who built the taj mahal | taj mahal story

India’s Taj Mahal is considered to be oneof the most beautiful buildings in the world. 

The marble mausoleum is a UNESCO World HeritageSite and sees millions of tourists every year. So what is the history behind this legendarybuilding? Well, when the Taj Mahal was built in the17th century, most of Northern India was ruled by the Mughal Empire, which was a Muslim dynastythat arose out of Mongol conquests in Central Asia. One Mughal descendent, Shah Jahan, came topower in 1628. According to historians, Shah Jahan had anexceptional eye for architecture and a passion for building, earning him the nickname, “thebuilder of marvels”. 

The Taj Mahal resulted from Shah Jahan’slove for his third wife, who was known as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "Jewel of the Palace". Several years after Shah Jahan took power,Mumtaz became ill while giving birth to the couple’s 14th child. Legend says that on her deathbed, she askedher husband to build her the most beautiful tomb ever known, and when she died in 1631,he immediately set out to do just that. Over the course of the next two decades, morethan 20,000 artisans and laborers were commissioned for the project, coming from as far as Turkeyand Iraq. 

It is believed that more than 1000 elephantsbrought in materials from all over the region. There was turquoise from Tibet, crystal andjade from China, sapphire from Sri Lanka, carnelian from Arabia, and many other preciousstones - all of which were inlaid in white marble. 

The total cost of the project was estimatedto be about 32 million Indian Rupees. In 1657, just a few years after the Taj Mahalwas completed, Shah Jahan fell ill, and his son, Dara Shikoh, took over the throne. This created animosity among Dara’s brothers,who felt they had been cheated their share of the Mughal empire. One of his brothers seized the throne througha bloody battle, and placed his ill father under house arrest in the royal palace. According to historians, the imprisoned formerking demanded to be placed in a room with a direct view of the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan died in captivity in 1666, andwas buried beside Mumtaz in the Taj Mahal complex. Although their sarcophagi cannot be accessedby the public, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are represented by two parallel tombs inside the building. Shah Jahan had multiple wives throughout hislife, but claimed to only have true affection for Mumtaz. 

She was his one true love and his inseparablelife partner, accompanying him even on military ventures. The legacy of their enduring love continuesto attract millions of visitors to the Taj Mahal every year. We can’t do episodes like this without helpfrom our sponsors. This episode was brought to you by Kay Jewelers. For 100 years, every kiss begins with Kay. The Taj Mahal is not only symbol of love,but of the wealthy and powerful empire that ruled over India. 

So how powerful is India today? Find out in this video. There is no centralized military authoritywithin India's armed forces. They don't have an equivalent to the U.S.'head of the joint chiefs. As a result, the heads of each wing of theirmilitary act somewhat autonomously. This is by design. It prevents the military from assuming toomuch power or organizing a coup. Thanks for watching Seeker Daily! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for morevideos every day.