CHAPTER V. THE MOGHUL EMPIRE: JEHANGÍR. A. D. 1605 TO 1627. caricature of JEHANGIR was a different man from Akber. CHAPTER V. He inherited all his father's weaknesses but none of Jehangir, a his strength. So far he was a caricature of Akber. Akber. He had vices of his own. He was childish, untruthful, and selfish; he was cruel, unscrupulous, and besotted.1 of Akber. Akber was a good type of a Moghul. He was Ideal character simple and abstemious; he cared little for pomp or show. He was proud of his strength of limb, his sporting feats, his mastery over elephants, his hard riding on horses and dromedaries. He was generous and forgiving. He was somewhat spoilt by flattery; his head was turned by religious disputes. Otherwise he was a Moghul hero; in an earlier age he might have grown into a demi-god. To this day he is the ideal sovereign of India; just as Queen Elizabeth is the ideal sovereign of England. Scandal has been busy with the fame of both. Both were occasionally imperious and tyrannical; both 1 Jehangir had a Rajpoot mother; Hindú blood was running in his veins. It may be a question whether he did not inherit some of his vices from his mother rather than from his father. Character of Jehangir. CHAPTER V. have been charged with illicit amours; but both have stood high in popular favour. To this day there is no sovereign so renowned in India as Akber; he was no fanatic; he dealt even-handed justice to all races and creeds. Even Mussulman bigots, who were furious at his heresies, were slow to condemn him. They said he was the dupe of Abul Fazl.2 Jehangir was a Moghul of a far lower type. He liked hunting; he played at war; he was greedy of praise; he had a passion for dress and jewels; he was fond of eating and drinking; he had neither self-restraint nor self-respect; he was governed only by his fears; he was utterly regardless of his word; he had no sense of shame. He had feigned a zeal for Islam. He had rebelled against his father in the name of Islam. He had murdered Abul Fazl for the sake of Islam. He had gained the throne by swearing to maintain Islam. He preferred Mussulmans to Rajpoots, because the Mussulmans had helped him to rebel, whilst the Rajpoots were staunch to Akber. Yet, in spite of all this, his whole life was a revolt against the Koran. He had a Rajpoot taste for boar's flesh, strong drink, and 2 It has already been seen that Rajpoot traditions accuse Akber of sensuality and adultery. (See ante, vol. iii. chap. 7.) The current story of the revolt of Jehangír against Akber shows the dark side of both son and father. When Jehangir revolted he followed the example of Absalom; he dishonoured a favourite wife of Akber, known as the "Pomegranate." Subsequently Akber pledged himself to pardon Jehangír. The prince relied on his father's promise, and sent in his submission. He was brought into the presence of Akber in the Ghusal-khana. Akber led Jehangír into the Mahal, or harem. There he forgot his promise; he broke into a violent rage; he clenched his fist at Jehangir; he struck his son on the mouth so hard and so often that Jehangir threw himself on the ground. Akber called Jehangír a fool and an ass for having believed in his promise. (See Herbert's Travels. Folio, pages 71, 72: London, 1638.) Mr Terry confirms the evidence of Herbert as regards the "Pomegranate." Further evidence against Akber is given by Asad Beg. Elliot's History, vol. vi. pictures of men, women, and animals. He would CHAPTER V. not keep the Mussulman fasts. At a later period he favoured Christianity. His leanings towards Christianity will demand attention hereafter. Jehangir. The outward life of Jehangir was much the same Outward life of as the outward life of Akber. The Jharokha window, the Durbar court, and the Ghusal-khana, were the daily centres of attraction. The Padishah was compelled to show himself constantly to the multitude. Unless the people saw for themselves that he was still alive the country would be in an uproar. Every morning the crowd assembled beneath the Jharokha window to make their saláms to Jehangir as they had done to Akber. At noon there were the same parades, sports, games, and fights between animals, as in the days of Akber. Still there was a contrast between Akber and Jehangír. Akber was slow to condemn men to death. Jehangir condemned hundreds without inquiry; the revelled in seeing them executed; he looked on whilst elephants threw their victims in the air, or broke their bones, or trampled them under foot; he took pleasure in combats between naked men and hungry tigers.3 Akber tried to restrict prostitution; Jehangir kept courtesans to sing and dance in Durbar.1 Akber was a sober-minded sovereign, 3 See Captain Hawkins's Narrative in Kerr's Collection of Voyages, vol. viii. Hawkins tells horrible stories, in which brave men were forced to wrestle with tigers without weapons of any kind. Numbers were killed. Wounded men were put to death lest they should live to curse the Padishah. 