History of Jahangir
July 19, 2014
A banker by profession, Salim Ansar has a passion for history and historic books. His personal library already boasts a treasure trove of over 7,000 rare and unique books.
Every week, we shall take a leaf from one such book and treat you to a little taste of history.
BOOK NAME: History of Jahangir
AUTHOR: Beni Prasad
PUBLISHER: The India Press - Allahabad
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1930
The following excerpt has been taken from Pages: 29 — 34
“Nur-ud-din Mohammad Salim, known by his imperial name Jahangir (30 August, 1569-28 October, 1627), was the fourth Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1605 until his death in 1627. Salim ascended to the throne with the title of Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Badshah Ghazi, and thus began his 22-year reign at the age of 36.
PRINCE SALIM’S MARRIAGE WITH PRINCESS MAN BAI OF AMBER
“Faizi composed the following ode, each line of which yields the date of the marriage:
‘Hail to the pearl scattering marriage of Sultan slim,
Which gives glory to the year of hope.
By the fostering care of the sun of Aquarius
There has come a conjunction of the moon and Venus.’
“Nothing in Indian history is more fascinating than the evolution of the Indo-Saracenic culture, manners, and customs under which we still live. As soon as the Muhammadan immigrants had fairly settled down, they powerfully influenced, and were more powerfully influenced by, their Hindu neighbours. Early marriage, which owes its origin partly to the Indian climate and partly to general social conditions, was retained by Hindu converts and adopted by large sections of Muslim settlers. The Imperial family did not, indeed, after the new policy of Rajput alliance could not, escape the contagion, Salim was barely fifteen when he was betrothed to his cousin, Man Bai, daughter of Raja Bhagwan Das of Amber. The marriage settlement was fixed at two crores of tankas. The Emperor himself, accompanied by all his nobles, went to the Raja’s mansion and on February 13, 1585 celebrated the wedding in the presence of Muslim qazis, but with certain characteristic Hindu ceremonies. The dowry bestowed by Bhagwan Das included a hundred elephants, several strings of horses, jewels, numerous and diverse golden vessels set with precious stones, utensils of gold and silver, and all sorts of stuffs, the quantity of which is beyond all computation. The Imperial nobles were presented with Persian, Turkish, and Arabian horses, with golden saddles, etc. Along with the bride were given a number of male and female slaves, of Indian, Abyssinian and Circassian origin. As the Imperial procession returned along highways covered with rare and choice cloth, the Emperor scattered over the bridal litter gold and jewels in careless profusion. Festivities and rejoicings knew no bounds, odes and chronograms flew by the hundred.
“Political marriages have often served the high interests of State at the cost of individual happiness. In the present case, however, the charms, intelligence, and engaging manners of Man Bai won the ardent affection of Prince Salim. In spite of an hereditary tendency to melancholy which acute affliction could easily bring to the verge of insanity, she warmed and cheered the life of her husband. Her suicide in 1604 plunged Salim into the deepest grief. Not a morsel of food, not a draught of drink passed his lips for full four days. For a while life ceased to offer any attraction to his afflicted soul. Words failed him when he attempted two years later to describe her ‘Perfect intelligence,’ her excellences and goodness, and her all-consuming devotion to him.
“The first fruit of the union was a daughter, Sultan-unnisa Begam, who saw the light on April 26, 1586. She lived for sixty years, but played no part in history. Far different was the lot of the second child, born at Lahore on August 6, 1587, who was named Khusrau and who was destined to a stormy career and a bloody grave. On his birth, Man Bai was styled Shah Begam.
“Meanwhile, Salim had created a veritable harem. In 1586 he married Jodh Bai or Jagat Gosain, daughter of Udai Singh, the Mota Raja, the daughter of Rai Rai Singh of Bikanir and the daughter of Said Khan Ghakhar. During the next ten years he married sixteen other wives of various nationalities and religions. After his succession to the throne he married a few other ladies-daughter of Jagat Singh, eldest son of Raja Man Singh, daughter of Ram Chandra Bundela, and, last but not least, Mihrunnisa, better known as Nur Jahan. Concubines raised the harem to the monstrous number of 300. Prince Salim had twenty lawful wives. Four have just been mentioned. The names, parentage of five have not been preserved. The other eleven were as follows:
1. Sahib-i-Jamal (mistress of Beauty) daughter of Khawajah Hasan.
2. Malik-i-Jahan (Queen of the World), daughter of Kalyan of Jisalmere.
3. Nurunnisa Begam, sister of Muzaffar Husain
4. Salihah Banu, daughter of Qasim Khan
5. Karamsi, daughter of Raja Kashu Das Rathor
6. The daughter of Ali Rai, ruler of Little Tibet, brought by the Mughal ambassador, Haji Mirza Beg Kabuli.
7. The daughter of Mubarak Chak of Kashmir
8. The daughter of Husain Chak of Kashmir
9. The daughter of the king of Khandesh
10. The daughter of Khwajah Jahan-i-Kabul
11. The daughter of Mirza Sarjat, son of Khizr Khan Hazara
“A numerous progeny sprang from these unions. Prince Parvez was born of Sahib-i-Jamal on October 2, 1589. Several children, who came next, died in infancy, but Bihar Banu Begam, born of Karamsi in September, 1590, lived to a good old age.
