The
Mughal Emperors of India bestowed upon themselves
seemingly appropriate grand and pompous titles such
as `Kings of the World' & Shadows of God'. Attracted
by the Mughal wealth and splendor, European traders
and entrepreneurs found their way to the fascinating
Indian sub-continent. India was till then believed
to be the richest country in the world. By the mid
18th century (1757) the British East India Company
slowly and gradually gained commercial and military
control of the Mughal Empire, while subdued Mughal
Emperors continued to live powerless but luxurious
lives in magnificent palaces. There was much discontent
among Indian rulers over annexation of their territories
and the divide and rule policies of the British
and many parts of North India were rife with rumours
and suspicions. However, the lack of the feeling
of Indianness, among the masses who were ruled by
various princely states prevented the formation
of a united opposition to British rule.
The undercurrents of rebellion by the Indian Sepoys
( sipahi in Hindi meaning soldier) festered over
a period of time owing to various harsh steps taken
by the British and in 1857 when some measures hurt
religious sentiments it took the shape of a full
rebellion against British India control. On this
tightly packed tour you will be visiting significant
palaces, forts, monuments and cities of the Mughal
period which was witness to The Mutiny -the uprising
against British control. It was a crude and brutal
war, with both sides resorting to what will now
be described as war crimes. In the end, however,
in terms of sheer numbers, the casualties were significantly
higher on the Indian side. There are many tales
of cruelty, cowardice, heroism and self-sacrifice
on either side. Much has been debated ever since
Mangal Pandey sparked the revolt or The Rising as
to whether this was a war of independence or just
a revolt firmly crushed by the British but the truth
is that the British continued to rule for another
ninety years only to be subdued by a non violent
struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi.
This journey takes you down that period in history
when Delhi was not yet the capital of India but
the seat of the fading Mughal Empire , when the
British East India Company was to hand over the
controls directly to the Queen, Meerut where the
rebellion started, Lucknow which was then the most
splendid city of India, Kanpur the scene of many
bloody battles and Agra an important historical
city with the crowning glory of Mughal architecture
the Taj Mahal a poem in white marble, mesmerising
you with a story of an undying love.
Best Season: October to March
Recommended Duration : 8 to 10 Days
Places Covered: Delhi, Meerut, Agra, Lucknow and Kanpur.
(However we can tailor-make or customise
a tour for any duration based on multiple destination
& interests.)
The
Mughal Emperors of India bestowed upon themselves
seemingly appropriate grand and pompous titles such
as `Kings of the World' & Shadows of God'. Attracted
by the Mughal wealth and splendor, European traders
and entrepreneurs found their way to the fascinating
Indian sub-continent. India was till then believed
to be the richest country in the world. By the mid
18th century (1757) the British East India Company
slowly and gradually gained commercial and military
control of the Mughal Empire, while subdued Mughal
Emperors continued to live powerless but luxurious
lives in magnificent palaces. There was much discontent
among Indian rulers over annexation of their territories
and the divide and rule policies of the British
and many parts of North India were rife with rumours
and suspicions. However, the lack of the feeling
of Indianness, among the masses who were ruled by
various princely states prevented the formation
of a united opposition to British rule. 
