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Narrator: THE TAJ MAHAL.
SYMBOL OF INDIA.
ARCHITECTURAL JEWEL.
MONUMENT TO A GRAND PASSION.
THE TAJ MAHAL WAS BUILT IN THE 17th CENTURY
BY SHAH JAHAN, KING OF THE WORLD,
RULER OF INDIA'S MIGHTY MOGUL EMPIRE.
THIS GREAT WARRIOR KING
GAVE THE WORLD AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE,
OF A KIND IT HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
THIS IS HOW IT CAME TO BE MADE.
IT'S ALSO THE LEGEND OF HIS QUEEN,
THE BEAUTIFUL MUMTAZ MAHAL.
AND OF THEIR LOVE, TOO PERFECT TO SURVIVE.
THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE--
HER FINAL RESTING PLACE
WILL BE IN THE WORLD'S MOST PERFECT BUILDING.
BUT THE MAGNIFICENT CHAMBERS OF THE TAJ MAHAL HIDE A SECRET.
AND SHAH JAHAN WILL PAY A TERRIBLE PRICE
TO COMPLETE HIS LIFE'S WORK--
AT A TURNING POINT IN INDIA'S HISTORY.
TODAY THE TAJ MAHAL IS
ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS.
EVERY YEAR MORE THAN THREE MILLION PEOPLE COME
TO SEE HUMANITY'S LOVELIEST BUILDING WITH THEIR OWN EYES.
BUT FOR THE INDIAN NATION,
THE TAJ MAHAL IS MUCH MORE THAN AN ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECE.
Teherani, translated: THIS IS ONE OF THE MONUMENTS
THAT MAKES INDIA WHAT IT IS,
THAT GIVES THE PEOPLE THEIR IDENTITY.
IT MAKES THEM PROUD.
THIS BUILDING IS A SYMBOL FOR THE WHOLE NATION.
Narrator: THE TAJ MAHAL WAS BUILT
IN ONE OF THE MOST GLORIOUS PERIODS OF INDIAN HISTORY...
THE TIME OF THE GREAT MOGULS,
WITH THEIR MIGHTY EMPIRE AND FABULOUS RICHES.
ITS CREATOR: A MAN WHO DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO A DREAM:
THE GREAT MOGUL SHAH JAHAN.
THE BUILDING THAT EMERGED FROM HIS PLANS
PERFECTLY COMBINES GRACE AND SCALE, POWER AND BEAUTY:
THE TAJ MAHAL: CROWN OF THE PALACE.
THE INNER SANCTUM OF THE TAJ IS A TOMB.
FOR MUMTAZ MAHAL, THE LOVE OF SHAH JAHAN'S LIFE,
THE GREAT MOGUL CREATED THIS ETERNAL LOVE POEM,
IN STONE, IN HER MEMORY.
THE BUILDING OF THE TAJ COMMENCED IN 1632.
AN ARMY OF ELEPHANTS BEGAN
DRAGGING CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TO THE MOGUL CAPITAL.
IT WOULD BE THE GREATEST BUILDING PROJECT OF THE AGE.
IN A FEW SHORT YEARS THE SHELL OF THE TAJ MAHAL WAS COMPLETE,
READY TO BE CLAD IN FLAWLESS MARBLE,
AT COLOSSAL EXPENSE.
THE LOCATION OF THE TAJ ON THE BANKS OF THE YAMUNA RIVER
WAS A SPECIAL CHALLENGE.
Teherani: CLOSE TO WATER, YOU RARELY FIND GROUND
SOLID ENOUGH TO BUILD ON.
SO YOU HAVE TO DIG DOWN, UNTIL YOU HIT HARD, DRY EARTH.
THEY CAME UP WITH A BRILLIANT SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM--
ONE THAT'S STILL USED TODAY, IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORM.
THEY DECIDED TO BUILD A WELL FOUNDATION--
THAT WAS A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA FOR THOSE TIMES.
Narrator: THE GREAT MOGUL'S ENGINEERS DIG DEEP WELLS,
TO BELOW THE WATER TABLE.
THEN THEY FILL THEM UP WITH ROCKS AND MORTAR.
ON THIS BASE, THE MASTER BUILDERS
ERECT STONE COLUMNS, LINKED TOGETHER BY MASSIVE ARCHES.
THE RESULT: A SOLID MOUNTAIN OF STONE
TO SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION SLAB OF THE BUILDING...
PROTECTING THE TAJ FROM THE CURRENTS
OF THE YAMUNA RIVER-- FOREVER.
THE TAJ MAHAL MUST ALWAYS STAND
AS A TESTAMENT TO THE ETERNAL POWER OF LOVE.
IT WILL BE THE LEGACY OF SHAH JAHAN.
SHAH JAHAN WAS THE FAVORITE SON
OF THE EMPEROR, THE GREAT MOGUL--
RAISED IN A WORLD OF WEALTH AND SPLENDOR.
