Many of us have always hailed the Taj Mahal as the greatest symbol of love. The Taj Mahal, a monument built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal is often regarded as one of the world’s biggest wonders. However, a deeper examination of history reveals that the Taj Mahal is not an ideal representation of true love. While its architectural beauty is undeniable, and it also contributes a lot to the tourism sector, the story behind the monument raises questions about the nature of Shah Jahan’s love. It makes us think if this monument should actually be glorified as a romantic gesture. If we examine carefully, several historical and ethical factors challenge the Taj Mahal’s status as a symbol of eternal love. Here, we explore five key reasons why the Taj Mahal should not be viewed as an emblem of love.
A Monument of Grief, Not Love
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum, a grand tomb built for Mumtaz Mahal after her death. Love is about life, companionship, and devotion, but the Taj Mahal represents death and mourning. Unlike structures built to celebrate love, such as temples dedicated to gods and lovers or palaces built for queens, this monument was built after the woman had died, making it more of a symbol of loss and grief rather than enduring love.
Furthermore, Shah Jahan, despite his grief, continued his lavish lifestyle and planned to build another black Taj Mahal for himself. This indicates that the monument was more about his grand vision and legacy rather than a pure symbol of love.
Shah Jahan’s Polygamous Nature Contradicts Romantic Love
Shah Jahan had multiple wives, and Mumtaz Mahal was just one of them—though his favourite. Most of us would agree that true love is committed, and mutual, but Shah Jahan’s actions do not align with that ideal.
A ruler who truly saw Mumtaz as his one great love would not have continued to have other wives and concubines after her death. This raises the question—was the Taj really about eternal love, or just about honoring a favorite wife among many?
Mumtaz Mahal Died Due to Continuous Pregnancies
Mumtaz Mahal died during childbirth, giving birth to her 14th child. She was continuously pregnant throughout her life, which raises concerns about her well-being and health in the marriage. Instead of a fairy-tale romance, her life was one of constant pregnancies, which eventually led to her untimely death at the age of 38.
A relationship that leads to a woman’s early death due to excessive childbirth cannot be idealized as a great love story. Instead, it reflects the harsh realities of women in the past, even in royal life, where women were expected to bear many children regardless of how it impacts their health.
The Exploitation of Workers for Its Construction
Exploitation of Workers and Suffering
The Taj Mahal was built using the labour of over 20,000 workers, many of whom suffered harsh conditions. According to some accounts, workers’ hands were cut off to prevent them from building a similar monument again, although historical accuracy on this is debated.
Regardless, the construction took 22 years, during which thousands toiled, suffered, and even many lost their lives. Many historical accounts also state that the massive project drained resources, leading to economic strain, and some historical accounts suggest that famine and hardships worsened in the empire due to Shah Jahan’s poor decisions. Sadly, the credit for the monument always goes to Shahjahan. some historical accounts suggest that famine and hardships worsened in the empire due to Shah Jahan’s extravagance. A true symbol of love should uplift people, not be built on their pain and suffering, who did not even get proper credit. Instead, the Taj was a display of imperial vanity, built at the cost of human lives and hardship.
His own son disliked the Taj Mahal
Aurangzeb, the son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, disliked the Taj Mahal for multiple reasons. Despite being one of the worst tyrants in history, even Aurangzeb saw it as a wasteful, extravagant project that drained the empire’s resources. Unlike his father, Aurangzeb was strict, frugal, and focused on military expansion and religious orthodoxy. Therefore, he stopped spending on its maintenance, leading to its gradual neglect. His lack of interest in preserving his own mother’s tomb is further proof that the Taj Mahal was not a universally accepted symbol of love, even within the Mughal dynasty itself!
Conclusion
While the Taj Mahal is an architectural masterpiece, it is not a true symbol of love. It represents grief, polygamy, exploitation, and imperial arrogance rather than romantic devotion. If we must admire it, it should be for its artistic brilliance, not as an example of eternal love.
