Beneath a Marble Sky
By John Shors
Main Characters
• Emperor Shah Jahan
Mughal leader of India and father to
Princess Jahanara and rival sons.
• Princess Jahanara
Oldest daughter of Emperor
Shah Jahan and narrator of the story.
Dara Shukoh, 42 year old son, heir to
the throne
and
Aurangzeb, 39 year old son, rival to the
heir
Setting
Agra, India, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
India is located is South Asia and is bordered by
the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to the
south, the Arabian Sea to the southeast. The
story took place during the 17th Century.
Physical Geography: The Land
7th largest country in the world
1,269,219 square miles
The Land
Indo-Gangetic Plain - large fertile floodplains
of the Indus and the Ganges-Brahmaputra
river systems.
The Land
Thar Desert in western India - 7th largest in the
world
The Land
Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau
Covers most of southern and central India.
The Land
• Many Rivers including the Ganges, Indus and
Brahmaputra
The Land
Mountains in the north include the Himalayas
The Climate
India has six major climatic subtypes, ranging
from arid desert in the west, alpine tundra
and glaciers in the north, and humid tropical
regions supporting rainforests in the
southwest and the island territories.
Climate: Monsoons
Monsoon season is a welcome relief to drought
conditions in many areas of India. Monsoons can also
bring about widespread famine and enough rain to
kill hundreds of people in floods.
Unique Animals from India
Peacock
Bengal Tiger
India Cobra
Human Geography of India
Religion
Hinduism and Buddhism began in India.
Muslim minority in India
Government
Parliament Building
Her Excellency
President
Pratibha Patil
• World’s largest democracy
• The Government of India is a parliamentary system of
government based largely on that of the United
Kingdom.
• Twenty-eight states and seven territories.
• New Delhi is the capital of India.
Economy
• Twelfth largest in the world
• Second fastest growing major economy in the world.
• Per capita income of $4,542 – low because of large
population.
Economy
• Labor intensive
• Has benefited
immensely from
outsourcing of work
from developed
countries
• Has a strong
manufacturing and
export oriented
industrial
framework.
Problem
Princess Jahanara, the oldest female child of
Emperor Jahan, tries to keep her family and
her father’s kingdom together while grieving
over her mother’s sudden death.
Turning Point
Princess Jahanara is forced into a
marriage with a stout, old
businessman and must move
away from her family.
Turning Point
Princess Jaharana’s mother
dies while giving birth. The
emperor is grief- stricken, so
the princess moves back into
the palace to help oversee his
plans to build a monument to
his wife.
Turning Point
The emperor hires the best architect in
the land whom the princess falls in love
with but cannot be with because she is
married.
Turning Point
The princess tries to keep peace
between her brothers, but
Aurangzeb becomes a hero of the
people because of his successes
and brutality in battle. He ends
up killing Dara Shukoh, his own
brother and taking over the
kingdom.
Turning Point
Aurangzeb finds a Cobra in his bed.
Although the princess kills the snake
and saves his life, he accuses her of
putting the snake there and throws
her and her father in prison.
Final Scene
The Emperor Jahan dies in
prison with his daughter at his
side. Princess Jahanara attempts
escape.
Lesson Learned about India
India was once ruled by the Mughal Empire
which accounts for a Islamic influence in the
country today.
The End
Composed by Mrs. LaPorte