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Home , Battle of Samugarh, Jahan Shah, Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan

Shah Jahan Jahan’s era is considered as the golden age of the Mughal . Muhammad Hadi has written about the reign of his father : “When Jahangir sat on the of Empire, the world attained the splendor of the divine shadow. Illuminator of crown and throne he was, generous, merciful and lucky.” Early Life Prince Khurram (ever delightful) was born on 1592. He was the youngest prince to be appointed the governor of Deccan. In 1612, he married Arjumand Bano Begum. In 1617, after campaign, he was conferred the title and the mansab of 30,000 zat and 17,000 sawar. From 1623 to 1628, he remained in Deccan due to ’s conspiracies. Shah Jahan history began when on 6th February 1628; his coronation took place in the Red Palace of Balban by Asaf . Shah Jahan conferred a mansab of 8000 zat and 8000 sawar on Asaf Khan and 7000 zat and 7000 sawar on . Shah Jahan constructed in Shahjahanabad in 1639. Shah Jahan Red Fort became the epic centre of Mughal power for the duration of his reign. Abdul Hamid Lahori wrote Padshanama (now preserved in Windsor Museum London). He says that Shah Jahan put Shariat on the strong footings and replaced Sijdah (prostrate before the king) by Chahar Taslim (to bow before the Emperor). Shah Jahan Mughal Emperor renamed Akbarabad in the honour of his grandfather. Shah Jahan introduced Hijri Era and gave it preference over Tarif-i-Afli because he considered the latter calendar unislamic. In March 1628 was celebrated Navroz. Every nook and corner of the Empire was decorated. To mark the event, Asaf Khan’s mansab was increased to 9000 zat and 9000 sawar. In 1629, he transferred his capital from Agra to which remained the Mughal capital till 1857. Shah Jahan laid the foundation of Red Fort in Delhi in May 1638. Red fort became his official residence for years to come. Most of Shah Jahan portraits show him in the formal Mughal attire with a rose in hand. Several such Shah Jahan images can be found all across the world. Red Fort Delhi covers an extensive area of 103 acres. It is octagonal and the marble, arabesque designs and double exemplify the classical Mughal architectural of the Red Fort Complex. The Lahori and Delhi gates were used by the common people to enter the Red Fort in while the Emperor used Khizrabad gate of the Red Fort India. Shah Jahan coins are stuck in three metals (gold, silver and copper). His earliest coins bear the real name Khurram. In 1631, Shah Jahan led military campaign against the Portuguese as they had carried away the maid servants of Mumtaz . Shah Jahan ordered all the Portuguese establishments in Hooghly to be closed down. Shah Jahan Mumtaz story has now become a fable. Bernier, the French doctor has written in the War of Succession: “The massacre of Portuguese reminded him of the horrible massacre by in Sayyidpur.” All the dreams of Shah Jahan and come to a tragic end when Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 and Shah Jahan laid the foundation of . Mumtaz Mahal became so popular that several myths were woven around her life. Several hotels and tourists spots are opened in her name. Thousands and thousands of Mumtaz Mahal hotels can be found all around the Indian Subcontinent. The most popular among them are Mumtaz Mahal Agra Hotel and Mumtaz Mahal Arabian Court. Tavernier, the French doctor has written: “It took 22 years, 20,000 labourers and 3 crore Rupees to build Taj Mahal.” The lead Taj Mahal architect was Ustad Ahmed Lahori.

