Shah Jahan (1627–1658)

What was Shah Jahan known as?

• Became known as the "Great Mughal" especially in Europe • This was because it was under his rule that the wealth and majesty of the empire reached its height

Did Shah Jahan care about his image? Why?

• Cared deeply about his image • Preferred to be shown in profile and his court officials wrote detailed histories of his reign but left out any imperfections

What title was Shah Jahan granted? When and why?

• Was known as Prince Khurram • In 1616 his father Jahangir rewarded him for his successes in war by granting him the name Shah Jahan " Lord of the World"

How did Shah Jahan fall out of favour with his father? When?

1622 • He rebelled unsuccessfully against Jahangir and as a punishment was sent to serve as governor of a relatively poor province in central India • Was still there in 1627 when Jahangir died

When did Shah Jahan become emperor?

Early 1628

What happened after Jahangir's death that was not expected?

• Death of Jahangir near Lahore on 7 Nov 1627 meant months of court intrigue and bloodshed • For years Nur Jahan had been planning for Jahangir's son Shahryar to take the throne, but when the crisis came, Asaf Khan (her brother) took control

What did Asaf Khan have to do with Shah Jahan?

• Asaf Khan was the father-in-law of Shah Jahan and held great power at Jahangir's court • He kept strong ties to Shah Jahan even after Jahan's failed rebellion of 1622-25 • They were determined to rule the empire together

How did Asaf Khan immediately deal with Jahangir's death?

• Asaf Khan sent a runner from Lahore to carry the news south to Shah Jahan at Nashik, 1000 miles away in the Deccan • This meant Asaf Khan bought the time needed for Shah Jahan

What did Asaf Khan do to do with the throne? Who was involved? When?

• He approached Dawar Bakhsh, 1 of the old emperor's grandsons who was with him at Lahore • Asaf offered Dawar the throne and swore to serve him faithfully • Dawar accepted and was declared emperor

How did Asaf Khan get rid of Prince Shahryar?

• When Prince Shahryar also claimed the title, Asaf Khan easily crushed his army in battle, took him captive and had him blinded

What did Shah Jahan do whilst this was going on?

• Made his way north to the Mughal capital Agra • Travelled with a full army and chose a route which took him through lands whose governors were already loyal to him • He promised rich rewards to all those who would support and replace those who refused • Within weeks many of the leading nobles left the court of Dawar and joined forces with Shah Jahan

What did Asaf and Shah do as Shah got closer to Agra?

• Shah Jahan sent a hand-written order to Asaf Khan to tell him to arrest Dawar and 3 other young princes who were possible claimants to the Mughal throne • they were all to be imprisoned along with Shahryar

How did Shah Jahan then make sure to keep Asaf Khan's loyalty?

• Jahan sent Asaf a jewelled dagger and sword • The messenger who sent the gift was also carefully chosen, eg it was the hired assassin who on Shah Jahan's orders had strangled to death Prince Khusrav during his master's rebellion in 1622

What did Asaf Khan do after the messenger arrived?

• 2 Feb 1628 • Soon after message and gift reached Lahore, Asaf Khan announced in Lahore that Shah Jahan was the rightful ruler of the Mughal empire • He arrested Dawar and the 3 other princes and they were all locked up in a bathing room with Shahryar, where all 5 were murdered

How did Asaf Khan prove his loyalty to Shah Jahan after the murders?

The heads were sent to Shah Jahan as proof that the mission had been accomplished

What happened as a result of Shah Jahan's methods to get on the throne?

• Shah Jahan eliminated rivals who would have caused civil wars • No civil wars for almost 30 years after this, but Shah's reign ended in a violent struggle as his own sons followed his example and fought to seize the throne

What did Shah Jahan do after the murders?

• The same day they were murdered in Lahore, Shah Jahan entered Agra seated on the back of an elephant, scattering gold and silver coins among the crowds • Almost 2 weeks later he appeared before his people and formally took the throne as their new emperor

How did scattering coins allow Shah Jahan to gain loyalty?

• Scattering gold and silver coins to gain the love and loyalty of their subjects was a regular custom of Mughal emperors travelling • More than any other emperor he relied on offering generous rewards as a way of keeping control

How did Shah Jahan keep Nur Jahan under control?

• Kept her out of court affairs by paying her a huge pension each year. • She retired to Lahore where she died in 1645

How did he keep his sons under control?

