1
00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,367
(ORIENTAL MUSIC)
2
00:00:05,560 --> 00:00:07,688
This is the untold story
3
00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,611
of the making of the modern world.
4
00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:16,649
A fresh perspective,
5
00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,767
charting the spread of civilisation
across the globe.
6
00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,241
From the dawn of mankind
7
00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,330
and the first cities and empires
8
00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:33,201
to the belief in One God.
9
00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:36,088
(Calls for prayer)
10
00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,206
We follow the flow of civilisation
11
00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:41,925
from the Middle East...
12
00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:46,921
an extraordinary place
that has been a vital link
13
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:52,206
between the continents of Asia,
Africa and Europe for millennia.
14
00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:00,604
An economic, scientific
and cultural centre of the world.
15
00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,044
This is an epic journey
of discovery...
16
00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:14,765
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
17
00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:18,362
from the East to the West.
18
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:45,927
Today, on the outskirts of the town
of Sivas in modern Turkey,
19
00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,044
horsemen gather together
to play Cirit -
20
00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,686
an ancient game of immense skill
and stamina -
21
00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,251
using the traditional cirit
or spear.
22
00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:01,328
(RHYTHMIC MUSIC)
23
00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,124
It is an extreme test of reflex,
bravery and horsemanship.
24
00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,451
Riders attempt to catch their
opponent's spear in mid-flight,
25
00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:22,610
before launching
into a fresh assault.
26
00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:29,768
But cirit isn't just a game.
27
00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:31,325
It's a thousand year old tradition
28
00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:34,888
an echo of an ancient lifestyle
on horseback,
29
00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,845
when the ancestors of these riders
played it
30
00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,089
to hone their equestrian
and battle skills
31
00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,648
as they began to transform
the world forever.
32
00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,161
(SWELLING MUSIC)
33
00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,289
A thousand years ago
34
00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,767
the dividing lines in Middle East
and Asia Minor
35
00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,851
seemed firmly drawn
between the Great Islamic empires,
36
00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:03,280
and the lands of the Byzantines
37
00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:08,247
- the Christian successors
of the eastern Roman Empire.
38
00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:14,441
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
39
00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:17,041
But at the turn
of the new millennium,
40
00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,928
new forces were beginning to rise
in the distant steps of central Asia
41
00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,408
that would turn
this old order upside down.
42
00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:27,728
(OMINOUS MUSIC)
43
00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:30,082
First came the Seljuk Turks
44
00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,888
who journeyed thousands of miles
and took on the Byzantines,
45
00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:36,411
followed by Genghis Khan
46
00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,523
and his Mongol tribes
who wrought destruction
47
00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,726
throughout the Islamic world, before
converting to the faith themselves.
48
00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:49,204
Timur the Great, who from his
glittering capital in Samarkand
49
00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,483
created an Islamic renaissance.
50
00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,689
And his descendants the Moghuls,
whose rule in India would produce
51
00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,885
one of the richest, most vibrant
cultures in history.
52
00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,410
This is the story of a region
that created
53
00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:15,527
some of the greatest empires
and emperors the world has ever seen,
54
00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,405
transforming the balance
of world power
55
00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,810
and redefining both East
and West forever.
56
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,841
This is the story
of the Asian crucible.
57
00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:49,569
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
58
00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,371
The rugged steppes of Central Asia
59
00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,530
- a thousand years ago,
60
00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,008
a bleak terrain inhabited by nomadic,
horsemen.
61
00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:08,530
A region on the fringes
of the Islamic world
62
00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,042
since it had been conquered
by the Arab armies.
63
00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,442
A vast landmass
64
00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,723
which stretched from modern day China
and Mongolia in the east,
65
00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,241
to the Caspian Sea in the west.
66
00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,881
Afghanistan in the south,
67
00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,447
to Russia in the north,
68
00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,246
but a region that had also played
an important role
69
00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:32,329
as a hub between East and West,
70
00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,161
the territory through which
the Great Silk Road passed,
71
00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,922
bringing riches from China and India
through to Europe.
72
00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:48,205
By the 11th century,
73
00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,802
the most powerful inhabitants
of this region were a Turkic people,
74
00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,924
the Seljuks -
recent converts to Islam,
75
00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,044
whose tribal warlike culture
had given them dominance
76
00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,369
over this harsh,
inhospitable terrain.
77
00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:38,244
Over 300 years
78
00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:40,727
- using their military skills,
79
00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,288
driven by the search of better
pasture and the spoils of war,
80
00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,370
the Seljuk Turks not only
swept throughout the steppes
81
00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,723
but began to spread out of their
Central Asian homeland
82
00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,088
towards Anatolia,
83
00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:55,362
the lands of Modern Turkey.
84
00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,526
Their arrival changed the balance
of world power forever
85
00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,041
as the cultures of East and West -
86
00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:05,810
the Christians of Byzantium
87
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:07,570
and the Muslim Turks -
88
00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:12,004
clashed head to head.
89
00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,727
(EERIE MUSIC)
90
00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,881
It was here in Eastern Anatolia,
91
00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,481
on 26th August, 1071,
92
00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,081
outside the town of Malazgirt,
93
00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,931
that the Seljuk forces
came face to face
94
00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,009
with their Byzantine foes.