IN THE YEAR 1607 HE'S GRANTED A RARE HONOR.
ON HIS LUNAR BIRTHDAY, HE IS WEIGHED--
IN GOLD AND PRECIOUS STONES.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S BEEN CHOSEN
TO BECOME THE NEW GREAT MOGUL.
THERE ARE HIGH HOPES FOR THIS YOUNG PRINCE...
BUT THERE ARE GREAT DANGERS, TOO.
HIS OWN BROTHERS ARE HIS DEADLIEST RIVALS.
THE FIRST-BORN PRINCE DOES NOT ALWAYS BECOME KING.
ALL THE RULER'S SONS WILL FIGHT TO CLAIM THE THRONE...
EVEN TO THE DEATH.
THE ADULATION OF THE CROWDS MEANS NOTHING.
[CROWD CHEERING]
THE COURT CHRONICLER RECORDS HIS MASTER'S LIFE;
ITS TRIUMPHS AND DISASTERS.
THE PRINCE IS GIVEN A CHILD BRIDE...
AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE, FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EMPTY CONTRACT...
BUT THIS LOVE WILL LAST FOR ETERNITY.
TEN YEARS LATER.
THE PRINCE IS 25 YEARS OLD.
HIS STAR SHINES BRIGHTER THAN EVER.
HE HAS FOUGHT THE ENEMIES OF THE EMPEROR,
WINNING VICTORY AFTER VICTORY.
AS A REWARD, HIS FATHER GIVES HIM THE TITLE:
SHAH JAHAN-- KING OF THE WORLD.
THE CAPITAL OF THE MOGUL EMPIRE
IS THE GREAT CITY OF AGRA IN NORTHERN INDIA.
THE LOCATION OF THE GIANT RED FORT...
THE CENTER OF IMPERIAL POWER,
AND ONE OF INDIA'S MIGHTIEST STRONGHOLDS.
THE RULING MOGULS AND THEIR FAMILIES
LIVE IN MAGNIFICENT PALACES INSIDE THE FORT.
HERE, THE WOMEN OF HIS HAREM SEE TO SHAH JAHAN'S EVERY WHIM.
BUT HIS FAVORITE--BY FAR--
IS HIS CHILDHOOD LOVE, MUMTAZ MAHAL.
SHAH JAHAN CALLS HER "THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE."
FROM THE CHRONICLES, WE KNOW THIS ROYAL COUPLE
WERE ESPECIALLY CLOSE FOR THOSE TIMES.
Haider: THE IMPRESSION WHICH ONE GATHERS
IS THAT THERE IS A STRONG PERSONAL ELEMENT
OF PERSONAL LOVE.
THERE IS A BIT OF ROMANCE.
IT IS USUALLY SAID THAT THE CONCEPT OF LOVE
IS A VERY EUROPEAN CONCEPT.
BECAUSE IN THE EASTERN WORLD
YOU HAVE THE EMOTION OF LOVE, WHICH IS IMPERSONAL.
LOVE FOR DEITIES, LOVE FOR IDOLS, LOVE FOR FATHER,
LOVE FOR INSTITUTIONS, LOVE FOR RELIGION,
SPIRITUAL LOVE, BUT NOT ROMANTIC LOVE.
Narrator: BUT SHAH JAHAN'S MEMORIAL TO MUMTAZ MAHAL
IS THE WORLD'S MOST EXQUISITE SYMBOL OF ROMANTIC LOVE.
EVERY DAY, COUNTLESS VISITORS ARE ENTHRALLED BY THE TAJ MAHAL,
PARTLY BECAUSE ITS MOGUL ARCHITECTS
USED SOME REMARKABLE OPTICAL TRICKS.
THE FIRST VIEW OF THE MONUMENT IS FRAMED BY THE MAIN GATE.
AS THE VISITOR MOVES CLOSER,
THE TAJ MAHAL SEEMS TO GET SMALLER.
IT SEEMS TO GROW BIGGER AS YOU WALK AWAY.
THE GUIDES HERE SAY: "WHEN YOU LEAVE,
YOU TAKE THE TAJ WITH YOU IN YOUR HEART."
AN OPTICAL TRICK WENT INTO BUILDING THE MINARETS, TOO.
THEY LEAN SLIGHTLY OUTWARDS.
IF THEY WERE TRULY VERTICAL,
THEY WOULD SEEM TO BE LEANING INWARDS.
BY LEANING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER THEY LOOK PERFECTLY UPRIGHT.
AND THAT BRINGS ANOTHER ADVANTAGE:
IN AN EARTHQUAKE, THE MINARETS WOULD COLLAPSE OUTWARDS,
SPARING THE TAJ-- AND ITS MIGHTY DOME.
