Do you know Shahjahan had an entire city pay
for his daughter’s paan expenses?!
Paan or betel nut is craved after a meal
throughout India. Some of you who live in or have visited India may have also
relished paan. Shahjahan was the 5th Mughal emperor and the father
of Aurangzeb. Jahanara was Shahjahan’s daughter and a scholar and poetess. She
also managed his harem and sat on a throne in the court and listened to
petitions. And do you know what Shahjahan gave her as a birthday present? The
whole port of Surat in Gujarat to pay for her “expenses on paan”! Wish your
parents gave you a present like this?
Did you know average British families living in
India had 36 servants ? A few have been listed here:
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| Illustration by- Curiologist |
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| Illustration by- Curiologist |
There was the usual khansama (head bearer), mali (gardener), bawarchi
(cook), ayah (maid) and dhobi (washerman). And there were also a few odd ones
like harkara (messenger), hajjam (barber), farash (furniture keeper), syce
(stable hand) and duria (dog keeper). So, the memsahib had nothing to do but
order the servants around. I wish I had so many servants.
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| Ilustration by- Curiologist |
Do you
know Ashoka had female bodyguards?
Ashoka was the 3rd Mauryan monarch
under who the Mauryan Empire rose to its height. Ashoka believed that women
were more trustworthy and could protect him better this led him to have female
bodyguards.
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