The Building of the Taj Mahal

In June 1631, the Mughal court was not in its capital, but on campaign in Burhanpur. There, Empress Mumtaz Mahal died after a 30-hour labor with her 14th child. Her husband, Emperor Shah Jahan, was devastated. For 19 years, she had been his constant companion and most trusted political advisor. In his grief, he went into seclusion for a year. When he finally emerged, court chronicles noted his hair had turned white and his back was bent. The empress’s body was temporarily buried in a garden, but Shah Jahan had a greater final resting place in mind. In December, her remains were transported in a golden coffin to the city of Agra, where his vision would take shape.