Shahjahan - The Man Who Built Taj Mahal |
Year of Birth - 1592
Real Name - Khurram
Father - Emperor Jahangir
Mother - Princess Manmati
Marriage - Married Arjumand Bano (Mumtaz Mahal) in 1612. She died in 1631, giving birth to his 14th children.
Died - 1666
Rule Period - 1627 to 1658
Shahjahan was the fifth Mughal emperor and most prolific builder in Indian history.Shahjahanascended to the throne when Mughal Empire had reached its zenith. Son of  Jahangir and grandson of Akbar - the greatest Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan became ruler in 1627 at the age of 35 years. The first step that he took after ascending to the throne was to expand his empire to the South. He defeated the Nizamshahi Kingdom after an alliance with the Adilshahi Dynasty (also from South India) and annexed a large part of the former's kingdom. Later he tried to repeat his successes in North - West Frontier Region including Kandhar, Balkh, and Badakshan, but could not succeed.
More than anything else, Shahjahan is known for his architectural beauties he created in India, especially Taj Mahal - The Eternal Symbol of Love. Apart from Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan also built a number of other great buildings in Delhi and Agra, including Jama Masjid of Delhi, the largest mosque in India. He rebuilt Red Fort of Delhi and added many of his styles like use of precious stones and marble. His interest in architecture started quite early in life when at the age of 15, he redesigned palatial apartment in Kabul.
Shahjahan remained emperor until 1657 only, when he was taken ill. This started a civil war for succession between his sons in which Aurangzeb emerged victorious. Aurangzeb imprisoned Shajahan and put him in the Agra Fort. He was allowed to view Taj Mahal (situated across Yamuna from Agra Fort) from his private chamber every evening. After eight years of continuous imprisonment, he died in captivity in 1666 at the age of 74.
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History
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