Saturday, January 20, 2024 Agra India

AGRA & the FORT

• The Moghuls invaded India with just men 10,000 in the 16th century.
• They defeated the Maharaja who had over 100,000 men because they had gunpowder, and the locals did not.
• They lost because their battle plan in the past was to have the elephants on the front line, followed by horses followed by men.
• When the elephants heard shots from the guns, they turned and trampled the rest.
• The Moghuls became very wealthy because rather than fight the other 19-20 Maharajas (who had been fighting each other for centuries) he cut a deal with them pay me 25% of what you make and I will protect you from each other. …. And that is how the mafia got started… how’s that for a bit of embellishment? 😊
• The third Mughal Akbar moved the capital to Agra in 1556.
• The Fort/Palace was started in 1556, with 17,000 men and 8 years to finish.
• It had two moats, the first with Crocodiles, and the second with tigers.
• Even though we walked for 45 minutes only 2% of the Palace is open to the public.
• The Indian Army occupies a large portion of the Fort.  

A tour of the Taj Mahal “The Taj”

• No one has ever lived in the Taj.
• The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
• It is Mughal architecture, which is a blend of Persian, Islamic, and Indian architectural styles.
• It took 20,000 workers and 22 years to complete finishing it in 1653.
• The marble is inlaid with gems, onyx, jade emeralds, etc., which are glued into place with a special glue that has lasted over 400 years and is supposed to last 2000 years.
• Many people have tried to get the receipt including Mrs. Clinton but to no avail.