... was built between 1632 and 1653 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a monument to his favourite wife, who had died in 1631 during the birth of their 14th child. Born Arjumand Bano Begum, she was in fact Jahan's first cousin; he renamed her Mumtaz Mahal, which means 'Chosen One of the Palace' or 'Jewel of the Palace'. ('Begum' is an honorific title for a Muslim woman of high social status.)
The name Taj Mahal literally means 'Crown of the Palace' – although it seems to me that the use of the word Mahal is a direct reference to the lady herself, so a more appropriate translation would be 'Crown of Mumtaz Mahal'.
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