One of the perks of being a ruler of a land is that you are entitled to certain luxuries, such as immense wealth, food, power and women (if you are a man). Unfortunately, many leaders have been known to abuse their power over the years. In this article, you will not only encounter a couple rulers that have truly enjoyed their royal position, as well as other interesting facts and trivial including royals and leaders.
An Excessive Emperor
Jahangir was the fourth Moghul Emperor (ruling from 1605 to 1627), and he was certainly a man of excess. He had a harem that consisted of 300 royal wives, 5,000 more women, as well as 1,000 young men ”“ all of which were used to please different desires during his reign. In his stables, a wealth of creatures was kept, including 300 royal wives, 5,000 more women, and 1,000 young men for alternate pleasures. His stables contained 12,000 elephants, 10,000 oxen, 2,000 camels, 3,000 deer, 4,000 dogs, 100 tame lions, 500 buffalo, and 10,000 carrier pigeons.
Another Emperor of Excess
Another emperor that fell to the excesses of power was Vitellus (former ruler of Rome), who is said to have spent more than £1,200 a day on food alone in 69 AD. The man was known to consume 1,000 oysters a day, as well as devour great amounts of other delicacies. Following a short reign, he was deposed by the Roman citizens ”“ who gathered to revolt against a ruler that lived excessively. When he was killed, his body was tossed in the River Tiber.
The Reason Behind the Great Taj Mahal
One of the most attractive buildings in the world is the Taj Mahal (located in Agra), which was constructed by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan (1627-1659). When one of his wives, Mumtaz Mahal, was on her deathbed in 1631, he promised her that he would take care of her children and build an appropriate monument in her honor. The result was the Taj Mahal, which the emperor employed masons from northern India, calligraphers from Baghdad and Shiraz, and other specialists from all over the Muslim world. They worked together to design and follow through on the building of the monument, as well as plan a garden.
A True Phobia and Odd Invention
King Christina of Sweden (who was a ruling female monarch of the country) was so scared of fleas that she ordered the creation of a tiny cannon that measured 10 centimeters long, which she could fire mini-cannonball at the fleas that infested the royal bedchamber.
Incredible Emperor Accomplishment
For nearly 200, the first six Moghul Emperors of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son ”“ from 1526 to 1707. This was no easy feat to accomplish, as competition for the throne was often bloody.