• Each of his sons were granted a huge income from jagirs • They were expected to help him rule

How did he keep Asaf Khan under control?

Asaf Khan became Shah Jahan's leading adviser and was rewarded with an enormous annual income

How did he keep Mahabat Khan? Who was he?

• Mahabat Khan who had once rebelled against Jahangir, was Shah Jahan's most trusted soldier and was rewarded almost as well as Asaf Khan

How did Shah Jahan use Akbar's systems to his advantage?

• Used the systems of administration set up by Akbar and Jahangir but changed the relationship with his officials • Both Jahangir and Akbar has claimed a semi-divine status and insisted that visitors to court must go on hands and knees before them • Shah Jahan's more orthodox Muslim faith told him this was wrong so he merely demanded deeply respectful bows • He still expected total loyalty and respect and richly rewarded those who served him well

How much did taxes go to rewarding others raised in his reign? When? How much?

1647 • 6500 men received at least 60% of all the tax revenue raised from the 120 million people living in the empire • these were the leading officials and generals that the emperor relied on to provide his armies and to ensure that there was stability in his lands

How much were the gifts he gave away worth overall? When?

• In the 1st 20 years of his reign he gave away over 95 million rupees as gifts to those whose loyalty he needed • A domestic servant at that time may have earned just 25 rupees a year

Did Shah Jahan's reward system work? Who praised it?

• European visitors to the Mughal Empire in the reign of Shah Jahan often praised the efficiency and good order of his government • Taxes were efficiently collected and revenues rose • The size of the army also increased and more legal disputes were settled locally without needing the emperor's involvement

How did Shah Jahan show his wealth on coronation day?

Wore in his turban a jewelled ornament over a million rupees

How did Shah Jahan use a new throne to show his wealth and power?

• Ordered thousands of loose rubies, diamonds, emeralds and pearls from Mughal treasure house to be used to decorate a new royal throne • Took skilled goldsmiths 7 years to finish • Has now become known as the 'peacock throne' though wasn't at the time

What features of the peacock throne showed Shah Jahan's wealth?

• Gold used to make throne weighed more than 2 large Indian elephants • Jewels that decorated throne were worth about 10 million rupees • Above the canopy were at least 2 peacocks made from richly coloured gems, either side of a tree made of rubies, diamonds, emeralds and pearls

Did Shah Jahan like jewels personally?

• Adored jewels • Personal hoard grew throughout his reign • Shah Jahan was said to be equal to any professional jeweller in reading the quality and value of a gemstone

How did Shah Jahan want to come across to his court? How did he show it?

• Used every aspect to show his power and prestige • Took pleasure from paintings and although he reduced the no of court artists, he encouraged them to maintain the standards set in the reign of his father Jahangir • He wanted them to capture his glory • Portraits of him in old age show no wrinkles on his skin

Did Shah Jahan encourage dancing and music at his court?

• Shah Jahan encouraged dancing and music at court where musicians played throughout the day • The emperor himself had a fine singing voice

How did Shah Jahan encourage other arts?

• Was a patron of literature and loved to learn about travel, biography and history, especially the history of his ancestors • Educated servants, chosen for the quality of their voices would sit behind screens and read books of all sorts to him as he went to sleep each night

How did Shah Jahan show diversity within his court?

• Both Shah Jahan and his oldest son Dara, promoted Hindi as a respectable language among educated Mughals • Ordered that works of mathematics and astronomy written in Sanskrit should be translated into Persian

Where did the wealth of noblemen and the emperor come from?

• The work done by millions of Indians on the land and in towns • During his reign Shah Jahan significantly increased his income from taxes

What did Shah Jahan use the increased income from taxes for?

• Build up his royal reserves • Pay for the luxuries of his court • Fund his wars • Carry out the grand building projects

Where did Shah Jahan's increased tax income come from?

• Partly because the empire grew under his rule, which meant that tax could be taken from jagirs in newly conquered lands • it also came because Shah Jahan encouraged villages to bring more land into productive use -But it mainly came because Shah Jahan raised the level of taxation

How did Shah Jahan make peasants' lives harder?

• Akbar had generally limited the taxes paid by peasants to 1/3 of what they produced, but this rose under Jahangir and under Shah Jahan sometimes rose to as much as 1/2 • The peasants' lives became harder

What happened to the army under Jahangir's control?

