Jahangir
Nur-ud-din Mohammad Salim, known by his imperial name Jahangir (30 August 1569 – 7 November 1627),
was the fourth Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1605 until
his death in 1627.
Jahangir was the eldest surviving son of Mughal Emperor Akbar and was declared
successor to his father from an early age.
Jahangir was fascinated with art, science and, architecture.
From a young age he showed a leaning towards painting and had an atelier of his own. His interest in
portraiture led to much development in this art form. The art of Mughal painting reached great heights under
Jahangir's reign. His interest in painting also served his scientific interests
in nature.
Jahangir, like his father, was a proper Sunni Muslim with tolerance; he allowed,
for example, the continuation of his father's tradition of public debate
between different religions. The Jesuits were allowed to dispute
publicly with Muslim ulema (theologians) and to
make converts. Jahangir specifically warned his nobles that they "should
not force Islam on anyone”
Jahangir was not without his vices. He set the precedent for
sons rebelling against their emperor fathers and was much criticised for his
addiction to alcohol, opium, and women. He was thought of allowing his wife,
Nur Jahan, too much power and her continuous plotting at court is considered to
have destabilized the imperium in the final years of his rule.
Jahangir is most famous for his golden "chain of
justice." The chain was set up as a link between his people and Jahangir
himself. Standing outside the castle of Agra with sixty bells, anyone was
capable of pulling the chain and having a personal hearing from Jahangir
himself.
Much romance has
gathered around his name, and the tale of his illicit relationship with the
Mughal courtesan, Anarkali, has been widely
adapted into the literature, art and cinema of India. Yet no evidence is found
regarding this and is considered to be fiction by most of the officials.
IMPATIENT FOR THRONE
Prince Salim forcefully succeeded to the throne despite he was declared successor to his father from
an early age. Impatient for power, however, he revolted in 1599 while Akbar was
engaged in the Deccan. Jahangir was
defeated, but ultimately succeeded his father as Emperor in 1605 due to the
immense support and efforts of the ladies in Akbar's harem like Ruqaiya Sultan
Begum, Salima Sultan
Begum and his grandmother Maryam Makani.
On Thursday, 21st Jumadi
II, 1014 AH/ 3 November 1605, eight days after his father's death. Salim
ascended to the throne with the title of Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Badshah
Ghazi, and thus began his 22-year reign at the age of 36.
Reign
An aesthete, Jahangir decided to start his reign with a grand
display of "Justice", as he saw it. To this end, he enacted Twelve
Decrees that are remarkable for their liberalism and foresight.
During his
reign, there was a significant increase in the size of the Mughal Empire, half
a dozen rebellions were crushed, prisoners of war were released, and the work
of his father, Akbar, continued to flourish.
Jahangir would challenge the hegemonic claim over Afghanistan by the Safavid rulers with an eye on Kabul, Peshawarand Kandahar which were important centers
of the central Asian trade system that northern India operated within. In 1622,
Jahangir would send his son Prince Khurram against the combined forces
of Ahmednagar, Bijapur and Golconda.
Despite
Jahangir's disinterest in expansion, the imperial frontiers continued to move
forward -- in Bengal, Mewar and Ahamadnagar. The only major reversal to the
expansion came in 1622 when Shah Abbas, the Safavid ruler of Iran, captured
Kandahar with impunity.
Jahangir lived under the spell of personalities that were
more colorful than his own; the most influential of these personalities was the
beautiful Nur Jahan whom he married in 1611. Nur Jahan then became the real
ruler of the empire until the death of her husband Jahangir.
Marriage
The marriage with Manbhawati Bai took place on 13
February 1585. Manbhawati gave birth to Khusrau Mirza. Thereafter, Salim married, in quick succession, a number of
accomplished girls from the aristocratic Mughal and Rajput families. One of his
early favourite wives was a Rajput Princess, known as Jagat Gosain or Princess Manmati, who gave birth to Prince Khurram, the future Shah Jahan, Jahangir's
successor to the throne. The total number of wives in his harem was more than
eight hundred.
Nur Jahan
Nur Jahan had a piercing intelligence, a volatile temper and
sound common sense. She
possessed great physical strength and courage. She went on hunting tours with
her husband, and on more than one occasion shot and killed ferocious tigers. She was devoted to Jahangir and he
forgot all about the world and entrusted all the work of the government to her.
Conquests
Under Jahangir, the empire continued to be a war
state attuned to conquest and expansion. Jahangir's most irksome foe was the
Rana of Mewar, Amar Singh, who finally capitulated in 1613 to Khurram's forces.
In the northeast , the Mughals clashed with the Ahoms of Burma, whose guerilla
tactics gave the Mughals a hard time.
In Northern India, Jahangir's forces
under Khurram defeated their other principal adversary, the Raja of Kangra, in
1615; in the Deccan, his victories further consolidated the empire. But in
1620, Jahangir fell sick, and so ensued the familiar quest for power. Nur Jahan
married her daughter to Shahryar, Jahangir's youngest son from his other queen,
in the hope of having a living male heir to the throne when Jahangir died.
Jahangir always feared the Persians and the Uzbeks
of Central Asia. The Persians matched the Mughals in military strength and
resources. Their relations were tolerably good because each feared the other's
might. But in 1622, taking advantage of the disputes within the court, the
Persians capitalized on the Mughals' preoccupation in internal affairs and
captured Qandahar. Shah Jahan refused to help Jahangir and Shahryar in the
campaign against the Persians and thus led an open rebellion. He fought his
fathers forces but was defeated and agreed to terms dictated by Nur Jahan.
Death
In 1627, Jahangir became seriously ill,
and he never recovered from his illness. Upon the death of his father on 28
October 1627, Shah Jahan, with support from his father-in-law Asaf Khan, became
the emperor by executing Shahryar and other male Mughal heirs. The accession of
Shah Jahan to the throne was a result of great political intrigue.
Sources:
1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahangir
2)https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Mughals/Jehang.html
3)http://biography.yourdictionary.com/jahangir
4)http://islamicart.com/library/empires/india/jahangir.html