THE DOME IS THE CROWNING GLORY OF THE TAJ MAHAL,
THE ELEMENT THAT MAKES IT SO TIMELESS AND GRACEFUL.
Teherani: TODAY WE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS,
WE CAN BUILD GIANT SUPPORTING STRUCTURES IN STEEL
FOR A DOME LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE OTHER MATERIALS.
THEY HAD TO SOLVE ALL THEIR PROBLEMS IN STONE.
SO THEY LAID STONE ON STONE, AND BUILT UP THE DOME IN RINGS.
Narrator: THE DOME RISES, LAYER BY LAYER.
THE MORTAR BETWEEN THE STONES GIVES IT STABILITY.
THE RESULT IS SELF-SUPPORTING,
WITH NOT A SINGLE REINFORCING STRUT OR COLUMN.
THE WEIGHT OF THE DOME IS TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY DOWNWARDS
TO THE MASS OF MASONRY BELOW.
THE DOME IS MORE THAN 40 METERS HIGH
AND FOUR METERS THICK.
YET IT SEEMS TO FLOAT OVER THE MARBLE FACADE...
A MIRACLE OF STRESS CALCULATION, STILL ADMIRED BY ENGINEERS.
FOR OVER 350 YEARS, THIS DOME HAS BEEN THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION
OF MOGUL ARCHITECTURE.
1621.
THE MOGUL EMPIRE IS AT A TURNING POINT.
THE EMPEROR, SHAH JAHAN'S FATHER,
IS DESPERATELY ILL.
HIS SONS ARE GATHERING IN THE SHADOW OF THE THRONE.
READY TO FILL THE VACUUM OF POWER.
SHAH JAHAN KNOWS HIS MOMENT HAS COME.
NOTHING WILL STOP HIM IN HIS *** FOR ABSOLUTE POWER.
NO MEANS ARE RULED OUT.
NOT EVEN POISON.
WHEN THE GREAT MOGUL FINALLY DIES...
SHAH JAHAN HAS HIS RIVALS ELIMINATED.
"BROTHERLY LOVE" MEANS NOTHING WHEN THE PRIZE IS SO GREAT.
Haider: THERE WAS A NOTION OF FAMILY
AND THERE WAS A NOTION OF AFFECTION,
BUT THIS FEELING RECEDED 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 PERPETRATED.
Narrator: WITH HIS RIVALS GONE, SHAH JAHAN SEIZES THE THRONE.
HE'S CROWNED EMPEROR IN 1628, IN THE RED FORT IN AGRA.
SHAH JAHAN 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 OF THE SHAH'S MOST IMPORTANT ADVISORS.
THIS MOGUL DYNASTY SEEMS TO HAVE A GLORIOUS FUTURE.
PERHAPS IT WILL EQUAL THE ILLUSTRIOUS PAST.
THE MOGULS ARE DESCENDED
FROM THE GREATEST WARLORD OF THEM ALL: GENGHIS KHAN.
THEIR DISTANT ANCESTORS
WERE FIERCE WARRIORS OF THE ASIAN STEPPES:
THE MONGOLS.
A MERE HUNDRED YEARS BEFORE SHAH JAHAN'S RISE TO POWER,
THE MOGULS SWEPT DOWN FROM THE NORTH,
TO THE PLAINS OF INDIA.
THEIR CANNONS CRUSHED ONE INDIAN CITY AFTER ANOTHER.
BY THE TIME OF SHAH JAHAN,
THE MOGULS CONTROL MOST OF INDIA,
THE FIRST TIME THIS GREAT LAND HAS BEEN UNIFIED
IN NEARLY 2,000 YEARS.
THE MOGUL 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 MOGUL LORDS PROCLAIM RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE.
MORE THAN 100 MILLION PEOPLE...
NOW SEE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND ART FLOURISH.
ARTISTS AT COURT PORTRAY THEIR RULERS AS GOD-LIKE BEINGS.
THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO THE GREAT MOGUL'S POWER.
SHAH JAHAN HOLDS SWAY OVER HIS SUBJECTS:
OVER LIFE AND DEATH.
HIS WORD IS LAW, THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE.
THIS JUST RULER LEADS THE COUNTRY
TO PROSPERITY AND STABILITY.
THE COURT CHRONICLE RECORDS THAT SHAH JAHAN
BRINGS THE PEOPLE: "ABUNDANT JOY AND HAPPINESS."
[CROWD CHANTING]
UNDER SHAH JAHAN, MOGUL RULE IN INDIA
REACHES ITS DAZZLING ZENITH.
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 ROUND THE CLOCK.
ACCESS TO THE MAUSOLEUM IS TIGHTLY CONTROLLED.
FILMING OF THE MAGNIFICENT INTERIOR IS FORBIDDEN.
ART HISTORIAN EBBA KOCH WAS ABLE TO STUDY THE TAJ
BEFORE THE RESTRICTIONS CAME INTO FORCE.
