Q1. Write only four point of reign of Shah Jahan Golden period of Mughal empire
According to celebration of Islamic festival
Answers
Answer:
Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram[3] (Persian: شهابالدین محمد خرم; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666),[7] better known by his regnal name, Shah Jahan (Persian: شاه جهان, lit. 'King of the World'),[8] was the fifth Mughal emperor, and reigned from 1628 to 1658.[9] Under his reign, the Mughal Empire reached the peak of its cultural glory.[10] Although an able military commander, Shah Jahan is best remembered for his architectural achievements. His reign ushered in the golden age of Mughal architecture. Shah Jahan commissioned many monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal in Agra, in which is entombed his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. His relationship with Mumtaz Mahal has been heavily adapted into Indian art, literature and cinema. He owned the royal treasury and several precious stones such as the Kohinoor, worth around 23% of the world GDP during his time, and he has thus often been regarded as the wealthiest Indian in history.[11][12]
Answer:
Many historians describe the reign of Shah Jahan as the golden age not only of the Mughul empire but that of entire medieval Indian history. But there are other historians who not only refuse to accept his reign as such but, on the contrary, describe that it marked the beginning of the weaknesses of the Mughul empire which, ultimately, resulted in its disintegration. Thus, there is a controversy among historians.
European scholars have mostly decried the reign of Shah Jahan. They contend that the period of the reign of Shah Jahan was only seemingly prosperous while in fact it was not. They contend that the treasury was full, peace and prosperity prevailed within the empire and there were less foreign wars.
Shah Jahan inherited vast fortune from his grandfather and father and as there was a stable empire in Persia, India enjoyed brisk favourable trade with western countries including Europe, yet, the military strength and state economy suffered during the reign of Shah Jahan.
Shah Jahan squandered the royal treasury on his personal hobbies, burdened peasants and labourers by heavy taxation and therefore, ruined the economy of the state which became acute and visible during the reign of his successor.
Thus, in fact, the economic bankruptcy of the Mughul empire began during the reign of Shah Jahan. V.A. Smith has described that historians have been misled by the outward magnificence of his court and the beauty of his buildings particularly that of Taj Mahal and they praise his rule.
Otherwise, neither he was a capable commander nor a good organiser of the army. He writes- “In affairs of state, he was cruel, treacherous and unscrupulous,” Describing his justice, he says- “Shah Jahan’s justice was merely the savage, unfeeling ferocity of an ordinary Asiatic despot, exercised without respect of persons and without the slightest tincture of compassion.”
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He supports his contention by describing the description of other historians and contemporary travellers. He writes- “So far as Mundy saw, nothing to help the suffering people (famine-stricken) was done by the government; (though) meantime, the camp of Shah Jahan at Burhanpur was filled with provisions of all kinds.”
Smith refers to the description of Bernier as well who wrote that in northern provinces there was complete devastation. He also quotes the description of the court historian, Abdul Hamid to justify his contention.
Therefore, V.A. Smith is not prepared to accept the reign of Shah Jahan as the golden age of the Mughul empire. Dr Jadunath Sarkar is not so much critical of Shah Jahan, yet in his famous book, Studies in Mughul India, he observes that though Shah Jahan was extremely laborious, yet the seed of disintegration of the Mughul empire was sown during his reign.
“Shah Jahan’s reign has been described as a golden period in the medieval history of India. This is true in one respect only and that is in the domain of art, particularly architecture.”
He further writes- “His religious bigotry and intolerance anticipated the reactionary reign of Aurangzeb. . . His love of presents accorded sanction to a pernicious custom of gilded bribery. The offering of nazars and presents became common not only at the royal court and camp, but also in the households of imperial nobles and officers and became responsible for a great deal of corruption in administration. His display of pomp and magnificence resulted in extorting money from the unwilling masses and classes, and his sensual tastes set a bad standard of public and private morality.”
The majority of historians also accept that during the reign of Shah Jahan the religious policy of the Mughuls had moved towards religious intolerance, the reactionary forces of Islam had become influential in administration and politics, and the Rajputs were not getting that much importance in the state as they got during the reign of Akbar and Jahangir. Thus, the basis of state-power built up by Akbar was narrowed down during the reign of Shah Jahan which was, certainly, detrimental to the interest of the state.
Thus many historians have pointed out those weaknesses which developed during the reign of Shah Jahan and have either refused to accept his reign as the golden age of the Mughul empire or have accepted it only in limited fields. But, there are certain other historians who have described his reign as the golden age of the Mughul empire.