Shah Jahan
Date of Birth: January 5, 1592
Place of Birth: Lahore, Pakistan
Birth Name: Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram
Date of Death: January 22, 1666
Place of Death: Agra, India
Reign: January 19, 1628 to July 31, 1658
Spouses: Kandahari Mahal, Akbarabadi Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal, Fatehpuri Mahal, Muti Begum
Children: Aurangzeb, Dara Shukoh, Jahanara Begum,
Shah Shuja, Murad Bakhsh, Roshanara Begum, Gauhara Begum, Parhez Banu Begum,
Husnara Begum, Sultan Luftallah, Sultan Daulat Afza, Huralnissa Begum, Shahzadi
Surayya Banu Begum, Sultan Ummid Baksh
Father:Jahangir
Mother: Jagat Gosaini
Shah Jahan (Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram) was one
of the most successful emperors of the Mughal Empire. He was the fifth Mughal
ruler after Babur, Humayun, Akbar and Jahangir. After winning the war of
succession post the demise of his father Jahangir, Shah Jahan successfully
ruled the empire for 30 years. During his reign, the Mughal Empire thrived,
making his reign the golden era of the empire. Though Shah Jahan was an able
administrator and commander, he is best known for the construction of the TajMahal, which he built in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
Architecture in general saw the best of Mughal construction during his time. He
is credited with constructing many beautiful monuments throughout the landscape
of North India. Shah Jahan is also the founder of Shahjahanabad in Delhi. The
exquisite ‘Peacock Throne’, which he got built for himself, is believed to be
worth millions of dollars by modern estimates. During his final days, he was
held captive by his son Aurangzeb, who went on to succeed him to the throne.
Legend Associated With His Birth
Emperor Akbar’s first wife Ruqaiya Sultan Begum was
childless throughout her marriage. Though she couldn’t give birth to a royal
prince or princess, she was told by a fortune teller that she would be
responsible in raising a future Emperor. The prediction was such that Akbar’s
favorite grandson, who would go on to become the the fifth Mughal Emperor,
would be brought up by the childless Empress. So, when Jahangir’s third son was
born, Akbar instinctively knew that he would be raised by his childless
Empress.
Childhood
As per the prediction of the fortune teller, ShahJahan was born on 5thJanuary 1592, to Emperor Jahangir and his second wife,
Jagat Gosaini (a Rajput princess). After naming him Khurram (the joyous one),
his grandfather, Emperor Akbar took him away from his mother and handed him
over to his Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum. Khurram, who was just six days old,
started growing up under the care of Akbar and Ruqaiya Sultan Begum.
Quite naturally, young Khurram was fond of Akbar and
his foster mother more than his biological parents. Ruqaiya Sultan Begum raised
him with love and care and made that her top priority. In fact, Jahangir once
famously said that he (Khurram) was showered with more love by Ruqaiya Sultan
Begum than he or his wife ever could have. He received a traditional princely
education that involved training in martial arts and cultural arts which
included music and poetry.While Akbar would instill in him the different
techniques of warfare and leadership, his foster mother would narrate him the
importance of moral values. In 1605, post the demise of Akbar, a 13-year-old
Khurram returned to his biological parents.
Engagement With Mumtaz Mahal
In 1607, the 15-year-old Khurram got engaged to
Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal). However, the court astrologers had
predicted that the couple should not marry until 1612, for their marriage
wouldn’t be pleasant otherwise. Paying heed to the astrologers, Khurram’s
parents and well-wishers decided to put off his wedding with Mumtaz until 1612,
making the couple wait for another five years.
Khurram’s Weddings
After he was told to wait until 1612 for his wedding
with Mumtaz, Khurram went ahead with his first wedding with Kandahari Begum, a
princess from Persia. He had his first child, a daughter, with her. He then
married another princess before marrying Mumtaz Mahal in 1612. After having
fathered two children from his first two marriages, he fathered fourteen
children with his favorite wife Mumtaz. He also married two other women namely
Akbarabadi Mahal and Muti Begum, but it is said that these marriages were for
political reasons and the women he married for such reasons were considered
more as ‘royal wives.’
Road to Throne (Part 1)
The accession to the throne in the Mughal Empire was
determined through military successes and display of power by potential successors.
The Mughal had stayed away from the traditional primogeniture method of
choosing the rightful heir and that made Khurram a potential successor to
Jahangir, even though he was the third child of the emperor. In 1614, Khurram
got an opportunity to display his military prowess, something he was so
desperately waiting for.The moment he was waiting to seize came in the form of
Maharana Amar Singh II, who was asked to surrender his Rajput state to the Mughal. Khurram led an army of more than 200,000 men and defeated the forces of
the Rajput king. This brave act of his, paved the way for moresuch
opportunities. Three years later in 1617, he was asked to conquer the Deccan
Plateau in order to expand the empire. After his success in doing so, his
father Jahangir bestowed upon him the title Shah Jahan, which literally meant
King of the World in Persian. This made him the blue-eyed boy of the empire and
his dream of succeeding his father strode a step closer to reality.
Road to Throne (Part 2)
Though Shah Jahan had proved his abilities and
prowess more than once, the fight for the throne was harder than he thought it
would be. Jahangir married Nur Jahan and she along with her brother Asaf Khan,
became important members in the court. Also, Nur Jahan got her daughter (from
first marriage) married to Shahzada Shahryar, Shah Jahan’s younger brother. She
then continued to convince the emperor that Shahzada Shahryar was better than
Shah Jahan and that he should be the one to succeed him. This led a rebellious
Shah Jahan to build his own army with the help of a Mughal general named
Mahabat Khan. He then led his army against his own father and Nur Jahan but was
defeated comprehensively in the year 1623. Three years later, he was forgiven
by the emperor but Shah Jahan continued to find ways which would lead him to
the throne. In 1627, upon the demise of Jahangir, Shah Jahan crowned himself
emperor as the entire military was under his control.
Overcoming The Opposition
As soon as he became the emperor, Shah Jahan
eliminated all his foes just to make sure the throne had no further contenders.
He killed many in the year 1628 including his brother Shahzada Shahryar; his
cousins, Tahmuras and Hoshang; his nephews, Garshasp and Dawar, and sons of
prince Daniyal and prince Khusrau. Anyone he thought would be a threat to his
throne was put to rest permanently. His step-mother Nur Jahan was spared but
was imprisoned under tight security.
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