ABOUT SHAHJAHAN
First I would like to give you some idea of the Shah Jahan Mumtaz relationship / legend and the circumstances under which the Taj Mahal is said to have been
built.
Shah Jahan (1628-1658) the fifth moghul emperor Shahbuddin Mohammad Kirani alias Shah Jahan was the son of Jahangir Salim from a Jodhpur princess. He came to the thrown through the efforts of Nur Jahan and Araf Khan. While his father was alive Shah Jahan rebelled against him twice or thrice but without success. On coming to the throne (1628) he killed all his (near) relations. Keene says Shah Jahan surpassed all the Mughul emperors in autocratic pride and was the first to capture the throne by murdering all his rivals. History is replete with description of Shah Jahan's cruelty giving a lie to the average text book version of his being a man of great artistic taste and a devoted husband.
Here is what emperor Jahangeri has to say about his own son Shah Jahan “I directed that hence forward he (Prince Shah Jahan) should be called a ‘wretch’ and whenever the word wretch occurs in this Ikbalnama it is he who is intend… The pen cannot describe all that I have done for him nor can I recount my own grief or mention the anguish and weakness which opresses me… especially during there journeys and marching which I am obliged to make in pursuit of him (the rebellious prince Shah Jahan) who is no longer my son.” Jahangir died on 27th Oct 1627 and, Shah Jahan ascended the throne at Agra on 6th Feb 1628 According to Alamgir nama of Mohammad Kazim Shah Jahan lost effective control of the throne when he fell ill on 18th Sept. 1657 and his sons rose in revolt fighting against one another to gain the crown. Shah Jahan’s reign thus lasted for 29 years and 7 months. The whole of this period was full of incessant wars and revolts, repressive campaigns & famines and the reader will find a year to year account of Shah Jahan’s reign which should serve to refute effectively the traditional concept that his reign was a period of peace and plenty.
Now something about the so called lady of the Taj Arjumand Banu (her original name) She was the grand daughter of Mirza Ghias Beg, the prime minister of Jahangirs and one of his fathers in law (Ghias Beg was a waiter in the Persian court raised to prime minister ship in the Moghul court because his beautiful and influential daughter happened to become Jahangir's mistress) Arjumands Banu’s father was Khwaja Abdul Hasan (also known as Yamim-ul-Daula Asaf Khan) and Mother was Deewanji Begam Born in 1594 Mumtaz was married to Shah Jahan in 1612 at the age of 18 while Shah Jahan was 21 years of age at the time of their marriage. But she was not Shah Jaha first wife His first wife the queen was a great grand daughter of the ruler of Persia - Shah Ismail Safwi / Shah Jahan had numerous other wives and consorts. He not only was married before taking Mumtaz as his wife but also married several women after Mumtaz’s death too. In between these weddings he also used to take consorts by the hundreds into his harem. He is said to have had relationships, with his own daughter and Shahiste Khan’s wife. Mumtaz was an inmate of a harem teeming with 5000 females.
Shah Jahan (1628-1658) the fifth moghul emperor Shahbuddin Mohammad Kirani alias Shah Jahan was the son of Jahangir Salim from a Jodhpur princess. He came to the thrown through the efforts of Nur Jahan and Araf Khan. While his father was alive Shah Jahan rebelled against him twice or thrice but without success. On coming to the throne (1628) he killed all his (near) relations. Keene says Shah Jahan surpassed all the Mughul emperors in autocratic pride and was the first to capture the throne by murdering all his rivals. History is replete with description of Shah Jahan's cruelty giving a lie to the average text book version of his being a man of great artistic taste and a devoted husband.
Here is what emperor Jahangeri has to say about his own son Shah Jahan “I directed that hence forward he (Prince Shah Jahan) should be called a ‘wretch’ and whenever the word wretch occurs in this Ikbalnama it is he who is intend… The pen cannot describe all that I have done for him nor can I recount my own grief or mention the anguish and weakness which opresses me… especially during there journeys and marching which I am obliged to make in pursuit of him (the rebellious prince Shah Jahan) who is no longer my son.” Jahangir died on 27th Oct 1627 and, Shah Jahan ascended the throne at Agra on 6th Feb 1628 According to Alamgir nama of Mohammad Kazim Shah Jahan lost effective control of the throne when he fell ill on 18th Sept. 1657 and his sons rose in revolt fighting against one another to gain the crown. Shah Jahan’s reign thus lasted for 29 years and 7 months. The whole of this period was full of incessant wars and revolts, repressive campaigns & famines and the reader will find a year to year account of Shah Jahan’s reign which should serve to refute effectively the traditional concept that his reign was a period of peace and plenty.
Now something about the so called lady of the Taj Arjumand Banu (her original name) She was the grand daughter of Mirza Ghias Beg, the prime minister of Jahangirs and one of his fathers in law (Ghias Beg was a waiter in the Persian court raised to prime minister ship in the Moghul court because his beautiful and influential daughter happened to become Jahangir's mistress) Arjumands Banu’s father was Khwaja Abdul Hasan (also known as Yamim-ul-Daula Asaf Khan) and Mother was Deewanji Begam Born in 1594 Mumtaz was married to Shah Jahan in 1612 at the age of 18 while Shah Jahan was 21 years of age at the time of their marriage. But she was not Shah Jaha first wife His first wife the queen was a great grand daughter of the ruler of Persia - Shah Ismail Safwi / Shah Jahan had numerous other wives and consorts. He not only was married before taking Mumtaz as his wife but also married several women after Mumtaz’s death too. In between these weddings he also used to take consorts by the hundreds into his harem. He is said to have had relationships, with his own daughter and Shahiste Khan’s wife. Mumtaz was an inmate of a harem teeming with 5000 females.