Excerpt Prince Khurram was flfteen years old when he fell in love. The fourteen year old who captured his heart was as bright and generous as she was beautiful. Four years later, in 1612, they were married. From that day on, Mumtaz Mahal was his constant companion, his trusted advisor, the love of his life. In the Muslim world, where arranged marriages were customary and men were allowed four wives, such devotion to one woman was unusual. She was at his side when he became the emperor of the Mughal Empire and took the title Shah Jahan (World Ruler), and she was at his side when he led armies against rebels in remote and dangerous areas. In 1631 she went with him on a military campaign to a region called the Deccan, far from their palace in Agra. The campaign promised to be long, so the royal court, including the women who attended Mumtaz Mahal, moved to the Deccan with the emperor and his army. Near the town of Burhanpur, they set up a city of tents where life went on much as it had in the palace while the army skirmished with the enemy. In the hot month of June, the mood in the zanana (women's quarters) was tense and excited. Mumtaz Mahal was about to give birth to her 14th child! One night she dreamed that she heard her unborn baby cry. When she told her women about it, tension became fear. Such a dream was a bad omen. At last the infant was born, and fear turned to joy -- the baby girl was healthy. At the sight of the weakened queen lying exhausted against her silken cushions, joy quickly faded. Fearing the worst, Mumtaz Mahal summoned Shah Jahan to her tent. She asked only that he care for her children and then died in his arms. The emperor was devastated. He wept for a week, and it is said that the hair of his beard turned white. He put aside the silk clothing and bright jewels that he had worn all his life and dressed instead in white mourning clothes. He turned away from music, dance, all entertainment. Nothing gave him pleasure. Despite his grief, Shah Jahan was not one to neglect his duties as emperor. He rose at dawn to pray in the tiny mosque in his palace and then took his place in the throne room. He listened patiently as nobles and commoners alike approached him with their problems and requests. He rewarded those who pleased him with gifts of jewels, elephants, and land. For the unlucky, executioners were on hand to carry out swift punishments. Day after day, he forced himself to perform the routines of the imperial court. The only light for Shah Jahan in this time of darkness was his plan to build a tomb for Mumtaz Mahal. This work he embraced eagerly. He wanted to create a paradise for his great queen, and a monument to their love. Thus from the emperor's grief the Taj Mahal was born. Excerpted from Taj Mahal: A Story of Love and Empire by Elizabeth Mann All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