• The mansabdars who collected the taxes sometimes assured the emperor that they were ready to provide him with all the cavalry and soldiers that he expected, but in reality they only maintained a fraction of that no • This allowed mansabdars to keep up their own lifestyle and still pay the emperor his dues

How did Shah Jahan solve this problem?

• As Shah Jahan used the army more often and had to be certain of its strength, he lowered the no of troops that the mansabdars would have to provide but made it clear anyone who failed to father the agreed no would be severely punished

How did these tactics allow Shah Jahan to prosper?

• Double strategy of raising taxes while lowering the no of troops that each jagir should support, meant that the army actually grew while money continued to flow into Shah Jahan's royal treasury • Made him the wealthiest man in the world

When did crops fail in Shah Jahan's reign?

3 crop failures between 1630-32

What did these crop failures lead to?

• Desperate hunger in Gujarat and the Deccan • Estimated that 2 million people died of starvation caused either by initial drought or from the plagues of vermin, overwhelming floods and outbreak of pestilence that followed

How did Shah Jahan respond to this crisis?

• Shah Jahan responded by setting up langars in larger cities, in which the starving flocked • These were places where free food was distributed at the emperor's expense • Records suggest that the emperor paid about 150,000 rupees to provide relief in just 2 cities over a period of 5 months

What else did Shah Jahan do to help famine-struck areas?

• Said no tax was to be collected from the famine-stricken areas • This in theory cost him 7 million rupees or over. a1/10 of a year's revenue from the empire • In practise however, he wouldn't have been able to collect much of the money as their crops had failed so completely

How did Shah Jahan go against expectations at the time?

• 17th C emperors and kings were not expected to provide for the needs of their subjects at times of human misery • The fact he did deserved praise although he did waste money on grand luxury things not necessarily needed instead

What other causes than natural caused the famine?

• The area that suffered so badly was also the location of a long drawn-out campaign by Shah Jahan's armies against a religious noble Khan Jahan Lodi, descendant of the sultans of Delhi • In 1630-31 the armies of the 2 sides looted and destroyed the countryside, seeking to deprive their enemy of the supplies

Who suffered most from the famines?

• Local people already having to cope with high prices caused by drought, who suffered most • In these circumstances emperors would rather feed the soldiers, horses and elephants of their armies than people who lived on the land

For how long were the effects of famine felt?

• At least a decade after

How did the empire develop in this time?

• Records show that the population of the empire grew • The cities in particular developed and so did trade • Prices were generally stable under Shah Jahan's reign, and other than in famines most of his subjects could find enough food to keep themselves alive from day to day

How much did Shah Jahan spend on architecture during his reign?

• Estimated he spent over 25 million rupees during his reign on building mosques, schools (madrassas), markets, hospitals etc

When did Shah Jahan's wife die? What was the emperor's reaction?

17th June 1631 • Mumtaz Mahal his dearly loved wife died after giving birth • Emperor was grief stricken • Decided to build a tomb for her that would express not only his love but also his Muslim Faith, that assured him they would be reunited in paradise

When did work on the Taj Mahal start?

Early in 1632

Where can the main tomb be seen from?

• Made from white marble • It could be seen from Shah Jahan's rooms in the Red Fort at Agra (just under 5 miles away)

How did Jahan employ a wide and diverse range of people to help him build the Taj Mahal? Who had the final control over the design?

• Employed a wide range of experts to help • As well as his own architects he probably bought a specialist in making domes from Ottoman empire, a pinnacle maker from Persia, a garden designer from Kashmir and calligraphers from the city of Baghdad • Overall design and style was the choice of Shah Jahan alone

What style is the Taj Mahal mainly? Why?

• Mathematicians, theologians, astrologers and engineers were all consulted and helped to create a balanced blend of styles • Dominated by clean lines of Persian architecture

What 2 key features about the Taj Mahal showed Jahan's devotion to the Islamic faith?

• The enclosed space is divided into a 4 part garden that represents the gardens of paradise • These were originally filled with a variety of colourful flowers and fruit trees • The white marble tomb with the fine dome, sits on a raised platform and may represent God's throne. In Islamic tradition the throne which God will judge all mankind sits above the gardens of paradise

How many labourers were needed to create the Taj Mahal? How long did it take to complete?

• 20,000 labourers • Main tomb was completed by about 1636 but took 21 years to finish the whole complex

What builders worked on which parts of the Taj Mahal?

• Muslim builders made main structures, Hindu craftsmen worked on more detailed decoration

How much did the building of the Taj Mahal cost? Where did the money go and come from?

