Shah Jahan and Mumtaz's immortal love

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Shah Jahan and Mumtaz's immortal love

Everyone makes promises, but only a few keep them. Otherwise, who would have spent twenty years creating a world-class grave just for their deceased wife? But it was the great emperor Shah Jahan who accomplished it; he may not have become Emperor of the World, but he will always remain the Emperor of Mumtaz. Perhaps God separated them up in the middle because he chose this couple to rewrite the definition of love.

Mohammad Khurram(Shah Jahan) and Arjumand Begum(Mumtaz), Image source- Pinterest

He was traumatized and went into depression for years. He stopped eating and mourned day and night. But in between his plight, he did not forget his wife’s wish. He constructed the Taj Mahal, Agra’s famous monument that still stands as a symbol of their eternal love.

However, Shah Jahan and Mumtaz's love story went through a dark period. Shah Jahan was on a mission to conquer Burhanpur when his wife was pregnant with their fourteenth child. He did not want to leave his wife in this condition, so she accompanied him. Her health deteriorated as a result of the long travel, and she became seriously ill. She was resting inside her Sharmiyana (tent) when she got severe labor pain. Many experienced midwives and doctors surrounded her to ensure her safety.

She groaned with immense pain for nearly 35 hours. The emperor was on his knees praying for his wife’s recovery and waited for the good news. But when he was summoned inside, everything came to a halt. Mumtaz was waiting for him. Her eyes were welling up with tears, and she wanted to lie on his lap for the last time. She took three promises from Shah Jahan: he would look after her children; he would not marry again, and he would build a monument as a symbol of their love. After this, her soul left her body, and Shah Jahan's world had come to an end.

The Mughal Emperor Jahangir welcomed a baby boy named Shahab-ud-din-Mohammed-Khurram into the world in the year 1592. He was born with a silver spoon and was entitled to all of the royal privileges. He was not only loved and adored by his parents, but he was also the darling grandson of his grandfather, Akbar. Khurram was later given the title Shah Jahan, which meant "Emperor of the World," and he came to be known by this name.

Everyone looked out for him, and his wishes were never disregarded. Once, the 14-year-old Prince Khurram was strolling through the Meena bazaar at the Agra fort when his gaze was drawn towards a young Persian girl hawking beautiful jewelry and handicrafts. He was mesmerized and lost in her beauty, as the young Khurram was now in love. The prince's life was now full of wandering thoughts, sleepless nights, and distracted mind. After much effort in trying to find the girl, his inquiry finally came to an end.

The girl was Arjumand Bano Begum, who was the daughter of Asaf Khan, a Persian nobleman, but this was not the most surprising factor of Shah Jahan's love story. He soon came to know about Arjumand’s relationship with his stepmother, Nur Jahan, as she was her niece. This news was enough to delight him, and he rushed toward his father to confess his love for the girl. Jahangir could not deny his request and the pair got married at the age of fifteen. However, because they were too young, they did not stay together. This distance intensified their love for each other, and after five years of courting, they married legally.

Decades passed, and they grew old together, sharing a loving, happy, and trusting relationship. When Shah Jahan ascended the throne, Arjumand became the Empress, he bestowed upon her the title of 'Mumtaz Mahal,' which meant 'jewel of the palace’. Even though he had many other wives apart from Mumtaz, his bond with Mumtaz was special. He never let her out of his sight and spent most of his time in the comforting shade of his dearest wife. With each passing day, the emperor grew more in love with her, and she bore him thirteen children. According to legend, they were inseparable and Mumtaz used to accompany her husband everywhere.