1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener Discretion advised one quick 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: bit of housekeeping before we get started. First, thank you 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: for listening. This is Danishwartz. Obviously, if you want to 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: support the show, we have a Patreon, Patreon dot com 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: slash Noble Blood Tales. I publish episode scripts with some 7 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: extra bonus content. I do a series rewatching the CW 8 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: series Rain and going over it every episode. It's about Mary, 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: Queen of Scott's. If you have not seen that show, 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: it is just it's a wild ride. And also maybe 11 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: the Patreon perk I'm most excited about. We have these 12 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: gorgeous tarot card style stickers of the six Wives of 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: Henry the Eighth that are completely exclusive to Patreon subscribers. 14 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: So if you join four times a year, you'll get 15 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: sent like an exclusive sticker pack and get these truly 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: gorgeous stickers that I'm obsessed with. But of course, the 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: best for the show is just listening, or if you 18 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: want a different form of Danish Worts related content, my 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: novel's Anatomy A Love Story and Immortality A Love Story 20 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: just came out in paperback. So if you've been looking 21 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: for an excuse to read books about nineteenth century Edinburgh, 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: in the bathtub or on the go, this is your moment. 23 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: When asked to think of a famous love story, most 24 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:34,279 Speaker 1: people would probably volunteer Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's most famous couple, 25 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: kept apart by warring families. 26 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 2: It's become the default image of love. There have been 27 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 2: so many adaptations of that story, and it just demonstrates 28 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: how enduring that narrative is. What is perhaps most compelling 29 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: about their love, though, is the tragic ending. The teenager's 30 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 2: love can never spoil because it can never fully play 31 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: out well. Romeo and Juliet, our fictional veroneesay nobility Luckily 32 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 2: for us and this podcast. Tragedy and compelling love stories 33 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 2: abound in history. Take for example, Napoleon and Josephine, whom 34 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: we've covered before on this show. Napoleon became infatuated with 35 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: Josephine in the late seventeen nineties, and despite Josephine being 36 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: an older, widowed mother, they married. And while their marriage 37 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 2: was a passionate relationship, both full of love and sometimes contempt, 38 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 2: what ultimately ended their marriage was politics. Josephine's inability to 39 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 2: give Napoleon the air he desperately needed. Even after their annulment, 40 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 2: they stayed close and they were rumored to still be 41 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 2: deeply in love, although they were never to be reunited. 42 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 2: When Napoleon was sent into exile, Josephine is said to 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 2: have begged Czar Alexander the First of Russia to let 44 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 2: her join him. Sadly, she never would, as Josephine would 45 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: die while Napoleon was on Elba. In perhaps the most 46 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: romantic cinematic ending to that story, Napoleon's last word when 47 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 2: he died on Saint Helena was Josephine, speaking of Russia. 48 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: The love story of the last Czar and Sarina of 49 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 2: the Romanov dynasty tracked a disastrous and very sad peth. 50 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: Nicholas the Second of Russia fell deeply in love with 51 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: his cousin alex of Hesse as a young teenager. Many 52 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 2: years later, their love flourished and it became clear that 53 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: it was true love. Although the couple were perfect for 54 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 2: each other, they were not perfect for the Russian people, 55 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 2: as we covered very early on this show in an 56 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 2: episode called Ever Dearest Cousin Nikki Tsar Nicholas was toppled 57 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 2: by the communist Red Army in nineteen seventeen and his 58 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: family was taken captive by the Provisional Government. In the 59 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 2: middle of the night on January seventeenth, nineteen eighteen, the 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 2: entire family was surprised with an execution by firing squad 61 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: in the basement of their makeshift prison in Katrinbourg. While 62 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: Alexandra and Nicholas had their crowns, titles, lifestyle, and ultimately 63 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 2: lives taken away, they did die at each other's sides. 