Shah Jahan Dies: Builder of the Taj Imprisoned to the End
He built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife. Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631. Shah Jahan spent 22 years building her mausoleum, employing 20,000 workers. Then his son Aurangzeb deposed him and imprisoned him in the Agra Fort for the last eight years of his life. His window faced the Taj Mahal. He died in captivity at 74 and was buried beside Mumtaz — the only asymmetry in a building designed for perfect symmetry.
January 22, 1666
360 years ago
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