1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: Heart Radio hi Um Eves Welcome to This Day in 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: History Class, a show that reveals a little bit more 4 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: about history day by day. Today is June nineteen. The 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: day was June one. Mom Taz Mahal, a beloved wife 6 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: of Mughal Emperor Shah Jaha, died just after she gave 7 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: birth to a child. It was the fourteenth child she 8 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: gave birth to, with seven of those children dying in infancy. 9 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: But after she gave birth to her last child and died, 10 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: Shah Jaha was devastated and he soon ordered the building 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: of the taj Mahal as a tomb and monument to 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: the couple's love. Mom Taz Mahal was born r. Dumon 13 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: Banu Begam in Agra, India in fiftee. Her mother was 14 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 1: a princess of the Persian nobility. Her father, Asaf Khan, 15 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: was a member of the nobility of the Mughal dynasty. 16 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: Prince Karam as Shah Jaha was then known met arjumand 17 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: by new Begum at a royal bazaar around the year 18 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: sixteen oh seven. At the time, Begam was fifteen years 19 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,559 Speaker 1: old and the prince was fourteen years old. Begum's father 20 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: would soon be the Prime minister and her aunt was 21 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: married to Prince Karam's father. Begum was at the bazaar 22 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: selling silks and glass beads. As the story goes, Prince 23 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: Karam paid ten thousand rupees for what Begam claimed was 24 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: a diamond but may have been a piece of glass. 25 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: The prince was immediately enamored with Begum. Prince Kardam soon 26 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: asked his father, Emperor Jahangir, for permission to marry Begam. 27 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: Jahangir approved the marriage, but first Prince Karam had to 28 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: marry a Persian princess named Kandahari Begum for political reasons, 29 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: but by Muslim law he was allowed to have four wives. 30 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: He later married a third wife, but on an auspicious 31 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: day in sixteen twelve, ur Jaman by new Begum became 32 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: Prince Karam's second wife. When they got married, As what 33 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: we expected, the wedding was lavish, with musicians, dancers and 34 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: enslaved people who carried torches. Once they got married, Emperor 35 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: Jahan and Gear gave Begam the name Mamtaz Mahal Moumtaz 36 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: Mahal means jewel or chosen one of the palace Begum 37 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: was the prince's favorite wife. Mahal became an advisor advocated 38 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: for disenfranchised people in India, and once the prince succeeded 39 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: his father and became shah Jaha, she went to war 40 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: with her husband. When she was pregnant with her fourteenth child, 41 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: she went with Shah Jaha on one of his military 42 00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: campaigns in the Decand Plateau. On June seventy one, after 43 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: giving birth to her last child, the Empress died of 44 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: postpartum hemorrhage and complications due to repeated childbirth. She had 45 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: gone through thirty hours of delivery pain, and her lady 46 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,239 Speaker 1: in waiting and doctor had tried to keep her from dying, 47 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: but mom Taz didn't make it and sha Jaha was 48 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: grief stricken. Mom Taz Ma Hall was buried at Bordhanpur 49 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: where she died. Her body was later transferred to Agra. 50 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,240 Speaker 1: In his grief, the Emperor turned away from his military 51 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: campaigns and towards architecture. Historians debate whether Shah Jaha came 52 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: up with the idea for the taj Mahal or mom 53 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: Taz did on her deathbed, but in sixteen thirty two 54 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: construction began on mom taz Is Mausoleum, the taj Mahal 55 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: and Agra on the Yamina River. The building was opulent, 56 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: with white marble, precious and semi precious stones, calligraphy, and 57 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: a garden. Mom taz Is casket was put in the 58 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: center of the palace crypt beneath the central dome and 59 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: the main inner chamber. Construction was insanely expensive, costing several 60 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: million rupees. The mausoleum was completed around sixteen thirty eight 61 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: or sixteen thirty nine, the other buildings by sixteen forty three, 62 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: and decoration continued for years afterwards. Shah Jaha spent his 63 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: last years as a prisoner in his palace at Agra. 64 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: He died in January of sixteen sixty six. He was 65 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: buried with Mom taz Mahal in the crypt below the 66 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: taj Mahal. There are theories that the taj Mahal was 67 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: not built as a symbol of love to Mom toaz 68 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: Ma Hall, but was a representation of a divine throne 69 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: on judgment day or of a house of paradise. Some 70 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 1: people have said that the emperor would have built a 71 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 1: similar building even if mom toz Ma Hall had not died. 72 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,119 Speaker 1: I'm Eve jeff Ko, and hopefully you know a little 73 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. You can 74 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: learn more about history by fa allowing us on Twitter, Facebook, 75 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d I h C podcast. But 76 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: if you are not yet tired of learning about history, 77 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: you can listen to a new podcast that I host 78 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: called Unpopular. Unpopular is about people in history who challenge 79 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: the status quo and we're often persecuted for it. You 80 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 1: can listen anywhere you listen to this day in History class. 81 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: Thanks again and we'll see you tomorrow. For more podcasts 82 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, 83 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.