UNIT V JAHANGIR

UNIT V (8 MARKS) JAHANGIR

Role of Nur Jahan

JAHANGIR (1569-1627), fourth Mughal emperor of India (1605-1627), the eldest son of Emperor Akbar, born in Fatehpur Sikri. He rebelled (1601-1604) against his father but was pardoned and acceded to the throne (1605), only to be faced with rebellion by his own eldest son, Khosrau. The decisive event of Jahangir's reign was his marriage (1611) to Nur Jahan, an Iranian widow, who gradually became the real ruler of the empire; his last years were plagued by her intrigues and by the rebellion of his third son, who eventually succeeded him as Shah Jahan. Jahangir was a patron of the arts and a skillful poet who also wrote a volume of memoirs of his reign.

The marriage with his cousin Manbhawati Bai, daughter of Bhagwan Das of Amber took place on 13 February 1585. Manbhawati gave birth to Khusrau Mirza. Thereafter, Salim was allowed to marry, in quick succession, a number of accomplished girls from the aristocratic Mughal and Rajput families. One of his favourite wives was a Rajput Princess, known as Jagat Gosain and Princess Manmati, who gave birth to Prince Khurram, the future Shah Jahan, Jahangir's successor to the throne. The total number of wives in his harem was more than eight hundred.

MAIN EVENTS OF JAHANGIRS REIGN:

(1)Rebellion of Khusro & his death in 1622 A.D. (2)  Martyrdom of fifth Sikh Guru Arjun Dev Ji because Khusro had sought blessings from him in distress. (3) Revolt by Afghan Chief Usman Khan in Bengal in 1612 A.D.  (4) War with Mewar in 1614 A.D. & defeat of Rana Amar Singh.  (5) Conquest of Kangra fort in 1620 A.D.  (6) Loss of Kandhar in 1622 AD to Persians. (7) Marriage with Nur Jhan in 1611 AD she became the practical sovereign of Hindustan.

CHARACTER OF JAHANGIR:

Jahangir had a strange personality He was kind & cruel both. He was Generous & Charitable. He had great love for family relations. He was wise & able ruler. He was a patron of literature. He was a lover of art & beauty.On the other hand Jahangir was morally degenerated. He had lost interest in administration. Wine, Woman, & Music attracted him. He drank wine like water. He was intolerant in religious matters. He lacked self control.      

 ROLE OF NUR JAHAN

Jahangir  married the extremely beautiful and intelligent Mehr-ul-Nisa (Nur Jahan), in May 1611. She was the widow of Sher Afghan. She was witty, intelligent and beautiful, which was what attracted Jahangir to her. Before being awarded the title of Nur Jahan ('Light of the World'), she was called Nur Mahal ('Light of the Palace'). Her abilities are said to range from fashion designing to hunting.  Begum Nur Jahan was the twentieth and favourite wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who was her second husband - and the most famous Empress of the Mughal Empire. She remains historically significant for the sheer amount of imperial authority she wielded - the true "power behind the throne," as Jehangir was battling serious addictions to alcohol and opium throughout his reign - and is known as one of the most powerful women who ruled India with an iron fist.

For Mehr-un-Nisaa's own immediate family, marriage to Jahangir became a great boon with several members receiving sizeable endowments and promotions as a result. This affection led to Nur Jahan wielding a great deal of actual power in affairs of state. The Mughal state gave absolute power to the emperor, and those who exercised influence over the emperor gained immense influence and prestige. Jahangir's addiction to opium and alcohol made it easier for Nur Jahan to exert her influence. For many years, she effectively wielded imperial power and was recognized as the real force behind the Mughal throne. She even gave audiences at her palace and the ministers consulted with her on most matters. Indeed, Jahangir even permitted coinage to be struck in her name, something that traditionally defined sovereignty. Nur jhan was responsible to some extent for the moral degeneration of Jahangir. He lost interest in administration. He spent most of his time drinking wine.   

Through Nur Jahan's influence, her family, including her brother Asaf Khan, consolidated their position at court. Asaf Khan was appointed grand Wazir (minister) to Jahangir, and his daughter Arjumand Banu Begum (later known as Mumtaz Mahal) was wed to Prince Khurram (the future Shah Jahan), the third son of Jahangir, born by a Rajput princess, Jagat Gosaini. Jahangir's eldest son Khusrau had rebelled against the Emperor and was blinded as a result. The second son, Parviz, was weak and addicted to alcohol. The fourth son was Prince Shahryar, born by a royal concubine. Khurram rebelled against his father and a war of succession broke out. Due to Khurram's intransigence, Nur Jahan shifted her support to his younger brother, Shahryar. She arranged the marriage of her own daughter Ladli Begum, born of her first marriage, to her stepson Shahryar. The two weddings ensured that one way or another, the influence of Nur Jahan's family would extend over the Mughal Empire for at least another generation. Jahangir was captured by rebels in 1626 while he was on his way to Kashmir. Nur Jahan intervened to get her husband released. Jahangir was rescued but died on October 28, 1627.  

IMPORTANT TERMS:

Toman: Toman was a unit of army. This unit consisted of ten thousand soldiers.

Khan: The commander of Toman was called Khan.

Sadi: The commander of the unit of hundred soldiers was called Sadi.

Hazara: The commander of the unit of two thousand soldiers was called Hazara.

Amir-i-Azam: The lord achieving the highest rank was known as Amir-i-Azam. Raja Man Singh & Mirza Koka were two.

Amir-i-Umda: The Mansabdars holding rank about 25000 jat were called Amir-i-Umda.

Jama-dami:  Jama was the assessed income of various areas. Dams was the unit of currency. 40 Dams were equal to one rupee. Thus the register of revenue department maintained on the basis of Dams to show assessed income was called Jama-dami.

Ahadi: Ahadi were the individual troops of  Mughal Emperors. They received higher salaries & were directly recruited by the emperors.

Karkhanas: Royal workshops were called karkhanas.

Baraq-Andaz: The Ahadis who worked as  Skilled Musketeers were called Baraq-Andaz.

Tir-Andaz: The Ahadis who were Skilled Bowmen were called Tir-Andaz.

Banduqchi: The matchlock bearers were called  Banduqchi.