SHE IS THE INTERNATIONAL EXPERT
ON THE TAJ MAHAL AND ITS HISTORY.
SHE HAS DECODED THE RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM OF THE TAJ.
Koch, translated: THE TAJ MAHAL IS THE ARCHITECTURAL EMBODIMENT
OF THIS LIFE, AND OF THE NEXT--
ACCORDING TO ISLAMIC BELIEF.
THE GROUND PLAN SHOWS THIS DUALITY.
THE COMPLEX IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE TOMB GARDEN,
WITH ITS MAUSOLEUM;
AND A WORLDLY SIDE MEANT FOR BAZAARS AND MARKETS.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT THE WORLDLY SIDE
IS THE MIRROR IMAGE OF THE MAUSOLEUM SIDE.
THE CONNECTING SQUARE WITH THE GREAT MAIN GATE
MARKS THE TRANSITION TO THE TOMB GARDEN
AND OPENS UP THE VIEW TO THE MAUSOLEUM.
Narrator: AT THE CENTER OF THE MAUSOLEUM
IS THE HOLY OF HOLIES,
THE MOST SPLENDID ROOM IN THE TAJ MAHAL.
THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF SHAH JAHAN'S BRIDE.
MUMTAZ MAHAL, THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE,
LEADS A LUXURIOUS LIFE
IN THE WOMEN'S 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 OF THE EMPIRE IS FABULOUSLY WEALTHY.
Haider: SHE HAS HUGE RESOURCES,
SHE WAS THE HIGHEST RECIPIENT OF MONEY IN THE ENTIRE HAREM,
BEING THE 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 A VERY HUGE AMOUNT TO A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
AND ON TOP OF THIS THERE WERE GIFTS.
VERY, VERY EXQUISITE, EXPENSIVE GIFTS ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS.
Narrator: THE RICHES OF THE MOGUL DYNASTY ARE LEGENDARY.
BOTH MEN AND WOMEN WEAR JEWELRY.
FOR THE MEN IT'S 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 OF 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 CRAFTSMEN
COMMAND THE HIGHEST PRICES.
THE SAME IS TRUE OF INDIA'S TEXTILES.
COTTON HAS BEEN WOVEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 4,000 YEARS.
THIS IS STILL A VITAL INDUSTRY IN INDIA.
UNDER THE MOGULS, INDIA BECAME THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPORTER
OF PRECIOUS FABRICS.
THE RULERS, THE GREAT MOGUL AND HIS FAMILY,
CASHED IN ON THE TRADE.
SHAH JAHAN HAS A SPECIAL DUTY TO HIS DYNASTY:
TO PRODUCE HEIRS.
HIS WIVES IN THE HAREM BEAR HIM CHILDREN.
[BABY CRYING]
BUT AS THE CHRONICLES TELL US, ONCE THEY HAVE DONE THEIR DUTY,
THESE WOMEN ARE HIS WIVES IN NAME ONLY.
SHAH JAHAN'S HAREM NOW RESEMBLES A NURSERY
MORE THAN A LOVE NEST.
Haider: THE HAREM IS NOT AN INFORMAL,
ENTIRELY INFORMAL SPACE.
IT'S A SPACE WITH A CERTAIN PROTOCOL.
IT IS A SPACE WITH A CERTAIN HIERARCHY.
IT IS A SPACE WITH A WHOLE SET OF RULES AND REGULATIONS.
Narrator: WITH THE EMPIRE AT PEACE,
THERE'S PLENTY OF LEISURE TIME TO FILL.
THE MOGULS' ENJOYMENT OF ALCOHOL AND *** IS LEGENDARY.
SHAH JAHAN AND MUMTAZ MAHAL
ARE TOGETHER EVERY POSSIBLE MOMENT...
AS THE CHRONICLES RECORD:
"THE MUTUAL AFFECTION AND HARMONY BETWEEN THE TWO
HAD REACHED A 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 AT COURT:
"THE INTIMACY, DEEP AFFECTION, ATTENTION AND FAVOR
WHICH HIS MAJESTY HAD FOR THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE
EXCEEDED BY A THOUSAND TIMES WHAT HE FELT FOR ANY OTHER."
FOR SHAH JAHAN THE HAPPINESS OF MUMTAZ MAHAL IS PARAMOUNT.
Haider: IF YOU LOOK AT THE WARDROBE OF THE EMPEROR
OR IF YOU LOOK AT HIS PRIVATE CHAMBERS,
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SHELF WHICH DISPLAYS
ALL THE PERFUMES, OINTMENTS, OILS
AND A WHOLE RANGE OF APHRODISIACS,
THEN YOU WOULD PERHAPS KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST
TO DEVELOP INTO GOOD LOVERS
TO ACQUIRE EMOTIONS OR TO RELEASE EMOTIONS
IN A WAY THAT WOULD REVITALIZE THEM OR REJUVENATE THEM.
