Mumtaz Mahal (1 September 1593 – 17 June 1631) [mumˈt̪aːz mɛˈɦɛl]; meaning "the chosen one of the palace") was a Mughal Empress and chief consort of emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal in Agra was constructed by her husband as her final resting place.Born as Arjumand Banu Begum in Agra in a family of Persian nobility as a daughter of Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, making her a niece and later stepdaughter-in-law of Empress Nur Jehan, the wife of the emperor Jahangir.