Origin and inspiration
Shah Jahan, who commissioned the monument, was a prolific patron with effectively limitless resources. After the death of Mumtaz, Shah Jahan was reportedly inconsolable, and soon after he began construction of the Taj. His lavish aesthetic and romantic nature is apparent in every aspect of the Taj. Shah Jahan was the most prolific builder of all the Mughal Emperors. Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz, was his constant companion. She bore him fourteen children and died during the birth of the last child. He had created the gardens and palaces of Shalimar in honor of Mumtaz.