95
00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:39,408
The Seljuk leader, Alp Arslan,
confidently led his army
96
00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,602
to the edge of the plains...
97
00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,043
the barren landscape a perfect
setting tor an army
98
00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,481
which had thrived
in the harsh terrain
99
00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:51,887
of the Central Asian steppes.
100
00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:16,885
Alp Arslan's forces
101
00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,402
had already capitalised on their
adaptability to this landscape,
102
00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,127
weakening their enemy
through skirmishing and sabotage.
103
00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:29,281
They had burned the Byzantines' food
sources and poisoned their wells.
104
00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,890
But still the Seljuk cavalry
were heavily outnumbered.
105
00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,845
And rather than going
for all-out attack,
106
00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:43,042
the Seljuks used hit and run tactics
107
00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,767
to draw their enemy
into a lethal trap.
108
00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,007
They had the speed,
109
00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,328
they had the weaponry,
110
00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,404
but most importantly
they were highly skilled.
111
00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:19,685
Under pressure,
the Byzantine infantry attacked.
112
00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,681
As the Byzantines approached,
113
00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,724
the Turks feigned retreat.
114
00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,001
Then from behind the rocky hills,
115
00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,841
the hidden Seljuk archers emerged
on horseback .
116
00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:37,960
The Byzantines were surrounded
and in disarray.
117
00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:42,251
The Turks closed in
and crushed them.
118
00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:44,965
Against the odds,
119
00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:49,529
Alp Arslan's warriors had destroyed
the mighty Byzantine army,
120
00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,806
the Byzantine empire losing its hold
over the rich lands of Anatolia.
121
00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:03,681
The land known as Rum,
meaning “Roman Empire",
122
00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,406
that had been ruled
by Christian Byzantines,
123
00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:11,970
was now the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
ruled by Muslim Sultans.
124
00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,763
As they cemented their rule,
125
00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,885
their new capital Konya became
the spiritual and cultural heart
126
00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:27,764
of the Seljuk state.
127
00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,409
Scholarship, craftsmanship
and religion -
128
00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,683
including Sufism,
a mystic branch of Islam -
129
00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,406
flooded in
from all over the Muslim world,
130
00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,649
bringing with it, the cultural
heritage of Central Asia
131
00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:48,922
and the Middle East.
132
00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,087
The departure of the Byzantines
133
00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:14,842
and the arrival of the Seljuks marked
a monumental regime change,
134
00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,408
but it didn't mark a complete break
with the past.
135
00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,685
The region of Cappadocia,
“the land of beautiful horses",
136
00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,645
had been the hub
of Anatolian Christianity
137
00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:57,003
for many centuries
before the Seljuk invasion.
138
00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,841
And today, in the town of Aksaray,
139
00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,011
Christian dwellings, rock monasteries
and frescoed churches
140
00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,602
still honeycomb
the steep gorges and hillsides.
141
00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:30,330
But it is nearby,
in the 16 mile rock cut gorge,
142
00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:32,090
the lhlara Valley,
143
00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,649
where archaeological evidence reveals
the remarkable relationship
144
00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:40,606
between the Christians
and the incoming Muslims.
145
00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:59,366
This richly decorated rock chapel
dates from about 1290.
146
00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:03,325
It was put up to be
the burial chamber
147
00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,649
of some rich local citizens
148
00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:09,684
and they could afford
to decorate the church
149
00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,850
to the very highest
Byzantine standards.
150
00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:15,202
There you see archangels dressed
151
00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:16,731
as they would have been
200 years earlier
152
00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,161
in the heyday of the Byzantines,
153
00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,368
and there's Christ
in Transfiguration,
154
00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:29,007
and over this side
you can see the Twelve Apostles.
155
00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,641
(STATELY MUSIC)
156
00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,561
Over the centuries,
the frescoes have been defaced.
157
00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:48,527
But what they reveal is that this is
the tomb of a wealthy local Christian
158
00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,688
living under Seljuk rule.
159
00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:54,928
The Seljuks' success wasn't simply
territorial;
160
00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,964
it was a victory over
hearts and minds.
161
00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,249
What we've got over here
is really quite remarkable.
162
00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:06,807
There's nothing like it
either in Turkey
163
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,128
and certainly not in Cappadocia.
164
00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,011
Here we've got someone
in Oriental dress.
165
00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,362
This gentleman is wearing a turban,
166
00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:20,088
big black beard, flowing white
robes, long sword by his side.
167
00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:25,768
And he's standing beside someone who
is recognisably the Christian saint,
168
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:27,405
Saint George.
169
00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,009
Well, who are they?
170
00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:34,806
Well, the answer was written
on the wall, at the time.
171
00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,891
What's important are these big
lettered inscriptions in white.
172
00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:40,923
Those were painted at the time.
173
00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:46,923
They tell us very clearly that this
person here is Basil Giagoupes,
174
00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,771
he commands Christian troops,
175
00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,122
he's probably also a local
landowner,
176
00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:57,008
but his loyalty is not
to the Byzantine Emperor Andronicus,
177
00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:59,282
but to Mesud the Second.
178
00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:12,322
So although Basil Giagoupes was
a Christian of Byzantine ancestry,
179
00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,409
under this new world order
180
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,683
he actively embraced
the Turkic way of life...
