Empress Mumtaz Mahal

Mumtaz Mahal was the beloved wife of Mughal emperor Shahjahan, and the inspiration behind the building of the Tajmahal. She was one of the two great Mughal women, the other one being her maternal aunt Nurjahan, who was the source of several reforms and the opening of new avenues for women. Mumtaz Mahal too manifested in her life the highest kind of love, devotion and service to her husband, inspiring him to rule justly. For immortalising their love, Shahjahan, after her death, created in her memory, the Tajmahal., her last home and mausoleum.

Mumtaz Mahal which literally means the crowning beauty of the palace, was the title Shahjahan had awarded to his wife Arjumand Banu Begum after she was married to him. Her aunt Nurjahan was the wife of Jahangir (father of Shahjahan). Initially Nurjahan greatly favored her niece and her husband Shahjahan. But when her daughter from a previous marriage Ladli begum was married to another of Jahangir's sons, she became biased against Mumtaz Mahal. Shahjahan was charged of rebellion and he had to flee the capital city. He was given a hot pursuit. During this phase of struggle uncertainties, insecurity and miseries, Mumtaz Mahal was his only friendly counsel. She bore him fourteen children and incidentally met her death while delivering a child. When she died, she was at Burhanpur and was hence buried there. It was only after the Tajmahal had been built that her mortal remains were transferred to her new abode.

In this portrait her likeness has been brought out with great accuracy. Her large eyes, thick deep eye-brows, oval face, large forehead, long, thick dark hair, gold-like complexion, her typical crown are all features that her contemporary portraits reveal.

To find his figure's form, and the rich tones of his delicately used gold, pink and pale yellow against a similar plain background was itself a difficult task. But the artist has proved up to it.