Facts about Shah Jahan
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Shah Jahan
Brief biographyThe Reign of Shah Jahan
From a site on Islamic architectureThe Maker of the Taj
From the official Taj Mahal siteMughal Rulers
Brief bios of Jahan and his familyShare this:
Shah Jahan Biography
Shah Jahan was a 17th century Mughal (Mogol) emperor who stands apart from others of his era because he built the Taj Mahal. He was the grandson of Akbar the Great, and took the throne after his father’s death in 1657. During his thirty-year reign, Shah Jahan had ups and downs in his attempts to expand his empire, but he had great success in architecture. The story goes that he built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who had died in childbirth. He also built mosques, gardens and libraries, as well as the Red Fort in Delhi. Shah Jahan was deposed by his third son, Aurangzeb, who took the throne in 1658 and threw his father in prison. That’s where Shah Jahan died, eight years later.
Extra credit
The Taj Mahal took 22 years to build… Shah Jahan and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, had 14 children before she died in childbirth at the age of 39… Before becoming emperor, he was known as Prince Khurram.