4 Bernier relates a story which illustrates the coarseness of Jehangir and his court. A French physician named Bernard was in great favour with Jehangír. He fell in love with a dancing-girl of the palace; her mother refused all overtures. He went to the Durbar and asked Jehangir to give him the girl. Jehangir assented with a laugh. He told Bernard to carry her away on his shoulders. The Frenchman had no shame, and obeyed. Such a proceeding would not have been countenanced by Akber. CHAPTER V. Who surrounded himself with sages and philosophers. Jehangir was a drunken prince, who stooped to gossip with boon companions. Akber sat talking with learned men until early morning. Jehangir stupefied himself with wine and opium, gabbled till he was maudlin, and slumbered where he fell. Revolt of Six months after the accession of Jehangír, his rible cruelties. eldest son Khuzru broke out in revolt. Khuzru had been nominated by Akber to succeed him on the throne. He had been supported by the Rajpoot party who opposed the succession of Jehangír. He was inclined to Christianity." He was in mortal fear of his father. He was afraid that some day he would be deprived of his eyes, or perhaps strangled." He fled from Agra towards the Punjab. Numbers joined him. He besieged Lahore; he failed to capture the fortress. Jehangir pursued Khuzru with a large army; he sent on men to scare the rebels with rumours of his coming. The rebellion was soon broken up. Khuzru tried to escape to Persia as Humayun had done. He was betrayed in Kábul, and sent in fetters to his father. Jehangir wreaked his wrath upon the rebels. Hundreds [were flayed alive, made over to the elephants, or dragged through rivers. Hundreds were impaled on sharp stakes. Khuzru was led past the lines of stakes; 5 Roe says that Khuzru was a great friend to Christians. Catrou says that he was married to one wife and refused to marry a second. These points will be reviewed hereafter. Khuzru appears to have headed the anti-Mussulman party, whilst Jehangir sided with the Mussulmans. 6 Khuzru had good reasons for his fears. Shah Abbas, the sovereign of Persia, the contemporary of Akber and Jehangír, had put his eldest son to death, and blinded two younger sons, on the bare suspicion that they might rebel. Jehangir plainly indicates in his Memoirs of himself (page 66), that he would be quite justified in putting his sons to death under like circumstances. 7 Jehangir relates these sickening details in his Memoirs (see pages 84-88). He evidently gloated over the sufferings of the rebels. he was forced to hear the shrieks of his followers, CHAPTER V. to witness their last agonies. His life was spared; he was kept a close prisoner. With rare exceptions he lingered in captivity for the rest of his days. tenances Chris Outwardly Jehangir was more inclined to Chris- Jehangir countianity than his father Akber. Like him, he tianity. allowed the Portuguese to establish churches and schools, to preach where they pleased, to convert whom they pleased. He sent two nephews, the sons of his brother Danyál, to be instructed in Christianity. He listened to the Fathers until they thought they had converted him. He passed the line which Akber never passed. His two nephews became open Christians. They were conducted on elephants through the streets of Agra, and publicly baptized by the Fathers. depravity. Every one was mystified at this action. It was Hypocrisy and easy to understand why Jehangir favoured Christianity; it did not oblige him to fast; it allowed him to eat pork and drink wine. The public baptism was a riddle; it was unexpectedly solved. The princes asked the Fathers for Portuguese wives; they wanted to be married like Christians, and to live like Christians. The Fathers were aghast at the request; they chid the princes for making it. The princes returned their crosses and breviaries; they relapsed into Islam. It turned out that Jehangír had commanded them to ask for wives; he wanted Portuguese women for his own harem.s A profound lesson underlies this incident. The The lesson. intrigue of Jehangír may be dismissed; it only be 8 See Sir Thomas Roe's letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, dated 30th October, 1616. Pinkerton's Collection of Travels, vol. viii. Father Catrou tells a similar story. |