181
00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,760
not only wearing Seljuk dress,
182
00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,646
but pledging allegiance
to the Seljuk sultan.
183
00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:30,525
And this is a very interesting
snapshot
184
00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:34,406
of how quite wealthy
and prosperous Christians lived,
185
00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,809
worked and served the Seljuk
Dynasty,
186
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,801
even to the point of fighting for it
and presumably dying for it.
187
00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,171
(ETHEREAL MUSIC)
188
00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,250
One gets the impression
that the two populations
189
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,410
mixed relatively easily
in the centre of the country
190
00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:54,125
and that's one of the reasons
why lslamicisation
191
00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,322
went so deep here so early.
192
00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,051
Through ethnic, religious
and cultural interaction,
193
00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:08,531
the line between conqueror
and conquered began to disappear.
194
00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:14,044
Here, there was
no clear East-West divide,
195
00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,686
this was a cultural crossroads.
196
00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,328
(RHYTHMIC MUSIC)
197
00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,361
This cultural vibrancy was enhanced
198
00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,962
by the constant flow of caravan
traffic travelling east and west
199
00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,811
through the region
along the Silk Route.
200
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,764
(BACKGROUND MUSIC)
201
00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,246
And to help the movement
of travellers and trade,
202
00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,410
the Seljuks built a series
of fortified rest-stops
203
00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,924
- caravanserais - 3O to 4O kilometres
from one another,
204
00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,487
the equivalent of a day's travel,
205
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:05,163
allowing trade to flourish between
east and west like never before.
206
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,971
By the 13th century the Seljuks
had created a vast empire -
207
00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:17,685
not only ruling Anatolia,
208
00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,680
but controlling swathes
of Central Asia and the Middle East.
209
00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,683
In their original homeland,
tribal rulers acted as lieutenants
210
00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:29,723
to the Seljuk sultanate.
211
00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,361
The stability created
by their governance
212
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:38,210
brought vast amounts of wealth
213
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,880
into the whole of Central Asia.
214
00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:47,530
And as a result,
215
00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,530
cities like Bukhara
in modern Uzbekistan
216
00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:54,122
became some of the richest
and most vibrant centres
217
00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:56,163
in the Islamic world.
218
00:17:58,280 --> 00:17:59,964
Its prominence epitomised
219
00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:04,131
by one of the last remaining
architectural wonders of the period.
220
00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:38,161
Standing at over 5O metres high,
221
00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:41,603
the Kalon minaret was
an engineering triumph,
222
00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,282
the tallest building
in Central Asia at the time.
223
00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,041
And to support this vast structure,
224
00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:53,485
its foundations were buried over
nine metres deep into the ground.
225
00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:19,886
(CALL TO PRAYER)
226
00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:22,162
By the turn of the 13th century,
227
00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:26,604
Bukhara could look back on
centuries of glittering achievements.
228
00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,724
But in 1220,
all that was about to change,
229
00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,845
with events that would not only
transform the future of the city,
230
00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,964
but the whole of Central Asia
and the Seljuk empire.
231
00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:43,603
As the city's look-outs surveyed
the distant horizon
232
00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,962
from their monumental watch tower,
233
00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,926
it wasn't the welcome
sight of an incoming trade caravan
234
00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:51,770
that met their eyes.
235
00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,361
(MUSIC REACHES DRAMATIC
CRESCENDO)
236
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:56,528
It was the terrifying vision
237
00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,167
of an invading army
preparing for battle.
238
00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:03,682
(THUNDEROUS MUSIC)
239
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,725
The Mongol forces had arrived;
240
00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,082
at their head
one of the most bloodthirsty
241
00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,124
and fearsome warlords
the world had ever seen -
242
00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,641
Genghis Khan.
243
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,801
Genghis Khan was, I think, one
of the greatest leaders in history.
244
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,809
He started from practically nothing
245
00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,490
and as a nobody,
246
00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,843
and yet he created
the world's greatest land Empire.
247
00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:58,805
It was many times larger
than the Roman Empire,
248
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:01,241
and that was just the beginning.
249
00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:07,603
By the year 1220,
250
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,486
Genghis had already
united the tribes of Mongolia,
251
00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:16,527
and under his leadership his
territory also covered half of China.
252
00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:21,570
But now his attentions turn
to Central Asia.
253
00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:27,527
Although aware of the fate
that might await them,
254
00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:30,371
the Bukharans refused to surrender.
255
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,684
With the misplaced confidence
that they could hold out
256
00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:39,169
and defeat their enemy within the
mighty defences of their citadel,
257
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:42,091
the Ark, a fortress-like structure
258
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,727
which had been built and rebuilt
since the 5th century,
259
00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:50,403
with 20-metre-high walls surrounding
the whole perimeter of the city.
260
00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:04,205
The effect on Bukhara
was devastating.
261
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,129
Its wonderful monuments,
262
00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,722
the glittering culture that had
flourished tor 400 years,
263
00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,766
now lay in ruins, only the citadel
and the minaret surviving,
264
00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,691
one of the great wonders
of the Islamic world
265
00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,087
now towering above a wasteland
266
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:23,808
as a sad, solitary reminder
of this once glorious city.
