Mughal Emperors- Jahangir and Shah Jahan

The Mughals were descendants of two important  lineages of rulers, from their mother’s side they were of Genghis Khan and from their father’s side they were the successors of Timur. Jahangir succeeded to the throne after the death of Akbar and Shah Jahan was described as the king who had a universal sense of security as well as a sense of Justice.

Mughal Empire- Jahangir (AD 1605-1627)

Jahangir succeeded to the throne after the death of Akbar during the Mughal era. East India Company got the freedom to trade during Jahangir’s rule. After Jahangir, Shahjahan ruled the empire. Art and culture during the Shahjahan period were legendary.

• Akbar’s death was in 1605, which introduced Jahangir, also known as prince Salim
• Jahangir’s reign witnessed several rebellions. Jahangir’s son Khusrau revolted too but failed and was imprisoned
• He killed the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjun Dev
• Jahangir married Nur Jahan who was known as Mehrunnisa in 1611
• He established friendly relations with Mewar and thus finally, all Rajput kingdoms accepted Mughal Sovereignty
• Mughals permanently lost Kandahar to Persians during Jahangir’s rule
• In 1608 AD, Captain William Hawkins was sent by the East India Company (EIC) to the Mughal king Jahangir’s court to obtain royal patronage. He succeeded in getting a royal permit for the Company to set up its manufacturing units at several spots on the Western Indian coast
• After that in 1615 AD, Sir Thomas Roe was sent to Jahangir’s court by King James I of England, with a request for further modification for the Company. Roe successfully secured a royal charter, by his diplomacy, providing freedom to the East India Company to trade in the entire territory of Mughal

Mughal Empire- Shah Jahan (AD 1627-1658)

The French traveller Tavernier paid a visit during Shah Jahan’s reign. He described Shah Jahan as the king who had a Universal sense of security as well as a sense of Justice. Since he was a jeweller by profession, he calculated the Shah Jahan’s Peacock Throne to be around 6.5 million sterling.

• Jahangir died in 1627 and Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628. After claiming the throne he eliminated his main rivals and imprisoned his stepmother Nur Jahan. He also executed his brothers and nephews so that he could rule without having to face any competition
• To recover Kandahar and other ancestral lands, He launched a campaign in the northwest frontier but did not succeed
• The Deccan policy of Shah Jahan was more or less successful. The forces of Ahmadnagar were defeated by Shah Jahan and the region was annexed with the help of Deccan policy
• In the Deccan, Four Mughal provinces were carved by him– Khandesh, Telangana, Berar, and Daulatabad. He put them under the control of his son Aurangazeb
• A war of succession was fought among his sons in his last years of reign – Dara Shikoh (crown prince), Shuja (Bengal’s governor), Aurangazeb (governor of Deccan), and Murad Baksh (governor of Malwa and Gujarat)
• In this struggle, Aurangazeb emerged victoriously and Shah Jahan was forced to surrender

Art and culture during Shah Jahan

• Shah Jahan was a great patron of art and culture. During his reign, the Mughal Empire became a rich centre of art and culture
• The emperor’s love for architecture is commendable; some of the nation’s most popular artistic and architectural accomplishments were built during this era
• The Jama Masjid, Taj Mahal, and Red Fort in Delhi, and the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore are a few examples of the architecture during the Mughal era that have survived till now
• Shah Jahan passed away in 1666 and was buried beside his wife’s grave in the Taj Mahal

Conclusion

The Mughals did not believe in the rule of primogeniture, where the eldest son inherited his father’s estate. Instead they followed the Mughal and Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance, or a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons. The East India Company got the freedom to trade during Jahangir’s rule and started settling its feet in India. Jahangir died in 1627 and Shah Jahan ascended the throne. After claiming the throne he eliminated his main rivals and imprisoned his stepmother Nur Jahan. He also executed his brothers and nephews so that he could rule without having to face any competition.