or Koran (the holy book of Islam) written in calligraphy appear on the mosqueguest houseand large main gate at the southern end of the complex. Shah Jahan hired master calligrapher Amanat Khan to work on these inlaid verses.

Masterfully donethe finished verses from the Quran are inlaid with black marble. They are a stately yet soft feature of the building. Although made of stonethe curves mimic real handwriting. The 22 passages from the Quran are said to have been chosen by Amanat Khan himself. InterestinglyAmanat Khan was the only person Shah Jahan allowed to sign his work on the Taj Mahal.

The delicate inlaid flowers throughout the Taj Mahal complex are almost more impressive than the calligraphy. In a process known as parchin karihighly-skilled stone cutters carved intricate floral designs into the white marble and then inlaid these with precious and semi-precious stones to form interwoven vines and flowers.

There are 43 kinds of precious and semi-precious stones—sourced from around the world—used for these flowersincluding lapis lazuli from Sri Lankajade from Chinamalachite from Russiaand turquoise from Tibet.

The Garden

Islam holds the image of Paradise as a garden. Thusthe garden at the Taj Mahal was an integral part of making it Heaven on Earth.

The Taj Mahal’s gardensituated south of the mausoleumhas four quadrants. These are divided by four “rivers” of water (another important Islamic image of Paradise) that gather in a central pool. The Yamuna River filled these gardens and rivers via a complex underground water system. Unfortunatelyno records remain to tell the exact plants in these gardens.

Shah Jahan's Death

Shah Jahan remained in deep mourning for two years and never fully healed after the death of his favorite wife. This gave Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan’s fourth son, Aurangzebthe opportunity to successfully kill his three elder brothers and imprison his father.

After 30 years as emperorShah Jahan was usurped and placed in the luxurious Red Fort in Agra in 1658. Forbidden to leave but with most of his usual luxuriesShah Jahan spent his final eight years gazing out a window at the Taj Mahal.

When Shah Jahan died on January 221666Aurangzeb had his father buried with Mumtaz Mahal in the crypt beneath the Taj Mahal. On the main floor of the Taj Mahal above the crypt now sits two cenotaphs (empty public tombs). The one in the center of the room belongs to Mumtaz Mahal and the one just to the west is for Shah Jahan.

Surrounding the cenotaphs is a delicately carvedlacy marble screen. Originally it had been a gold screen but Shah Jahan had that replaced so thieves would not feel tempted to steal it.

Destruction of the Taj Mahal

Shah Jahan was wealthy enough to support the Taj Mahal and its mighty maintenance costsbut over the centuriesthe Mughal Empire lost its riches and the Taj Mahal fell into ruins.

By the 1800sthe British ousted the Mughals and took over India. The Taj Mahal was dissected for its beauty—the Britch cut gemstones from its wallsstole silver candlesticks and doorsand even tried to sell the white marble overseas. It was Lord Curzonthe British viceroy of Indiawho put and to this. Rather than looting the Taj MahalCurzon worked to restore it.

The Taj Mahal Now

The Taj Mahal has once again become a magnificent place with 2.5 million visitors each year. People can visit during the daytime and watch as the white marble appears to take on different hues throughout the day. Once a monthvisitors have the opportunity to make a short visit during a full moon to see how the Taj Mahal seems to glow from the inside out in the moonlight.

The Taj Mahal was placed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983but this protection has not guaranteed its safety. It is now at the mercy of pollutants from nearby factories and excessive humidity from the breath of its visitors. 

Sources

• DuTempleLesley A. The Taj Mahal. Lerner Publications Company2003.
• HarpurJamesand Jennifer Westwood. The Atlas of Legendary Places. 1st ed.Weidenfeld & Nicholson1989.
• IngpenRobert R.and Philip Wilkinson. Encyclopedia of Mysterious Places: The Life and Legends of Ancient Sites Around the World. Metro Books2000.