64 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 2: We've explored many tragic love stories like those on Noble Blood, 65 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 2: and what makes them so sad, I think is that 66 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 2: these couples never get the happy ending that were primed 67 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 2: to believe that all love stories deserve. People in love 68 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 2: should get to live happily ever after. That's what the 69 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: stories have taught us. But of the many many couples 70 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: we've discussed on this show, none have left as monumental 71 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 2: a legacy as that of Shai Jahan and Mumtas Mahal. 72 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 2: Their names might sound vaguely familiar, but it is the 73 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 2: monument that was built as a testament to their love 74 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 2: that almost everyone on Earth would recognize a symbol probably 75 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 2: as well known as Romeo and Juliet, the taj Mahal. 76 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is noble blood. If you 77 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 2: were to ask someone in the Western world to think 78 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: of India, one of the first images that probably pops 79 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 2: into their heads is the taj Mahal, located in Agra, 80 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 2: a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. 81 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: The taj Mahal sits on forty two acres of land 82 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 2: at a bend in the Yamuna River. The monument reaches 83 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 2: seventy three meters or two hundred and forty feet at 84 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 2: its tallest, and is built almost entirely out of marble. 85 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:03,440 Speaker 2: The central building features massive arch shaped doorways that lead 86 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 2: to the inner chamber. The roof of the building consists 87 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 2: of four small domes and one large dome that looms 88 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 2: large over the structure. Almost every square inch is jewel, 89 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: encrusted or engraved with floral patterns versus from the Koran. 90 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 2: Surrounding the taj Mahal are lush gardens and wide reflecting pools. 91 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 2: But why waste any more time describing it? You are 92 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 2: probably already familiar with it. The massively starkly white monument 93 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 2: has become a national symbol, both in likeness and in name. 94 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: And I encourage you, if you are unfamiliar, take two 95 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 2: minutes and go look up photos of the taj Mahal. 96 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 2: Remind yourself just how spectacular it is. What many people 97 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 2: might not know is the reason the taj Mahal was built. 98 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 2: It's not a temple or a palace, but a tomb 99 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 2: built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, 100 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: Mumtaz Mahal. Further, people often take for granted the religious 101 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 2: and cultural practices that influenced the way that the monument 102 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: was built and designed. So in this episode, I'm going 103 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 2: to recount the love story that inspired the taj Mahal 104 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: and walk through what led to its creation and the 105 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: maintenance of this world wonder and our story begins in 106 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 2: northern India in the sixteenth century. The Mughal Empire, not 107 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 2: to be confused with the Mongol Empire, ruled over parts 108 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 2: of modern day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh from fifteen 109 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 2: twenty six BCE to eighteen fifty seven BC, calling this 110 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 2: empire the Mughal Empire is a Western convention, as the 111 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 2: Muughuls themselves called their dominion Hindustan or similar derivations of 112 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: that name, but the Western name is helpful to illustrate 113 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: how this empire argued for its own legitimacy. The first 114 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 2: Mughal emperor, Babur, was a Central Asian prince who claimed 115 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 2: descent from two great emperors, Timor also known as tamer 116 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:27,559 Speaker 2: Lane on his father's side and Genghis Khan on his mother's. Thus, 117 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 2: Babur's legitimacy partially relied on those dynastic empirical connections. The 118 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 2: term Mughal represents that connection, as it is the Indo 119 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 2: Persian form of Mongol. The Mughal Empire is known for 120 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 2: simultaneously controlling a wide swath of land and people without 121 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 2: suppressing local cultures and religions. The ruling elite sought not 122 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 2: to spread their culture or religion, but just to conquer 123 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,199 Speaker 2: land in order to maintain power and more importantly, gather 124 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 2: wealth and acquire wealth. They did. Scholar J. C. Sharman 125 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 2: asserts that the Mughal Empire dwarfed the European states of 126 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 2: the time in not just wealth, but also population and 127 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 2: land mass. Keep in mind that this was the era 128 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 2: of the Spanish and Dutch Golden Ages, as well as 129 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 2: the height of French opulence being built at Versailles. Europe 130 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 2: was not doing too badly for itself during this period, 131 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 2: but the Mughals they were doing better. They taxed their 132 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 2: subjects to achieve their wealth, but this was about as 133 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 2: much as was required of the subjects. There was no 134 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: compulsory religion or cultural practices, so as long as they 135 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 2: paid their taxes, locals were free to do as they pleased. 