Jahangir

Jahangir 1605-1627

Salim, who had more than once openly rebelled against his father, sat the throne 8 days after death of Akbar in 1605 as Nuruddin Jahangir, the conqueror of the world.

Salim, the child of many prayers, born under the superstitious spell of a mystic saint was a pampered baby, who grew as an indolent, self indulgent and indifferent personality. He gave his father the terminating shock by killing Abul Fazal in 1602. He was of a violent temperament and like his other two despicable brothers Murad and Daniyal, he was a notorious and drunkard.

• The coin in which he has been engraved with a wine cup in his hand is a testimony to his habit as a habitual drunkard.

However, when he ascended the throne, he was a man of 37 years and had become “mature”. He continued to be sober in the day time and introduced famous regulations such as forbidding sale of wine and even tobacco. He was able to control his calumnious habit under the influence of his beautiful, talented and judicious 20th wife Nur Jahan, the light of the world.

Restoration of Mohammaden Faith

• This son of a philosopher King and a Rajput princess professed himself as a Muslim and restored the Mohammaden faith and Hijra Chronology (on coins) his father had abandoned.

But, like his father, he was tolerant towards Hindus and equally tolerant towards the Christians. He continued to marry the princesses of the Rajput aristocrats.

The Justice Bell

• He was active in redressing the grievance of the people and had a chain and bell attached to the gate of his palace in Agra, so that all who wished to appeal to him could ring him up. However, it is not clear, who was eligible to ring the emperor up.