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In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during Mughal's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. The construction of Taj Mahal begun soon after her death with the principal mausoleum completed in 1648. The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. Over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during its construction.