The modern woman is most likely jaded by love. The institution of marriage has been defiled by a perverse false commitment in so many instances. How do women reclaim their school girl notions that such a passion can exist for two people? Perhaps, if the story of Arjumand Banu Begum (also known as Mumtaz Mahal) and Prince Khurram (also known as Shah Jahan) were splashed on the cover of more magazines, there would be a renewed celebration of the power of love and all of the combustible emotions that it stirs up. As Women’s Herstory Month continues, I will review the story of Mumtaz Mahal. She is the woman who requested for the finest temple to be built in her memory, and out of dutiful love, her request remains granted.
Arjumand Banu Begum was a fourteen year old girl who fell in love at first sight. The man who captured the glance of this remarkable beauty was Prince Khurram. Accounts of Arjumand Banu Begum say that Prince Khurram was swooned by ”finding her in appearance and character elect among all the women of the time.” Her beauty was so astonishing that “The moon hid its face in shame before her.”
Mumtaz Mahal was her name meaning: "The Chosen One of the Palace"
The Prince would rise to the position of “Shah Jahan” which means “King of the World”. He would see the Mughal Empire at its zenith of power and riches. Precious jewels were abundant in Indian soil and the royals would enjoy a lifestyle to prove it. Throughout his reign, accompanying him was Arjumand Banu Bengum, who he renamed Mumtaz Mahal, meaning “The Chosen One of the Palace”.
The Shah had two other wives and different accounts say Mumtaz Mahal was either his second or third. But a court chronicler of the time writes of their love affair: “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.” The two were devoted to one another. While giving birth to their fourteenth child, Mumtaz Mahal died, leaving her husband Shah Jahan “inconsolable”. It is said that he grieved for two years.
The Shah began constructing the Taj Mahal on the River in Agra, India as a mausoleum to his soul mate, Mumtaz Mahal. It would take 22 years to complete with labor and supplies brought in from all over India and other locations around the world. He would insist on perfection for his deceased wife. The Shah was deposed by his son and kept on house arrest. When he died, his son respectfully buried his father with Mumtaz Mahal in the newly erected Taj Mahal meaning “The Crown Palace”.
There the two remain side by side, to hopefully spend the rest of eternity together. As tourists flock to Agra, I hope that they are in awe not only of the beautiful architecture of this world wonder, but the mission that began its construction. It is indeed an “elegy to love” as some would say. When describing the Taj Mahal, the Shah Jahan said the following:
“Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator’s glory.”
Dare the modern woman start to believe in love again after reading this herstory?
Please stay involved in our Herstory Month Series!
What it takes to make a modern woman
Other Posts by Eryn:
Black History’s Leading Literary Lady
The Black Panther Party For Self Defense
Intelligence of Interference? COINTELPRO and the Black Panther Party
“How they sold Marcus Garvey for rice”-LH
Yes you’re a woman…just a different kind
Vote to Discontinue Black History Month
Where’s my Forty Acres and a Mule
Too black to be white, too white to be black
I don’t date outside my species!
Savagely Celebrating the Negro National Anthem
Eryn is a Bostonian native who currently resides in the Metro New York area. She completed her B.A. in Psychology from St. John’s University where she also studied Mandarin, Chinese. Eryn has conducted psycho-social, medical, and environmental research. When she’s off the clock, Eryn spends time learning about world cultures, languages, and the best restaurants in town. She is currently working on her first novel A Beautiful Autymn. You can find more of Eryn’s work ranging from free-writes, poetry, and social analysis at http://autymn.wordpress.com
[...] The Herstory of the Taj Mahal [...]
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[...] and men sleeping with other women can be found in most accounts of great historical figures. In our Herstory Series, the Shah Jahan had two other wives that he was married to. Mumtaz Mahal, the woman who inspired the building of the Taj Mahal, was aware and for all intents [...]
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