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Ambassador of Nepal Ambassador of Pakistan Ambassador of Sri Lanka
History Made Easy South Asian Memories
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the-south-asian.com December 2000 |
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Real name - named Khurram by his grandfather Akbar. Born – 1592Died – 1666 at the age of 74 in Agra. Buried beside his wife in Taj Mahal. Accession to power - C ame to power in 1627 at the age of 35 after a bloody civil war, assassinating his brothers Khusrau and Parwiz and others desirous of the throne – including two nephews and two male cousins.Length of rule in India – 31 years, from 1627 to1658. The last 8 years of his life imprisoned in Agra fort by son Aurangzeb.
Father – Jahangir Mother – Princess Manmati Siblings – Three half-brothers - Khusrau, Parwiz and Shahriyar Married – In n 1612 married Nur Jahan’s niece Arjumand Bano [Mumtaz Mahal] a Shia wife– devoted to her for 19 years till she died in 1631, giving birth to the14th child.Children – 14 children. 7 survived to adulthood. 4 sons and 3 daughters. Among sons eldest was Dara Shukoh b 1615, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb b Oct 23 1618, and Murad Baksh. The eldest Dara, was an aesthete who followed the religious eclecticism of Akbar and Jahangir. Daughters Jahanara, Roshanara and Gauharara. ..
Interests – Passionate interest in architecture. Famous for architectural works and artistic splendour. At 15, he redesigned the Imperial apartments in Kabul. As a young emperor he rebuilt the Red Fort in Agra, and on his wife’s death built the Taj Mahal. Connoisseur of precious stones. Enjoyed and patronised Hindu music and poetry – his reign a sort of Golden Age for Hindi literature. Built the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi.
Noted Officers - Ali Mardan Khan, senior General.Character traits – . Ruthless and brutal, he was also the most aesthetically sensitive Mughal. Averse to drinking.As a ruler – A strong ruler – but discriminatory policies towards the end of rule – ordered destruction of temples. Weaknesses – Overindulgence in opium.Capital city – Moved court from Agra to Delhi in 1640, where he built a new capital Shahjahanabad. Daughter Jahanara built the Chandni Chowk – the talk of the town for its beautiful layouts.________________ Above information is compiled from various sources, prominent among them ‘India – a Country Study’, ‘Delhi’ by Khushwant Singh, ‘The Great Mughals’ by Bamber Gascoigne, ‘The Mughals – Splendours of the Peacock Throne’, and ‘The City of Djinns’ |
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