Noble Blood - Love and Tragedy at the Taj Mahal

Episode Date: June 11, 2024

The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, a tourist destination that attracts travelers from all over the globe. But the story of its construction is fascinating—a monument (sorry) to lasting love and an intricate architectural celebration of a diverse empire. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble Blood merch — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcast presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the hips since high school.

Absolutely. A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey. With all the snacks and drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? They hit a bogo. Well, then you got it. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of IHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener discretion advised. One quick bit of housekeeping before we get started. First, thank you for listening. This is Dana Schwartz, obviously. If you want to support the show, we have a Patreon. Patreon. patreon.com slash Noble Blood Tales. I publish an episode scripts with some extra bonus content. I do a series rewatching the CW series Rain and going over it every episode. It's about Mary Queen of Scots. If you have not seen that show, it is just, it's a wild ride. And also, maybe the Patreon perk I'm most excited about, we have these gorgeous tarot card style stickers of the six wives of Henry the 8th that are completely exclusive to Patreon subscribers. So if you join four times a year, you'll get sent like an exclusive sticker pack and get these truly gorgeous stickers that I'm obsessed with.

But of course, the best support for the show is just listening. Or if you want a different form of Dana Schwartz-related content, my novel's Anatomy a Love Story and Immortality A Love Story just came out in paperback. So if you've been looking for an excuse to read books about 19th century Edinburgh in the bathtub or on the go, this is your. moment. When asked to think of a famous love story, most people would probably volunteer Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare's most famous couple kept apart by warring families. It's become the default image of love. There have been so many adaptations of that story, and it just demonstrates how enduring that narrative is. What is perhaps most compelling about their love, though, is the tragic ending. The teenager's love can never spoil because it can never fully play out.

While Romeo and Juliet are fictional Veronesei nobility, luckily for us and this podcast, tragedy and compelling love stories abound in history. Take, for example, Napoleon and Josephine, whom we've covered before on this show. Napoleon became infatuated with Josephine in the late 1790s, and despite Josephine being an older widowed mother, they married. And while their marriage was a passionate relationship, both full of love and sometimes contempt, what ultimately ended their marriage was politics. Josephine's inability to give Napoleon the air he desperately needed.

Even after their annulment, they stayed close and they were rumored to still be deeply in love, although they were never to be reunited. When Napoleon was sent into exile, Josephine is said to have begged Tsar Alexander I of Russia to let her join him. Sadly, she never would, as Josephine would die while Napoleon was on Elba. In perhaps the most romantic, cinematic ending to that story, Napoleon's last word when he died on St. Helena was Josephine. Speaking of Russia, the love story of the last Tsar and Sarina of the Romanov dynasty tracked a disastrous and very sad path. Nicholas II of Russia fell deeply in love with his cousin Alex of Hess as a young teenager.

Many years later, their love flourished, and it became clear that it was true love. Although the couple were perfect for each other, they were not perfect for the Russian people. As we covered very early on this show in an episode called Ever Dearest Cousin Nikki, Tsar Nicholas was toppled by the Communist Red Army in 1917 and his family was taken captive by the provisional government. In the middle of the night on January 17, 1918, the entire family was surprised with an execution by firing squad in the basement of their makeshift prison in Eccatronburg.

While Alexandra and Nicholas had their crowns, titles, lifestyle, and ultimately lives taken away, they did die at each other's sides. We've explored many tragic love stories like those on Noble Blood, and what makes them so sad, I think, is that these couples never get the happy ending that were primed to believe that all love stories deserve. People in love should get. to live happily ever after. That's what the stories have taught us. But of the many, many couples we've discussed on this show, none have left as monumental a legacy as that of Shei Jahan and Mumtas Mahal.

Their names might sound vaguely familiar, but it is the monument that was built as a testament to their love that almost everyone on earth would recognize, a symbol probably as well-known. a symbol probably as well known as Romeo and Juliet. The Taj Mahal. I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is Noble Blood. If you were to ask someone in the Western world to think of India, one of the first images that probably pops into their heads is the Taj Mahal. Located in Agra, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India,

the Taj Mahal sits on 42 acres of land, at a bend in the Yamuna River. The monument reaches 73 meters or 240 feet at its tallest and is built almost entirely out of marble. The central building features massive arch-shaped doorways that lead to the inner chamber. The roof of the building consists of four small domes and one large dome that looms large over the structure.

