Rich Layers of Sweet History:
In the 8th Century BC, in Assyria in modern Iraq, a sweet was made by dipping flatbread in honey and sprinkling nuts over it. This sweet later evolved to become modern sweets like Strudel and Baklava.
When traders inroduced this recipe of flatbread and honey to Egypt, it was modified wth ingredients like cream and syrups to make Egyptian Sweet Goulash.
In Greece, instead of making flatbread, a dough was kneaded till it was paper-thin and was baked till it gained a crisp texture. This dough known as Filo Pastry was then rolled along with honey, syrups and nuts.
Later when Ice Cream was introduced, to Greece, this dessert was either topped with Ice Cream or was filled with Ice Cream to make the first modern Baklava.
In 1453 AD, after the Ottoman Empire invaded Byzantium, a new type of Baklava was made with similar ingredients to the Greek version. The royal chefs made a special Baklava with lemon juice, Knafeh, and even a small amount of white meat to give the Baklava an elastic texture.
When the recipe of Baklava reached Austria, the recipe was remade with fillings like apple tart filling. This pastry became known as Strudel. Later on, fillings like plum, apricot, and even chocolate came into existence.
Shah Jahan is said to have loved his wife Mumtaz Mahal so much that he built her the greatest monument in history, the Taj Mahal. Now it is considered as the most important symbol of love. However, is the love of Shah Jahan for his wife portrayed in the correct manner?
Firstly, Mumtaz was not the only wife of Shah Jahan. He had several other wives. In fact, he married three others and historians say he loved them also as much as Mumtaz. Secondly, Shah Jahan had made a promise to Mumtaz that he would never marry anyone else after she died.
Akbar is not just the greatest among all the Mughals, but also one of the greatest the world has seen. How did he come to know as such a great ruler?
Firstly, Akbar was known to be great, because he took care of his people well. Before him, most rulers cared only about themselves and kept collecting taxes more and more.
Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal dynasty. He came to power at the age of 22 in 1530. But in ten years after he took the throne, he was defeated in a war by Sher Shah of the Suri empire. But in 15 years Humayun fought Sher Shah again and managed to get back his empire.
Though, Humayun was a great fighter, he had another side to himself.
Firstly, Humayun, though he was a great poet and artist, he did not share his knowledge with everyone.
Babur had just ascended the throne of Fergana in eastern Uzbekistan. However, his uncle plotted to take away the throne from him. He waged a war against Babur which ultimately Babur lost. He was then exiled to Afghanistan. There Babur managed to find some followers.
Along with them, he then started to figure out ways to capture his throne back.
Babur then came across an opportunity that was even better than his throne.
The Lodi dynasty was the last in the line of Delhi Sultanates, and they ruled from 1451 AD to 1526 AD. Though they were the last, there were features that distinguished them from the earlier dynasties.
Firstly, Bahlul Shah, the first Lodi sultan never used to sit on a throne, but rather sat on the carpet below.
The Sayyids were the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. They had four rulers who ruled from 1414 AD to 1451 AD. Their dynasty had their beginnings when the Sayyids were the governors of the Punjab province.
During this time, the Tuglaqs were going through a tough time, as people were rebelling against Mohammed Bin Tuglaq. This gave the Sayyids an opportunity to start their dynasty in Delhi. I believe that among all of the dynasties in the Delhi Sultanate, the Sayyids were the best.