Emperor Shah Jahan – a Connoisseur of Mughal Dynasty in India:

Taj Mahal:

It was Shah Jahan, who was the architect of the wonder Taj Mahal, a monument, and the monument of a man’s love for a woman and a symbol of eternal love inspiring the young, old or child even four hundred years after.

Taj Mohal was built by Shah Jahan to fulfill the last wishes of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mohal, the beauty of the world, who prayed to Him to build a beautiful monument after her death. Shah Jahan believed - a King is remembered even after death through his achievements in monumental architecture. By creating Taj Mohal, he has made Agra a citadel of world tourist. He built Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan was born in 1592, while his wife Mumtaz was born in 1593. They married in 1612. In 1628 Shah Jahan became the Mughal Emperor but only after three years his beloved wife died shortly after childbirth. In 1632, he began the project of building a mausoleum, or Tomb for his wife, the Taj Mahal. It completed in a period of twenty two years involving about 20,000 workers. It is built in an Islamic style of architecture. The bodies of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are buried in a crypt below the building.

Shah Jahan, a Man of Fine Arts:

Shah Jahan was lover of fine arts. Like his grandfather, Akbar the Great, Shah Jahan was interested in the architecture of big construction such as like the buildings in Akbar’s Red Fort but with a layer of sophistication of fine arts. He later modified the Fort with white marble.

Golden Age:

Shah Jahan’s period of reign was said to be the golden age of Mughal dynasty. Shah Jahan was the son of the Emperor Jahangir and his Rajput Queen. He was born January 5, 1592. Shaha Jahan’s father Jahangir was not in administration of the Mughal Empire rather Queen Nur Jahan was in the administration. In 1627, when his father Jahangir died in Lahore Shaha Jahan ascended the throne in spite of the tricks of the Queen Nur Jahan. It was possible because the subjects demanded Shaha Jahan as their emperor. Thus he became the Emperor of Mughal dynasty. He ruled the empire from 1628 to 1658. His period was most successful as the empire enjoyed peace and prosperity. He devoted his energy mostly in architecture. Shah Jahan is most remembered for the construction of beautiful monument Taj Mohal. As he himself was educated and cultured, he patronized to flourish the Persian and Sanskrit literature of that time. He was not only a good administrator but also a hard fighter and a capable commander. He extended the boundary of the Mughal Empire along with its prosperity. He earnestly desired the welfare of his subjects. He will be remembered for the architectural structures and monuments created in that period.

The Peacock Throne:

The name “The Peacock Throne” is the name given to Mughal throne of India. It is a replica of the throne of Persian emperors. Peacocks were the symbols of beauty and the pleasures of the court throughout the Islamic world. The name comes from the shape of the throne, having the figures of two peacocks standing behind the structure of the throne. It was inlaid with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious stones. The “Peacock Throne” undoubtedly contained the greatest accumulation of gems in the seventeenth century. It was completed in 1634, in the eighth year of Shaha Jahan’s period of reigning. Shaha Jahan had the famous Koh-i-noor diamond placed in this throne. It was placed inside the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) of Agra Fort.

War of Succession:

The golden era of Shah Jahan was ended with the history of tragic incidents. During the last years of Shah Jahan’s Rule, a family fighting started among his four sons Dara, Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad, centering the succession of the throne. Shaha Jahan personally chose Dara, the eldest son as the future Emperor but most of the Muslim Nobles disliked Dara for his liberal mindset. Ultimately, Aurangzeb captured the throne through coercion and bloodshed. Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in the Red Fort within the sight of the Taj Mahal. He was forced to spend the last eight years of his life in prison of Agra Fort till his death.He not only imprisoned his father Shah Jahan, but also murdered his brother Murad and Dara while Shuja fled away from India. Shah Jahan died on January 22, 1666, in Agra Fort while he was in prison.

Reign of Marble:

In 1639, Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi and named it “Shahjahanabad”. It took him ten years to build the magnificent Red Fort or Lal Qala. Most of the structures were made of marbles. The walled city included markets, mosques, gardens, and palaces. The famous “Peacock Throne” was transferred from Agra to the Red Fort on April 8, 1648.When the British left India, the Kohinoor was taken away to England. When in 1997, Elizabeth II made a state visit to India marking the 50^th anniversary of Independence of India; many Indians including MPs demanded the return of the Kohinoor. In a July 2010 interview, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron said that the gem could not be returned to India as the British Museum would be suddenly empty. However, Pakistan also equally claimed to Britain to return Kohinoor to Pakistan. The gem now remains as the property of the British Crown and is kept in HM Tower of London. It is a popular tourist attraction.