267
00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,929
No wonder that Genghis Khan's
invasion of Central Asia
268
00:23:33,120 --> 00:23:36,647
inspired terror
throughout the Muslim world.
269
00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:43,009
To his enemies,
he was a complete catastrophe.
270
00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:47,931
And people in the Middle East
still look back to Genghis Khan
271
00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:50,088
as a mass murderer,
272
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:54,171
who brought the greatest devastation
that you can imagine,
273
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,967
to the great cities of Central Asia
and the Muslim world.
274
00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:03,886
As Genghis swept
through the Islamic world,
275
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:08,483
any city that resisted,
suffered the same fate as Bukhara...
276
00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,001
from Konya the capital of the Seljuks
277
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:14,568
to Baghdad...
home to the House of Wisdom.
278
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:19,689
And the Mongol empire now stretched
for thousands of miles.
279
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:27,131
At its greatest extent, covering an
area of 33 million square kilometres
280
00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,802
- 22% of the earth's total
land mass -
281
00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:35,369
with over a hundred million people
under Mongol dominion.
282
00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,283
But while the Mongols' rampage
283
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,642
initially decimated
the Islamic world,
284
00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,366
as they began to interact
with the inhabitants
285
00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:50,688
of the territories
they had conquered,
286
00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,487
the Mongols themselves would
eventually turn to Islam.
287
00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,647
Today in Isfahan, Iran,
the Friday Mosque reveals
288
00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,162
that some Mongols were
no longer the enemies of Islam,
289
00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:06,567
but were becoming devout followers.
290
00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:09,681
The writings on the Mihrab
291
00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,204
celebrate the conversion of Genghis
Khan's great-great-grandson,
292
00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:15,925
to Islam.
293
00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,927
The Mongols gradual conversion
had a dramatic effect
294
00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:23,691
on the lives of the people
they conquered -
295
00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,123
as archaeological investigations
in eastern Anatolia,
296
00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,085
once the heartland
of the great Seljuk Empire,
297
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,044
have recently revealed.
298
00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:38,603
The city - Ahlat - had flourished
as an important trade centre.
299
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,361
It is still home to a huge historic
Islamic cemetery.
300
00:25:44,160 --> 00:25:46,561
The tour thousand tombstones
which survive,
301
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,321
record the lives of the elite
of Seljuk society in Ahlat
302
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:53,171
between the 11th and 15th centuries.
303
00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:56,769
But it's the nearby cave tombs
304
00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,281
which reveal the way
different Mongol groups
305
00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,484
interacted with the people
they conquered.
306
00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:08,088
Discoveries in these caves
show how the incoming peoples
307
00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,329
learned to co-exist
with the local population.
308
00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:12,885
Here in Ahlat,
309
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,481
it seems that a mixed community
of Seljuks,
310
00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,480
Moslem llkhanate Mongols from Iran,
and Buddhists from Mongolia
311
00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:24,242
were able to live and be buried
alongside each other.
312
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:49,003
The discoveries of Ahlat reveal
how Islam encouraged the Mongols
313
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,249
to live more amicably
with other cultures.
314
00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:07,049
But throughout Central Asia, growing
cultural and religious harmony
315
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,881
in no way amounted to peace
and tranquility.
316
00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:17,964
(AGITATED BUZZING MUSIC)
317
00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:19,889
The conflict seems typified
318
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:24,051
by the regions traditional sport -
of buzkashi.
319
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:35,889
700 years ago,
320
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,447
the lack of a dominant
figure such as Genghis Khan
321
00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:40,085
or the Seljuk Sultan,
322
00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:41,964
left a power vacuum,
323
00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,128
and the region was beset
by infighting
324
00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:47,722
as tribal warlords sought
to gain the upper hand.
325
00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:51,647
(RHYTHMIC DRUMMING)
326
00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:05,040
But in the middle
of the 14th century,
327
00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,369
from the Chagatai Khanate
in Central Asia,
328
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,929
a new leader, with both Turkic
and Mongol ancestry was about
329
00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:17,921
to build a new Islamic empire,
Timur the Great.
330
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,810
Timur claimed
that he was a perfect Mongol.
331
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:29,325
He claimed that he was the only one
who understood,
332
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,842
who really understood,
Genghis Khan's heritage.
333
00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:39,771
Timur's ambition was
to create an empire
334
00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,247
that would rival
that of his role model,
335
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,090
Genghis Khan.
336
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,650
As city after city and region
after region fell before him,
337
00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:54,208
as they had before Genghis Khan's
Mongol horde,
338
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:56,607
the destruction was similarly
devastating.
339
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:08,525
But whilst Timur was just
as brutal as his predecessor,
340
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:11,690
he wasn't simply
driven by bloodlust.
341
00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:16,688
Although he spent 90% of his life
as a nomadic warrior,
342
00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,009
as a great Islamic leader,
he wanted to leave behind
343
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:24,808
something more than a great empire
and trail of destruction.
344
00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,242
Timur was aware of the fact that
345
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,091
although he had
this nomadic background,
346
00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:36,126
he needed to present himself
347
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:41,531
as an urban sedentary ruler,
so that's why he needed a capital.
348
00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:45,165
The location he chose
349
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,603
was a 100 kilometres
from his birthplace, Kesh:
350
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:52,323
Samarkand.
