Shah Jahan (1592–1666)

The Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. When Shah Jahan built the mausoleum the Mogul Empire had reached its zenith and could ill-afford further extravagant spending. The emperor was dethroned and imprisoned for the last eight years of his life by his son Aurangzeb.

The Mogul emperor Shah Jahan in 1630. Shah Jahan's reign is noteworthy not only for its great architectural projects (of which the Taj Mahal is the most famous), but also for its literary activity and the fostering of arts such as calligraphy and painting. He reputedly had one of the finest collections of jewels in the world, and his court was renown for its magnificence and opulence.

Mogul emperor of India from 1628, under whom the dynasty reached its zenith. Succeeding his father Jahangir, he extended Mogul authority into the Deccan plateau (eastern India), subjugating Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and Golconda 1636, but lost Kandahar in the northwest to the Persians 1653. His reign marked the high point of Indo-Muslim architecture, with Delhi being rebuilt as Shahjahanabad, while the Taj Mahal and Pearl Mosque were constructed at Agra. On falling seriously ill 1658 he was dethroned and imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb.