The Taj Mahal is one of the most ambitious buildings located in India, annually the number of visitors to the mausoleum exceeds 5 million people. Tourists are attracted not only by the beauty of the structure, but also by its beautiful history. The mausoleum was erected by order of the padishah of the Mughal Empire, who wished to tell the whole world about his longing for his dead wife Mumtaz-Mahal. What is known about the Taj Mahal, declared the pearl of Muslim art, as well as the love through which it was created?
Shah Jahan: padishah biography
“Lord of the world” - such is the meaning of the name that one of the most famous Mughal padishahs received from his father, who loved him more than other children. Shah Jahan, the famous creator of the Taj Mahal, was born in 1592, led the Mughal Empire at the age of 36 years, capturing the throne after the death of his father Jahangir and getting rid of his rival brothers. The new padishah quickly declared himself as a decisive and ruthless ruler. Thanks to several military campaigns, he managed to expand the territory of his empire. At the beginning of his reign, he was one of the most powerful people of the 17th century.
Shah Jahan was interested not only in military campaigns. For his time, the padish was well educated, took care of the development of science and architecture, took care of artists, appreciated beauty in all its manifestations.
Fateful meeting
Legend has it that the ruler of the Mughal Empire met his future wife Mumtaz-Mahal by chance, it happened while walking around the bazaar. From the crowd of people his gaze was caught by a young maid holding wooden beads in her hands, the beauty of which captivated him. Padishah, still the heir to the throne at that time, fell in love so much that he decided to marry the girl.
Mumtaz Mahal, an Armenian by nationality, came from the family of the vizier Abdul Hassan Asaf Khan, who was a member of the circle of Padishah Jahangir. The girl, who was named Arjumand Banu Begam at birth, was the niece of her beloved wife Jahangir Nur-Jahan. Consequently, she could boast not only an attractive appearance, but also a noble origin, so there were no obstacles for the wedding. On the contrary, such a marriage strengthened the position of the heir as a contender for the throne, but he still married for love.
Marriage
Jahangir joyfully allowed his beloved son to marry the girl he liked Mumtaz-Mahal, the nationality of the bride was also not perceived as an obstacle, given the noble origin of her father. The betrothal ceremony took place in 1607, when the bride, born in 1593, was no more than 14 years old. For unknown reasons, the wedding was postponed for 5 years.
It was during the wedding that she received her beautiful name Mumtaz Mahal. The biography of the famous wife of the lord of the Mughal Empire says that he was invented by father-in-law Jahangir, who still ruled at that time. The name is translated into Russian as “the pearl of the palace”, which serves as proof of the extraordinary beauty of the girl.
The husband of the “pearl", as befits the heir to the throne, had a huge harem. However, not a single concubine was able to win his heart, forcing her to forget about the charming Arjumand. During his lifetime, Mumtaz-Mahal became the favorite muse of famous poets of that time, who praised not only her beauty, but also her good heart. The Armenian woman became a reliable support to her husband, accompanied him even in military campaigns.
Misfortune
Unfortunately, it was Arjumand’s devotion that cost her her life. She did not consider pregnancy to be an obstacle to being with her beloved husband during all his travels. In total, she gave birth to 14 children, which was typical until then. The last birth turned out to be difficult, the Empress, exhausted by a long campaign, was unable to recover from them.
Mumtaz-Mahal passed away in 1631, having not quite lived up to his fortieth birthday. The tragic event took place in a military camp located near Burhanpur. The emperor was with his beloved wife, with whom he had lived together for 19 years, in her last minutes. Before leaving this world, the empress took two promises from her husband. She made him swear that he would not enter into a new marriage, and also build for her a grand mausoleum, the beauty of which the world could enjoy.
Mourning
Shah Jahan until the end of his life could not reconcile with the loss of his beloved wife. For 8 days he refused to leave his own chambers, rejected food and forbade him to talk to him. Legend has it that grief even prompted him to attempt suicide, which, however, ended in failure. By order of the lord of the Mughal Empire, mourning in the state continued for two years. During these years, the population did not celebrate holidays, music and dancing were banned.
