Jahangir
 |
Jahangir
|
All the sons of Akbar
except Salim breathed their last successively. Prince Salim who ascended the
Mughal throne after the death of Akbar having assumed the title of Nooruddin
Jahangir, was born in A.D. 1569 from a Rajput wife of Akbar named Jodha Bai.
Historians hold different opinions about the character and
personality of Jahangir. Hence, it is very difficult to evaluate his character.
Western historians have described him as a luxurious and inefficient ruler,
whereas Indian historians consider him to be a just and wise ruler who always
looked after the welfare of the people. V.A. Smith writes about Jahangir that he
was “a strange compound of tenderness and cruelty, justice and caprice,
refinement and brutality, good sense and childishness.” Thus, if we weigh the
merits and demerits of the Emperor without any partiality, we would feel that
his merits surpassed his demerits. The Emperor was not short of wisdom. He was
neither cruel nor bigot by nature though he performed some acts of cruelty.
As a man Jahangir was an incarnation of humanity and liberality.
He was an obedient son, an affectionate friend and a lovable father. Although
he revolted against his father but he was never willing to harm him, rather he
was motivated with a desire to establish his control over the throne. As a man
he had no determining will hence he was influenced by his crafty friends to
revolt against his father but he surrendered soon.
Jahangir loved his wives from the core of his heart. The
death of Man Bai greatly shocked him and he did not touch food or water for
several days. He treated her son Khusrau very kindly and pardoned him after his
first revolt, but he blinded him when he intrigues for his murder. However,
after some time he got the eyes of Khusrau cured by an efficient Physician.
Jahangir was an educated, cultured and civilized prince. He was
well-versed in Persian and Turki languages and had fine knowledge of Hindi and
Arabic also. His autobiography contains the history of his reign. History of
early 17 years was written by Emperor Jahangir himself but when he could not
complete this book due to his sickness, it was completed by Mutamid Khan, one
of his court historians. Jahangir had a versatile knowledge of climate, birds
and vegetables which is quite clear from the description given in his
autobiography but it was in no way superior to the memoirs of Babur. Jahangir
was really a great patron of artists and men of letters. His deep insight into
painting enabled this fine art to reach its zenith. He had the capacity to
recognize a painting of any painter.
Jahangir was quite strong and sturdy in his early life. He was
expert in horse-riding and handling of various weapons; but he did not relish
the hardships of the battlefield, therefore, he could not prove himself to be
an efficient commander. Whatever conquests were made during his reign, the
credit for them goes to Khurram, his son who was an able and efficient General.
It is very difficult to define the religious beliefs of Jahangir.
Perhaps he stands somewhere midway between Akbar and Shahjahan. V.A. Smith
observes that it is very difficult to understand as to which faith he observed
and Sir Thomas Roe has criticized him as an atheist. Some Muslim scholars have
blamed him as a follower of Christianity. The fact was that he did not follow
any religion with all devotion.
Actually he was liberal in his religious outlook and believed in
the writing of God. He followed in the footsteps of his father. But he
performed some acts for which he was accused of bigotry. In fact, the
assassination of Guru Arjun was a political punishment as no other Sikh was
persecuted during his reign. He exiled the followers of Jainism from Gujarat
for he was dissatisfied with them. Being annoyed he once punished Muslim
theologians like Qazi Nurullah and Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi. Thus, it is clear
that whenever he punished any non-Muslim he was motivated by some political or
other consideration and not by some religious reasons.
Jahangir was an able and successful emperor. He had the capacity
to understand the circumstances and needs of his times but he was not a
practical and constructive statesman. Jahangir continues the administrative
system of Akbar without introducing any change. He maintained the honour of the
crown and respect of kingship and also looked for the welfare of the people.
During his regime the peasants were prosperous, trade and commerce was developed
and the royal coffers were full of wealth. He always attempted for the progress
and development of his empire. His contribution to the field of justice
immortalized his name.
Dr. Ishwari Prasad observes about him, “Jahangir is one of the
most interesting figures in Mughal history. The ordinary view that he was a
sensual pleasure-seeking and a callous tyrant does less than justice. All
accounts agree that he was intelligent, shrewd and capable of understanding the
most complex problems of the state without any difficulty. There is much in his
character that deserves to be condemned but there is a great deal that entitles
him to be placed among the most fascinating personalities of Indian history.”
Besides all the virtues mentioned above, there were some weaknesses
in the character of Jahangir. He was fond of wine and woman. Hawkins points out
that there were about 300 women in his heart. He handed over all the imperial
powers to her and led an ease-loving life. His love for wine and opium brought
him on the verge of death but Noorjahan’s love and attraction forced him to
minimize the quantity and he survived up to A.D. 1627. However, the bad
effects, of excessive use of wine were visible on his health after 17 years of
his reign when he failed to complete his biography. He was neither an
intelligent administrator nor a capable commander but he was a fortunate man
who secured everything ready-made from his father in succession. He looked weak
and inefficient because his father Akbar and son Shahjahan were grand and their
reigns wee full of prosperity and grandeur otherwise he could be counted among
the great Mughal emperors very easily.
Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.
0 टिप्पणियाँ:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें
THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS
टिप्पणी: केवल इस ब्लॉग का सदस्य टिप्पणी भेज सकता है.