“On January 5, 1592, at Lahore, Jagat Gosain gave birth to a son whose advent diffused joy through the court, who was named Khurram (Joyous), and who was destined to a long, chequered, and memorable career. All the children who saw the light during the next twelve years died in infancy. In 1605 concubines brought forth two sons Jahandar and Shahryar, destined to short and inglorious lives.
“The approach of manhood found Salim a polygamous husband and father of several children. The first effervescence of boyish passions had not yet subsided, but he had already begun to take life seriously, to think of his political interests; to mark every change in the political weather, and to guard himself against every danger that threatened his chances to the throne. The Muslim law substitutes the principle of election for that of heredity in the succession to the headship of the faithful but, in practice, often leaves the, devolution of political authority to the testament of the last ruler. The source of this law is to be found in early Arabian custom which, of course, perfectly answered the needs of the democratic tribal organization. But the importation of the principle outside Arabia has been attended with disastrous results. True, it has sometimes secured the survival of the fittest, but more often it has led to domestic bitterness, cease-less intrigue, civil war, and ruthless massacre. Its uncertainty has encouraged every prince to aspire to the crown, to ingratiate himself with his father, to form cliques, to undermine the influence of his brothers, if not to attempt their lives, to stoop to the lowest depths of baseness and cruelty. The Indian Mughals sought to remedy these distempers by an early and clear nomination of one of their sons to the succession. The heir was invested with the sarkar of Hissar-Firoz which, in a way, resembled the principate of Wales. He was closely associated with the emperor and generally resided at court. He received the highest rank in the peerage. The high officers and nobles, the protected princes, and the people at large, were accustomed to look up to him as their future sovereign. Nothing, however, was effectual in extinguishing the hopes of his kinsmen. They sought to unsettle the settled fact; they intrigued, they warred. The bad blood, generated by the controversy, at last left a prince no alternative between the purple and a bloody grave. The atmosphere of suspicion and treachery, treason and conspiracy, often gave rise to serious misunderstanding between the emperor and the heir-designate. Self-interest, party zeal, and even genuine public spirit were not wanting to widen the breach.”
salimansar52@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/PagesFromHistoryBySalimAnsar
Every week, we shall take a leaf from one such book and treat you to a little taste of history.
BOOK NAME: History of Jahangir
AUTHOR: Beni Prasad
PUBLISHER: The India Press - Allahabad
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1930
The following excerpt has been taken from Pages: 29 — 34
“Nur-ud-din Mohammad Salim, known by his imperial name Jahangir (30 August, 1569-28 October, 1627), was the fourth Mughal Emperor who ruled from 1605 until his death in 1627. Salim ascended to the throne with the title of Nur-ud-din Muhammad Jahangir Badshah Ghazi, and thus began his 22-year reign at the age of 36.
PRINCE SALIM’S MARRIAGE WITH PRINCESS MAN BAI OF AMBER
“Faizi composed the following ode, each line of which yields the date of the marriage:
‘Hail to the pearl scattering marriage of Sultan slim,
Which gives glory to the year of hope.
By the fostering care of the sun of Aquarius
There has come a conjunction of the moon and Venus.’
“Nothing in Indian history is more fascinating than the evolution of the Indo-Saracenic culture, manners, and customs under which we still live. As soon as the Muhammadan immigrants had fairly settled down, they powerfully influenced, and were more powerfully influenced by, their Hindu neighbours. Early marriage, which owes its origin partly to the Indian climate and partly to general social conditions, was retained by Hindu converts and adopted by large sections of Muslim settlers. The Imperial family did not, indeed, after the new policy of Rajput alliance could not, escape the contagion, Salim was barely fifteen when he was betrothed to his cousin, Man Bai, daughter of Raja Bhagwan Das of Amber. The marriage settlement was fixed at two crores of tankas. The Emperor himself, accompanied by all his nobles, went to the Raja’s mansion and on February 13, 1585 celebrated the wedding in the presence of Muslim qazis, but with certain characteristic Hindu ceremonies. The dowry bestowed by Bhagwan Das included a hundred elephants, several strings of horses, jewels, numerous and diverse golden vessels set with precious stones, utensils of gold and silver, and all sorts of stuffs, the quantity of which is beyond all computation. The Imperial nobles were presented with Persian, Turkish, and Arabian horses, with golden saddles, etc. Along with the bride were given a number of male and female slaves, of Indian, Abyssinian and Circassian origin. As the Imperial procession returned along highways covered with rare and choice cloth, the Emperor scattered over the bridal litter gold and jewels in careless profusion. Festivities and rejoicings knew no bounds, odes and chronograms flew by the hundred.