Almost every square inch is jewel-encrusted or engraved with floral patterns of verses from the Quran. Surrounding the Taj Mahal are lush gardens and wide-reflecting pools. But why waste any more time describing it? You are probably already familiar with it. The massively starkly white monument has become a national symbol, both in likeness and in name. And I encourage you, if you are unfamiliar, take two minutes and go look up photos of the Taj Mahal. Remind yourself just how spectacular it is. What many people might not know is the reason the Taj Mahal was built.

It's not a temple or a palace, but a tomb, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Moumhtaz Mahal. Further, people often take for granted the... religious and cultural practices that influenced the way that the monument was built and designed. So in this episode, I'm going to recount the love story that inspired the Taj Mahal and walk through what led to its creation and the maintenance of this world wonder. And our story begins in northern India in the 16th century. The Mughal Empire, not to be confused with the Mongol Empire, ruled over parts of modern day, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh from 1526 BCE to 1857 BC. Calling this empire, the Mughal Empire, is a Western convention, as the Mughals themselves called their dominion, Hindustan, or similar derivations of that name.

but the Western name is helpful to illustrate how this empire argued for its own legitimacy. The first Mughal emperor, Babur, was a central Asian prince who claimed descent from two great emperors, Timur, also known as Tamerlane on his father's side, and Genghis Khan on his mothers. Thus, Babur's legitimacy partially relied on those dynastic, empirical connections. The term Mughal represents that connection as it is the Indo-Persian form of Mongol. The Mughal Empire is known for simultaneously controlling a wide swath of land and people without suppressing local cultures and religions. The ruling elite sought not to spread their culture or religion,

but just to conquer land in order to maintain power and, more importantly, gather wealth. and acquire wealth they did. Scholar J.C. Sharman asserts that the Mughal Empire dwarfed the European states of the time in not just wealth, but also population and landmass. Keep in mind that this was the era of the Spanish and Dutch Golden Ages, as well as the height of French opulence being built at Versailles. Europe was not doing too badly for itself during this period, but the Mughals, they were doing better.

They taxed their subjects to achieve their wealth, but this was about as much as was required of the subjects. There was no compulsory religion or cultural practices, so as long as they paid their taxes, locals were free to do as they pleased. To return to Babur, Babur's son, Humayan, briefly ruled following Babur's death in 1530, but it was under Humayon's son, Akbar, that the Mughal Empire really began to flee. Under Akbar, the empire expanded to include almost the entire Indian subcontinent. By the time Akbar died, his empire encompassed roughly 115 million people, or 20% of the world's estimated population. To accumulate that massive territory, Akbar led numerous military campaigns and political missions. He also extended the empire's power and sphere of influence through,

strategic trade relations with European trading companies, including the British East India Company. With the massive wealth, Akbar accumulated, he patronized artisans, poets, artists, and holy men. His financial investment into cultural realms led to the birth of a distinctly Mughal artistic style. Returning to the religious tolerance that I mentioned was a major characteristic of the Mughal Empire, it was Akbar who epitomized that tolerance. The Mughal Empire and the Indian subcontinent contained a myriad of different religions and sects at that time, including Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, and Jainism.

The Mughal elite were themselves Muslim, but instead of cracking down on the diversity of religion and forcing Islam onto his subjects, Akbar fostered acceptance of all religions, through formal policy. He also sponsored dialogues and debates between holy men of different faiths, even going so far as to include Jesuit missionaries in those conversations. But this episode is not about Akbar, it is about his grandson, Emperor Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan was the fifth ruler of the Mughal Empire and in many ways maintained the status quo set by his grandfather. Although he was more

religiously orthodox than his grandfather Akbar had been and can be categorized as a devout Muslim, Shah Jahan continued policies of religious tolerance. He too, again much like Akbar, led successful military campaigns across the subcontinent and furthered the expanding Mughal influence and power. With regards to his personal life, Shah Jahan continued the Mughal tradition of polygamy. In Mughal India, polygamy was common amongst the highest levels of society across faiths. Shah Jahan had four wives, and each marriage presented a beneficial political alliance. His marriages to his first and third wives cemented a bond with a prominent Persian family in court. Similarly, the marriage to his second wife,