351
00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,608
Like Bukhara, Samarkand had grown
rich on the fruits of the silk trade,
352
00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:03,088
but it too had been devastated
by the Mongol hordes.
353
00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,250
But now, as his new capital,
354
00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:09,046
Timur was determined
that the city would not only rival
355
00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:11,208
but surpass its former glory.
356
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:14,687
(STATELY MUSIC)
357
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:34,607
And today, his greatest monument,
the Bibi Khanum Mosque built in 1399
358
00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,087
when he was over 6O years of age,
359
00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,090
is still one of the largest mosques
in the world
360
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,090
- testament to the scale
of his ambition.
361
00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,201
As Timur rebuilt his capital
with magnificent monuments,
362
00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:33,051
Samarkand grew into one
of the greatest cities
363
00:33:33,240 --> 00:33:35,641
the Islamic world had ever seen:
364
00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:37,524
the pearl of the East.
365
00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:42,282
Its population soaring to 150,000.
366
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,568
It attracted not only traders
along the Silk Road,
367
00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:57,649
but artisans and craftsmen
368
00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:00,002
whom Timur had gathered
from across the globe
369
00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,123
throughout his conquests.
370
00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:20,205
And today, Timur's legacy still
dominates the modern city.
371
00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:24,644
The Registan,
built by his grandson Uleg Beg,
372
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:28,128
not only reflects the monumental
scale of the Timurids achievements,
373
00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:32,006
but their patronage
of scholarship and learning.
374
00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:56,720
By the end of the 14th century,
375
00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:00,367
Samarkand was the epicenter
of an Islamic renaissance,
376
00:36:00,560 --> 00:36:04,007
at the core of an empire
which connected trade and ideas
377
00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,090
between East and West.
378
00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:12,971
Timur's dream had been realised.
379
00:36:25,680 --> 00:36:27,728
Over the past four centuries,
380
00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:30,890
Central Asia had become a crucible
spawning some of the greatest,
381
00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:33,287
yet bloodiest
leaders the world had ever seen,
382
00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:36,245
the power of their empires
383
00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:39,205
not only illustrated by
a flowering of culture,
384
00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:43,291
but rampant destruction
in equal measure.
385
00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:48,611
But while these rulers had triumphed
at home and in the West,
386
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,565
one prize had always evaded them all:
387
00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:53,805
the East.
388
00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,330
But at the turn of the 16th century
389
00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:02,602
all that was about to change,
390
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,087
as a descendant
of Timur and Genghis Khan
391
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:08,045
emerged from the Steppes
of Central Asia.
392
00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,889
The first of the Moghul emperors:
393
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:13,047
Babur '
394
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:16,562
a ruler who would take Central Asian
ideas and culture
395
00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:19,684
in a totally new direction:
396
00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:21,166
India.
397
00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:33,203
Genghis Khan himself wanted
to conquer India.
398
00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:38,406
He came up to the borders of India
and went back. Timur, of course,
399
00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:42,241
came here and conquered,
and then went back.
400
00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:45,210
Babur, in fact, says,
401
00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:49,450
“I came to India because
it belonged to my ancestors.“
402
00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,445
It was on 21st April 1526,
403
00:37:58,640 --> 00:37:59,971
at the Battle of Panipat,
404
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,527
that the Moghul leader Babur
set his forces
405
00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:05,007
against the incumbent Sultan
of Delhi,
406
00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,647
armed with 15,000 troops
and a limited artillery
407
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:12,526
his army was pitted against
a force of over 150,000,
408
00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:15,963
bolstered with 300 war elephants.
409
00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,122
(DRAMATIC PORTENTOUS MUSIC)
410
00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:28,761
But within a matter of hours,
411
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,884
Babur had out-maneuvered
and killed his foe.
412
00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:37,809
The leader of the Moghuls had become
a Moghul emperor.
413
00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:42,610
But ironically,
although Babur was now the ruler
414
00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:45,531
of one of the richest
kingdoms in the world,
415
00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:49,327
he disliked his new prize
and yearned for home.
416
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,162
In many ways,
coming from Central Asia,
417
00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:56,806
India or Hindustan
as it was called then,
418
00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:00,641
must have seemed like
land of plenty - you planted grain
419
00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,969
in the fields and it just seemed
to grow miraculously.
420
00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:07,721
But Babur was still clearly
challenged by the conditions there,
421
00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,207
and we know this
because he wrote about it
422
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:12,448
in his autobiography,
the Baburnama.
423
00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,768
“Hindustan is a country
of few charms.
424
00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:27,802
“It's people have no good looks.
425
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:32,244
“Of social intercourse, paying and
receiving visits, there is none.
426
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:41,565
“In handicraft and work there is
no symmetry, method or quality.
427
00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:45,446
“There are no good horses,
no good dogs,
428
00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:50,089
“no grapes, musk-melons
or first rate fruits,
429
00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:55,924
“no candles, no torches,
not even candlesticks..."
430
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,968
But despite his loathing
of the country,
431
00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:05,084
Babur wasn't about to give
up his prize.
432
00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:09,329
He was here to stay
433
00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:13,161
and if he wasn't going to return
to his beloved Central Asia.
434
00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:17,570
He was going to create a little oasis
of it right here in India.
