On June 17, 1631, [Mumtaz Mahal](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mumtaz-Mahal), the beloved spouse of Mughal Emperor [Shah Jahan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Jahan), dies while giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Devastated by her death, Shah Jahan decides to build a magnificent mausoleum in her memory. He selects a plot of land on the south bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, which previously housed a mansion belonging to Raja Jai Singh I. In exchange for the land, Shah Jahan offers the Raja a large palace in the center of Agra.