Shah Jahan’s Reign
Throughout his reign, Shah Jahan constantly strived
towards expanding his empire. This gave rise to many battles and some
alliances. While he joined hands with some of the Rajput kings of Bundelkhand,
Baglana and Mewar, he waged war on the others like the Bundela Rajputs. In
1632, he captured the fortress at Daulatabad and imprisoned Husain Shah. He
appointed his son Aurangzeb as his Viceroy who in turn captured places like
Golconda and Bijapur of South India. He then went on to capture Kandahar, which
led to the famous Mughal–Safavid War. His empire now stretched beyond Khyber
Pass and all the way to Ghazna.
Shah Jahan’s Army
Shah Jahan invested most of his time in building a
massive army. It is said that his army included more than 911,400 soldiers and
185,000 horsemen. He was also responsible in manufacturing cannonsin huge
numbers. During his 30 year reign, Shah Jahan transformed his empire into a
well-oiled military machine.
Contribution to Mughal Architecture
Shah Jahan was an avid builder and is responsible for building some of the most beautiful edifices in present day India and
Pakistan. It is said that many European travelers would visit his empire just
to learn the different techniques used in the construction of buildings. It is
also said that some of the world’s most talented engineers and architects
resided in his empire.
Construction of The Taj Mahal
One of the most significant incidents in the life of
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was the construction of Taj Mahal. His beloved wife
Mumtaz Mahal died while giving birth to their fourteenth child and the reason
behind her death was stated to be postpartum haemorrhage. This left Shah Jahan
devastated who then decided to build the world's most beautiful monument in the
memory of his wife. After many years of planning, hard work and immense
sacrifices, the monument, which came to be known as the Taj Mahal was
built.Today people from different parts of the world travel to India just to
see this amazing white colored edifice which is also one of the most visited
tourist destinations of India. Taj Mahal continues to be one of the Seven Wonders
of the World!
Other Structures Built by Shah Jahan
The following monuments were also constructed by
Shah Jahan during his rule:
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)
Final Days
Shah Jahan became seriously ill in September 1658.
During his days of recovery, Dara Shikoh, one of his sons, assumed the role of
the ruler. This made his brothers furious and almost immediately, Shuja and
Murad Baksh sought independent provinces and claimed their rightful share.
Meanwhile, Aurangzeb had formed an army of his own and went on to defeat his
brother Dara Shikoh. He then killed rest of the contenders and declared himself
as the emperor. Though Shah Jahan later recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb
deemed him unfit to rule and imprisoned him in the citadel of Agra. He also
imprisoned his sister Jahanara Begum Sahib who wanted to stay with her father
in order to take care of him. Shah Jahan is said to have spent eight long years
of his imprisonment by staring at the tomb of his beloved wife – the marvel
that he built in her memory.
Death
In the first week of January 1666, Shah Jahan once
again fell ill and never recovered. On January 22, he is said to have summoned
Akbarabadi Mahal and requested her to take care of his daughter, Jahanara
Begum. He is then said to have recited a few lines from the holy Quran before
breathing his last, aged 74. The emperor who once ruled the whole of India and
more had died a prisoner. Princess Jahanara Begum wanted a procession with the
state’s noblemen carrying her father’s body all over Agra so that the subjects
could waive a final goodbye to their beloved emperor. However, Aurangzeb was in
no mood for such an extravagant funeral. In the end, Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji
and Kazi Qurban moved the body of Shah Jahan out of the prison, washed it and
placed it in a coffin made out of sandalwood. The coffin was then brought to
the Taj Mahal through the river, where he was laid to rest, next to his beloved
wife, Mumtaz.
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