Who is Arjumand (Mumtaz Mahal) from Beneath a Marble Sky: A Novel of the Taj Mahal and what is their importance?

Arjumand, called Mumtaz Mahal or just Taj, by Emperor Shah Jahan, is Jahanara's mother and the legendary inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Arjumand is wise and beautiful, but she is subject to the same restrictions as every other woman in the harem, a fact that chafes her. Though she dies in childbirth early in Jahanara's story, the young princess spends nearly the rest of the novel trying to live up to the high standard set by her mother.