The Taj Mahal's history dates back to 1631 when Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's beloved wife Arjumand Bano passed away during childbirth. Mumtaz Mahal, as she was affectionately known, was the Emperor's constant companion, guide and the love of his life. They first met as teenagers, got married in 1612 AD and thereafter were inseparable. Mumtaz Mahal accompanied the Emperor to meetings, wars and campaigns and it was during one such campaign that she passed away shortly after giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that the Mughal court mourned the death of their beloved Empress for more than two years. There were no celebrations or feasting on holidays for a long time after Mumtaz Mahal passed away.
Before her death, Mumtaz Mahal expressed her wish that Shah Jahan would "build a tomb in her memory such as the world had never seen before." Thus stated the creation of one of the most beautiful monument in the world, the Taj Mahal. A combined workforce of 20,000 people toiled hard for 22 years to build this structure, which clearly surpasses everything else in beauty and elegance. It is also amazing that the Taj Mahal in Agra cost the exchequer 32 million rupees even at that time. At the fag end of Shah Jahan's career, he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb at the Agra Fort and at that point of time the Taj Mahal was his only source of comfort. He used to spend hours gazing at the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna. After his death, he was laid to rest beside his beloved wife and their two tombs are located in the basement of the Taj.
Its beauty notwithstanding, the Taj Mahal's history is also something which continues to mesmerize people from all over the world to date.
| 
