Jahangir
(1569–1627), Mughal emperor. Sultan Salim, who ruled northern India under the name Nuruddin Muhammad and the title Jahangir, was born in Sikri in 1569. His mother was a Rajput princess, and his father was the great Mughal emperor Akbar (1542–1605). As a prince, Salim had sought to lead a rebellion against his father, but the two were later reconciled, and it was only with Akbar's death that Salim became emperor under the title of Jahangir (world seizer). Jahangir was fortunate in inheriting an extensive, prosperous, and politically stable empire from his father. Unfortunately, Jahangir's court was saturated with intrigue and corruption, and he faced a powerful rival in his eldest son, Prince Khusru, who was eventually subdued. His favorite wife, Noor Jahan, was the power behind the throne and placed her family members in important court positions. Her father received a title; the daughter of her brother married Prince Khurram, the eventual heir; and her daughter from her first marriage became the wife of Jahangir's youngest son, Prince Shahryar.
Western influence in India was growing, and Jahangir had contact with the Portuguese and the fledgling British East India Company. James I's ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, was received warmly at court and managed to secure major concessions (1615–1618). Hunting and drinking were Jahangir's passions, and his rule did not leave any military or administrative landmarks. However, Jahangir was arguably the greatest of all Mughal connoisseurs of the arts and a lover of beauty—both natural and artistic. He took a keen interest in commissioning jewelry, calligraphy, and manuscript illustrations.
Chandrika Kaul
Further Reading
Miles, Keith. (1988) Jahangir and the Khan Dynasty. London: Pelham.
Thackston, Wheeler M., ed. and trans. (1999) The Jahangirnama: Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India. New York: Oxford University Press.
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