136 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 2: To return to Babur. Babur's son, Humayan, briefly ruled following 137 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 2: Babor's death in fifteen thirty, but it was under Humayan's 138 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 2: son Ekbar that the Mughal Empire really began to flourish. 139 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 2: Under Akbar, the empire expanded to include almost the entire 140 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 2: Indian subcontinent. By the time Akbar died, his empire encompassed 141 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 2: roughly one hundred and fifteen million people, or twenty percent 142 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 2: of the world's estimated population. To accumulate that massive territory, 143 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 2: Akbar led numerous military campaigns and political missions. He also 144 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 2: extended the empire's power and sphere of influence through strategic 145 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 2: trade relations with European trading companies, including the British East 146 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 2: India Company. With the massive wealth Akbar accumulated, he patronized artisans, poets, artists, 147 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 2: and holy men. His financial investment into cultural realms led 148 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 2: to the birth of a distinctly Mughal artistic style. Returning 149 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 2: to the religious tolerance that I mentioned was a major 150 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 2: character of the Mughal Empire, it was Akbar who epitomized 151 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 2: that tolerance. The Mughal Empire and the Indian subcontinent contained 152 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 2: a myriad of different religions and sects at that time, 153 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 2: including Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, Sufism, Judaism, and Jainism. The Mughal 154 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 2: elite were themselves Muslim, but instead of cracking down on 155 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 2: the diversity of religion and forcing Islam onto his subjects, 156 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 2: Akbar fostered acceptance of all religions through formal policy. He 157 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 2: also sponsored dialogues and debates between holy men of different faiths, 158 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 2: even going so far as to include Jesuit missionaries in 159 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 2: those conversations. But this episode is not about Akbar. It 160 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 2: is about his grandson, Emperor Shah Jahan Shah Jahan was 161 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 2: the fifth ruler of the Mughal Empire and in many 162 00:11:55,840 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 2: ways maintained the status quo set by his grandfather. Although 163 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 2: he was more religiously Orthodox than his grandfather Akbar had been, 164 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:10,199 Speaker 2: and can be categorized as a devout Muslim, Shahjahan continued 165 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 2: policies of religious tolerance. He too, again much like Akbar, 166 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 2: led successful military campaigns across the subcontinent and furthered the 167 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 2: expanding Mughal influence and power. With regards to his personal life, 168 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 2: Shahjahan continued the Mughal tradition of polygamy. In Mughal India, 169 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:36,320 Speaker 2: polygamy was common amongst the highest levels of society across faiths. 170 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:41,679 Speaker 2: Shahjahan had four wives and each marriage presented a beneficial 171 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 2: political alliance. His marriages to his first and third wives 172 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 2: cemented a bond with a prominent Persian family in court. Similarly, 173 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: the marriage to his second wife, Mumtazmahal intertwined Shahjahan's family 174 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 2: with her powerful up and coming family. The Shah's fourth 175 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 2: marriage was to his half cousin, who was a princess 176 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 2: of a clan that was conquered by the Mughuls. Thus 177 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 2: that marriage offered a symbolic sense of peace between the 178 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 2: conqueror and the conquered. Although all of those marriages were 179 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 2: politically expedient, only the marriage between Shahjahan and mumtaz Mahal 180 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 2: developed into a deeper love. In just one example of 181 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 2: the vast documentation of their love, Shahjahan's court historian noted 182 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 2: that the emperor's quote, whole delight was centered on this 183 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 2: illustrious lady to such an extent that he did not 184 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 2: feel toward the others one thousandth part of the affection 185 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 2: that he did for her, which must not have felt 186 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 2: great for them. But we don't even need to look 187 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 2: at court records to tell us that there was a 188 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 2: deeper connection happening between those two. If we simply look 189 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 2: at the numbers, it's plain to see that Shahjahan had 190 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:06,600 Speaker 2: a particular affection for mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal gave birth 191 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 2: to all