“Political marriages have often served the high interests of State at the cost of individual happiness. In the present case, however, the charms, intelligence, and engaging manners of Man Bai won the ardent affection of Prince Salim. In spite of an hereditary tendency to melancholy which acute affliction could easily bring to the verge of insanity, she warmed and cheered the life of her husband. Her suicide in 1604 plunged Salim into the deepest grief. Not a morsel of food, not a draught of drink passed his lips for full four days. For a while life ceased to offer any attraction to his afflicted soul. Words failed him when he attempted two years later to describe her ‘Perfect intelligence,’ her excellences and goodness, and her all-consuming devotion to him.
“The first fruit of the union was a daughter, Sultan-unnisa Begam, who saw the light on April 26, 1586. She lived for sixty years, but played no part in history. Far different was the lot of the second child, born at Lahore on August 6, 1587, who was named Khusrau and who was destined to a stormy career and a bloody grave. On his birth, Man Bai was styled Shah Begam.
“Meanwhile, Salim had created a veritable harem. In 1586 he married Jodh Bai or Jagat Gosain, daughter of Udai Singh, the Mota Raja, the daughter of Rai Rai Singh of Bikanir and the daughter of Said Khan Ghakhar. During the next ten years he married sixteen other wives of various nationalities and religions. After his succession to the throne he married a few other ladies-daughter of Jagat Singh, eldest son of Raja Man Singh, daughter of Ram Chandra Bundela, and, last but not least, Mihrunnisa, better known as Nur Jahan. Concubines raised the harem to the monstrous number of 300. Prince Salim had twenty lawful wives. Four have just been mentioned. The names, parentage of five have not been preserved. The other eleven were as follows:
1. Sahib-i-Jamal (mistress of Beauty) daughter of Khawajah Hasan.
2. Malik-i-Jahan (Queen of the World), daughter of Kalyan of Jisalmere.
3. Nurunnisa Begam, sister of Muzaffar Husain
4. Salihah Banu, daughter of Qasim Khan
5. Karamsi, daughter of Raja Kashu Das Rathor
6. The daughter of Ali Rai, ruler of Little Tibet, brought by the Mughal ambassador, Haji Mirza Beg Kabuli.
7. The daughter of Mubarak Chak of Kashmir
8. The daughter of Husain Chak of Kashmir
9. The daughter of the king of Khandesh
10. The daughter of Khwajah Jahan-i-Kabul
11. The daughter of Mirza Sarjat, son of Khizr Khan Hazara
“A numerous progeny sprang from these unions. Prince Parvez was born of Sahib-i-Jamal on October 2, 1589. Several children, who came next, died in infancy, but Bihar Banu Begam, born of Karamsi in September, 1590, lived to a good old age.
“On January 5, 1592, at Lahore, Jagat Gosain gave birth to a son whose advent diffused joy through the court, who was named Khurram (Joyous), and who was destined to a long, chequered, and memorable career. All the children who saw the light during the next twelve years died in infancy. In 1605 concubines brought forth two sons Jahandar and Shahryar, destined to short and inglorious lives.
“The approach of manhood found Salim a polygamous husband and father of several children. The first effervescence of boyish passions had not yet subsided, but he had already begun to take life seriously, to think of his political interests; to mark every change in the political weather, and to guard himself against every danger that threatened his chances to the throne. The Muslim law substitutes the principle of election for that of heredity in the succession to the headship of the faithful but, in practice, often leaves the, devolution of political authority to the testament of the last ruler. The source of this law is to be found in early Arabian custom which, of course, perfectly answered the needs of the democratic tribal organization. But the importation of the principle outside Arabia has been attended with disastrous results. True, it has sometimes secured the survival of the fittest, but more often it has led to domestic bitterness, cease-less intrigue, civil war, and ruthless massacre. Its uncertainty has encouraged every prince to aspire to the crown, to ingratiate himself with his father, to form cliques, to undermine the influence of his brothers, if not to attempt their lives, to stoop to the lowest depths of baseness and cruelty. The Indian Mughals sought to remedy these distempers by an early and clear nomination of one of their sons to the succession. The heir was invested with the sarkar of Hissar-Firoz which, in a way, resembled the principate of Wales. He was closely associated with the emperor and generally resided at court. He received the highest rank in the peerage. The high officers and nobles, the protected princes, and the people at large, were accustomed to look up to him as their future sovereign. Nothing, however, was effectual in extinguishing the hopes of his kinsmen. They sought to unsettle the settled fact; they intrigued, they warred. The bad blood, generated by the controversy, at last left a prince no alternative between the purple and a bloody grave. The atmosphere of suspicion and treachery, treason and conspiracy, often gave rise to serious misunderstanding between the emperor and the heir-designate. Self-interest, party zeal, and even genuine public spirit were not wanting to widen the breach.”
salimansar52@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/PagesFromHistoryBySalimAnsar
