Shah Jahan

Ghiyasuddin Shah Jahan (??? ????, also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, etc.; January 5, 1592–January 22, 1666) was the ruler of the Mughal Empire in India from 1628 until 1658. The name Shah Jahan comes from Persian ???????? meaning "The Ruler of the World". Shah Jahan is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal, a shrine to his Persian second wife, Arjumand Bano Begum, popularly known as Mumtaz Mahal ("Ornament of the Palace") whom he married on May 10,1612, at the age of 20.

Accomplishments

Although his father's rule was generally peaceful, the empire was experiencing challenges by the end of his reign. Shah Jahan reversed this trend by putting down a Muslim rebellion in Ahmednagar, repulsing the Portuguese in the Bengal, capturing the Rajput kingdoms of Baglana and Bundelkhand to the west, and the kingdoms of Bijapur and Golconda in the Deccan and the northwest beyond the Khyber Pass. Shah Jahan's military campaigns drained the imperial treasury. Under his rule, the state became a huge military machine and the nobles and their contingents multiplied almost fourfold, so did the demands for more revenue from the peasantry. However, his political efforts encouraged the emergence of large centers of commerce and crafts--such as Lahore, Delhi, Agra, and Ahmadabad--linked by roads and waterways to distant places and ports. He moved the capital from Agra to Delhi, the traditional seat of Muslim power.

Related Topics:
Ahmednagar - Portuguese - Bengal - Rajput - Baglana - Bundelkhand - Bijapur - Golconda - Deccan - Khyber Pass - Agra - Delhi - Muslim

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Under Shah Jahan's rule, Mughal artistic and architectural achievements reached their zenith. Shah Jahan was a prolific builder with a highly refined aesthetic. He build the legendary Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Among his surviving buildings are the Red Fort and Jamia Masjid in Delhi, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore and buildings at the Lahore Fort.

Related Topics:
Taj Mahal - Agra - Mumtaz Mahal - Red Fort - Jamia Masjid - Shalimar Gardens - Lahore - Lahore Fort

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Although the empire's financial expenditures were excessive when resources were shrinking, by the end of Shah Jahan's reign, the empire was again expanding.

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Legend has it that Shah Jahan wanted to build a black Taj Mahal, to match the white one. While sources can be found which support this legendhttp://www.easterncreations.com/hioftajma.html, most discount it.http://www.destinationsindia.com/taj-mahal/black-taj-mahal.htmlhttp://golden-triangle.tajmahalindia.net/taj-mahal/black-taj.htmlhttp://spirituality.indiatimes.com/articleshow/846041.cms

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