but one of Shahjahan's children, giving birth to 192 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: fourteen in total. For her to carry all but one 193 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 2: of his children and to have so many children, is 194 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 2: by itself a testament to their connection. But Even more 195 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 2: so is the fact that Mumtaz Mahal's fourteen children were 196 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 2: born in the span of eighteen years, all while traveling 197 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 2: with her husband on his numerous military campaigns. They were 198 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 2: literally always together. Unfortunately, after many successful pregnancies on the road, 199 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 2: the birth of Mumtaz Mahal's fourteenth child was too difficult 200 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 2: to endure. After struggling through thirty hours of labor and 201 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:57,000 Speaker 2: a postpartum hemorrhage, she looked on the king with despair 202 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 2: and tears in her eyes and admonished him to take 203 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 2: good care of her children and her own aged father 204 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 2: and mother when she was herself no more. Despite the 205 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 2: best attempts by midwives, doctors, and her ladies in waiting, 206 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 2: Mumtazmahal passed away at the age of thirty nine after 207 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 2: giving birth. Shahjahan was utterly shattered. His beloved wife had 208 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 2: been taken from him far too soon. His grief was 209 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 2: almost all consuming, and he certainly could not proceed with 210 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 2: life as normal. For at least a week after Mumtazmahal's death, 211 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 2: the emperor refused to conduct any official state business. All 212 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 2: nobles and advisers were turned away as he hid himself 213 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 2: and wallowed in his grief. This loss stayed with Shahjahan 214 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 2: for many years. He forswore luxuries like jewelry, perfume and 215 00:15:55,920 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 2: music for two years, and his beard allegedly turned white 216 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: from his stress and despair. Every Friday for months after 217 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 2: his wife's passing, Shahjahan would visit her grave and recite 218 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 2: the prayer for the departed, the Fatiha. But her grave 219 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 2: was located in Burhanpur, where his army had been stationed 220 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 2: when she passed. But when it was time for the 221 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 2: army to leave, the emperor had faced a dilemma. He 222 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 2: couldn't just leave his beloved there as he returned home, 223 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 2: nor could he bury her in any normal tomb, and 224 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 2: so as soon as he returned to his home base 225 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,800 Speaker 2: in Agra, he picked out the location on the Yamuna 226 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 2: River where he would bury Mumtaz Mahal and build her tomb. 227 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 2: It would take six months for her body to be 228 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,360 Speaker 2: transported there, but once she arrived, construction of her resting 229 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 2: place officially began. Shahjahan turned to his court architect ustadim 230 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 2: On Lahore to design and lead the building process of 231 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 2: the tomb. Lahouri had a tall order, not just in 232 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 2: being asked to build a tomb worthy of the emperor's 233 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 2: favorite deceased wife, but also in that he essentially had 234 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 2: to create a new architectural style. Remember that the Mughal 235 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 2: Empire was tolerant of many religions and contained many different 236 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 2: ethnic groups. Know also that the Mughuls didn't really have 237 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 2: their own distinct architectural style at this point, So Lahouri 238 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 2: leaned into their cultural acceptance in order to synthesize a 239 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 2: brand new style influenced by first the architectural style of 240 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 2: the Mughals rulers ancestral homelands in Central Asia and the 241 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,439 Speaker 2: buildings built previously by Muslim rulers in India, and the 242 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 2: even older styles indigenous to India. The Mughals were quite 243 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 2: proud of their heritage. I previously mentioned they descended from 244 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 2: Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, massive forces in Asian history. As such, 245 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 2: they were keen to associate themselves with those emperors, Tamerlane 246 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:16,760 Speaker 2: in particular, and utilized that building style to do it. 247 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:22,359 Speaker 2: Timrid architecture is characterized by the presence of domes and 248 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 2: intricate geometric patterns. The tomb of the second Mughal emperor, 249 00:18:27,640 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 2: Human Shahjahan's great grandfather is a fantastic example of a 250 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:38,919 Speaker 2: Mughal building inspired by Central Asian architectural traditions. In fact, 251 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 2: Lahori looked at that tomb in order to inform his 252 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 2: understanding of that style. It was important for Lahori to 253 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,959 Speaker 2: also