Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal
(1607–1631)
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, there was an
empire in India called the Mughal Empire. In 1607,
the 15-year-old Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, met
a 15-year-old girl named Mumtaz Mahal. It was love
at first sight for both of them. They married a few
years later, and were inseparable companions for
19 years. When Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to
their fourteenth child, Shah Jahan is said to have locked
himself in his rooms and refused to eat for eight days.
The grieving emperor decided to honor her memory
by beginning construction of the Taj Mahal—one of
the most beautiful monuments in the world. It took
20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants nearly 20 years
to complete this monument. Both Shah Jahan and
Mumtaz Mahal were buried in this monument.