Narrator: HER HUSBAND'S LOVE
IS SHARED AND RETURNED BY MUMTAZ MAHAL,
FROM THE DEPTHS OF HER SOUL.
FORTUNE 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 PROVINCE HAS REBELLED AGAINST THE EMPIRE AGAIN.
THIS MEANS WAR.
SHAH JAHAN MOBILIZES HIS ARMY.
HE WILL CRUSH OPPOSITION WITH BRUTE FORCE.
DAY AFTER DAY, WEEK AFTER WEEK,
THE MOGUL ARMY BLAZES A TRAIL ACROSS THE INDIAN PLAINS.
NEARLY TWO YEARS OF FORCED MARCHES FOLLOW
FOR SHAH JAHAN'S SOLDIERS.
BUT NOTHING WILL TEAR MUMTAZ MAHAL
FROM HER HUSBAND'S SIDE.
THE MOGULS ARE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR CAPITAL AGAIN AND AGAIN...
TO CRUSH REBELLIONS IN THE DECCAN REGION.
THE CAMPAIGN SEEMS TO HAVE NO END.
THE GREAT MOGUL STILL PUTS HIS FAITH IN HIS CANNONS:
THE LATEST SUPER-WEAPONS
IMPORTED FROM THE TURKISH EMPIRE.
HIS SOLDIERS HAUL THEM OVER MOUNTAINS
AND ACROSS THE ROUGHEST TERRAIN...
SHATTERING CITY WALLS, WIPING OUT THE REBELS.
BUT HIS STRING OF VICTORIES IS INTERRUPTED BY TRAGEDY.
IN THE MIDST OF THE CAMPAIGN,
MUMTAZ MAHAL FALLS PREGNANT WITH THE EMPEROR'S CHILD.
BUT THERE ARE COMPLICATIONS AT THE BIRTH.
FOR ONCE THE KING IS POWERLESS.
AS HIS BRIDE WEAKENS,
THE GREAT MOGUL CAN DO NOTHING BUT PRAY.
THE COURT CHRONICLE RECORDED THE SAD EVENTS.
"ON THE 17th OF JUNE 1631,
THE UNFORTUNATE DEMISE OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
TOOK PLACE SHORTLY AFTER HER CONFINEMENT
AND MADE THE WHOLE WORLD A HOUSE OF MOURNING."
MUMTAZ MAHAL DIES AFTER THE BIRTH OF HER 14th CHILD.
SHAH JAHAN'S WORLD HAS COME TO AN END.
THEY SAY THE EMPEROR FASTED FOR EIGHT DAYS,
LOCKED IN HIS CHAMBERS.
FOR TWO YEARS HE HEARD NO MUSIC, WORE NO JEWELRY OR PERFUME.
Haider: HIS HAIR AND BEARD HAD TURNED GRAY;
HE LOOKED OLDER, MUCH, MUCH OLDER THAN WHAT HE LOOKED
WHEN HE WENT INTO CONFINEMENT OR STATUTORY MOURNING.
SO SURELY THIS MUST HAVE HAD A DEEP IMPACT ON HIM.
Narrator: BEFORE SHE DIED, LEGEND SAYS,
MUMTAZ MAHAL MADE A WISH--
FOR A MAUSOLEUM, MORE SUBLIME THAN ANY THE WORLD HAD SEEN.
THIS WILL BE SHAH JAHAN'S TASK FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE--
TO ERECT THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDING
IN HER MEMORY.
THE TAJ MAHAL STANDS IN A LONG TRADITION
OF FABULOUS MEMORIALS IN INDIA.
SHAH JAHAN'S PREDECESSORS
HAD CONSTRUCTED MANY GORGEOUS MAUSOLEUMS.
THE TAJ MAHAL COMBINES THE VERY BEST ELEMENTS
OF THE MEMORIALS TO SHAH JAHAN'S FOREFATHERS.
THE TOMB OF HIS OWN FATHER
PROVIDES THE MODEL FOR THE MINARETS.
HIS GREAT GRANDFATHER'S MAUSOLEUM
HAD FOUR CORNER TURRETS SURROUNDING A CENTRAL CORE.
THE FOUR MIGHTY PORTALS
ARE INSPIRED BY HIS GRANDFATHER'S TOMB.
AND SHAH JAHAN TOOK THE FORM OF THE GREAT DOME
FROM THE MEMORIAL TO A FAMOUS ANCESTOR.
DIFFERENT MODELS, UNITED IN PERFECT HARMONY.
NO OTHER MAUSOLEUM MAY COME CLOSE TO THE TAJ MAHAL
IN SCALE, BEAUTY AND GRACE.
THIS MONUMENT MUST BE NOTHING LESS THAN A PARADISE,
HERE ON EARTH.
