Jahangir
Prince Nur al-Din Muhammad Salim entered the world on the 31st of August 1569 within the red sandstone walls of Fatehpur Sikri. His mother was Mariam-uz-Zamani, a Rajput princess who had already lost two infant sons named Hassan Mirza and Hussain Mirza in 1564. The grief that followed those early deaths drove Emperor Akbar to seek the blessings of Salim Chishti, a revered religious leader residing near the capital. Akbar and his wife undertook a barefoot pilgrimage to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah shrine to pray for another son. When Salim stopped kicking inside his mother's womb, Akbar vowed during a cheetah hunt that he would never kill one on Fridays if the child resumed movement. The baby began moving again, and the emperor kept his promise for the rest of his life. Salim was named after Hazrat Salim Chishti to honor the holy man whose prayers were believed to have saved him. Akbar delayed visiting his newborn son for forty-one days due to astrological beliefs common among Hindustani fathers at the time.
In 1594, Jahangir led an army of 12,000 men against the renegade Raja Vir Singh Deo Bundela in Orchha. He arrived with ferocious encounters and eventually forced the surrender of their leader. After tremendous casualties, Vir Singh Deo handed over 5,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry units to submit to Jahangir's command. The victorious prince ordered the completion of the Jahangir Mahal citadel in Orchha to commemorate this victory. This structure stands today as a famous Mughal monument built by Deo in honor of Jahangir. Following the rebellion, Jahangir appointed his favorite Vir Singh as ruler of Orchha while removing the elder brother Raja Ram Shah. This decision sparked further unrest within the Bundela house. Ram Shah fled and continued fighting the Mughals for two years before being arrested in 1607. He was imprisoned at Gwalior until receiving Chanderi as his patrimony later on.
Jahangir married Mihr-un-Nissa Begum on the 25th of May 1611 after she became his widow following her first husband Sher Afgan. She quickly rose to become Empress Nur Jahan and wielded significant political influence behind the throne. Her unprecedented freedom allowed her to nag and fight with him over even the smallest issues without reprimand. This power dynamic displeased both courtiers and foreign observers alike. In 1621, Nur Jahan arranged the marriage of her daughter Mihr-un-nissa Begum to Jahangir's youngest son Shahryar Mirza. Prince Khurram suspected that his stepmother intended to maneuver Shahryar as the successor to the throne. Using the rugged terrain of the Deccan region to his advantage, Khurram launched a rebellion against Jahangir in 1622. The civil war ended in October 1625 after Mahabat Khan crushed Khurram's forces through a series of victories.
In 1614, King James I sent Thomas Roe as a British ambassador to the Mughal court at Agra. Roe resided there for three years until 1619 and described how petitioners could use the Chain of Justice to attract the emperor's attention if denied justice. He arrived with gifts including many crates of red wine and explained beer production to Jahangir. While no major trading privileges were conceded by Jahangir, Roe secured permission for an East India Company factory at Surat. The immediate result was the beginning of a relationship that would eventually develop into something approaching a partnership. In 1618, Jahangir issued the first known Firman directed towards the VOC in Gujarat granting freedom to trade at any Mughal ports. This document contained autonomy to govern their affairs and application of normal customs duties believed to be 2.5 percent during his reign.
Jahangir executed Sikh Guru Arjan Dev on his orders while confiscating the guru's lands and imprisoning his sons. His memoirs reveal he disliked Guru Arjan before then but suspected him of helping Khusrau Mirza rebel against him. The execution triggered controversy because it is unclear whether Jahangir even understood what a Sikh was. He referred to the guru as a Hindu who had captured many simple-hearted followers over generations. Orthodox figures like Shaykh Farid influenced Jahangir to become more puritanical in stance during his later years. Ahmad Sirhindi routinely attended court debates to counteract religious beliefs prevalent in the court. These efforts led to the reversal of Akbar's policies such as lifting marriage age limits and reviving Hijra methodology abandoned by his father. Mosques became full of worshippers under this new orthodoxy while exaltation of Quran and Hadith practical teaching increased significantly.