incorporate Muslim artistic traditions in the design of the 254 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 2: taj Mahal. The Muguls were themselves Muslim, and therefore mumtaz 255 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 2: Mahal's tomb had to adhere to Muslim conventions. Some of 256 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:06,919 Speaker 2: the defining characteristics of Indo Islamic architecture from before the 257 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 2: Mughals included ornate minarets or towers used to call people 258 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:16,959 Speaker 2: to prayer, and intricately decorated mihrabs or niches in the 259 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 2: wall used to indicate the direction of mecca. We can see, 260 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 2: in particular the tradition of minarets in the design of 261 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:28,439 Speaker 2: the taj Mahal. The four towers at the corners of 262 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 2: the larger mausoleum are a prime example of ornate minarets. 263 00:19:33,760 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 2: Because the Mughal Empire encompassed areas that had a century's 264 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 2: long history of Muslim rulership and architecture, Lahore had ample 265 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 2: examples of Indo Islamic architecture to turn to when designing 266 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 2: and constructing the taj Mahal. While those first two sources 267 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 2: of inspiration came from aspects of elite Mughal identity that 268 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 2: were arguably foreign to the Indian subcontinent, the third stylistic 269 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,679 Speaker 2: inspiration came from the people who were actually building the tomb. 270 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 2: Indian architects, the people who would be lending their expertise 271 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 2: and talent to constructing Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, while certainly learned 272 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 2: in those other styles, were able to contribute skills that 273 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,960 Speaker 2: wouldn't have been seen in Timid or into Islamic architecture, 274 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 2: primarily stone carving. India has an abundance of stone with 275 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: which to carve, something not found in the deserts of 276 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 2: western or Central Asia. As much Indian architects over the 277 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 2: centuries had perfected their ability to carve stone and marble, 278 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 2: we can attribute the brilliant white color of the taj 279 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 2: Mahal to its marble facade, something that they were able 280 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:58,360 Speaker 2: to create due to that vast stone carving tradition. Of course, 281 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 2: all of those styles were not distinct and had a 282 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 2: lot of overlapping features. But I think it's fascinating to 283 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 2: see just how much of a melting pot the Mughal 284 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 2: Empire was and seeing that physically in front of you, 285 00:21:12,680 --> 00:21:16,480 Speaker 2: based on the different styles and cultural traditions reflected in 286 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,400 Speaker 2: the taj Mahal. Now, like I said, designing and constructing 287 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,760 Speaker 2: the taj Mahal was no small task, and Ustad Ahmed 288 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 2: Lahore did not undertake it alone. He managed a board 289 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 2: of architects who collectively oversaw more than twenty thousand workers 290 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 2: and artisans these crafts people came from across the Asian 291 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 2: and even European continent, with some artisans coming from as 292 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 2: far as Italy. Starting in sixteen thirty one, construction began 293 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 2: as people started hauling in ported marble to the site, 294 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 2: started hoisting materials up with complex polley systems, and securing 295 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 2: the foundations of the building. They meticulously carved the marble 296 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 2: and delicately inlaid precious stones throughout the entire structure, both 297 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: on the exterior and the interior. Understandably, it took them 298 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 2: twelve years for the tomb to be finished, and even 299 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 2: longer to finish outlying structures and the gardens. All in all, 300 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 2: the taj Mahal would be complete in sixteen fifty three, 301 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:31,640 Speaker 2: more than twenty years after Shahjahan commissioned it. I've focused 302 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 2: on the building, but I don't want to overlook the 303 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 2: importance of the gardens and ponds surrounding the mausoleum. We 304 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 2: can classify the entire complex as a quote sharbag, or 305 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 2: a type of garden with four quadrants separated by waterways 306 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,360 Speaker 2: meant to reflect depictions of paradise found in the Qur'an. 307 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 2: At the taj Mahal, there are four ponds or reflecting 308 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:01,199 Speaker 2: pools extending out from the center of the garden, just 309 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 2: like the four rivers that extended from the Garden of Eden. Lahri. 