SYMBOLISM CARVED IN STONE AND MARBLE.
A HEAVENLY MEMORIAL TO THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD.
OR AS THE POET DESCRIBED IT:
"A TEARDROP ON THE CHEEK OF TIME."
IN 1632, JUST SIX MONTHS AFTER MUMTAZ MAHAL'S DEATH,
WORK BEGINS ON THE TAJ MAHAL.
IT WILL BE THE GREATEST BUILDING PROJECT OF THE AGE.
SOME SAY THAT OVER 20,000 WORKERS SLAVED ON THE BUILDING.
THE TAJ RISES AT RECORD SPEED.
BUT PROGRESS COMES AT A PRICE.
DAY BY DAY, THIS GIGANTIC CONSTRUCTION
IS DRAINING THE IMPERIAL TREASURY.
BUT NOTHING MATTERS TO THE GREAT MOGUL.
NO EXPENSE IS SPARED FOR THIS LAVISH PROJECT.
NOTHING MUST HOLD UP THE BUILDING WORK...
EVEN IF THE PEOPLE SUFFER TERRIBLY
FOR THE EMPEROR'S DEVOTION.
Haider: SHAH JAHAN CREATED AN ARTIFICIAL FAMINE
WHEN HE DIVERTED THE SUPPLY OF GRAIN TOWARDS AGRA
WHEN IT WAS MEANT FOR A DIFFERENT PLACE.
THE REGULAR SUPPLY OF GRAIN WAS DIVERTED
TO FEED A HUGE POPULATION OF ARTISANS, CRAFTSMEN,
LABORERS, MERCHANTS, OFFICIALS, SERVANTS.
SUCH MONUMENTS CANNOT BE BUILT BY A FEW INDIVIDUALS.
Narrator: TODAY NO ONE REMEMBERS THE ORDEAL OF THE PEOPLE.
ONLY THE SUBLIME RESULT.
Koch: THE COLOR SCHEME OF THE TAJ MAHAL
IS DEEPLY SYMBOLIC.
THE WORLDLY ELEMENTS AND OTHER BUILDINGS
ARE ALL CLAD IN RED SANDSTONE.
WHITE IS RESERVED FOR THE MAUSOLEUM.
THIS IS TO BE A BUILDING OF ENLIGHTENMENT,
AN EARTHLY REPRESENTATION OF THE HEAVENLY HOUSE
WHERE MUMTAZ MAHAL WILL LIVE FOR ALL ETERNITY.
THE PURE WHITE STANDS FOR THE SPIRITUALITY AND FAITH
OF THE PERSON BURIED HERE.
Narrator: THE WHITE MARBLE FOR THE TAJ MAHAL
COMES FROM QUARRIES AT MAKRANA, IN RAJASTHAN--
STILL IN USE TODAY.
MAKRANA MARBLE IS ALREADY FAMOUS IN SHAH JAHAN'S TIME.
HARD, YET EASY TO WORK,
IT'S PRIZED FOR ITS FINE DETAIL AND HIGH POLISH.
THE GREAT MOGUL HAS RESERVED MAKRANA MARBLE
FOR IMPERIAL BUILDINGS.
THE MARBLE SLABS ARE CARRIED MORE THAN 400 KILOMETERS
TO THE SITE OF THE TAJ MAHAL.
CONSTRUCTION CONSUMES COLOSSAL AMOUNTS OF THIS FABULOUS STONE.
WITH THE SKELETON OF THE BUILDING COMPLETE,
THE BRICKS DISAPPEAR FOREVER BENEATH THE PURE WHITE FACADE.
IT'S THIS SMOOTH, GLOWING STONE
THAT GIVES THE TAJ MAHAL ITS UNIQUE IMPACT.
Teherani: OF COURSE IT'S THIS WHITE MARBLE
THAT GIVES IT ITS BEAUTY, ITS LIGHTNESS,
THAT SENSE OF FLOATING.
THESE ARE MEANS OF EXPRESSION AVAILABLE TO AN ARCHITECT,
JUST AS WORDS ARE USED BY A POET.
Narrator: THE GARDENS BEGIN RIGHT BESIDE THE MARBLE EDIFICE.
Koch: THE GARDEN IS THE HEART OF THE TAJ MAHAL.
IT'S AN EARTHLY PICTURE OF THE PARADISE OF THE KORAN.
TWO PATHS DIVIDE THE TERRAIN INTO FOUR SQUARES.
THE CHANNELS ALONG THE PATHS
REPRESENT THE RIVERS OF PARADISE IN THE KORAN.
WHERE THE CHANNELS MEET THERE'S A POOL.
THIS IS SYMBOLIC OF THE CELESTIAL POOL
WHERE THE FAITHFUL QUENCH THEIR THIRST
WHEN THEY ARRIVE IN PARADISE.
