Lesson 3/55 min
From Jahangir to the last emperor
After Akbar's death in 1605 his son Salim became emperor as ‘Jahangir’. In his reign the whole of Bengal came under Mughal rule in 1612. Over two centuries later, after the Sepoy Revolt of 1857, the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, was exiled to Rangoon.
Jahangir (1605–1627)
- Fourth Mughal emperor; named Nuruddin Muhammad Salim; nickname Shekhu Baba
- Put down the revolt of his eldest son Khusrau in his first year on the throne
- Married Nur Jahan, wife of Ali Quli Beg; Nur Jahan = ‘light of the world’, her real name was Mehrunnisa
- Subahdar Islam Khan suppressed the Baro Bhuiyans; capital moved to Dhaka (1610); all Bengal under Mughal rule in 1612
- The English East India Company came in his reign; he issued coins in his own name
- Autobiography ‘Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri’; tomb at Lahore
Shah Jahan (1628–1658)
- Fifth Mughal emperor; Jahangir gave him the title ‘Shah Jahan’ (king of the world); wife Mumtaz (real name Arjumand Banu Begum)
- Called the ‘Prince of Builders’ for his love of architecture
- With his permission the English set up their first trading post at ‘Pipilai’ (as the books state)
- Drove the Portuguese out of Hooghly
The Taj Mahal
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Place | Agra, on the Yamuna river |
| Built | 1632–1653 (17th century); 20,000 workers, 22 years |
| Why | In memory of his wife Mumtaz Begum |
| Architect | Ustad Ahmad Lahori |
| Recognition | UNESCO World Heritage, 1983 |
Aurangzeb (1658–1707)
- Known as ‘Zindapir’; had the ‘Fatawa-i-Alamgiri’ compiled
- Shah Jahan gave him a sword named ‘Alamgir’; he reimposed the jizya
- Shaista Khan was governor of Bengal in his time; his tomb is in Maharashtra
The fall of the empire
- The emperor during the Sepoy Revolt of 1857 was Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor
- For backing the rebels he was exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon) in Myanmar; he died and was buried there (1862)
Watch out: Khandokar gives 1862 as the year of exile. The exile was in 1858; he died in Rangoon in 1862.
Watch out: A past-year question in Khandokar gives ‘Bahadur Shah II’ as Aurangzeb's successor. That is wrong: Aurangzeb was succeeded by Bahadur Shah I. Bahadur Shah II was the last emperor.
Check yourself
Who was the last Mughal emperor and where is he buried?
At a glance
- 1
Jahangir (1605–1627): Nur Jahan's real name was Mehrunnisa; all Bengal under Mughal rule in 1612; arrival of the East India Company.
- 2
Shah Jahan (1628–1658): ‘Prince of Builders’; the Taj Mahal (1632–1653, on the Yamuna, Agra); UNESCO 1983.
- 3
Aurangzeb (1658–1707): Zindapir; Fatawa-i-Alamgiri; Shaista Khan governed Bengal.
- 4
The last emperor Bahadur Shah II: exiled to Rangoon after 1857 (in 1858); died 1862; buried at Yangon.