Shah Jahan Finished building the Taj Mahal in 1648. He was a rich and powerful emperor, and he constructed the Taj Mahal as a memorial to his wife.It was a monument of love. The word "taj" means crown."Mahal" was the name of his wife. Twenty thousand people worked for nearly two decades to complete this beautiful domed structure. A thousand elephants carried enormous stones and jewels from all over India and central Asia for the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan wanted this memorial to be a special place for Muslim pilgrims to visit. In addition, he wanted it to be a burial place for himself and his wife.