Last Days of Shah Jahan
The last days of Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, was spent as a prisoner in the Shah Burj of the Agra Fort for eight years. Though he was allowed all comforts in the prison and was attended by his favorite daughter Jahanara Begum, he was very closely watched and not allowed any access to the people outside. Nor was he permitted to correspond with anybody or allowed to see anyone except in the presence of Aurangzeb’s agents. A bitter correspondence ensued between the father and the son and Aurangzeb blamed him for a partiality towards Dara and asked him to submit with resignation to the Divine Will. The captive ex-emperor was deeply offended by these acts of his son.
It is said that the love of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal was immortal and Shah Jahan kept on gazing at the Taj Mahal till his last moment. Shah Jahan began to spend his time in meditation and prayer. He fell ill in January 1666 and after having made his will he died on January 22, 1666 . He was buried by the side of Mumtaz Mahal in the Taj Mahal at Agra.
