Why is shah jahan important

Beforehand however, in AD, Khurram had been betrothed to Arjumand Bano Begum, the grand daughter of a Persian noble, who was just 14 years old at the time. She would become the unquestioned love of his life and they were married in AD. According to the official court chronicler Qazwini, the relationship with his other wives "had nothing more than the status of marriage.

Shah Jahan was utterly devoted to Mumtaz Mahal, who was his constant companion and trusted confidante and their relationship was intense. Shah Jahan was the fifth Mogul emperor of India. During his reign, from to , the Mogul Empire reached its zenith in prosperity and luxury. He is remembered as the builder of the Taj Mahal. During his father's reign he distinguished himself in many military campaigns, especially in Mewar , the Deccan and , and Kangra During Jahangir's closing years, Shah Jahan came into open conflict with Empress Nur Jahan, but his rebellion against his father, in , was unsuccessful.

On the death of Jahangir on Oct. He was proclaimed emperor at Agra on Feb. Despite his Hindu mother, Shah Jahan did not follow the liberal religious policy instituted by his grandfather, Emperor Akbar.

In he ordered all Hindu temples recently erected or in the process of erection to be torn down. Christian churches at Agra and Lahore were also demolished.

In the same year the Portuguese settlement at Hooghly near Calcutta was also attacked. The Portuguese were accused of piracy and of kidnaping Mogul subjects, infecting them with Christian doctrines, and shipping them as slaves to Europe. The settlement was reduced, and several thousand Christians were killed. Between and Shah Jahan reduced the independent kingdoms of the Deccan.

Ahmadnagar was taken in , Golkonda in , and Bijapur in In the northwest, however, imperial armies were unsuccessful. A tussle over the royal seal ends with her fall from the throne, and soon Mumtaz dies in childbirth. The play is open-ended - it doesn't say in so many words that Mumtaz was killed. But it does leave one with a lingering suspicion, that perhaps the emperor did have a role in her death. The departure from accepted historical fact certainly didn't trouble the audience the night I went along - they gave it a standing ovation, and there have been rave reviews.

The Deccan Herald welcomed the fact that "what has been etched in our memories" had been questioned and the audience challenged to look at events from a female perspective. So, as some critics are asking - is the Taj Mahal truly "a monument to murder"? Well, it really is a work of fiction - there is no suggestion in history that she could have been murdered.

Mr Hiro says it is actually "faction" - where "fiction blends ingeniously with facts" to create interesting drama. Taj Mahal gets mud-pack treatment. Taj Mahal brought online by Google. Indian builds a Taj Mahal for his wife. Dubai to build Taj Mahal replica. Epicentre Theatre.