• Labour alone cost 6 million rupees • Full cost was around 20 million rupees • About 200,000 rupees a year was raised in taxes from 30 villages near Agra to pay for just the upkeep of the site eg including a payment for prayers to be said day and night for the soul of Mumtaz Mahal

What changes to current cities that already existed before him did Shah Jahan make?

• He demolished large sections of Akbar's Red Fort at Agra to rebuild them in Persian style with white marble • He tried to do the same at Lahore • Eventually decided to create a new palace in a new city where he could put on large processions on a grand scale

When did Shah Jahan lay the foundations for his new city? What was it called?

1639 • Laid the foundation stone for the new capital city called Shahjahanabad ' home of Shah Jahan' but is now named after Delhi

Where did Shah Jahan decide to place his new empire? Why was this a good place?

• Delhi stood at an important crossing point on River Yamuna, used by traders and by pilgrims visiting the old city's many Muslim shrines • Jahan selected a site near the river for his new palace

What did Jahan want his palace to be like?

• Twice the size of any other palace in the empire • 20m high walls enclosed rest of the city with the main gateways leading to Lahore, Agra and Kashmir

Who did Shah Jahan appoint to be in charge of construction?

2 architects and put governor of old city of Delhi in charge of the work, but constantly visited the site, checking, changing and challenging as it was built

Who was brought to come help work at the palace? Who visited?

• Empire's best craftsmen were brought to work on the new palace • So many local people, carts and animals were drawn into work of construction that the local economy was affected • English merchants complained that they could not move their goods to the ports but Shah Jahan showed no concern

What private areas did Shah Jahan include in his palace design?

• He paid particular attention to the palace • As its outer walls were made from red sandstone this became known as the Red Fort, same name as Akbar's base at Agra • The emperor's private quarters near river however were made of white marble, including a 'Hall of private audience" where he would meet special visitors and the cool and quiet hamam (bathing area) where most secret business was discussed • A canal brought clean water over 30 miles to the palace and gardens

What was the public structure in the palace like?

• A larger "Hall of public audience" with a fine marble throne looked westwards to the city's main street • This was to symbolise how the emperor was in touch with the heart of the city and hearts of his people

When did they finish building the new palace?

18th April 1648

How much did the new palace cost overall?

6 million rupees

What happened on the day the new palace was ready and done with building?

• Thousands of guests watched from beneath an enormous gold embroidered awning in the main courtyard as Shah Jahan came from Agra • A " Drum room" had been built in gardens for musicians to play a fanfare when emperor arrived • Shah Jahan ascended Peacock throne which had been moved from Agra to its new home in the "Hall of private audience"

How big was the new city?

• The walled palace alone cover an area the size of 60 football pitches • Jahan wanted it to be a city within the city with all that he needed

What was the gate near Lahore like?

• Close to the Lahore gate, a covered bazaar sold goods of all sorts • Workshops lined the roads that ran within the palace walls

What was beyond the palace in the city generally?

• Beyond the palace but within the city's walls, courtiers created their own mansions and others, often the leading women at court created fine gardens, mosques, markets • A canal ran through the main street

What was the population of the new city?

City quickly filled and Delhi held a population of 400,000+

How did Shah Jahan confirm his firm Muslim faith? When?

1650 • Ordered the largest mosque in his empire be built on the highest land in the city • This was called the 'Jama Masjid" or Great Mosque • Included a school and a hospital providing free care to the sick

What happened long term after the Great Mosque was finished?

• Finished in 1656 • Fanfares sounded each afternoon as the emperor rode out of the palace through the new city to take part in public prayers at the Great Mosque

What was the Moti Masjid?

• Known as the pearl mosque • Located in Agra • Thought to be constructed by Shah Jahan for the members of his royal court

When did construction on the Moti Masjid start and finish?

• Started 1648 • Took 6 years to complete

How much did Moti Masjid cost?

1 lakh and 60,000 thousand rupees

What does the mosque include and what Hindu inspirations did it take?

• The Diwan-i-Aam is to the left of the mosque where the emperor held his court for common people in the kingdom • There is a line of domed kiosks which are inspired from Hindu architecture • Has a main prayer hall

When did Shah Jahan construct the Shalimar gardens?

1641-2

What blend of styles was it?

• Persian and medieval Islamic garden traditions blended • Each garden divided by canals and flowerbeds following Persian tradition of the charbagh or fourfold garden • Form of garden inspired by garden in Kashmir under the same name

What was the site like? How was it used?

