Shiraz (The Loves of a Moghul Prince)

"Not hands but heart built this/ Which stands like a dream.": One of three exquisite silents made by Franz Osten and Himansu Rai (see November 10), Shiraz, set in Moghul times, is the romantic legend behind the building of the Taj Mahal. The love of young Shiraz for his family's adopted daughter, Salima, endures even after she has been abducted by slave-dealers, sold to the Royal Court, married the Prince, and become the Empress. On her death, the heartbroken Emperor orders the construction of the most wondrous monument ever, in her memory. The craftsman who designs this masterpiece is the now aged and blind Shiraz; the monument is the Taj Mahal.

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