Mumtaz Mahal

Mumtaz Mahal, born Arjumand Banu Begum, was the empress of the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1631. She married Prince Khurram, who later became the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He called her "Mumtaz Mahal," meaning "The Exalted One of the Palace."

She was born in Agra into a family of Persian nobility. Her father was an important noble, and she was the niece of Empress Nur Jahan, who had much influence at the time. Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan had many children together, including Jahanara Begum, his favorite daughter, and Dara Shikoh, the crown prince.

Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631. In her memory, Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra. Today, the Taj Mahal is famous as one of the Wonders of the World. It is a beautiful tomb and a symbol of love.

Family and early life

Mumtaz Mahal was born as Arjumand Banu on 27 April 1593 in Agra. Her parents were Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan and his wife Diwanji Begum. Asaf Khan was a respected noble in the Mughal Empire and the older brother of Empress Nur Jahan. Nur Jahan was married to Emperor Jahangir, who was the father of Shah Jahan.

Mumtaz was known for her learning. She could read and write in Arabic and Persian. She was modest yet confident, and her talents caught the attention of important people. This led to her marriage to Shah Jahan, who became very fond of her.

Marriage

Mumtaz Mahal was promised to Shah Jahan when she was 14 and he was 15. They married in 1612 in Agra. After their wedding, Shah Jahan gave her the title Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "the exalted one of the Palace."

Shah Jahan cared deeply for Mumtaz. Their marriage was loving, and she traveled with him. In their time together, they had 14 children.

Mughal empress

When Shah Jahan became the ruler in 1628, he named Mumtaz as his chief empress. She was called many grand titles such as "First Lady" and "Queen of the World." Though she was empress for only three years, Shah Jahan gave her many wonderful gifts and honors. Her home, Khas Mahal in Agra Fort, was beautifully decorated with gold and precious stones.

Shah Jahan trusted Mumtaz very much and often asked for her advice on important matters. She helped him make decisions and sometimes asked him to be kinder to people he disagreed with. Mumtaz also liked to watch special fights and supported many artists and scholars. She helped poor families by giving them money and even created a lovely garden in Agra.

Death and aftermath

Mumtaz Mahal passed away on 17 June 1631 after having her fourteenth child. She was with her husband, Shah Jahan, who was far away fighting in the Deccan Plateau. Her body was first buried in Burhanpur and then moved to Agra. Shah Jahan was very sad and mourned for a year. His daughter, Jahanara Begum, helped him during this time.

Shah Jahan later built the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal. This beautiful building is famous around the world and is seen as a symbol of a husband's love for his wife. The bodies of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan rest in a simple room inside the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal

Main article: Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal. It is considered a wonderful example of love and devotion. Many people think the beauty of the Taj Mahal shows the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb has special inscriptions and is a very important monument. Later, Shah Jahan was also buried there next to his wife.

In popular culture

Astronomy

• A crater was named for her on asteroid 433 Eros, and another was named for her husband.
• A crater on the planet Venus is named after her.

Literature

• A cat named after Mumtaz Mahal appears in Connie Willis's 1997 novel To Say Nothing of the Dog.
• Arjumand Banu (Mumtaz Mahal) is a main character in Indu Sundaresan's novel The Feast of Roses (2003).
• Mumtaz Mahal is a main character in Sonja Chandrachud's novel Trouble at the Taj (2011).
• In John Shors' novel Beneath a Marble Sky (2013), Mahal's daughter tells the story of how the Taj Mahal was built.
• Manahil Bandukwala's first poetry collection Monument (2022) talks to Mumtaz Mahal.

Films

• Mumtaz Mahal is a 1926 Indian silent film by Homi Master.
• Actress Enakshi Rama Rau played Mumtaz Mahal in Shiraz (1928).
• Mumtaz Mahal, a 1944 Indian film, was based on her life.
• Actress Suraiya played young Mumtaz Mahal in Nanubhai Vakil's film Taj Mahal (1941).
• Mumtaz Mahal was portrayed by actress Nasreen in Abdul Rashid Kardar's film Shahjehan (1946).
• Mumtaz Mahal is a 1957 Indian Hindi film by Ram Daryani, starring Veena as Mumtaz Mahal.
• Bina Rai played Mumtaz Mahal in M. Sadiq's film Taj Mahal (1963).
• Zeba played Mumtaz Mahal in S. T. Zaidi's Taj Mahal (1968).
• Shahzadi Mumtaz, an Indian film starring Asokan and Shakuntala came out in 1977.
• Purnima Patwardhan played her in the 2003 film Taj Mahal: A Monument of Love.
• Sonya Jehan played Mumtaz Mahal in Akbar Khan's film Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005).
• Suhani Juneja played young Arjumand Banu Begum in the second season of the webseries Taj: Divided by Blood on Zee5.

Other

• Mumtaz Mahal inspired the popular Guerlain perfume Shalimar in 1921.

Issue

Children of Mumtaz Mahal

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan had many children together. Their family was important in the Mughal Empire. The children grew up and had roles in the empire's history.

Ancestry

The Mumtaz Mahal was born Arjumand Banu Begum in Agra. She was from a family of Persian nobility.