The famous padishah found some consolation for himself in the fulfillment of the dying will of Arjumand. He really refused to marry again, and finally lost interest in his huge harem. By his order, the construction of the mausoleum, which today is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world, was begun.
Location of Taj Mahal
What city is the Taj Mahal in? For the construction of the mausoleum, the city of Agra was chosen, located approximately 250 km from Delhi. The padishah decided that a tribute to the memory of his beloved wife would be located on the banks of the Jamna River. He was attracted by the picturesqueness of this place. This choice gave builders some inconvenience associated with the instability of the soil located near the water.
A unique technology that was never used before helped to solve the problem. An example of its application in modern construction is the use of piles in the construction of skyscrapers in the UAE.
Construction
Six months after the death of Mumtaz-Mahal, the inconsolable husband ordered the construction of the mausoleum to begin. The construction of the Taj Mahal took a total of 12 years, construction work began in 1632. Historians are unanimous in the fact that not a single building in the world has required such costs as this. Fulfillment of the will of the deceased wife, according to palace chronicles, cost the padishah about 32 million rupees, today it is several billion euros.
Shah Jahan made sure that the builders did not save on materials. Facing the building was carried out using pure marble, which was supplied from the province of Rajasthan. Interestingly, according to the decree of the ruler of the Mughal Empire, the use of this marble for other purposes was banned.
The cost of building the Taj Mahal was so significant that hunger broke out in the state. Grain, which was supposed to go to the provinces, was at a construction site, used to feed workers. Work was completed only in 1643.
Secrets of the Taj Mahal
The majestic Taj Mahal gave immortality to the padishah and his beautiful beloved Mumtaz Mahal. The story of the master’s love for his wife is told to all visitors to the mausoleum. Interest in the building cannot be surprising, because it has amazing beauty.
Builders were able to make the Taj Mahal unique thanks to the optical illusions that were used in the design of the mausoleum. It is possible to enter the territory of the complex only after passing through the arch of the entrance gate, only then the building opens before the eyes of guests. To a person who approaches the arch, it may seem that the mausoleum is decreasing, moving away. The opposite effect is created when moving away from the arch. Thus, it may seem to every visitor that he is taking the grand Taj Mahal with him.
A tricky trick was also used to create striking minarets of the building, which seem to be located strictly upright. In fact, these elements are slightly deviated to the side of the building. This solution allows the Taj Mahal to be protected from destruction by an earthquake. By the way, the height of the minarets is 42 meters, and the height of the mausoleum as a whole is 74 meters.
For the decoration of the walls, as already mentioned, snow-white polished marble was used, shining under the influence of sunlight. The decorative elements were malachite, pearls, corals, carnelian, an indelible impression is made by the elegance of the carving.
Burial place of Mumtaz Mahal
Many people interested in history and architecture know in which city the Taj Mahal is located. However, not everyone knows where the empress’s burial place is located. Her tomb is not at all under the main dome of the building erected in her honor. In fact, the burial place of the ruler of the Empire of the Great Mongols is a secret marble hall, for which a site was allocated under the mausoleum.
The tomb of the Mumtaz Mahal was located in a secret room for a reason. This decision was made to ensure that visitors did not disturb the peace of the "pearl of the palace."
End of story
Having lost his beloved wife, Shah Jahan almost lost interest in the authorities, no longer undertook large-scale military campaigns, and was little interested in the affairs of the state. The empire was weakened, mired in the abyss of the economic crisis, riots began to flare up everywhere. It is not surprising that his son and heir Aurangzeb found loyal supporters who supported him in an attempt to take away power from his father and crack down on the pretending brothers. The old emperor was imprisoned in a fortress in which he was forced to spend the last years of his life. Shah Jahan left this world in 1666, being a lonely and sick old man. The son ordered the father to be buried next to his beloved wife.
The last desire of the emperor remained unfulfilled. He dreamed of building another mausoleum opposite the Taj Mahal, exactly repeating its shape, but trimmed with black marble. He planned to turn this building into his own tomb; a black and white openwork bridge should have connected it with the wife’s burial place. However, the plans were not destined to come true, the son of Aurangzeb who came to power ordered to stop construction work. Fortunately, the emperor still managed to fulfill the will of his beloved woman and build the Taj Mahal.