In 1619, Jahangir wrote about a royal falcon delivered from Iran with black markings and extremely beautiful feathers on every wing. He commanded Ustad Mansur to paint a portrait of the bird after it perished. Jahangir bound and displayed much commissioned art in elaborate albums sometimes organized around themes like zoology. He took pride in determining the artist of any portrait simply by looking at a painting. When Jesuits brought European engravings to the Mughal court, Jahangir challenged Thomas Roe to pick out the original from five copies made by his painters. Roe could not distinguish them to the delight of the emperor. A collection at the British Museum contains seventy-four drawings of Indian portraits dating from Jahangir's reign including a unique example where faces were drawn fully including shoulders and head rather than just heads alone.
Jahangir conducted experiments that reflected his deep fascination for the natural world beyond mere hunting. He investigated bitumen effectiveness for healing broken bones using a chicken as a specimen but found it ineffective. The emperor compared air quality between Ahmadabad and Mahmudabad by observing decay rates in sheep carcasses. He actively engaged in animal husbandry and goat breeding while accurately estimating elephant gestation periods. Jahangir studied lion and wolf livers to determine whether gall bladder location correlated with courage. These empirical observations demonstrated his commitment to scientific inquiry despite limited modern tools available during his era. His interest extended to flora and fauna documentation which accompanied his vivid prose in the Jahangirnama memoirs.
On the 29th of October 1627, Jahangir died near Bhimber during a journey from Kashmir to Lahore due to severe cold. To embalm and preserve his body, entrails were removed and buried inside Baghsar Fort near Bhimber in Subah of Lahore. The body was then conveyed by palanquin to Lahore and buried in Shahdara Bagh suburb where his son Shah Jahan commissioned his tomb today. A minor succession crisis erupted after his death because Nur Jahan desired her son-in-law Shahryar Mirza to take the throne. Abu'l-Hassan Asaf Khan corresponded with Prince Khurram to secure the throne for him instead. Upon arrival in Agra in February 1628, Prince Khurram executed both Shahryar and Dawar Bakhsh before taking the regnal name Shah Jahan. This marked the end of a reign characterized by opium addiction and frequent illness throughout the 1620s.
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Common questions
When was Jahangir born and where did he enter the world?
Prince Nur al-Din Muhammad Salim entered the world on the 31st of August 1569 within the red sandstone walls of Fatehpur Sikri. His mother was Mariam-uz-Zamani, a Rajput princess who had already lost two infant sons named Hassan Mirza and Hussain Mirza in 1564.
Why did Emperor Akbar name his son after Hazrat Salim Chishti?
Akbar delayed visiting his newborn son for forty-one days due to astrological beliefs common among Hindustani fathers at the time. The baby began moving again during a cheetah hunt vow, leading the emperor to name him after the holy man whose prayers were believed to have saved him.
How did Jahangir respond to the rebellion of Raja Vir Singh Deo Bundela in 1594?
Jahangir led an army of 12,000 men against the renegade Raja Vir Singh Deo Bundela in Orchha and forced their surrender after tremendous casualties. He ordered the completion of the Jahangir Mahal citadel in Orchha to commemorate this victory while appointing Vir Singh as ruler of Orchha.
What role did Nur Jahan play in Mughal politics during Jahangir's reign?
Mihr-un-Nissa Begum became Empress Nur Jahan on the 25th of May 1611 and wielded significant political influence behind the throne. Her unprecedented freedom allowed her to nag and fight with him over even the smallest issues without reprimand, which displeased both courtiers and foreign observers alike.
When did Thomas Roe arrive at the Mughal court and what agreement was reached?
King James I sent Thomas Roe as a British ambassador to the Mughal court at Agra where he resided for three years until 1619. While no major trading privileges were conceded by Jahangir, Roe secured permission for an East India Company factory at Surat.
How did Jahangir die and who succeeded him to the throne?
Jahangir died near Bhimber on the 29th of October 1627 due to severe cold during a journey from Kashmir to Lahore. Prince Khurram executed Shahryar Mirza and Dawar Bakhsh before taking the regnal name Shah Jahan upon arrival in Agra in February 1628.