Secrets of the Taj Mahal Page #2

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and there was a notion of affection

there wasn't notion of family

and there was a notion of affection

but this feeling recede

into the background

and then that particular vision

of acquiring power for yourself

and to rule the country

or Empire as you see fit

becomes the rationale

behind all the violence

that is perpetrate

with his rival is gone

Shah Jehan seizes the throne

his crowned emperor in 1628

in the red fort in Agra

his crowned emperor in 1628

in the red fort in Agra

Shah Jehan soon proves himself

a wise and moderate ruler

he guides the empire to

even greater prosperity

Mumtaz Mahal stays in the background,

but she is one the Shah's

most important advisors

this Mogul dynasty seems

to have a glorious future

perhaps it will be equal

the illustrious past

the moguls are descended from the

greatest warlod of them all: Gengis Khan

That distant ancestors were fierce

warrior of the Asian steppes:

the Mongols

a mere 100 years before

Shah Jahan's rise to power

the Mughals swept down from the north

onto the plains of India

their cannons crushed one Indian city

after another

by the time of Shah Jehan the

moguls controlled most of India

The first time this great

land has been unified

in nearly two thousand years

the Mughal rulers bring

their faith with them, Islam.

after hinduism Islam soon

becomes India's second religion

but the invaders don't

impose it on the people

they seek a balance between the cultures

the local lords proclaimed

religious tolerance

more than a hundred million people

now see business and industry,

science and art flourish

artists that court portray

their rulers as god-like being

there are no limits to

the great moguls power

Shah Jehan hold sway over his subjects

over life and deaths

his word is law throughout the empire

this just ruler leads

the country to prosperity

and stability

the court chronicle records

that Shah Jehan brings the people

abundant joy and happiness

and the Shah Jehan mogul rule in India

reaches its dazzling zenith

but now his greatest legacy the Taj

Mahal symbol of the Indian Nation

is under threat

but now his greatest legacy the Taj

Mahal symbol of the Indian Nation

is under threat

this has been a

high-security zone since 2006

after bomb threats from terrorists

and religious fundamentalists

it's guarded around the clock

access to the mausoleum

is tightly controlled

filming at the magnificent

interior is forbidden

no one knows how long the Taj

will need this kind of protection

art historian ever call,

was able to study the Taj before

the restrictions came into force

she is the international experts

on the building and its history

she has also decoded the religious

symbolism of the the monument

Taj Mahal is the architectural

embodiment of this life

and the next according to Islamic belief

the ground plan shows this duality

the complex is split between

the tomb garden with its mosoleum

and a worldly side meant

for bazaars and markets

what's interesting is

that the worldly side is

the mirror image of a mausoleum side

connecting square was

the great main gate

marks the transition to the tomb garden

and opens up the view to the mausoleum

at the center at the

mausoleum is the Holy of Holies

the most splendid room in the

Taj Mahal the final resting place

of Shah Jehan's bride

the most splendid room in the

Taj Mahal the final resting place

of Shah Jehan's bride

Mumtaz Mahal the

chosen one of the palace

lead a luxurious life in the

woman apartments of the Red Fort

poets admire her grace and charm

even the moon they say,

hides from her beauty in shame

the first lady at the

empire is fabulously wealthy

she has huge resources

she was the highest recipient of..

money in the entire Harem

being though chief queen

or the most beloved queen of the Emperor

because payments in the harem

were graded. We have very

interesting accounts of

graded payments, from very huge

amount to a very small amount.

And on top of this there were gifts,

very very exquisite expensive

gifts, on various occasions

The riches of The Mogul

dynasty are legendary.

both men and women wear jewelry

for the men its a sign of nobility

and they give precious jewels

to their favorites in the harem

its endless supply of gems makes

India the treasure house have the world

in the Mogul Empire the Indian

art of jewelry reaches its peak

precious stones, decorate statues,

furniture weapons and fabrics

even today works by mogul

craftsman command the highest prices

the same is true India's textiles.

cotton has been woven here for

more than four thousand years

this is still a vital industry in India

under the Mughals India became

the world's leading exporter

of precious fabrics

The rulers, The Great

Mogul and his family

cashed in on the trade.

The rulers, The Great

Mogul and his family

cashed in on the trade.

Shah Jehan has a special

duty to his dynasty

to produce heirs.

His wives in the harem gave him children

but as the Chronicles tell us

once they've done their duty

these women are his wives in name only

Shah Jehan harem may

once have been a love nest

soon it comes to resemble a nursery.

the harem is not an informal

entirely in formal space

it's a space with a certain protocol

it is a space with a certain hierarchy

it is a space with the whole

set of rules and regulations

with the Empire at peace there's

plenty of leisure time to fill

the moguls enjoyment of

alcohol and opium is legendary

Shah Jehan and Mumtaz Mahal are

together every possible moment

as The Chronicles we called

the mutual affection and

harmony between the two

had reached the degree never

seen between a husband and a wife

among the classes of rulers

or among the other people

the Imperial Chronicle

describes their life that court

the intimacy deep affection

attention and favour which his Majesty

had for the chosen one of the palace

exceeded by a thousand times

what he felt for any other

for Shah Jehan the happiness

of Mumtaz Mahal is paramount

if you look at the

wardrobe of the Emperor

if you look at his private chambers

if you look at the shelf which

displays all the perfumes,

oinments, oil, and a

whole range of aphrodisiacs

then you would perhaps know that

there is a lot of interest to develop

in too good lovers to aqcuire emotions

or to release emotions in a

way that would revitalized them

or rejuvenate them

her husband's love is shared

and returned by Mumtaz Mahal

from the depths of her soul

and always that lady love

the age was the companion

close confidante associate

and intimate friend

of that successful ruler

in hardship and comfort

joy and grief, when

traveling or in residence

fortuna smiles on the king of the world

but not for long

there is unrest in the empire

in 1629 reports reach

Agra of another uprising

a distant provinces rebelled

against the Empire again

this means war

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