310 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 2: In building Mumtaz Mahal's tomb in an expansive sharbag garden 311 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 2: was creating an idyllic place for the tomb, a fasimile 312 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 2: of the Garden of Eden. In essence, she was to 313 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 2: be laid to rest in paradise. Ultimately, the taj Mahal 314 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 2: would be not just Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, but Shahjahan's as well. 315 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 2: Shortly after the tomb was complete, Shahjahan was overthrown by 316 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 2: his and mumtaz Mahal's son Aragzeb. When Shahjahan became gravely 317 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:46,880 Speaker 2: ill in sixteen fifty eight, Aurangzeb and his brothers sensed 318 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 2: that the issue of succession was rapidly approaching, so they 319 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: began to face off for their father's throne. Ultimately, Aragzeb 320 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 2: defeated his brothers in the battle for power by either 321 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 2: killing them or running them out of the empire. But 322 00:24:02,359 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 2: the one thing standing in his way was still his father, 323 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 2: who did not die like it had seemed like he would. 324 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 2: Unable to commit patricide, Arangzeb placed Shahjahan under house arrest 325 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 2: in the Fort of Agra. Here, Shajahan was essentially siloed, 326 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 2: unable to lead the empire, but he was able to 327 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,439 Speaker 2: live out his days with almost any or everything that 328 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 2: he could have ever wanted, And although he was unable 329 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 2: to leave the grounds, he was still able to gaze 330 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:40,640 Speaker 2: across the river and admire his beloved resting place. Eight 331 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 2: years later, when Shajahan finally passed, his son had him 332 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 2: interred alongside his mother Muntazmahal. Kept apart for thirty years, 333 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 2: the couple finally reunited and under the majestic domes is 334 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 2: where the couple currently rest side by side for eternity. 335 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 2: One brief side note. If you've heard the rumor that 336 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,399 Speaker 2: Shahjahan cut off the hands of every worker who built 337 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 2: the taj Mahal so that they could never construct anything 338 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,840 Speaker 2: that beautiful again, it is just that it is a rumor. 339 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 2: There is actually no historical evidence of that at all. Unfortunately, 340 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,399 Speaker 2: the twenty years of hard work that had gone into 341 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 2: building the immaculate taj Mahal were undone a century later, 342 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 2: when Shahjahan was no longer around to protect the complex 343 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,960 Speaker 2: and the luxurious trappings inside, it became a target of 344 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 2: theft by those within and without the Mughal Empire. In 345 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 2: seventeen twenty, an influential Mogul courtier removed the sheets of 346 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:53,120 Speaker 2: pearl that encased the two sarcophagi. In seventeen sixty one, 347 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 2: the ruler of the Kingdom of Bartpur laid siege on Agra, 348 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 2: ultimately taking over control of the city and the taj 349 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 2: Mahal from the Mughal Empire. Their ruler Maharaja suraj Mal 350 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,119 Speaker 2: decided to take the massive silver doors of the tomb 351 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 2: so that he could melt the silver down. A Mughal 352 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 2: historian of the time also records that during that period 353 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 2: of Baratpur control, the central fifteen foot gold finial or 354 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 2: ornamental spire at the top of a roof was taken 355 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 2: as well. In general, with no one there who actively 356 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 2: took care of the complex protecting it, the taj Mahal 357 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 2: fell into disrepair. But given the fact that we all 358 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 2: know of the taj Mahal and how spectacular it is, 359 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 2: people have since stepped up to preserve and protect it. 360 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 2: In the late nineteenth century, during the British Raj Viceroy 361 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 2: Curzone undertook the first major restoration project of the taj Mahal, 362 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,679 Speaker 2: during which he added a chandelier to the main interior chamber. 363 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 2: Since then, the Indian government has put in place regulations 364 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 2: to prevent air pollution from degrading the marble and turning 365 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 2: the monument a yellow brown color. There is now a 366 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 2: four thousand square mile area around the taj Mahal in 367 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:20,919 Speaker 2: which there are incredibly strict emissions regulations for their adding 368 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 2: a layer of protection, the tomb is now designated as 369 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 2: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which comes with a variety 370 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 2: of legal safeguards that will hopefully preserve the monument into perpetuity. 371 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:39,119 Speaker 2: But it's not just these government agencies and institutions that 372 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 2: show us how special the taj Mahal is. Last year, 373 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 2: over five million people visited the site, and pre pandemic 374 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 2: the visitor numbers exceeded six million. The site is among 375 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 2: the top ten most visited tourist destinations in the entire world, 376 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 2: competing with the Vatican, the Ife Tower, and the Forbidden 377 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 2: City in Beijing. People all over the world continue to 378 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 2: travel to Agra, specifically to see the tomb that a 379 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 2: bereft husband built for his beloved wife. The magnitude of 380 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 2: the legacy of Shah Jahan and mumtaz Mahal cannot be overstated. 