One of the best-known works of art and architecture in the world, the Taj Mahal has endured as a site of religious pilgrimage and a romantic destination for lovers over the centuries
This 17th-century carew spinel is engraved with the names of Mughal emperors, including Shah Jahan.The woman who would one day rest in the Taj Mahal was born Arjumand Banu Begum in 1593 in Agra, India, to Persian nobility. Her father was the brother-in-law of Shah Jahan’s father, Jahangir. Her beauty was so arresting that Prince Khurram fell in love with her on sight. They were betrothed in 1607 and married when it was deemed propitious in 1612.
Shah Jahan was renowned for his exquisite taste and for being a major patron of the arts. He was fascinated with gemology and supported the work of court miniaturists, who became famous worldwide for their elaborate decoration in the margins of their paintings and for their mastery of floral designs.
In part because Shah Jahan was so preoccupied with Mumtaz’s Taj Mahal, the empire’s concerns were neglected. In 1658 their son Aurangzeb wrested control of the empire from his father while killing off his three brothers. He cloistered Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort until his father’s death in 1666.Shah Jahan's accession is shown in a 17th-century illustration from the chronicle of his reign, the Padshahnama.It is said that Shah Jahan never recovered from Mumtaz’s death.
According to French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who published an account of his travels in Persia and India in 1676, the project had more than 20,000 workers . The status and treatment of those workers are still hotly disputed among historians, and all was financed through heavy taxes. The impressive doors leading into the mausoleum’s interior are richly decorated with floral motifs and calligraphy.
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