Family Business

An attempted murder or to be more precise a failed attempted murder decades later led to one of the most visited and most spectacular buildings in the world.

The story starts at the beginning of the 17th century, when prince Kusru, the oldest son of Mogul Jahangir, tries to kill his father to gain power. That attempt failed, Khusru is blinded and put into jail.

His tomb can be found in a park in the city of Allahabad, where he is buried next to his mother and his sister.

So ... the attempted murder failed and therefor his brother Shah Jahan gained power and became the new mogul.

1631, the second wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, died when she gave birth to her 14th child. Her dead broke Shah Jahans heart and in memory of her he built the legendary Taj Mahal.

It took 8 years to build the Taj Mahal and an additional 14 years to finish the whole project.

Only short time after he finished the tomb, his son Aurangzeb removed him from his throne. Shah Jahan had to live the rest of his life in the Agra fort, 2 kilometers away from his wifes tomb.

Only form that distance he was able to see the Taj Mahal for the rest of his life. But when he died he returned to the Taj Mahal and was buried next to his beloved wife.