Taj Mahal Not a Symbol of Love? - Facts Analysis

Story:

We All Know Taj Mahal As Symbol Of Love But The Other Lesser Known Facts are:

1. Mumtaz Was Shahjahan’s 4th Wife Out Of His 7 Wives

2. Shahjahan Killed Mumtaz’s Husband To Marry Her !

3. Mumtaz Died In Her 14th Delivery !

4. He Then Married Mumtaz’s Sister !

Question Arises Where The Hell Is The Love…

Analysis:

Shah Jahan, the Prince of Khurram, met Arjumand Banu Begum when he was only 15 years old and fell in love with her at first sight. They were engaged in 1607 and got married after a five year period of struggle over family feuds in 1612. The intervening years brought Shah Jahan two other wives as he had to to marry Akbarabadi Mahal and Kandahari Mahal only for political reasons. That is how Mumtaz became his third wife, not fourth. Mumtaz was only married to Shah Jahan, the fact that Prince Khurram is another official name of Shah Jahan could have misled people to believe Mumtaz had a husband earlier.

According to the official court chronicler Qazwini, the relationship of Shah Jahan with his other wives “had nothing more than the status of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and favor which His Majesty had for the Cradle of Excellence exceeded by a thousand times what he felt for any other.” Shah Jahan loved Arjumand Banu Begum’s appearance and character so much that he gave her the title Mumtaz Mahal which means Jewel of the Palace. He also built the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world in her memory, where her remains after death were buried. It showcases all her memories of life in a beautiful artistic way. But yes, Mumtaz died an accidental death, while giving birth to her 14th child. And Shah Jahan did not marry after the death of Mumtaz, definitely not the sister of Mumtaz. After Mumtaz’s death, Shah Jahan was inconsolable and spent the rest of his years in mourning, and construction of Taj Mahal in her memory, as a symbol of love. Later when he died, his body was also buried beside Mumtaz in Taj Mahal. The story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz is indeed a story of eternal love, and Taj Mahal is a symbol of love.

However, another legend states that Taj Mahal was actually a Hindu temple of Shiva named ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ which was seized by Shah Jahan and renamed as Taj Mahal. This story was brought into light by an Indian Professor P.N. Oak, the writer of “Taj Mahal: The True Story”, a book that was published in 1965. He even filed a petition in the Indian court seeking permission to break open the cenotaphs, and tear down brick walls in the basement chambers of Taj Mahal to prove his theory. But, his petition was rejected as there was no hardcore evidence to support the claim. More proofs are required to justify that Taj Mahal was actually Tejo Mahalaya. Opening the hidden chambers for investigation could uncover more facts. Many researchers still continue to believe Oak’s theory, and the legend lives on.