HISTORICAL EXPLANATIONS
Below are a few brief explanations of some of the history of India mentioned in this book. Although told as accurately as possible, the author takes no responsibility as to their authenticity.
Taj Mahal:
An Emperor called Shah Jahan had the memorial built in memory of his favourite and third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. They met when she was just fourteen years old and fell deeply in love. They did not marry until five years later and then spent many happy years together until she unfortunately died in 1631 giving birth to their fourteenth child.
Shah Jahan in extreme grief decided to build the great monument made of white marble in her memory. With detail in regard to symmetry so precise, the monument is architecturally perfect. Finally completed in 1653, the designs are so intricate that it is hard to believe that now 400 years later they are still just as exquisite and have remarkably not deteriorated. The tombs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are now in the lower chamber of the monument where the public isn’t allowed access. It is understood that Shah Jahan was planning to build a mausoleum for himself to be placed, upon his death, across the Yamuna River which is alongside the Taj Mahal, with a bridge linking the two monuments.
In Shah Jahan's later life (1658) he became ill. With animosity amongst his sons over succession and rule, Aurangzeb, the third son of Mumtaz Mahal placed his father under house arrest. Shah Jahan was put in a tower of the Agra Red Fort where he stayed for eight years. His eldest daughter, Jahanara Begum Sahib, voluntarily decided to share this time with him.
From this virtual prison he had a view from his window of the tribute of love he had built for his wife, The Taj Mahal (a distance of 3kms). This is where he stayed until his death in 1666 aged 74. His body was placed to lie forever in the tomb next to Mumtaz Mahal.
History of Jaipur:
The 'Pink City' as it is also known is the capital of Rajasthan.
Customarily pink is the colour of hospitality, and with this in mind, in 1876 during the regime of Sawai Ram Singh, he had the buildings of the entire old city painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII.
Jal Mahal:
Jal Mahal, meaning water palace or floating temple, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Madho Singh I. This Maharaja modeled the Jal Mahal on a similar palace, the Lake Palace, in Udaipur where he had grown up. It was intended mainly as a getaway spot for royalty and was frequently used for their duck hunting parties. Tourists can take a boat ride to view the palace but at the time of writing this, this is not possible as the palace is under restoration.
British soldier’s history in India during the war:
Quotation from Ms Moira Breen - USA -
“As a descendant of British soldiers of the Honorable East Indian Company (HEIC) who married Indian women, here is my explanation:
The British soldier was often from the poorest section of British society - from Ireland, Scotland, England. Few survived the overcrowding, poor nutrition, and unsanitary conditions of the long voyage, and in India the inadequate housing and endemic diseases of smallpox, malaria, cholera, and typhoid took its toll. Far away from home, in an alien land and culture and with practically no white women, morale was poor and the men drank heavily. To establish some semblance of stability in their lives, the HEIC encouraged the men to marry Indian (native) women. The British soldier received a monetary family allowance for his Indian wife and children, provided the wife became a Christian and the children were baptized. These criteria were met by the simple expedient of giving the wife a Christian or English name and marrying her according to Christian rites in a church, and where subsequently the children were baptized. Duplicate copies of all church records, Births, marriages, and deaths, were sent to England and are now stored in the British library in London. Successive generations of British soldiers had the option of marrying Indian women or the mixed race daughters of their fellow men. The mixed race children were described as Indo-Britons, Eurasians, or country-born and in 1911 officially as Anglo-Indian.
If the marriage record gives only the first name of the wife, then it is assumed that she is a full-blooded Indian (native); if both a first and last name is given, then it is assumed she is of mixed race. However, in England these distinctions were often blurred and you will often hear said, "Uncle Joe went to India, married a native woman and we never heard of him again." Unfortunately, very little is known of these Indian women who married British soldiers - perhaps it was because many of the soldiers were illiterate and didn't write home.”
Coolies:
In Hindi, the word ‘Coolie’ means 'paid labourer.' These porters work in Indian train stations and are easily identifiable due to their red shirts, which will have a numbered badge.
They will help your find your train, carry your luggage, and walk very fast (you have to almost run to keep up with them!) to your carriage - they are also very helpful. A fantastic and popular Indian movie called ‘Coolie’ stars Indian's biggest star of his time Amitabh Bachchan.