Introduction To Shah Jahan

Birth and childhood:

The real name of this famous Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, is Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram, and he was born on the 5th of January, 1592. Khurram was the seventh child of previous emperor Jahangir and his Rajput wife, Jagat Gasain. He was born in Lahore, now situated in Pakistan. 

His grandfather, Akbar, truly believed that his birth was a very auspicious movement and had insisted on raising his grandchild with him. Khurram then was raised by his grandfather Akbar and grandmother Ruquaiya Sultan Begum for the initial 13 years of his life. The bond between this grandfather and grandchild duo was hence very special, and Khurram was closer to his grandparents than his birth parents. But after the death of king Akbar, when Khurram was 13 years old, he returned to live with his parents, Jahangir and Jagat Gasain. 

Khurram was educated and trained in broad disciplines like martial arts, music, and poetry as a Mughal prince should have been trained. In his education and personality, he had a large influence on his grandparents. 

Khurram to king Shah Jahan:

The selection of the next emperor or king was not based on the primogeniture method in the Mughal Empire. This means that though Khurram was the third son of emperor Jahangir, he was an equal candidate for the throne. The strongest, most efficient in military affairs and the most capable individual from the dynasty could make it up to the throne of the Mughal empire according to its rules. 

Khurram was already ready to prove his capabilities, and he got his first chance in the year 1614. He led an army of around 2,00,000 men against the Rajput state of Mewar and the king of that time Maharana Amar Singh II. He defeated his opponents and made king Maharana Amar Singh II surrender to the Mughal empire. He had taken his first step toward the throne.  Later in the year of 1617, he conquered the Deccan Plateau and aided in the expansion of the Mughal Empire on the southern borders. After this war, he was given the title of Shah Jahan by his proud father, Jahangir. The title Shah Jahan has its origin in the Persian language and means The King of the World. 

Despite these big successful conquerors, it was not easy to make it up to the throne of the Mughal Empire for Shah Jahan. He had many internal rivals from his own family. He had charges against his father in 1623 but could not succeed to the throne. But his military skills and capabilities have made sure that he would get the complete support of the Mughal army. Hence in 1627, after the death of his father Jahangir, Shah Jahan crowned himself as the next emperor of the Mughal empire. After that, he made sure that his emperorship would not be challenged and threatened by anyone. He killed all the possible threats, including his brothers, nephews, and cousins, and imprisoned his stepmother Nur Jahan.

The empire of Shah Jahan:

Shah Jahan was a very ambitious and capable ruler, and he proved that during his journey to the throne. During his time, he started and fought many battles and made many alliances to expand the Mughal empire. He had positive relations with some of the Rajput kings, including Kings of Bundelkhand, Baglana, and Mewar, but he also had raised war and defeated others, including Bundela Rajputs. He conquered the fortress at Daulatabad in 1632, fought the famous war of Mughal-Safavid, and captured Kandahar. During his ruling period, the Mughal empire expanded beyond the Khyber to the Ghazna. 

Historian J.L.Mehta has described that the ruling period of the Shah Jahan Mughal empire had achieved its apex of glory. During this period the Mughal empire experienced many foreign affairs, including clashes with the Portuguese and good relations with the Ottoman Empire. This was truly a golden era for the Mughal empire. 

Contributions to Indian architecture:

During the reign of Shah Jahan Indian, Mughal architecture experienced a golden edge. The masterpiece of architecture contributed by Shah Jahan is the Taj Mahal, situated in Agra. Taj Mahal was built in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.  Apart from this, there are many other structures located in India and Pakistan today which were built by architects from Shah Jahan’s darbar. Some of the examples are listed below:

• Red Fort or Lal Quila (Delhi)
• Sections of the Agra Fort
• Jama Masjid (Delhi)
• Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque (Lahore)
• Shalimar Gardens (Lahore)
• Sections of the Lahore Fort (Lahore)
• Jahangir Mausoleum
• Takht-e-Taus
• Shahjahan Mosque (Thatta)

All these structures are the centre of attraction even today and are a good source of revenue! Shah Jahan died at the age of 74 in the year 1666. 

Conclusion:

Shah Jahan was one of the most famous and successful Mughal emperors. During his reign, the Mughal empire experienced a golden era in terms of political, foreign affairs, and mainly in terms of architectural developments. He was very ambitious and fought with his own family for the sake of the throne of the Mughal empire. He did not hesitate in assassinating his brothers and cousins. Mughal-Safavid war and alliances with the Ottoman Empire are some important, noteworthy events during his ruling period. Despite all these political aspects, he is well known for his contributions to Indian Mughal architecture. He has given the world some beautiful monuments, including the Taj Mahal and Red Fort, and many others.