Mumtaz Mahal, intertwined Shah Jahan's family with her powerful up-and-coming family. The Shah's fourth marriage was to his half-cousin, who was a princess of a clan that was conquered by the Mughals. Thus, that marriage offered a symbolic sense of peace between the conqueror and the conquered. Although all of those marriages were politically expedient, only the marriage between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal developed into a deeper love. In just one example of the vast documentation of their love. Shah Jahan's court historian noted that the emperor's, quote, whole delight was centered on this illustrious lady to such an extent that he did not feel toward the others one thousandth part of the affection that he did for her, which must not have felt great for them, but we don't even

need to look at court records to tell us that there was a deeper connection happening between those two. If we simply look at the numbers, it's plain to see that Shah Jahan had a particular affection for Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal gave birth to all but one of Shah Jahan's children, giving birth to 14 in total. For her to carry all but one of his children and to have so many children is by itself a testament to their connection. But even more so is the fact that Mumtaz Mahal's 14 children were born in the span of 18 years, all while traveling with her husband on his numerous military campaigns. They were literally always together. Unfortunately, after many successful pregnancies on the road, the birth of Mumtaz Mahal's 14th child was too difficult to endure.

After struggling through 30 hours of labor and a postpartum hemorrhage, she, quote, looked on the king with despair and tears in her eyes and admonished him to take good care of her children and her own aged father and mother when she was herself no more. Despite the best attempts by midwives, doctors, and her ladies in waiting, Mumtaz Mahal passed away at the age of 39 after giving. giving birth. Shah Jahan was utterly shattered. His beloved wife had been taken from him far too soon. His grief was almost all-consuming, and he certainly could not proceed with life as normal. For at least a week after Mumtaz Mahal's death, the emperor refused to conduct any official state business. All nobles and advisors were turned away as he hid himself and wallowed in his grief. This loss stayed with Shahjahan for many years. He forswore luxuries like jewelry, perfume, and music for two years, and his beard allegedly turned white from his stress and despair. Every Friday, for months after his wife's passing, Shahjahan would visit her grave and recite the prayer for the departed, the fatih. But her grave was located in Burhanpur, where his army has been. had been stationed when she passed. But when it was time for the army to leave, the emperor had faced a

dilemma. He couldn't just leave his beloved there as he returned home, nor could he bury her in any normal tomb. And so as soon as he returned to his home base in Agra, he picked out the location on the Yamuna River where he would bury Mumtas Mahal and build her tomb. It would take six months for her body to be transported there, but once she arrived, construction of her resting place officially began. Shahjahan turned to his court architect, Ustad Iman Lahore, to design and lead the building process of the tomb. Lahori had a tall order, not just in being asked to build a tomb worthy of the emperor's favorite deceased wife, but also in that he essentially had to create a new architectural style. Remember that the Mughal Empire was tolerant of many religions and contained

many different ethnic groups. Know also that the Mughals didn't really have their own distinct architectural style at this point. So Lahore leaned into their cultural acceptance in order to synthesize a brand new style influenced by first the architectural style of the Mughal's rulers' ancestral homelands in Central Asia. and the buildings built previously by Muslim rulers in India, and the even older styles indigenous to India. The Mughals were quite proud of their heritage. As I previously mentioned,

they descended from Genghis Khan and Tamerlane massive forces in Asian history. As such, they were keen to associate themselves with those emperors, Tamerlane in particular, and utilized that building style to do it. Timurid architecture is characterized by the presence of domes and intricate geometric patterns. The tomb of the second Mughal Emperor Humian, Shahjahan's great-grandfather, is a fantastic example of a Mughal building inspired by Central Asian architectural traditions.

In fact, Lahori looked at that tomb in order to inform his understanding of that style. It was important for Lahorei to also incorporate Muslim artistic traditions in the design of the Taj Mahal. The Mughals were themselves Muslim, and therefore Moumthaz Mahal's tomb had to adhere to Muslim conventions. Some of the defining characteristics of Indo-Islamic architecture from before the Mughals included ornate minarets or towers used to call people to prayer, and intricately decorated mirabs or niches in the wall used to indicate the direction of Mecca. We can see in particular the tradition of minarets in the design of the Taj Mahal. The four towers at the corners of the larger mausoleum are a prime example of ornate minarets. Because the Mughal Empire encompassed areas that had a centuries-long history of Muslim rulership and architecture,

