Shah Jahan

The fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram), ruled from 1628 to 1658. We take you through his life, reign, administration, and contribution to architecture, as well as his passing.

Indian culture: India's history: Date of Birth for Shah Jahan Shah Jahan Quick Facts: On January 5, 1592, my birthplace was: Born in Lahore, Pakistan as: Date of Death for Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram: Date of Death: January 22, 1666 Location: India's Agra Reign: From January 19, 1628 to July 31, 1658, he was married to: Mumtaz Mahal, Fatehpuri Mahal, Kandahari Mahal, Akbarabadi Mahal, and Muti Begum's Children: Aurangzeb, Dara Shukoh, Shah Shuja, Jahanara Begum, Murad Bakhsh, Roshanara Begum, Gauhara Begum, Parhez Banu Begum, Husnara Begum, Sultan Luftallah, Sultan Daulat Afza, Huralnissa Begum, Shahzadi Surayya Banu Begum, and Sultan Ummid Baksh Jahangir's Mom: Jagat Gosaini Shah Jahan, also known as Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram, was one of the Mughal Empire's most successful emperors. He succeeded Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir as the fifth Mughal emperor. Shah Jahan successfully ruled the empire for thirty years after winning the war of succession following the death of his father, Jahangir. The Mughal Empire flourished under his rule, making it the empire's golden age. Although Shah Jahan was an effective administrator and commander, he is best known for building the Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The best of Mughal architecture was created during his reign. He is credited with the creation of numerous beautiful monuments throughout the North Indian landscape. Additionally, Shah Jahan is the founder of Delhi's Shahjahanabad. Modern estimations suggest that the exquisite "Peacock Throne," which he built for himself, is worth millions of dollars. His son Aurangzeb, who went on to become his successor, held him captive during his final days.

Legends About His Birth The first wife of Emperor Akbar, Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, never had children. A fortune teller told her that she would be responsible for raising a future Emperor, despite the fact that she was unable to give birth to a royal prince or princess. The prediction was that the childless Empress would raise Akbar's favorite grandson, who would later become the fifth Mughal Emperor. As a result, Akbar instinctively knew that Jahangir's third son would be raised by his Empress, who lacked children.

Childhood According to the fortune teller's prediction, Shah Jahan was born on January 5, 1592, to Emperor Jahangir and Jagat Gosaini, a Rajput princess. Emperor Akbar took him from his mother and gave him to his Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, whom he named Khurram, "the joyous one." When Khurram was just six days old, Akbar and Ruqaiya Sultan Begum took care of him.

Young Khurram naturally preferred Akbar and his foster mother to his biological parents. He was raised by Ruqaiya Sultan Begum with love and care, and she made that her top priority. In point of fact, Jahangir once famously stated that Kharram received more love from Ruqaiya Sultan Begum than either he or his wife could have ever imagined. He got customary regal schooling that elaborate preparation in combative techniques and social expressions which included music and verse. His foster mother would tell him about the significance of moral values while Akbar would teach him the various strategies of warfare and leadership. After Akbar's death in 1605, a 13-year-old Khurram went back to his biological parents.

Engagement to Mumtaz Mahal Khurram, then 15 years old, proposed to Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal) in 1607. Nonetheless, the court stargazers had anticipated that the couple shouldn't wed until 1612, for their marriage wouldn't be lovely in any case. Khurram's parents and well-wishers listened to the astrologers and decided to postpone his wedding to Mumtaz until 1612, making the couple wait another five years.

Khurram's Weddings

After he was told to hold on until 1612 for his wedding with Mumtaz, Khurram proceeded his most memorable wedding with Kandahari Begum, a princess from Persia. With her, he had a daughter, his first child. Before getting married to Mumtaz Mahal in 1612, he married another princess. He had fourteen children with Mumtaz, his favorite wife, after having had two children from his first two marriages. He also got married to Akbarabadi Mahal and Muti Begum, but it is said that these marriages were for political reasons and the women he got married to were more of a "royal wife."

Road to the Throne: Part 1 The Mughal Empire's military victories and potential heirs' displays of power determined who would ascend to the throne. Even though Khurram was the third child of the emperor, the Mughal had avoided the traditional primogeniture method of selecting the rightful heir, making him a potential successor to Jahangir. In 1614, Khurram got the chance he had been waiting for so long to show off his military skills. Maharana Amar Singh II, who was asked to give over his Rajput state to the Mughal, was the moment he was waiting to seize. Khurram defeated the Rajput king's forces with an army of more than 200,000 soldiers under his command. His courageous act paved the way for additional opportunities of this kind. He was asked to conquer the Deccan Plateau three years later, in 1617, to expand the empire. Shah Jahan, which literally translates to "King of the World" in Persian, was bestowed upon him by his father Jahangir after he achieved success. This made him the blue-looked at kid of the domain and his fantasy about succeeding his dad stepped a bit nearer to the real world.

