Mahal is from the Persian *maḥall* (محل — palace, place) borrowed from Arabic. **A modern American baby name in the broader Persian-Arabic-Mughal heritage aesthetic**. **Mumtaz Mahal** (Arjumand Banu Begum, 1593-1631) was a Mughal empress and chief consort of Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666). Her regnal title *Mumtaz Mahal* (ممتاز محل — Exalted One of the Palace) was conferred by Shah Jahan after their 1612 marriage. Niece of Nur Jahan, mother of 14 children — including Emperor Aurangzeb, Dara Shikoh, Jahanara Begum, and Roshanara Begum. Her death at age 38 during childbirth at Burhanpur (June 17, 1631) led Shah Jahan to commission the **Taj Mahal mausoleum** (1631-1648) in Agra — a Seven Wonders of the World (Modern, 2007) site, UNESCO World Heritage (1983), receiving over 6 million visitors annually. The Taj Mahal means *Crown of the Palace*.
Featured throughout Mughal heritage and world architecture.
Mahal reduces to six.