Shah Jahan

Shah Jahan Biography

Shah Jahan, the 5^th emperor of Mughal Empire was one of the powerful emperors of ancient ages, best known for constructing Taj mahal – One among the 7 wonders of the world, in memory of his beloved wife – Mumtaz. The romance between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal has been made several times on Indian screen and Taj mahal, made of white marble is regarded as the symbol of true love and romance. However he was imprisoned by his younger son Aurangazeb in Agra, where he spent his last days. All his three sons were also killed by his younger son, Aurangazeb in thirst of power. He was the governor of Gujarat when Aurangazeb was born. Red Fort of Delhi, Jama Masjid of Delhi, Section of Agra Fort, the Wazir Khan Mosque and the Moti Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan are other major constructions done by him, which are now tourist destinations.

He was the son of Emperor Jahangir and his Hindu Rajput wife, Taj Bibi Bilqis Makani, born on 13 May 1573 in Lahore. He was born as Prince Khurram and legendary Mughal emperor Akbar was his grandfather. His name – Khurram was given by none other than Akbar. Since childhood he was inspired a lot by his grandfather and his principles. For displaying his military skills at a younger age, he was awarded the title "Shah Jahan Bahadur". Following the death of his father, he ascended the throne in 1967. During his reign, India witnessed construction of many great buildings and re-designing as well, including Agra Fort. He commissioned about 999 gardens in Kashmir, his favorite summer residence.

He married Arjumand Banu Begum at the age of 15. She was bestowed with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "Jewel of the Palace” by none other than Shah Jahan. Though he had many wives, he shared a unique relationship with Mumtaz. She died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child. Heartbroken Shah Jahan decided to build the best monument on earth, in the name of love. It took 22 years and 22000 laborers to complete the marble building and he had already fallen ill. When Shah jahan favoured Dara Shikoh the elder brother of Aurangzeb as the emperor, he didn’t like it and it resulted in the killing of all his three brothers and old Shah Jahan was imprisoned too. He died in Agra fort on 1 October 1666, aged 74.

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Updated: September 24, 2017