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Shah Jahan commissions the Taj Mahal (early 1630s)

Type Event Region Asia Time 1630–1632

In the early 1630s, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ordered the Taj Mahal built on the banks of the river at Agra as the tomb of his beloved wife Mumtaz Ma…

Timeline

  1. 1630Agra Fort · Uttar PradeshAfter acceding to the throne, Shah Jahan continuously promoted palaces, gardens, and public works around Agra and Delhi; the court's system of architects and craftsmen grew increasingly complete, laying the organizational and resource foundation for subsequent large-scale tomb projects.
  2. 1631Burhanpur · Madhya PradeshEmpress Mumtaz Mahal died of illness at Burhanpur while accompanying a military campaign; grief-stricken, Shah Jahan resolved to build for her an unprecedented white marble tomb, sited on the south bank of the Yamuna at Agra.
  3. 1632Taj Mahal construction site (Agra) · Uttar PradeshWork began on the south bank of the Yamuna, drawing architects and craftsmen from across the empire as well as Central Asia and Persia, using white marble and semi-precious stone inlay; the main structure of the Taj Mahal entered the construction phase.

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