• The 3 parts of the garden are different levels, so the upper parts can't been seen from below, but the highest most private section is thought to have been used by imperial women

What was the purpose of the Qutub Minar in Hastal and when was it constructed?

• Built in 1650 • Shah Jahan wanted this building near his hunting lodge in Hasthal • 5 storeyed tower, with a Chhatri pavilion at the top • Used by Shah Jahan for his entertainment (where he would sit at the pavillion on the highest 5th floor entertained by others) after hunting in the wilderness surrounding the Hastsal minaret and royal hunting lodge (a few hundred metres away)

Was Shah Jahan himself usually involved in wars?

• Regularly involved in wars • Preferred to leave his own sons and generals to do the fighting • Moved his court close to major campaigns so that he could decide strategy

What happened in Ahmednagar? When?

1629-36 • When Khan Jahan was given shelter in Ahmednagar, Shah Jahan pursued him, ended his rebellion and forced the state to accept Mughal lordship • This meant that it kept some independence but paid tribute to the Mughal emperor each year

What happened in Ahmednagar to get it under Mughal control fully? When?

1636 • After further disloyalty, Shah Jahan's son, Aurangzeb annexed Ahmednagar and it came under direct Mughal control

Why did the Mughals get annoyed by the Europeans? Why?

• The Portuguese had a trading base at Hugli • They had upset Shah Jahan by failing to send him greetings when he took the throne and by using their naval power to impose tolls on Indian ships in the area

How did Shah Jahan deal with these Europeans? When?

1632 • Emperor sent a force that took the port, killing thousands • Forced the Portuguese to choose between converting to Islam or being held captive • Many who chose captivity soon died

What troubles did Shah Jahan have in Bundelkhand? When?

1634/5 • Shah Jahan resented the ruling family of this region since they had helped crush his rebellion against Jahangir in 1622-5 • It was on this campaign that Aurangzeb showed he was an outstanding soldier • Shah Jahan installed a new and loyal ruler and he also tore down Hindu temples that offended him and in their place built a mosque

What did Shah Jahan's actions in Bundelkhand show?

His Muslim faith was less tolerant than Akbar's and Jahangir's

Who were Bijapur and Golconda owned by?

Two wealthy states were run by Muslim rulers who refused to accept Shah Jahan's overlordship

How and when did Shah Jahan manage to take over Bijapur and Golconda?

1635/6 • Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb led an army south and managed to subdue both states quite quickly • They agreed to accept Mughal overlordship and pay considerable tribute to Shah Jahan • Aurangzeb became the Victory of the Deccan, acting on behalf of his father across the region

When did Aurangzeb get annoyed at Shah Jahan?

In the 1650s he grew angry that Shah Jahan would not let him conquer these states completely to bring them fully into the empire

What happened to Baltistan? When?

1637 • 1 of several small kingdoms on the edge of the empire that was forced to accept the overlordship of Shah Jahan • Although it was relatively poor, Shah Jahan saw it as a source of extra income through tribute paid each year

How did Shah Jahan change Sindh? When?

1640s • This region had belonged to Mughal Empire since Akbar but it had weak governors and was home to many bandits and pirates who disrupted trade between the north and sea • Shah Jahan built forts and waged war against bandit tribes • Thousands of tribesmen were killed or sold into slavery

What attempt to conquer land led to the first failed attempt to gain land?

1646/7 • Shah Jahan's pride in his ancestry made him want to extend the Mughal Empire far north into central Asia, the region from which the original Mughals had appeared • Armies led by 2 of his sons twice had to turn back when faced with bitterly cold and harsh winter weather • Attempt to conquer Balkh failed and cost huge amounts of money

What failures in war led to the weakening of the empire? When?

1638 and 1649/53 • Kandahar was taken by Persia during the reign of Jahangir but Shah Jahan won it back in 1638 by bribing its governor • In 1649 however, Shah Abbas II of Persia regained it by force and, despite 3 attempts in 1649,52,53 the Mughal army failed to take it back • Humiliating series of failures opened the Mughal Empire to attack from Persia and saw the start of serious disputes between Shah Jahan and his sons, especially Aurangzeb

How did Shah Jahan try to avoid problems about who succeeded him?

• Refused to allow some of his daughters to marry so that there should be fewer claimants to the throne • Despite his efforts, his own sons caused his reign to end in civil war