435
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:25,841
What you are seeing here is
a typical Moghul char bargh
436
00:40:26,040 --> 00:40:27,644
a garden design tradition
437
00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:33,768
which was brought by Babur
to the Indian landscape. It was...
438
00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,646
a very tenuous link with the
landscape that he had left behind,
439
00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:39,490
so he wanted to superimpose
440
00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:44,242
a very familiar spatial order
onto this alien land so to speak,
441
00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:46,841
and they were
like territorial markers
442
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:51,807
that is it was trying to establish
control over the land.
443
00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:55,841
Water channels not only helped
to remind Babur
444
00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:57,804
of the flowing streams
of Central Asia,
445
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:00,890
the earthly paradise
he had left behind.
446
00:41:01,080 --> 00:41:04,846
These gardens were also a symbol
of heavenly paradise.
447
00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:13,561
There is a description in the Qur'an
of paradise being a place
448
00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:16,491
beneath which flow the rivers.
449
00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:29,682
The original Paradise Garden would
have had a lot of fruit trees -
450
00:41:29,880 --> 00:41:32,804
all this would have been filled
with orchards
451
00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:36,891
or with a whole lot of shrubs
exuding a lot of smell
452
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,641
because fragrance was
the essence of paradise.
453
00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:48,891
They really became centres
for courtly life.
454
00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:54,769
And anybody who was somebody
had to have a river-facing garden.
455
00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,405
(DREAMY HAUNTING MUSIC)
456
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:02,366
By while recreating a slice of Asia
was motivated by Babur's desire
457
00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,723
to feel at home
and stamp his mark on India,
458
00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:08,810
his ultimate ambition was
to recreate an empire
459
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,209
which would equal the achievements
of his ancestors Timur
460
00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:14,323
and Genghis Khan.
461
00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:21,168
Babur's own territories now stretched
thousands of miles
462
00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:22,930
across northern India
463
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,522
and within 3O years,
although he wouldn't live to see it,
464
00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:29,849
the Moghuls too would boast
monuments and achievements
465
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:31,883
worthy of his ancestors.
466
00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:41,929
The first was a tomb built
for his own son, Humayan.
467
00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,767
For the first time, Central Asian
design began to be fused
468
00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:51,440
with Indian materials
and craftsmanship.
469
00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:58,971
It's unbelievable that the Moghuls
got such great perfection
470
00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:02,528
in the very first building,
the dynasty built in India.
471
00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:09,965
Just like 400 years ago, even today
visitors are filled with awe
472
00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,561
because of the splendour
of the building.
473
00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:17,967
And importantly, the Moghuls realised
that it that was to happen,
474
00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,607
they couldn't survive simply
by importing central Asian culture
475
00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:24,770
into the country as Babur had done
with his gardens.
476
00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:27,281
If the empire really wanted
to flourish,
477
00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:30,324
its rulers had to engage
with the local landscape
478
00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:32,921
- its people and traditions.
479
00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:38,366
Humayan's tomb when it was built
was built as a family tomb.
480
00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:40,688
It is still known
as the house of Timur
481
00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:44,327
because there are 160 Moghul
family graves in the building.
482
00:43:46,320 --> 00:43:48,607
But what is so special
about Humayan's tomb is
483
00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:50,689
that this was a first
on many fronts.
484
00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:54,680
It was the first enclosed
garden tomb built to this scale.
485
00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:59,362
The Humayan's tomb
is almost 150 ft tall.
486
00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,481
The building itself covers
a floor area of over two acres.
487
00:44:06,560 --> 00:44:09,769
Just the finial is six metres,
almost two storeys.
488
00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:12,925
The earlier tombs in Delhi -
489
00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,805
ten of them would fit
into this one building..
490
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:22,320
This was the announcement
of the Moghuls in India.
491
00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:23,851
Here is a new dynasty,
492
00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:27,089
a much greater dynasty
than India's seen before
493
00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:29,009
and we are here to stay.
494
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:37,523
And as the tomb undergoes
major repairs today,
495
00:44:37,720 --> 00:44:40,564
the restoration project
on over 72 niches,
496
00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:44,560
reveals how the Moghuls
engaged with Indian culture.
497
00:44:45,960 --> 00:44:49,567
While the geometric patterns
are central Asian in design,
498
00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,604
the craftsmen
carrying out the work are Indian,
499
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:56,691
just as they were 300 years ago
when the tomb was built.
500
00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:03,291
I think what was important
about this building
501
00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:06,723
was Persian and Indian craftsmen
came together
502
00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:11,403
to produce a synthesis
of Timurid architecture that.
503
00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:14,410
Almost breathes perfection
into the whole.
504
00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:19,089
You've got motifs such
as the kanguola pattern.
505
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:26,247
The six-sided star, the six-sided
star you see in Islamic buildings
506
00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:29,683
from here all the way to Turkey
and beyond.
507
00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:36,084
Arches, domes, corner minarets
ceramic work...
508
00:45:36,280 --> 00:45:39,568
no wonder that this was
the architectural style chosen
509
00:45:39,760 --> 00:45:42,240
for the most famous Moghul monument
of all, Taj Mahal.
510
00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,842
So Humayan's tomb is actually
the precursor to the Taj.
511
00:45:53,560 --> 00:45:56,450
Cultural integration played
an important role
512
00:45:56,640 --> 00:45:58,847
in the establishment
of the Moghul empire.