381 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 2: So next time you see an Indian restaurant named after 382 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 2: the taj Mahal or a tea blend borrowing the name, 383 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 2: I hope you think of that couple and the depth 384 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 2: of their love across time. Keep listening after a short 385 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,440 Speaker 2: sponsor break to hear a little bit more about another 386 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:57,400 Speaker 2: tragic love story that connects to the taj Mahal. Since 387 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 2: I opened this episode with some tragic love stories, I 388 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:04,000 Speaker 2: felt it was only fitting to end with one. If 389 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 2: you didn't know any better, you could just assume that 390 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 2: the bench at the end of the reflecting pool in 391 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 2: front of the taj Mahal was just a regular old bench. 392 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 2: But that bench has managed to become incredibly important for 393 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 2: the British royal family. Prince Charles now King Charles the 394 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: Third of England is a known India file. He has 395 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 2: traveled to the country ten times and even spent his 396 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 2: seventy first birthday there. On his second trip to India, 397 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 2: the then thirty two year old Prince was one of 398 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 2: the most eligible bachelors in the world. On that trip, 399 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 2: he visited the taj Mahal, where he took a photo 400 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 2: seated on the aforementioned bench. While talking to reporters at 401 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 2: the monument, he proudly proclaimed, I can understand that love 402 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 2: could make a man build the taj Mahal for his wife. 403 00:29:54,880 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 2: One day, I would like to bring my own back here. 404 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 2: It would take ten years Charles to return to India, 405 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 2: but once he and Princess Diana announced their February nineteen 406 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 2: ninety two, tour to India, it appeared as though he 407 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 2: was following through on his proclaimed wish to share the 408 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 2: beautiful taj Mahal with his wife. However, Charles did not 409 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 2: visit the taj Mahal on that trip. Instead, Princess Diana 410 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 2: would visit the taj Mahal alone, after keeping reporters waiting 411 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 2: for a number of hours uncertain whether or not she 412 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 2: would even come. When she did finally arrive, she sat 413 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,600 Speaker 2: down for photos on the very same bench where Charles 414 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 2: had sat a decade earlier. Photographer Noir Hussein was there 415 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:47,120 Speaker 2: on that day and recalls Diana's demeanor as she sat 416 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 2: in front of one of the most ostentatious symbols of love. 417 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 2: He said quote, she looked sad and she knew which 418 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 2: way the story would go. She was very clever. There 419 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 2: were other pictures taken that day on another their bench, 420 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 2: when she seemed to be contemplating things. Those photos only 421 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:10,959 Speaker 2: bolstered the rumors circulating about the couple's strained marriage. It 422 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 2: wouldn't even be a year later that Charles and Diana 423 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 2: would announce their divorce. When Prince William and Princess Kate 424 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 2: visited India in twenty sixteen, they too visited the taj Mahal. 425 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:27,080 Speaker 2: Everyone was on pins and needles to see if the 426 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 2: couple would sit on the very same bench where William's 427 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 2: father and his late mother had both sat separately years before. 428 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 2: The couple did end up sitting at that bench for 429 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:42,560 Speaker 2: photos together, in a way reclaiming the bench and all 430 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 2: that it came to symbolize. Noble Blood is a production 431 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 2: of iHeart Radio and Grimm and Mild from Aaron Mankey. 432 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:07,840 Speaker 2: Noble Blood is hosted by me Danish Forts, with additional 433 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 2: writing and researching by Hannah Johnston, Hannah Zewick, Courtney Sender, 434 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 2: Julia Milani, and Armand Cassam. The show is edited and 435 00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 2: produced by Noehmy Griffin and rima il Kaali, with supervising 436 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: producer Josh Thain and executive producers Aaron Mankey, Alex Williams 437 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 2: and Matt Frederick. Four more podcasts from iHeartRadio. Visit the 438 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 2: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 439 00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 2: favorite shows.