Military Campaigns of Shah Jahan: Shah Jahan’s first campaign was against Daulat Khan Lodhi, the Mughal governor of Deccan. While availing the opportunity of a civil war, he declared himself the independent ruler of Deccan and annexed Malwa. Shah Jahan sent a series of military expeditions against him. Daulat Khan was defeated and humbled. He was pardoned and ordered to stay at the Mughal court. He revolted again in 1631 and escaped from Agra. He was finally killed in Kalinjar in 1631. Expedition against Jujhar Singh Bundela: Jujhar Singh Bundela was the son of Bir Singh Bundela, the assassin of Abul Fazal). In civil war in 1627, he left the Mughal court in Agra and declared himself an independent ruler of Bundelkhand. In 1628, Shah Jahan sent a military expedition against Jujhar Singh Bundela. The Bundelas were defeated and a war indemnity of Rupees 50,00,000 was imposed on him. He was forced to surrender 40 elephants and was given a mansab of 2000 zat and 2000 sawar in the royal court. Jujhar Singh Bundela served the Mughal court with great loyalty from 1628 to 1635. In 1635, Jujhar Singh annexed Gondwana. He was ordered by Shah Jahan to declare this annexation in the name of the Mughal emperor which Bir Singh refused. invaded Bundelkhand and entered its capital Orcha. Several Hindu temples were demolished and two of his sons were converted to . The third son who refused to convert was executed. This event is considered as the great departure from ’s policy of Sulh- i-Kul and led to the rise of political Islam. North West Frontier Policy: Shah Jahan was an imperialist ruler was determined re-annex Kandhar. He started huge military preparation. Persia at that time was ruled by the most capable ruler of the Safavid Shah Abbas II. In 1628, Ali Mardan, the Persian governor of Kandhar, requested his master Shah Abbas II for more military assistance as he was expecting a Mughal attack. The Persian Shah took it as a mischief and dispatched an army to arrest him, provoking Ali Mardan to turn his loyalty to Shah Jahan. In 1638, Ali Mardan handed over Kandhar to the Mughals. He was first made the governor of and later was transferred to . He planted Shalimar and Nishat Gardens. Shah Abbas II made huge military preparations and made Heart his military base. On 16th December 1648, Shah Abbas II laid siege of Kandhar. The Mughal governor Ali Mardan resisted the siege for 57 days. On 11th December 1649, he surrendered the fort and India lost Kandhar forever. Shah Jahan sent three military expeditions to recapture Kandhar: 1. In 1649, the first expedition was sent under the command of Saadullah Khan (PM) and Prince . He was forced to life the siege. 2. In 1652, another expedition was sent under the command of Saadullah Khan and Aurangzeb. It was failure. 3. In 1653, the third expedition was sent under the command of Dara Shikoh. It was also a failure.

India lost Kandhar forever in 1649 during the reign of Shah Jahan.

J.N. Sircar has written: “The North west frontier policy of Shah Jahan was a disaster.”

Professor Edward Garrett has written: “The biggest implication of this expedition was that it exposed the military weakness of the Mughal India to the outside world.”

In 1739, Nadir Shah, the Persian Shah, attacked India. He defeated the Mughal Emperor Rangila in the battle of Karnal and took away Shah Jahan’s and Koh-i- Noor.

Central Asian Policy of Shah Jahan was the second Indian ruler to invade India. The first ruler was Kanishka. J.N. Sircar has written: “The economic prosperity of the Empire and flattery of the courtiers turned his head and he began to cherish utopian dreams.” Abdul Hamid Lahori in Padshanama has written that the basic motive of Shah Jahan was to capture Samarqand, the traditional land of the Mughals.

Ishwari Prasad has written: “It was a worthless expedition and was bound to fail.” In 1646, the civil war between Nazir Muhammad Khan, the ruler of , Bukhara and Badkshan and his son Abdul Aziz, the ruler of Samarqand requested Shah Jahan for military assistance. Shah Jahan agreed because of twin purposes: 1. To assist Abdul Aziz to capture Samarqand. 2. To annex , Kandhar and Badkshan to the Mughal state. Shah Jahan sent military expedition under the command of Prince Murad and Ali Mardan. They annexed Balkh and Bukhara. But on his way to Samarqand, prince Murad fell ill and requested his father to return back to Agra. Murad returned to Agra and the Mughals lost both the regions. Shah Jahan sent another expedition under the command of Aurangzeb and Prime Minister Saadullah Khan. Aurangzeb annexed Balkh, Bukhara and Badkshan defeating strong Uzbek opposition. Aurangzeb entrusted these territories to Madho Singh and proceeded to capture Samarqand. He received message from his father to return because Shah Jahan was expecting renewed Persian attacks on Kandhar. Aurangzeb made peace with Nazir Muhammad Khan and retreated. The terms of the treaty are as follows: 1. Nazir Muhammad Khan accepted Shah Jahan as his overlord and allowed Mughals to collect land revenue from his regions. 2. He promised to surrender two grandsons as a guarantee of his good conduct.

