42 Facts About Jahangir

Jahangir was the third and only surviving son of Akbar and his chief empress, Mariam-uz-Zamani, born to them in the year 1569.

Jahangir was named after the Indian Sufi saint, Salim Chishti.

Jahangir had two elder brothers, Hassan Mirza and Hussain Mirza, born as twins to his parents in 1564, both of whom died in infancy.

Jahangir was named after Shaikh Salim given the faith of Akbar in the efficacy of the prayers of the holy man.

Jahangir considered his third son, Prince Khurram as his favourite son.

In 1623, Emperor Jahangir sent his tahwildar, Khan Alam, to Safavid Persia, accompanied by 800 sepoys, scribes and scholars, along with ten howdahs well decorated in gold and silver, in order to negotiate peace with Abbas I of Persia after a brief conflict in the region around Kandahar.

In 1626, Jahangir began to contemplate an alliance between the Ottomans, Mughals and Uzbeks against the Safavids, who had defeated the Mughals at Kandahar.

Jahangir even wrote a letter to the Ottoman Sultan, Murad IV.

Jahangir's ambition did not materialise however, due to his death in 1627.

Jahangir's Mansab was raised to Twelve Thousand, in 1585, at the time of his marriage to Shah Begum.

Jahangir honored her with the title Shah Begum after she gave birth to Khusrau Mirza, the eldest son of Jahangir.

Jahangir named her Jagat Gosain and she gave birth to Prince Khurram, the future Shah Jahan, who was Jahangir's successor to the throne.

Jahangir married Karamsi, daughter of Raja Kesho Das Rathore of Merta.

Jahangir became one of his chief consorts after her marriage.

Jahangir became one of his chief consorts and was designated the title of Padshah Begum and for most of the reign of Jahangir retained this title.

Jahangir was witty, intelligent, and beautiful, which was what attracted Jahangir to her.

Jahangir's abilities are said to range from fashion designing to building architectural monuments.

Jahangir arrived with a force of 12,000 after many ferocious encounters and finally subdued the Bundela and ordered Vir Singh Deo to surrender.

Jahangir then gathered his forces under the command of Ali Kuli Khan and fought Lakshmi Narayan of Koch Bihar.

In 1613, Jahangir issued a sanguinary order for the extirpation of the race of the Kolis who were notorious robbers and plunders living in the most inaccessible parts of Gujarat.

Jahangir was bestowed the title of 'Mallika-e-Hindustan' by Akbar and was referred as same during Jahangir's reign.

Jahangir himself was outraged and ordered the seizure of the Portuguese town Daman.

Jahangir ordered the apprehension of all Portuguese within the Mughal Empire; he further confiscated churches that belonged to the Jesuits.

Jahangir was responsible for ending a century long struggle with the state of Mewar.

In 1608, Jahangir posted Islam Khan I to subdue the rebel Musa Khan, the Masnad-e Ala of the Baro-Bhuyan confederacy in Bengal, who was able to imprison him.

Jahangir captured Kangra Fort in 1615, whose rulers came under Mughal vassalship during the reign of Akbar.

Jahangir was trying to restore his health by visiting Kashmir and Kabul.

Jahangir went from Kabul to Kashmir but decided to return to Lahore because of a severe cold.

Jahangir's tomb was commissioned by his son, Shah Jahan and is today a popular tourist attraction site.

Jahangir hung "a picture of himself set in gold hanging at a wire gold chain" around Roe's neck.

Jahangir's lands were confiscated and his sons imprisoned as Jahangir suspected him of helping Khusrau's rebellion.

Jahangir developed friendly relations with Jahangir, and accompanied him in his journey to Kashmir just before the latter's death.

The Emperor Jahangir ordered them banished from the country, and their temples to be demolished.

Jahangir heard about a jogi doing mysterious things and he ordered his men to evict him and have the place destroyed.

Jahangir continued the Mughals tradition of being scrupulously secular in outlook.

Jahangir bound and displayed much of the art that he commissioned in elaborate albums of hundreds of images, sometimes organized around a theme such as zoology.

Jahangir himself was far from modest in his autobiography when he stated his prowess at being able to determine the artist of any portrait by simply looking at a painting.

Jahangir used his wealth and his luxury of free time to chronicle, in detail, the lush natural world that the Mughal Empire encompassed.

At times, he would have artists travel with him for this purpose; when Jahangir was in Rahimabad, he had his painters on hand to capture the appearance of a specific tiger that he shot and killed, because he found it to be particularly beautiful.

Jahangir was notable for his pride in the ability of his court painters.

Jahangir then challenged Roe to pick out the original from the copies, a feat Sir Thomas Roe could not do, to the delight of Jahangir.

Jahangir is widely considered to have been a weak and incapable ruler.