Narrator: TRUE TO MOGUL TRADITION,
THE MAUSOLEUM AND GARDEN FORM AN INDIVISIBLE UNITY.
AND THE INTERIOR OF THE MAUSOLEUM ITSELF
IS MODELED AFTER THE EIGHT PARADISES OF THE KORAN.
EIGHT CHAMBERS SURROUND THE CENTRAL SPACE BENEATH THE DOME.
MUMTAZ MAHAL'S COFFIN LIES HERE.
BEFORE LONG, IT ATTRACTED PILGRIMS FROM FAR AND WIDE.
EVEN TODAY THE GRAVES OF DEEPLY PIOUS MUSLIMS
ATTRACT THOUSANDS OF PILGRIMS.
THE FLOWERS ON THE GRAVES RECALL THE PROPHET MOHAMED.
AS HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
EACH DROP OF PERSPIRATION TURNED INTO A ROSE.
THE FAITHFUL PRAY TO THE DEPARTED
ASKING FOR THEIR DIVINE INTERVENTION.
INDIAN MUSLIMS ARE STILL DRAWN TO THE SUMPTUOUS MEMORIALS
OF THE MOGUL RULERS IN THE SAME WAY.
ORTHODOX ISLAM HAS NO TIME FOR THE WORSHIP OF SAINTS.
BUT HERE, IN INDIA, IT'S STILL WIDELY SEEN.
THE MOGULS BROUGHT ISLAM TO THE SUBCONTINENT.
BUT THEY DIDN'T INTERPRET THE KORAN RIGIDLY.
FOR A LONG TIME IN INDIA
ISLAM WAS LINKED TO POLICIES OF TOLERANCE AND OPENNESS.
UNDER SHAH JAHAN, THAT TOLERANCE AND OPENNESS
REACHES FAR BEYOND INDIA'S BORDERS.
THE GREAT MOGUL DECREES THAT VISITORS FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD
WILL BE MADE WELCOME IN HIS EMPIRE.
HE KNOWS THERE IS MUCH TO GAIN FROM THE EXCHANGE.
SO TRAVELERS-- FROM EAST AND WEST--
ARE REGULARLY SEEN AT SHAH JAHAN'S COURT.
EUROPEANS CAN EASILY BE SPOTTED BY THEIR EXOTIC HEADGEAR.
BOTH SIDES BENEFIT FROM THIS TRANSCONTINENTAL CONTACT.
THE EUROPEANS ARE DRAWN
BY THE PRECIOUS FABRICS, SPICES AND GEMSTONES.
EUROPEAN MERCHANTS PAY WITH SILVER--
AND BRING NEW IDEAS TO THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
THE TAJ MAHAL ITSELF
DEMONSTRATES THE LINKS BETWEEN INDIA AND EUROPE.
SUMPTUOUS STONE FLOWERS
ADORN THE FILIGREE MARBLE LATTICEWORK
AND COVER THE ENTIRE INTERIOR OF THE TAJ MAHAL...
THESE TECHNIQUES AND MOTIFS ORIGINATING IN DISTANT EUROPE.
THESE MOSAICS OF SEMIPRECIOUS STONES ARE CALLED PIETRA DURA.
Haider: IN PIETRA DURA FOR INSTANCE
ONE DOESN'T KNOW WHETHER PIETRA DURA
CAME DIRECTLY FROM EUROPE
OR CAME VIA SOME INTERMEDIARY ZONE,
BUT NEVERTHELESS IT WAS SOMETHING
WHICH REALLY TICKLED THE IMAGINATION OF SHAH JAHAN.
AND HE USED IT IN A VERY INTERESTING WAY
IN WHICH THE BUILDING REALLY LOOKS LIKE A TREASURE CHEST.
Narrator: "PIETRA DURA" IS ITALIAN FOR "HARD STONE."
IN THE RENAISSANCE
THESE PRECIOUS INLAYS DECORATED PALACES.
THIS CRAFT OF STONE-CUTTING TRAVELED FROM ITALY TO INDIA,
WHERE IT EXPERIENCED A NEW HEYDAY.
IN THE PIETRA DURA WORKSHOPS OF INDIA,
THE TECHNIQUES HAVEN'T CHANGED IN HUNDREDS OF YEARS.
MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 17 OR 18 GENERATIONS.
THESE ARE THE DIRECT DESCENDANTS
OF THE CRAFTSMEN WHO WORKED ON THE TAJ MAHAL.
PIETRA DURA IS A TOUGH CRAFT TO MASTER.
THE MOSAICS ARE MADE OF TINY COLORED STONES SET INTO MARBLE.
A CRAFTSMAN CUTS HUNDREDS OF STONES FOR A SINGLE MOSAIC,
EACH SHAPED AND POSITIONED WITH PERFECT PRECISION.