J.N. Sircar has written: “The Central Asian expedition cost Mughals Rupees 4 crores and the revenue earned was Rupees 22.5 Lakh. “

Deccan Policy of the Mughals: Shah Jahan’s Deccan policy was shaped by two factors: 1. Shah Jahan was an imperialist ruler. 2. He was a Sunni Muslim who could not tolerate the existence of the independent Shia states in the Deccan. Annexation of Ahmednagar: In 1627, the brilliant Prime Minister of Nizam Shahi dynasty died. He was succeeded by his incapable son Fateh Khan. Shah Jahan’s father-in-law Asaf Khan put a strong pressure on Fateh Khan to assassinate Murtaza. Fateh Khan compiled and Murtaza was succeeded by his 10 years’ old son Hussain Shah. Fateh Khan was made the governor of and paid Rupees 10 Lakhs. In 1633, Shahji Bhonsle installed a minor ruler on the throne of Ahmednagar and began to rule in his name. But his plan failed as Shah Jahan annexed Ahmednagar partially. In 1636, Shah Jahan annexed Ahmednagar completely after the annexation of Balghat. Golconda Campaign: Golconda at that time was ruled by Abdullah Shah. In 1636, he received a message from Shah Jahan to accept his sovereignty. Thus, the treaty of Golconda was signed in 1636, the terms of which are as follows: 1. They paid a war indemnity of Rupees 6,00,000 to the Mughals. 2. Golconda surrendered Rangir territories to the Mughals. 3. He accepted Shah Jahan as his overlord and agreed not to assist Marathas in their war against the Mughals. From 1636 to 1644, Prince Aurangzeb served as the governor of Deccan for the first time. Aurangzeb was sent as the governor of the Deccan for the second time in 1653 and he stayed there till 1657. Aurangzeb was assisted by who introduced extensive land reforms in Deccan. Aurangzeb was an Orthodox Sunni who would never independent Shia states in Deccan and was bent upon annexing them. In 1656, he got the opportunity when Abdullah Shah put his minister Mir Jumla into prison on the charge of treason. Mir Jumla requested Aurangzeb for assistance. Aurangzeb invaded Golconda but could not annex the state because of the liberal influence of Dara. Thus, the treaty of Golconda was signed in 1656. The terms of the treaty are as follows: 1. War indemnity was raised to Rupees 1 crores. 2. Abdullah Shah was forced to marry one of his daughters to Prince Muhammad Shah I, the eldest son of Aurangzeb. This treaty provided a new lease of life to Golconda. The state of Golconda was annexed by Aurangzeb in 1687. Bijapur Campaign: In 1631, Shah Jahan sent a military expedition under the command of Asaf Khan against Ali Adil Shah I (the ruler of Bijapur). But Asaf Khan was forced to retreat because of a serious drought in Deccan. In 1635, Shah Jahan sent a message to Ali Adil Shah I and ordered him to accept Mughal overlordship. Thus the treaty of Bijapur was signed in 1636. The terms of the treaty are as follows: 1. Bijapur was forced to pay the land revenue of Rupees 20,00,000 to the Mughal state. 2. Bijapur accepted Shah Jahan as its overlord. But Aurangzeb was not content with the treaty. He got the opportunity when Ali Adil Shah I died and was succeeded by Ali Adil Shah II. Aurangzeb wrote to Shah Jahan that Ali Adil Shah II was not the legitimate son of Adil Shah II. But Aurangzeb could not annex Bijapur because of the influence of Dara over Aurangzeb. Another treaty was signed with Bijapur in 1657: 1. The Bijapur was forced to pay the annual tribute of Rupees 1 crore. 2. Bijapur was forced to surrender Kalyan, and Parlanda to the Mughals. This treaty provided a lease of life for 29 years to the independent state of Bijapur. Bijapur was annexed by Aurangzeb in 1686. Deccan Famine (1630-1632): It was the most serious famine of the . The magnitude of this famine was enormous in Gujarat, Berar and . Abdul Hamid Lahori has written in Padshanama: “The parents began to eat their own children.” Edward Terry has written that he saw thousands of dead bodies littered by the side of the road. Abdul Hamid Lahori has written that the government took immediate step to check the effects of the calamity. The revenue of the region was remitted and rupees 5000 were spent to provide the financial assistance to the needy. V.A. Smith has written: “The Mughal ruler of the time had adopted an attitude of indifference.” War of Succession: J.N. Sircar has written: “The War of Succession was a rule rather than exception in the Mughal family. It cast its dark shade on the otherwise golden age of Islamic .” The war demonstrates that the kingship knows no kinship. Shah Jahan fell ill in September 1657 and the news spread that the doctors had declared him a hopeless case. His four sons began to prepare for a final showdown. 