A HISTORY LESSON

The cover story in the current edition of Smithsonian Magazine is on the efforts to save the crumbling Taj Mahal. It was constructed 350 years ago as a final resting place for the Indian Emperor’s favorite wife. The Emperor was totally devastated by her death at the age of 38 after giving birth to their 14^th child. Notice I said favorite wife, apparently there were others too. With multiple wives, how many children did he have? Did he show love for any of his other wives and his many, many children?

I guess you could call it a beautiful love story, at least from his point of view because he spent 15 years constructing her tomb.

I can’t help wondering how the poor woman felt about his romantic obsession with her during her lifetime. Is there a possibility that at one point she might like to have said “not tonight honey, I have a headache”? ‘Course if she had said that she might no longer have had a head.