Reign |
~•~ |
1628 – 1658 |
Full name |
~•~ |
Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan, also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan |
Born |
~•~ |
5 January 1592 |
Birthplace |
~•~ |
Lahore |
Died |
~•~ |
22 January 1666 (aged 74) |
Place of death |
~•~ |
Agra |
Buried |
~•~ |
Taj Mahal |
Predecessor |
~•~ |
Jahangir |
Successor |
~•~ |
Aurangazeb |
Wives |
~•~ |
Akbarabadi Mahal, Kandahari Mahal, Mumtaz Mahal, Hasina Begum Sahiba, Muti Begum Sahiba, Qudsia Begum Sahiba, Fatehpuri Mahal, Sahiba, Sarhindi Begum Sahiba, Shrimati Manbhavathi Baiji Lal Sahiba |
Offspring |
~•~ |
Jahanara Begum, Dara Shukoh, Shah Shuja, Roshanara Begum, Aurangzeb, Murad Baksh, Gauhara Begum [Many more died at birth or at an early age] |
Dynasty |
~•~ |
Mughal |
Father |
~•~ |
Jahangir |
Mother |
~•~ |
Princess Manmati |
Religious beliefs |
~•~ |
Islam |
SHAHAB UDDIN MUHAMMAD SHAH JAHAN I (full title: Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Abu'l-Muzaffar Shahab ud-din Muhammad, Sahib-i-Qiran-i-Sani, Shah Jahan I Padshah Ghazi Zillu'llah [Firdaus-Ashiyani]) ruled India from 1628 until 1658.
FROM ‘KHURRAM’ TO SHAH JAHAN: The blue-eyed of the Mughal Royals, the young ‘Khurram’ impressed his father the Emperor Jahangir with his intense military successes of 1617 against the Lodi in the Deccan, which effectively secured the southern border of the empire.The grateful father rewarded him with the prestigious title 'Shah Jahan Bahadur ', which implicitly sealed his inheritance. The name Shah Jahan comes from Persian meaning "King of the World."
His early years saw him receive a cultured, broad education and distinguish himself in the martial arts and as a commander of his father's armies in numerous campaigns, where he became responsible for most of the territorial gains of his father's reign. Khurrum also demonstrated a precocious talent for building, impressing his father at the age of 16 when he built his own quarters within Babur's Kabul fort and redesigned several buildings within Agra fort.
He was the fifth Mughal ruler after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir. While young, he was a favourite of Akbar. Like Akbar, he was eager to expand his empire. Even while very young, he could be pointed out to be the successor to the Mughal throne after the death of Jahangir. He succeeded to the throne upon his father's death in 1627. He is considered to be one of the greatest Mughals and his reign has been called the Golden Age of Mughals.
Shah Jahan erected many splendid monuments, the most famous of which is the
Taj Mahal at Agra
. The Pearl Mosque at Agra, the palace and great mosque at Delhi. The celebrated Peacock Throne, said to be worth millions of dollars by modern estimates. He was the founder of Shahjahanabad, now known as 'Old Delhi'. Other creations of Shah Jahan also include the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas within the Red Fort in Delhi.
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