The Brutal True Taj Mahal Story, in 3 Minutes (+10 Great Facts)

ByVictoria Philpott Last Updated:

Often cited as the epitome of a love story, I’ve found that the tale of the Taj Mahal isn’t quite the pure symbol of love people like to make it out to be. Here’s the real Taj Mahal story, as told to me by a guide while I was there…

Love the Taj Mahal

I knew the Taj Mahal in Agra was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a dedication to his late wife, but that was about it. After visiting this week during my three weeks in India I’ve got a whole new perspective on just how romantic this Shah Jahan really was.

Was the Taj Mahal built by slaves?

I know a lot of people are reading this post to find out if the Taj Mahal was built by slaves. Well, I answer that question below using the information that was given to me on my tour of the Taj Mahal.

I was on a tour that was actually meant for Indians, but I’d accidentally independently booked it while I was travelling India. If you want to know more about the slaves and the Taj Mahal, and the Taj Mahal story, read on.

The true story of the Taj Mahal

Exploring the Taj Mahal

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal met when he was 20 and already had two wives he’d married at 16 and 18. He was muslim so of course this was nothing out of the ordinary. They married and the four of them lived together in the huge Agra Fort, and Mumtaz soon became his favourite.

She ended up bearing him 14 children in 10 years, but sadly died during the birth of the final one. She knew there was a problem and with minutes to live made him promise three things.