1. Dara Shikoh: He was the eldest son of Aurangzeb and was the governor of Punjab and . He was very close to his father and was liberal in his conviction. He was a disciple of Mir. Manucci, the Italian traveler has written in the Description of the Historical Accounts: “It was very difficult for him to conceal his true intentions.” Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “Such a person could easily have become a philosopher a saint or a transcendental poet but not the Emperor of Hindustan.” 2. Shuja: He was the governor of . Shuja was brave and an able commander in the field but he was drunkard. 3. Aurangzeb: He was close to the orthodox Ulama and the Sunni nobility in the Mughal court. He was a great military commander, an able tactician, a cool and calculating statesman and a puritan by temperament. 4. Murad: Murad was the governor of Gujarat. He was neither a good soldier nor an able politician. Shah Jahan had three daughters: 1. Jahan Ara (She supported Dara and Shah Jahan). 2. Roshan Ara (She supported Aurangzeb). 3. Gauhan Ara (She supported Murad). Murad and Shuja acted hastily and declared themselves the . They issued new coin in their names. Aurangzeb acted with great caution and entered into a pact with Murad that Murad would become the governor of Punjab, Multan, Gujarat and Deccan and Aurangzeb would be the Emperor of the rest of India. Battles in the War of Succession: 1. Battle of Bahadurgarh: This battle was fought near in February 1658 between Shuja and Dara’s forces led by Raja Jai Singh and Suleiman Shikoh (eldest son of Dara). Shuja was defeated and fled to Bengal. 2. Battle of Dharmat: This battle was fought between the forces led by Aurangzeb and Murad and Dara in April 1658. Dara’s forced were led by Jaswant Singh and Qasim Khan near Ujjain. Qasim Khan proved to be a traitor and betrayed Dara. Dara’s forced were defeated in the battle. 3. : Aurangzeb and Murad’s forced reached near Agra on 28th May 1658. Dara came out of the to fight them but was defeated. Raja Jaswant Singh was determined to invade on the evening of 28th May because Aurangzeb and Murad’s forced were tired as they had marched for 48 hours. But Dara forbade him to invade that very day. Shah Jahan had fully recovered by now and expressed his desire to lead the Mughal forces. Had Shah Jahan himself led the forces, there would have been a great possibility that the Mughal forces on Aurangzeb’s side would have turned his loyalty towards Shah Jahan and Dara. But because of strong paternalistic feelings, Dara decide to lead the force in the battle. On 29th May, war with momentous consequences was fought. Dara had a clear edge till early evening. But as soon as his elephant got wounded, he got off the howdah. As his forces saw the elephant back empty, there was a total panic in the army. Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “The moment panic gripped the Indian army; no power on earth can hold it back.” Dara fled to . Rana Jaswant Singh was won over by Aurangzeb. Dara fled to Baluchistan to take shelter with Malik Jiwan Baluchi whom he had once saved from his father. Misfortune haunted Dara and Malik Jiwan Baluchi handed him over to Aurangzeb. On 30 August 1658, Dara with his torn clothes paraded on the back of his elephant through the streets of Delhi. He was finally beheaded. Dr. Bernier has written that the whole Delhi wept at the cruel assassination of their most beloved prince. Stanley Lane-Poole has written: “Had Dara been succeeded Shah Jahan, the history of India would have been entirely different.” Shuja was defeated in the battle of Khajwaha in January 1659. He fled to Myanmar and was killed by the Magh tribe. Murad was invited for royal celebrations in 1661. He was imprisoned in the and was later executed. Suleiman Shikoh was poisoned to death in 1662. On 5th June 1658, Aurangzeb entered Agra fort. Jahan Ara tried for reconciliation between Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb but failed in her enterprise. Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the Agra fort. He died in 1666. Even safe drinking water was cut off to Agra fort. Shah Jahan wrote to Aurangzeb: “Fortunate are the Hindus who offer water to their dead ancestors. You, the mighty Emperor, have denied water to your father.” Foreigner Travelers in the Court of Shah Jahan: 1. Bernier (the French Doctor): He accompanied Shah Jahan to his military expeditions. He wrote War of Succession. This book contains the details of Dara’s execution. 1. Bengal was the storehouse of Silk. 2. He mentions several Sati instances. In one instance, a 7 year old female child became Sati. 3. He has written about economic disparities. Even the rich commercial classes led the life of poverty to conceal their wealth from the government.

