Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.

Mumtaz Mahal

Empress of the Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1633

Mumtaz Mahal was the empress consort of Mughal Empire from 1628 to 1631 as the chief consort of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra, often cited as one of the Wonders of the World, was commissioned by her husband to act as her tomb.

List of emperors of the Mughal Empire

The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty, ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were monarchs of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern…

Shah Jahan

Mughal emperor from 1628 to 1658

Shah Jahan I, also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the zenith of Mughal architectural and cultural achievements.

Mausoleum

Burial chamber of a deceased person

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb, or the tomb may be considered to…

Taj Mahal

Marble mausoleum in Agra, India

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan…