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Shah Jahan’s Reign (1628-1658)

I. Foreign Policy & Military Campaigns

• Qandahar Conflict:
  • The primary root of the dispute with the Shah of Iran was control of the strategic fortress city of Qandahar.
  • Its eventual loss was a major strategic blow to the Mughal Empire.
• Balkh Campaign:
  • Motive: To secure a friendly ruler in Balkh and Badakshan (which bordered Kabul) to create a buffer zone.
  • Secondary Aim: To curb rebellions by Afghan tribes near Ghazni and the Khyber Pass.

II. Administration & Religious Policies

• Court Customs:
  • Abolished the Persian court custom of ‘Sijda’ (prostration before the emperor) in 1636-37.
  • Note: This custom was begun by the Delhi Sultanate ruler, Sultan Balban.
• Religious Policies:
  • The famous Sanskrit scholar Kavindracharya led a deputation of Banaras pandits to successfully petition Shah Jahan for the abolition of the pilgrim tax in Benaras and Allahabad.
• Dara Shukoh:
  • Shah Jahan’s son, Dara Shukoh, was a liberal scholar who studied Hindu scriptures.
  • He was the first Muslim to make a dedicated study of Hindu scriptures.
  • He translated the Upanishads into Persian under the title ‘Sirr-i-Akbar’ (The Great Secret), a compilation of 52 Upanishads.
  • Shah Jahan bestowed upon him the title ‘Shah Buland Iqbal’.

III. Architecture & Cultural Patronage

• Capital & Major Constructions:
  • Shifted the Mughal capital from Agra to Delhi in 1638, founding the city of Shahjahanabad.
  • Constructed the Red Fort (Lal Qila) in Delhi (1648).
  • Built the Jama Masjid in Delhi.
  • Built the Moti Masjid in Agra.
  • Built the Taj Mahal in Agra in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal; it is a prime example of the coordination of Hindu and Iranian architecture.
• Cultural Patronage:
  • The court poet Kaleem (Abu Talib Kalim) was the Poet-Laureate during his reign.

IV. Court & Family

• Mumtaz Mahal:
  • Her actual name was Arjumand Bano Begum.
  • She was the daughter of Asaf Khan and wife of Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan).
• Kohinoor Diamond:
  • The famous Kohinoor diamond was presented to Shah Jahan by his prime minister, Mir Jumla, who acquired it from the Golconda mines.
• Aurangzeb:
  • Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb was the governor of the Deccan for the major part of his reign (1636-44 and again in 1652).

V. Historical Assessment

• Historian A.L. Srivastava declared Shah Jahan’s regime to be the ‘Golden Era’ of the Mughal period, particularly praising its art and architecture.

Other Mughal & Historical Facts (For Context)

I. Architecture

• Alai Darwaza (Delhi): Built by Alauddin Khalji.
• Buland Darwaza (Fatehpur Sikri): Built by Akbar.
• Moti Masjid (Agra): Built by Shah Jahan.
• Moti Masjid (Delhi): Built by Aurangzeb.

II. Earlier History

• The Persian court custom of ‘Sijda’ (prostration before the monarch) was begun by the Delhi Sultanate ruler, Sultan Balban.

Know More About the Mughal Dynasty: Shah Jahan:

• Mughal Dynasty: Shah Jahan– Old Year Questions and Answers
• Mughal Dynasty: Shah Jahan One Liner Questions & Answers