2. Tavernier (French Traveler): Tavernier wrote Travels in India. He has written about the Peacock Throne. It took 22 years, 20,000 labourers and 3 crore Rupees to built Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal is a wonder of medieval age. Taj Mahal at night remains dark because of security reasons. The visitors are not allowed inside the monument at night.

1. He has written that the Emperor had paternalistic attitude towards his subjects. 2. It is very difficult to travel in India because the highways are not safe. 3. Indians are disinclined to hard work. He had seen millions of Hindu and Muslim beggars on the streets of the cities. 4. Taj Mahal visitors even those days amounts to hundreds. 5. Taj Mahal construction began in 1632. 6. Taj Mahal foundations were supported by wooden beams and slabs placed over gigantic wells.

3. Manucci (Italian Traveler): He was an Italian traveler. 1. Shah Jahan was always concerned with the welfare of his subjects. 2. The provincial governors were very cruel. Once Manucci was deprived of his possession by the governor of Goa. 3. The Mughal territories were better governed than the Portuguese territories in Goa. 4. It was very difficult for Dara to conceal his true intentions.

4. Peter Mundy: Peter Mundy was a British traveler. He has written about Deccan famine in great details. 1. He mentions Chor Minar where the thieves were imprisoned and executed. 2. Deccan famine was the worst famine of Mughal history.

5. Mendelson: He was a German send by the Duke of Holstein to the court of the Persian Shah. He visited Agra and has written: 1. Agra is the noblest city in Hindustan. 2. He mentions corrupt provincial governors. There was total anarchy and lawlessness in the Empire. Once he had to fight with the dacoits to save his life. 3. Once the governor of Gujarat ordered the head of the female dancers to be cut off as they had refused to dance in the royal court. 4. The Mughal army was like a moving crowd. 5. Shah Jahan had ordered to cut the hands of the artisans who built Taj Mahal.

William Hunter and Elphinston described the age of Shah Jahan as the golden age of the Mughal Emperor. William Hunter has written that Shah Jahan’s age was the golden age because of twin factors: 1. Economic prosperity of India 2. Architectural Achievements Elphinston has written: 1. India was never again well organized before or after the reign of Shah Jahan. 2. Shah Jahan was the engineer and the musician king because his voice was sweet and musical.