513
00:46:02,240 --> 00:46:06,131
But it required more than the
blending of architectural influences
514
00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:10,928
and the employment of local craftsmen
to ensure any lasting success.
515
00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:14,447
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING MUSIC)
516
00:46:18,040 --> 00:46:21,487
The luxurious lifestyle of the court
in these pleasure palaces
517
00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:24,286
was the exclusive realm
of the Moghul elite,
518
00:46:24,480 --> 00:46:27,723
and in the 16th century that
elite numbered around 700
519
00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:32,244
ruling over a population
of 120 million.
520
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:38,243
(TINKLING MUSIC)
521
00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:49,051
The Moghuls laced a huge challenge
to keep the people on side,
522
00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:53,290
people who were not only culturally
and financially worlds apart
523
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:57,121
but the majority of whose
religious beliefs were also at odds.
524
00:47:00,880 --> 00:47:03,804
90% of the population were Hindu,
525
00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,004
while the Moghuls
were orthodox Sunni Muslims.
526
00:47:21,400 --> 00:47:24,609
Remarkably, however,
the early Moghuls did manage
527
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:27,724
to create harmony
out of potential division.
528
00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:30,602
Part of the key to their success was
529
00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,644
was that they also patronised
another branch of Islam
530
00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:37,606
which was instrumental in spreading
the religion throughout India -
531
00:47:37,800 --> 00:47:39,211
Sufism.
532
00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:43,247
Shrines like that
to Nizamuddin Aulea
533
00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:45,886
still attracts Sufi devotees today.
534
00:47:48,440 --> 00:47:53,002
For the past 700 odd years,
this has been a sacred spot.
535
00:47:53,200 --> 00:47:54,804
It's not just for pilgrimage,
536
00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:56,809
but a place where people come for...
537
00:47:57,000 --> 00:47:59,048
of course to seek
the Sufis' blessings,
538
00:47:59,240 --> 00:48:01,766
but also to come and communicate
with themselves,
539
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:03,291
with a higher mystical order.
540
00:48:03,480 --> 00:48:06,848
To listen to qawwalis,
it is in a sense a mystic getaway
541
00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:08,724
in a city like Delhi.
542
00:48:18,200 --> 00:48:20,282
Sufism is the mystic part of Islam.
543
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:23,165
The Sufi loves God
more than anybody else
544
00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:27,285
and the Sufi
is in a direct quest for God.
545
00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:30,082
(SUFI MUSIC)
546
00:48:30,280 --> 00:48:33,841
By 1200 AD there was a constant
stream of visitors coming
547
00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:37,965
through Multan, through Afghanistan,
coming into India,
548
00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:41,323
bringing the message
of another type of Islam.
549
00:48:42,320 --> 00:48:44,766
(SACRED SINGING)
550
00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:50,886
And so much so that Delhi was
the beating heart of Sufi Islam.
551
00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:53,603
(SACRED SINGING)
552
00:49:06,680 --> 00:49:10,890
When the Moghuls arrived in India,
they were quick to support Sufism
553
00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:14,209
as their ancestors had done
in Central Asia,
554
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:17,643
a decision which,
in this multi-faith melting pot,
555
00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:20,241
aided the acceptance of their rule.
556
00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:21,407
(EXALTED SINGING)
557
00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:31,521
There are places of worship
which keep away some people.
558
00:49:31,720 --> 00:49:33,768
The Sufis are very inclusive.
559
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:36,611
Nobody is excluded,
everybody is allowed in.
560
00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:41,931
(SINGING ACCELERATES)
561
00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,401
Sufism helped the Moghuls enormously
562
00:49:53,600 --> 00:49:58,083
because the Moghuls could not have
ruled over this large an empire
563
00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:01,682
if they had held a brief
for only one lot of people
564
00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:04,850
and I think what they learned
from the Sufis was how
565
00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:08,044
you need to take along people,
you need to be inclusive.
566
00:50:08,240 --> 00:50:10,083
(EXALTED SINGING)
567
00:50:28,720 --> 00:50:31,849
The patronage of the Sufis
was particularly advantageous
568
00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:34,008
to the early Moghul empire.
569
00:50:34,200 --> 00:50:36,043
The Sufis' inclusiveness
570
00:50:36,240 --> 00:50:41,041
meant diversity in religion
could create harmony, not discord.
571
00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:53,121
Through leadership, organisation
572
00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:55,971
and the fusion of cultural
and religious values
573
00:50:56,160 --> 00:50:57,844
from Central Asia and India,
574
00:50:58,040 --> 00:51:01,203
the Moghuls created a period
of remarkable stability
575
00:51:01,400 --> 00:51:05,041
and as a consequence,
an immensely wealthy empire.
576
00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:14,200
And it was under
the Emperor Shah Jahan,
577
00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:17,722
that the Empire would
not only enter its golden age,
578
00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:20,526
but begin
to attract global attention.
579
00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:32,602
By the time of Shah Jahan,
580
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:37,931
the levels of wealth and opulence
were quite extraordinary.
581
00:51:40,480 --> 00:51:43,051
Visitors from all over world
at this time,
582
00:51:43,240 --> 00:51:45,925
recognised just how splendid
this place is.