HE NEEDS JUST AS MUCH SKILL
TO CARVE THE FLOWER SHAPES INTO THE MARBLE,
CREATING THE SETTING FOR THE PRECIOUS STONES.
AFTER THE FINAL DELICATE CORRECTIONS...
A SPECIAL GLUE SETS THE STONES IN THEIR RECESSES.
"PAINTING IN STONE"
IS ONE OF THE GLORIES OF INDIAN CRAFTSMANSHIP.
BUT NO CHRONICLES RECORD THE NAMES OF THE ARTISTS
WHO DECORATED THE TAJ MAHAL.
Haider: ONE THING WE TEND TO FORGET
IS THE HARD LABOR, SWEAT,
SUFFERING OF ARTISANS AND ORDINARY CRAFTSMEN.
NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT THEM.
SO THE MONUMENT IS A TESTIMONY
AS MUCH TO THEIR EXISTENCE AND THE SKILL WHICH THEY POSSESSED
AS IT IS OF SHAH JAHAN'S AESTHETIC EMBELLISHMENT.
Narrator: THROUGH THEIR WORK,
THE MEN WHO MADE THE TAJ MAHAL LIVE ON.
1643. THE TAJ MAHAL IS FINISHED.
IT HAS TAKEN 12 YEARS.
IN SPITE OF DIFFICULTIES AND OBSTACLES,
SHAH JAHAN HAS ACCOMPLISHED HIS DREAM.
THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE
RESTS IN A SHRINE WORTHY OF HER NAME.
A BUILDING MORE SUBLIME
THAN ANY CONCEIVED OR CARVED BY HUMAN HAND.
ON THE ANNIVERSARIES OF HER DEATH,
SHAH JAHAN VISITS MUMTAZ MAHAL'S TOMB.
THE KING OF THE WORLD TRAVELS THE YAMUNA RIVER
TO THE SHRINE OF THE TAJ MAHAL, TO REMEMBER HIS GREAT LOVE.
THE TAJ MAHAL CONCEALS A FINAL MYSTERY.
THE COFFIN SEEN IN THE MAUSOLEUM IS ONLY A CENOTAPH--
AN EMPTY MONUMENT.
MUMTAZ MAHAL LIES IN A SECRET MARBLE CHAMBER BELOW.
THERE SHE RESTS, UNDISTURBED.
AFTER FINISHING THE TAJ MAHAL,
SHAH JAHAN RULES THESE LANDS FOR 20 MORE YEARS.
BUT HIS REIGN WILL SEE AN INGLORIOUS END.
HIS COSTLY PROJECTS AND EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE
HAVE BROUGHT THE EMPIRE TO THE EDGE OF RUIN.
IN 1658, THE KING OF THE WORLD IS TOPPLED FROM THE THRONE,
DEPOSED BY HIS AND MUMTAZ' OWN SON,
TO SAVE THE EMPIRE FROM HIS EXTRAVAGANCE.
SHAH JAHAN, ABSOLUTE RULER, GREAT MOGUL FOR 30 YEARS,
IS A PRISONER.
HE IS HELD CAPTIVE IN THE RED FORT.
HE WILL NEVER LEAVE IT AGAIN.
IN THE EVENING A SERVANT READS HIM STORIES
OF THE HEROIC DEEDS OF HIS YOUTH--
EPICS OF BRAVERY AND POWER, STRUGGLE AND TRIUMPH...
A LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
IN HIS DECADES OF INTELLIGENT RULE,
THE SHAH JAHAN'S MOGUL EMPIRE REACHED ITS PEAK.
[CROWD CHANTING]
NO ONE DARED CHALLENGE HIS INFINITE POWER.
BUT THE MIGHTIEST HAVE FURTHEST TO FALL.
JUST ONE COMFORT REMAINS TO SHAH JAHAN:
IN THE DISTANCE, FROM HIS PRISON WINDOW,
HE CAN SEE THE GLEAMING MONUMENT OF HIS BELOVED.
HE CANNOT FORGET HIS PASSION
FOR THE CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE.
THEIR HAPPINESS WAS MORTAL.
THEIR LOVE WAS FOR ETERNITY.
MUMTAZ MAHAL'S TOMB HAS CARVED ITS PLACE IN HISTORY.
SHAH JAHAN WILL ALSO FIND HIS LAST RESTING PLACE HERE.
IN 1666, AT THE AGE OF 74, SHAH JAHAN DIES.
HIS CHRONICLE ENDS WITH THE WORDS:
"THE KING OF THE WORLD HAS DIED.
THE BODY WAS TAKEN BY RIVER
TO THE MAGNIFICENT TOMB OF THE LATE QUEEN MUMTAZ MAHAL."
SHAH JAHAN IS REUNITED WITH HIS CHOSEN ONE OF THE PALACE.
THEIR LEGACY WILL MAKE THEM IMMORTAL:
THE MOST PERFECT BUILDING IN THE WORLD.