Jahangir

Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir
All the sons of Akbar except Salim breathed their last successively. Prince Salim who ascended the Mughal throne after the death of Akbar having assumed the title of Nooruddin Jahangir, was born in A.D. 1569 from a Rajput wife of Akbar named Jodha Bai.


Historians hold different opinions about the character and personality of Jahangir. Hence, it is very difficult to evaluate his character. Western historians have described him as a luxurious and inefficient ruler, whereas Indian historians consider him to be a just and wise ruler who always looked after the welfare of the people. V.A. Smith writes about Jahangir that he was “a strange compound of tenderness and cruelty, justice and caprice, refinement and brutality, good sense and childishness.” Thus, if we weigh the merits and demerits of the Emperor without any partiality, we would feel that his merits surpassed his demerits. The Emperor was not short of wisdom. He was neither cruel nor bigot by nature though he performed some acts of cruelty.


As a man Jahangir was an incarnation of humanity and liberality. He was an obedient son, an affectionate friend and a lovable father. Although he revolted against his father but he was never willing to harm him, rather he was motivated with a desire to establish his control over the throne. As a man he had no determining will hence he was influenced by his crafty friends to revolt against his father but he surrendered soon.


 Jahangir loved his wives from the core of his heart. The death of Man Bai greatly shocked him and he did not touch food or water for several days. He treated her son Khusrau very kindly and pardoned him after his first revolt, but he blinded him when he intrigues for his murder. However, after some time he got the eyes of Khusrau cured by an efficient Physician.


Jahangir was an educated, cultured and civilized prince. He was well-versed in Persian and Turki languages and had fine knowledge of Hindi and Arabic also. His autobiography contains the history of his reign. History of early 17 years was written by Emperor Jahangir himself but when he could not complete this book due to his sickness, it was completed by Mutamid Khan, one of his court historians. Jahangir had a versatile knowledge of climate, birds and vegetables which is quite clear from the description given in his autobiography but it was in no way superior to the memoirs of Babur. Jahangir was really a great patron of artists and men of letters. His deep insight into painting enabled this fine art to reach its zenith. He had the capacity to recognize a painting of any painter.


Jahangir was quite strong and sturdy in his early life. He was expert in horse-riding and handling of various weapons; but he did not relish the hardships of the battlefield, therefore, he could not prove himself to be an efficient commander. Whatever conquests were made during his reign, the credit for them goes to Khurram, his son who was an able and efficient General.


It is very difficult to define the religious beliefs of Jahangir. Perhaps he stands somewhere midway between Akbar and Shahjahan. V.A. Smith observes that it is very difficult to understand as to which faith he observed and Sir Thomas Roe has criticized him as an atheist. Some Muslim scholars have blamed him as a follower of Christianity. The fact was that he did not follow any religion with all devotion.


Actually he was liberal in his religious outlook and believed in the writing of God. He followed in the footsteps of his father. But he performed some acts for which he was accused of bigotry. In fact, the assassination of Guru Arjun was a political punishment as no other Sikh was persecuted during his reign. He exiled the followers of Jainism from Gujarat for he was dissatisfied with them. Being annoyed he once punished Muslim theologians like Qazi Nurullah and Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi. Thus, it is clear that whenever he punished any non-Muslim he was motivated by some political or other consideration and not by some religious reasons.


Jahangir was an able and successful emperor. He had the capacity to understand the circumstances and needs of his times but he was not a practical and constructive statesman. Jahangir continues the administrative system of Akbar without introducing any change. He maintained the honour of the crown and respect of kingship and also looked for the welfare of the people. During his regime the peasants were prosperous, trade and commerce was developed and the royal coffers were full of wealth. He always attempted for the progress and development of his empire. His contribution to the field of justice immortalized his name.


Dr. Ishwari Prasad observes about him, “Jahangir is one of the most interesting figures in Mughal history. The ordinary view that he was a sensual pleasure-seeking and a callous tyrant does less than justice. All accounts agree that he was intelligent, shrewd and capable of understanding the most complex problems of the state without any difficulty. There is much in his character that deserves to be condemned but there is a great deal that entitles him to be placed among the most fascinating personalities of Indian history.”


Besides all the virtues mentioned above, there were some weaknesses in the character of Jahangir. He was fond of wine and woman. Hawkins points out that there were about 300 women in his heart. He handed over all the imperial powers to her and led an ease-loving life. His love for wine and opium brought him on the verge of death but Noorjahan’s love and attraction forced him to minimize the quantity and he survived up to A.D. 1627. However, the bad effects, of excessive use of wine were visible on his health after 17 years of his reign when he failed to complete his biography. He was neither an intelligent administrator nor a capable commander but he was a fortunate man who secured everything ready-made from his father in succession. He looked weak and inefficient because his father Akbar and son Shahjahan were grand and their reigns wee full of prosperity and grandeur otherwise he could be counted among the great Mughal emperors very easily.


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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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