583
00:51:46,120 --> 00:51:48,930
This for example is the accounts
of two Dutchmen
584
00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:51,248
who came to visit the place.
585
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:53,081
“The nobles here
586
00:51:53,280 --> 00:51:55,203
“live in indescribable
587
00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:57,243
“luxury and extravagance,
588
00:51:57,960 --> 00:52:01,362
“caring only to indulge themselves
whilst they can
589
00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:04,086
“in every kind of pleasure.
590
00:52:04,720 --> 00:52:09,089
“In the palaces of these lords
dwell all the wealth there is -
591
00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:12,205
“wealth which glitters indeed
592
00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:15,722
“resplendent in the eyes
of the world.”
593
00:52:16,800 --> 00:52:19,246
(AWED MUSIC)
594
00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:27,288
(TINKLING DANCE MUSIC)
595
00:52:41,240 --> 00:52:45,450
Shah Jahan was keen to spread
that grandeur across his empire.
596
00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:49,725
In 1638, when he moved his capital
from Agra to Delhi,
597
00:52:49,920 --> 00:52:52,764
he named it Shahjahanabad,
598
00:52:54,240 --> 00:53:00,486
and began creating fantastic
monuments worthy of his ancestors:
599
00:53:00,680 --> 00:53:04,366
The Jama Masjid, reminiscent
of the monumental mosques
600
00:53:04,560 --> 00:53:07,450
built by his Central Asian
forefather Timur,
601
00:53:08,360 --> 00:53:10,328
and the Red Fort
602
00:53:10,520 --> 00:53:12,284
- a palace,
surpassing the grandeur reached
603
00:53:12,480 --> 00:53:14,562
by any of the earlier Moghuls.
604
00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:16,524
By the time he had finished
605
00:53:16,720 --> 00:53:19,371
it was not only
the largest city in world
606
00:53:20,040 --> 00:53:22,930
but also considered
the grandest.
607
00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:37,244
But it was on the banks
of the Yamuna river in Agra
608
00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:40,649
that he created the monument
that would tor ever epitomise
609
00:53:40,840 --> 00:53:42,842
the magnificence of Moghul rule...
610
00:53:47,520 --> 00:53:51,605
ironically, not built only
as a show of power...
611
00:53:51,800 --> 00:53:54,406
but as an expression
of personal grief...
612
00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:56,523
of undying love...
613
00:53:57,680 --> 00:53:59,887
the Taj Mahal.
614
00:54:02,200 --> 00:54:06,091
(NOSTALGIC PASSIONATE MUSIC)
615
00:54:10,120 --> 00:54:14,569
Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal his
favourite wife, died giving birth
616
00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:18,765
to the 14th child of the couple
and Shah Jahan was shattered...
617
00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:25,324
And he wanted to immortalise his
love for the lady in a manner
618
00:54:25,520 --> 00:54:27,443
that the world would remember her
619
00:54:27,640 --> 00:54:29,608
for as long as the world lasts...
620
00:54:32,440 --> 00:54:37,526
In Shah Jahan's imagination, this is
how paradise would look like.
621
00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:44,329
One, the white marble signifies
serenity, peace.
622
00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:49,449
There would also be perfect order
in paradise
623
00:54:49,640 --> 00:54:53,281
and therefore everything is
symmetrical, everything is in place.
624
00:54:53,720 --> 00:54:57,167
There is no sense of any chaos here.
625
00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:09,287
Despite its sad origins,
626
00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:11,562
the Taj Mahal marked the pinnacle
627
00:55:11,760 --> 00:55:14,923
of both Shah Jahan's
and the Moghuls' achievements.
628
00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:20,611
The Taj Mahal itself
stands at the pinnacle
629
00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:22,529
of not only Shah Jahan's glory,
630
00:55:22,720 --> 00:55:24,768
but Moghul Empire's glory
in a way.
631
00:55:25,720 --> 00:55:27,449
It stands for it because
632
00:55:27,640 --> 00:55:30,007
it sort of signifies...
633
00:55:30,200 --> 00:55:34,603
peace, serenity, harmony, symmetry,
634
00:55:34,800 --> 00:55:38,088
so in a way it's a metaphor
as it were,
635
00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:40,521
for the whole empire
and its duration.
636
00:55:55,720 --> 00:55:58,963
Following in the footsteps
of his ancestors,
637
00:55:59,160 --> 00:56:02,323
Shah Jahan had created a
monument which reflected the past -
638
00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:04,204
his Central Asian heritage,
639
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:06,243
celebrated the present
640
00:56:06,440 --> 00:56:08,169
- the greatness of the Moghul empire,
641
00:56:08,360 --> 00:56:11,728
and most importantly,
promised a future,
642
00:56:12,440 --> 00:56:15,842
with a legacy which to this day
epitomises the grandeur,
643
00:56:16,040 --> 00:56:19,601
the beauty and the achievements
of the empires and emperors,
644
00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:24,169
who a thousand years ago emerged
from the steps of Central Asia...
645
00:56:25,840 --> 00:56:29,162
the Asian Crucible which would
forever shape the makeup
646
00:56:29,360 --> 00:56:31,488
of the modern world.
647
00:57:13,840 --> 00:57:17,811
Subtitles © SBS Australia 2012