Mumtaz-Mahal and Shah Jahan: a love story

Taj Mahal - one of the most grandiose buildings located in India, the annual number of visitors to the majestic mausoleum exceeds 5 million people. Tourists are attracted not only by the beauty of the structure, but also by the beautiful history associated with it. The mausoleum was erected by the order of the padishah of the Empire of the Great Moguls, who wished to tell the whole world about his longing for the deceased wife of Mumtaz Mahal. What is known about the Taj Mahal, declared the pearl of Muslim art, and also about the love through which it was created?

Shah Jahan: biography of the padishah

"Lord of the world" - this is the meaning of the name, which one of the most famous Mogolian 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, the Great Mogul empire was led at the age of 36, seizing the throne after the death of Jahangir's father and getting rid of his fellow competitors. The new padishah quickly declared himself as a resolute and ruthless ruler. Thanks to several military campaigns, he managed to increase 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 not only interested in military campaigns. For his time the padishah was perfectly educated, took care of the development of science and architecture, cared for artists, valued beauty in all its manifestations.

Fateful meeting

Legend has it that his future spouse Mumtaz-Mahal ruler of the Empire of the Great Moguls met by chance, it happened during a walk through the bazaar. From the crowd of people, his gaze snapped out the young virgin, who held the wooden beads in her hands, the beauty of which subdued him. Padishah, still at that time heir to the throne, fell in love so much that he decided to take the girl to wife.

Mumtaz-Mahal, an Armenian by nationality, came from the family of Vizier Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, who was a member of the circle of the approximate padishah Jahangir. The girl, who was named Arjumand Banu Begami at birth, was Nur-Jahan's favorite wife, Jahangir. Consequently, she could boast not only an attractive appearance, but also a noble lineage, so for the wedding there were no obstacles. On the contrary, such a marriage strengthened the position of the heir as a pretender to the throne, but he still married for love.

Wedding

Jahangir gladly 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 ceremony of betrothal 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 got her beautiful name Mumtaz-Mahal. The biography of the famous spouse of the ruler of the Empire of the Great Moguls says that he was invented by the father-in-law Jahangir, who still ruled at that time. In Russian the name is translated as "the pearl of the palace", which serves as proof of the extraordinary beauty of the girl.

Spouse "pearl", as it should be the heir to the throne, had a huge harem. However, no concubine was able to conquer his heart, forcing to forget about the charming Arjumand. During his lifetime, Mumtaz-Mahal became the favorite muse of the famous poets of the time who praised not only her beauty, but also her kind heart. To his wife the Armenian became a reliable support, accompanied him even in military campaigns.

Misfortune

Unfortunately, it was Arjumand's devotion that cost her life. Pregnancy, she did not consider it an obstacle to being with her beloved husband during all his travels. In all, she produced 14 children, which was typical up to that time. The last birth was complicated, exhausted by a long campaign, the Empress was unable to recover after them.

Mumtaz-Mahal passed away in 1631, very little before her fortyth birthday. A tragic event occurred in a military camp, located under Burhanpur. The Emperor was with his beloved wife, with whom he lived together for 19 years, in her last moments. Before leaving this world, the Empress took two promises from her husband. She forced him to swear that he would not remarry, and also build for her a grandiose mausoleum, the beauty of which the world can enjoy.

Mourning

Shah Jahan for the rest of his life could not reconcile with the loss of his beloved wife. For 8 days he refused to leave his own quarters, rejected food and forbade talking to him. Legend has it that the grief even prompted him to attempt suicide, which, incidentally, ended in failure. By order of the ruler of the Empire of the Great Moguls, mourning in the state lasted for two years. During these years the population did not celebrate holidays, music and dances were banned.

Some consolation for the famous padishah found for himself in the performance of the dying will of Arjumand. He really refused to marry again, finally lost interest in his huge harem. By his order, the construction of the mausoleum was begun, which today is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world.

Location of Taj Mahal

What city is the Taj Mahal in? For the erection of the mausoleum, the city of Agra was chosen, located about 250 km from Delhi. Padishah decided that a tribute to the memory of his beloved wife would be located on the coast of the river Jamna. He was attracted by the picturesqueness of this place. This choice gave the builders some inconvenience, connected with the instability of the soil, which is near the water.

Solve the problem helped by a unique technology that had never been used before. An example of its use in modern construction is the use of piles in the construction of skyscrapers in the UAE.

Building

Six months after the death of Mumtaz-Mahal inconsolable husband ordered to begin construction of the mausoleum. The construction of the Taj Mahal in total took 12 years, construction work began in 1632. Historians are unanimous in the fact that no one building in the world required such costs as this one. The fulfillment of the will of the deceased wife, according to the palace chronicles, cost the king about 32 million rupees, these days it is several billion euros.

Shah Jahan made sure that the builders did not save on the materials. Facing the building was made with the help of pure marble, which was supplied from the province of Rajasthan. It is interesting that, according to the decree of the ruler of the Empire of the Great Moguls, the use of this marble for other purposes was banned.

The cost of building the Taj Mahal proved to be so significant that a famine broke out in the state. The grain that was to be sent to the provinces was at the construction site, used to feed the workers. The 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 love story of the lord to his wife is told to all visitors of the mausoleum. Interest in the building can not be surprising, because it has amazing beauty.

To make Taj-Mahal unique builders were able thanks to the optical illusions that were used in the design of the mausoleum. It is possible to enter the complex's territory only after passing through the arch of the entrance gate, only then the building opens before the eyes of the guests. A person who approaches the arch, it may seem that the mausoleum is decreasing, moving away. The reverse effect is created at a distance from the arch. Thus, each visitor may think that he takes the grand Taj Mahal with him.

A tricky reception was also applied to the creation of striking building minarets, which seem to be located strictly vertically. In reality, these elements are slightly deviated from the construction. This solution helps to save the Taj Mahal from destruction as a result of the earthquake. By the way, the height of the minarets is 42 meters, and the height of the mausoleum as a whole totals 74 meters.

For finishing the walls, as already mentioned, a snow-white polished marble, shining under the influence of sunlight, was applied. Decorative elements were malachite, pearls, corals, carnelian, an indelible impression produces the grace of carving.

Place of burial Mumtaz-Mahal

Many people who are interested in history and architecture know what city the Taj Mahal is in. However, not everyone knows where exactly the burial place of the empress 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 plot was erected under the mausoleum.

The tomb of Mumtaz-Mahal was located in a secret place not by chance. This decision was made so that visitors do not disturb the "pearl of the palace".

End of story

Having lost his beloved wife, Shah Jahan practically lost interest in power, no longer undertook large-scale military campaigns, was not very interested in the affairs of the state. The empire weakened, mired in the abyss of the economic crisis, everywhere riots broke out. Not surprisingly, his son and heir to Aurangzeb had loyal supporters who supported him in an attempt to take away power from his father and deal with his brothers-pretenders. 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 to bury his father next to his beloved wife.

The last wish of the emperor remained unfulfilled. He dreamed of erecting another mausoleum opposite the Taj Mahal, exactly repeating its forms, but trimmed in black marble. This building he planned to turn into his own tomb, connect it with the burial place of the wife should have a black and white openwork bridge. However, the plans did not 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.