Mumtaz Mahal

Hello. My name is Mumtaz Mahal, but I was born with a different name: Arjumand Banu Begum. I was born in a beautiful city called Agra on April 27th, 1593. My family was very important in the Mughal Empire. My father was a nobleman, and my aunt was married to the Emperor. I grew up surrounded by beautiful gardens and grand palaces, always dreaming of the future.

When I was 14 years old, in the year 1607, I met a handsome prince named Khurram. It felt like a story from a fairy tale. We fell in love right away. We had to wait five years to get married, but it was worth it. On April 30th, 1612, we had a grand wedding celebration. Prince Khurram loved me so much that he gave me a new name: Mumtaz Mahal, which means 'the Chosen One of the Palace.' I was his most trusted friend and wife.

In 1628, my husband became the emperor, and his name was changed to Shah Jahan. That meant I was the empress. It was a very important job. I did not just stay in the palace; I traveled everywhere with my husband. He asked for my advice on everything, from helping people in our kingdom to planning beautiful buildings. We had a big, happy family with 14 children. I loved being his partner in everything.

My life was full of joy, but after the birth of our 14th child in 1631, I became very ill. My dear husband was heartbroken. I lived to be 38 years old. Shah Jahan wanted the whole world to remember our love story, so he decided to build the most beautiful tomb the world had ever seen for me. This amazing building is called the Taj Mahal. Today, people from all over the world visit it and remember the great love that built it.