Taj Mahal Essay

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Taj Mahal Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. It is visited by more than 11,000 tourists on an average day; the number of tourists for the year 2009 has been reported to be more than 3.5 million. Located in the city of Agra in India, Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1983. It is open to tourists from sunrise to sunset on weekdays, Saturday through Thursday, being closed for tourists on Fridays. TAJ MAHAL HISTORY Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ruled from 1627 to 1658. Shah Jahan was the son of Jahangir and grandson of Akbar the great. In the year 1607, Shah Jahan, then known as Prince Khurram, married Arjumand Banu Begum, daughter of Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, Governor of Lahore under Emperor Jahangir. Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan was the brother of Nur Jahan and the son of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, an important official under emperors Akbar and Jahangir and better known as I'timād-ud-Daulah, a title meaning a Pillar of the State. After marriage, Shah Jahan gave her the title of Mumtaz Mahal, which meant the Jewel of the Palace. Unlike her aunt Nur Jahan, who played an active political part in Jahangir's rule, Mumtaz Mahal concentrated on providing strong family support to Shah Jahan. She accompanied Shah Jahan on his military expeditions. The couple had fourteen children. It was during the birth of the fourteenth child on June 17, 1631, a daughter named Gauhara Begum, that Mumtaz Mahal died. Gauhara Begum, however survived her mother's tragic death and went on to live for next seventy five years. Mumtaz Mahal's untimely death left Shah Jahan grief-stricken. But, apparently, he handled his grief in a constructive manner and went about building a mausoleum for Mumtaz Mahal which would become one of the most well known structures for centuries to come. The
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