Road to Throne: Part 2 Despite Shah Jahan's numerous demonstrations of his capabilities and strength, the struggle for the throne proved to be more difficult than he had anticipated. When Jahangir wed Nur Jahan, she and her brother Asaf Khan rose to prominence in the court. Shahzada Shahryar, Shah Jahan's younger brother, was also married to Nur Jahan's daughter from her first marriage. She went on to persuade the emperor that Shahzada Shahryar was superior to Shah Jahan and should take over for him. This prompted a rebellious Shah Jahan to form his own army with the assistance of a Mahabat Khan, a Mughal general. After that, he led his army against his own father and Nur Jahan, but in 1623, he was completely defeated. He was forgiven by the emperor three years later, but Shah Jahan kept looking for ways to ascend to the throne. When Jahangir died in 1627, Shah Jahan crowned himself emperor, controlling the entire military.

Overcoming the Opposition Shah Jahan eliminated all of his enemies as soon as he became emperor to ensure that there were no more contenders for the throne. In the year 1628, he killed many people, including his brother Shahzada Shahryar; Hoshang and Tahmuras, his cousins; his nephews, Dawar and Garshasp, as well as the sons of prince Khusrau and prince Daniyal. He permanently put to death anyone he thought would be a threat to his throne. Nur Jahan, his stepmother, was spared, but she was held in a secure prison.

Shah Jahan's reign Throughout his time in power, he never stopped trying to expand his empire. As a result, numerous conflicts and alliances emerged. While he collaborated with a few of the Rajput kings of Bundelkhand, Baglana, and Mewar, he fought against others, such as the Bundela Rajputs. He captured the Daulatabad fortress in 1632 and held Husain Shah captive. He made his son Aurangzeb Viceroy, and he took places like Golconda and Bijapur in South India as a result. After that, he took Kandahar, which started the well-known Mughal–Safavid War. His empire now extended all the way to Ghazna and beyond the Khyber Pass.

The bulk of Shah Jahan's time was spent constructing a massive army. His army is said to have included 185,000 horses and more than 911,400 soldiers. He was also in charge of producing a large number of cannons. Shah Jahan turned his empire into a well-oiled military machine during his 30 years in power.

Contribution to Mughal Architecture Shah Jahan was a prolific builder who was responsible for the construction of some of the most stunning structures in India and Pakistan today. It is said that many European tourists would visit his empire just to learn about the different building methods. It is also said that his empire was home to some of the best architects and engineers in the world. 

Construction of the Taj Mahal The construction of the Taj Mahal was one of the most significant events in the life of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife, passed away while she was giving birth to their fourteenth child. Her death was thought to have been caused by postpartum hemorrhage. Shah Jahan was devastated by this, and he decided to build the most beautiful monument in the world in memory of his wife. The monument that became known as the Taj Mahal was constructed after many years of planning, hard work, and enormous sacrifices. Today, tourists from all over the world travel to India to see this magnificent white structure, which is also one of India's most popular tourist destinations. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal, continues to be!

Other Buildings Built by Shah Jahan The following structures were also built by Shah Jahan during his time in power:

The Red Fort or Lal Quila in Delhi; the Jama Masjid in Delhi; the Moti Masjid, or Pearl Mosque, in Lahore; the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore; the Jahangir Mausoleum and Takht-e-Taus Shahjahan Mosque in Thatta; and the Final Days in Lahore. In September 1658, Shah Jahan fell seriously ill. Dara Shikoh, one of his sons, assumed the role of ruler during his recovery. His brothers were furious about this, and Shuja and Murad Baksh sought out independent provinces and claimed their rightful share almost immediately. Aurangzeb, on the other hand, had assembled his own army and defeated Dara Shikoh. He then killed rest of the competitors and pronounced himself as the ruler. Aurangzeb thought Shah Jahan unfit to rule and imprisoned him in the Agra citadel, even though he recovered from his illness later. Jahanara Begum Sahib, his sister, who wanted to stay with her father to care for him, was also imprisoned. It is said that during the eight years that Shah Jahan was imprisoned, he spent those years gazing at the magnificent tomb of his beloved wife.

Death Shah Jahan once more became ill in the first week of January 1666 and never fully recovered. He is said to have called Akbarabadi Mahal and asked her to look after his daughter, Jahanara Begum, on January 22. After that, it is said that he recited a few verses from the holy Quran before passing away at the age of 74. The emperor who once ruled all of India had been imprisoned when he passed away. Princess Jahanara Begum wanted the state's noblemen to carry her father's body through Agra in a procession so that the people could say their final goodbyes to their beloved emperor. Nevertheless, Aurangzeb was not in the mood for such a lavish funeral. Sayyid Muhammad Qanauji and Kazi Qurban finally removed Shah Jahan's body from the prison, cleaned it, and buried it in a sandalwood coffin. The body was then carried over the river to the Taj Mahal, where he was laid to rest alongside his beloved wife, Mumtaz.