Lahore had ample examples of Indo-Islamic architecture to turn to when designing and constructing the Taj Mahal. While those first two sources of inspiration came from aspects of elite-Mughal identity that were arguably foreign to the Indian subcontinent, the third stylistic inspiration came from the people who were actually building the tomb, Indian architects, the people who would be lending their expertise, and talent to constructing Mumtaz Mahal's tomb. While certainly learned in those other styles, we're able to contribute skills that wouldn't have been seen in Timurid or Indo-Islamic architecture, primarily stone carving. India has an abundance of stone with which to carve, something not found in the desert of Western or Central Asia. As much, Indian architects over the centuries had perfected their ability to carve stone and marble. We can attribute the brilliant white color of the Taj Mahal

to its marble facade, something that they were able to create due to that vast stone carving tradition. Of course, all of those styles were not distinct and had a lot of overlapping features. But I think it's fascinating to see just how much of a melting pot the Mughal Empire was and seeing that physically in front of you based on the different styles and cultural traditions reflected in the Taj Mahal. Now, like I said, designing and constructing the Taj Mahal was no small task, and Ustad Ahmed Lahori did not undertake it alone. He managed a board of architects who collectively oversaw more than 20,000 workers and artisans. These craftspeople came from across the Asian and even European continent, with some artisans coming from as far as Italy.

Starting in 1631, construction began as people started hauling imported marble to the site, started hoisting materials up with complex poly systems and securing the foundations of the building. They meticulously carved the marble and delicately inlaid, precious stoneed throughout the entire structure, both on the exterior and the interior. Understandably, it took them 12 years for the tomb to be finished, and even longer to finish outlying structures and the gardens. All in all, the Taj Mahal would be complete in 1653, more than 20 years after Shahjahan commissioned it.

I've focused on the building, but I don't want to overlook the importance of the gardens and ponds surrounding the mausoleum. We can classify the entire complex as a, quote, Shahbagh, or a type of garden with four quadrants, separated by waterways, meant to reflect depictions of paradise found in the Quran. At the Taj Mahal, there are four ponds or reflecting pools extending out from the center of the garden, just like the four rivers that extended from the Garden of Eden. Lahorei in building Mumtazmahal's tomb in an expansive Sharbag garden was creating an idyllic place for the tomb, a facsimile of the Garden of Eden. In essence, she was to be laid to rest

in paradise. Ultimately, the Taj Mahal would be not just Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, but Shahjahan's as well. Shortly after the tomb was complete, Shahjahan was overthrown by his and Mumtaz Mahal's son, Arang Zeb. When Shahjahan became gravely ill in 1658, Arangzeb and his brothers sensed that the issue of succession was rapidly approaching, so they began to face off for their father's throne. Ultimately, Arang Zeb defeated his brothers in the battle for power by either killing them or running them out of the empire. But the one thing standing in his way was still his father, who did not die like it had seemed like he would. Unable to commit patricide, Arangzeb placed Shahjahan under house arrest in the fort of Agra. Here, Shahjahan was essentially siloed, unable to lead the empire,

but he was able to live out his days with almost any or everything that he could have wanted. And although he was unable to leave the grounds, he was still able to gaze across the river and admire his beloved resting place. Eight years later, when Shahjahan finally passed, his son had him interred alongside his mother, Mumtaz Mahal. Kept apart for 30 years, the couple finally reunited and under the majestic domes is where the couple currently rest, side by side for eternity. One brief side note, if you've heard the rumor that Shah Jahan cut off the hands of every worker who built the Taj Mahal so that they could never construct anything that beautiful again,

it is just that. It is a rumor. There is actually no historical evidence of that at all. Unfortunately, the 20 years of hard work that had gone into building the immaculate Taj Mahal were undone a century later. When Shah Jahan was no longer around to protect the complex and the luxurious trappings inside, it became a target of theft by those within and without the Mughal Empire. In 1720, an influential Mughal courtier removed the sheets of pearl that encased the two sarcophagi.

In 1761, the ruler of the kingdom of Bartpur laid siege on Agra, ultimately taking over control of the city and the Taj Mahal from the Mughal Empire. Their ruler, Maharaja Surajmal, decided to take the massive silver doors of the tomb so that he could melt the silver down. A Mughal historian of the time also records that during that period of Baratpur control, the central 15-foot-gold finial or ornamental spire at the top of a roof was taken as well. In general, with no one there who actively took care of the complex protecting it, the Taj Mahal fell into disrepair. But given the fact that we all know of the Taj Mahal and how spectacular it is, people have since stepped up to preserve and protect it. In the late 19th century during the British Raj, Viceroy Corzone undertook the first major restoration project of the Tajmahal,

during which he added a chandelier to the main interior chamber. Since then, the Indian government has put in place regulations to prevent air pollution from degrading the marble and turning the monument a yellow-brown color. There is now a 4,000 square mile area around the Taj Mahal in which there are incredibly strict emissions regulations. Further adding a layer of protection, the tomb is now designated as a UNESCO,

World Heritage Site, which comes with a variety of legal safeguards that will hopefully preserve the monument into perpetuity. But it's not just these government agencies and institutions that show us how special the Taj Mahal is. Last year, over 5 million people visited the site, and pre-pandemic, the visitor numbers exceeded 6 million. The site is among the top 10 most visited tourist destinations in the entire world, competing with the Vatican, the Eiffel Tower, and the forbidden city in Beijing. People all over the world continue to travel to Agra, specifically to see the tomb that a bereft husband built for his beloved wife. The magnitude of the legacy of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal cannot be overstated. So next time you see an Indian

restaurant named after the Taj Mahal or a tea blend borrowing the name, I hope you think of that couple and the depth of their love across time. Keep listening after a short sponsor break to hear a little bit more about another tragic love story that connects to the Taj Mahal. Everyone, I'm Ago Vodam. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and The Big Money Players Network. It's Will Farrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot.

I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up-and-coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved.

And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're, danging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from stepbrother. Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell.

Woo. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place they come look for up-and-coming talent.

He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Since I opened this episode with some tragic love stories, I felt it was only fitting to end with one. If you didn't know any better, you could just assume that the bench at the end of the reflecting pool in front of the Taj Mahal was just a regular old bench. But that bench has managed to become incredibly important for the British royal family. Prince Charles, now King Charles III of England, is a known indiafile.

He has traveled to the country 10 times and even spent his 71st birthday there. On his second trip to India, the then-32-year-old prince, was one of the most eligible bachelors in the world. On that trip, he visited the Taj Mahal, where he took a photo seated on the aforementioned bench. While talking to reporters at the monument, he proudly proclaimed, I can understand that love could make a man build the Taj Mahal for his wife. One day I would like to bring my own back here. It would take 10 years for Charles to return to India, but once he and Princess Diana announced their February 1992 tour to India,

it appeared as though he was following through on his proclaimed wish to share the beautiful Taj Mahal with him. his wife. However, Charles did not visit the Taj Mahal on that trip. Instead, Princess Diana would visit the Taj Mahal alone after keeping reporters waiting for a number of hours, uncertain whether or not she would even come. When she did finally arrive, she sat down for photos on the very same bench, where Charles had sat a decade earlier. Photographer Anwar Hussein was there on that day and recalls Diana's demeanor as she sat in front of one of the most ostentatious symbols of love.

He said, quote, she looked sad and she knew which way the story would go. She was very clever. There were other pictures taken that day on another bench when she seemed to be contemplating things. Those photos only bolstered the rumors circulating about the couple's strained marriage. It wouldn't even be a year later that Charles and Diana would announce their divorce. When Prince William and Princess Kate visited India in 2016, they too visited the Taj Mahal. Everyone was on pins and needles to see if the couple would sit on the very same bench,

where William's father and his late mother had both sat separately years before. The couple did end up sitting at that bench for photos, together, in a way reclaiming the bench and all that it came to symbolize. Noble Blood is a production of I Heart Radio and Grimmin'Mild from Aaron Menke. Noble Blood is hosted by me, Danish Schwartz, with additional writing and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zwick, Courtney Sender, Julia Melani, and Armand Kasam. The show is edited and produced by Noammy Griffin and Rima Il K. Ali, with supervising producer Josh Thane and executive producers Aaron Manky, Alice. Alex Williams and Matt Frederick.

For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and IHart Podcasts presents soccer moms. So I'm Leanne. Yeah. This is my best friend, Janet. Hey.

And we have been joined at the hips since high school. Absolutely. A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey with all the snacks and drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer?

They had a bogo. Well, then you got it. Listen to soccer moms on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.