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Hamida Banu and Akbar
Jodha tending to Jalal...SFF
Amer wedding...SFF
Akbar's life attempted by Maham Anga
Man Singh Curse
Facts about Akbar
Akbar had 1000 pet cheetah's in his stable who were used for hunting
Akbar's favourite cheeta Madan Kali was very privilleged- when he went out drummers announced his arrival. Akbar would feed him with his own hands and when ministers who were scared of the cheetah wondered "How he dared feed it" like a pet animal he replied because "If animal does not feel threatened by you and you treat it with care and love it will not attack you".
Akbar's favourite dog name was Mahuwa.
Akbar slept only 4.5 hours a day, 3 hours at midnight and rest in afternoon. He did not want to waste his precious life in sleeping and was workholic
After getting up Akbar would visit his pets stables everyday without fail to check on them. This angered his nobles and religious priests a lot.
Akbar would walk from Mathura- hunting grounds to Agra fort almost 60 Kms in few hours. His entourage could never walk back so fast and only one or two men were left with him when he reached Agra fort.
Akbar had food only once in day- he would inform one hour in advance at any time of day and they would prepare him food
Akbar gave up non veg after middle age and ate only veg and fruits in later years of his life
Akbar made marriage registration compulsory in his rule and girl minimum age was 14 and boy age 16 for marriage
Akbar banned first cousin marriages and also child marriage
At age of 19 once Akbar came across a tigress and 3 cubs in forest and he killed tigress with sword alone.
Akbar was a very courageous hunter from a young age and never actually feared anything. His greatest passion was hunting and hunted frequently during peace time in his empire. His hunts were accompanied only by loyal trustees, and more often Akbar Hunted alone. His hunts included: cheetahs, lions, tigers, black buck and even elephants. It is said that, in one such hunts Akbar was mortally wounded and recovered miraculously; but many still believe it could have been a major reason for Akbar's mysterious death.
Akbar's name in persian means "Great"
Akbar was both Turkish and Mongolian by father's ansectory and Persian on mother's side
Akbar regretted marrying many times and wrote that "Ideally a person should marry only once and second marriage only if he is childless". This was made law for lay persons in his reign. Akbar had 300 legal wives and 5000 cocubbines
Akbar used marriage alliances with various royal houses as a way of expanding his empire. The political advantages of this steady stream of presentation of princesses were incalculable. In the end Akbar had more than 300 wives. The actual number of women in the harem was nearer to 5,000. Many of these were older women, but there were also young servant girls, or Amazons of Russia or Abyssinia as armed guards, all with the status only of slaves. It was these who, if so required, were the emperor's concubines. The three hundred were technically wives, even though the Koran limits the number to four. Akbar wanted religious sanction of all these 300 wives.
Akbar called Jehangir affectionately by his pet name "Sheiku baba" all his life even in court or in front of others
Akbar called Shamshuddin Khan his faster father "Atagah"(means father in some language-persian/turkish) always even in court in front of other courtiers.
Akbar was an admirer of Meera Bai. Once tansen sang a meera bhajan to akbar and he was so emotionallly moved that he had tears flowing from his eyes and the song haunted him. After hearing her bhajan he decided to visit her and hear her songs himself. So Akbar went with Tansen in disguise of hermit and sat listening to her songs in the Shri Krishna's temple. After she had finished her bhajan's he touched her holy feet and gave her a garland of precious stones which she accepted as Prasad. (Complete story on Page 13)
Myth about Akbar banning mughal princess marriages ...Page15
Attempt on Akbar's life ...Page15
Adham Khan death and a son's tribut to his foster father...Page15
List of Akbar's wife from Jehangirnama...Page15
List of Akbar's children and their mothers from Jehangirnama...Page16
Daniyal Akbar's third son's mother was rumoured to be the cocubine "Anarkali" Salim's first love. She was the cocubine in Akbar's harem. Akbar had her walled alive in Lahore. And Salim was ordered to go to Kabul as punishment.
Facts about Jehangir
Jehangir built a tomb for Anarkali in Lahore after his father's death.
Anarkali (Pomogranate Blossom) was the title given to Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nisa, one of the favourites of the harem of Emperor Akbar. According to legend (though it is not corroborated by any comtemporary sources, including the autobiography of Jahangir), one day, while the Emperor was seated in an apartment lined with mirrors, he saw the reflection of young Anarkali in the mirror returning the smile of Prince Salim (who later became the Emperor Jahangir). Suspecting that Anarkali was having an affair with his son, he ordered that she be buried alive. She was placed in an upright position at the selected place and walled in with bricks. Prince Salim felt intense remorse at her death and had a monument raised over her sepulcher once he became Emperor. A couplet by Jahangir written on the grave in Persian reads, "If I could behold my beloved only once, I would remain thankful to Allah till doomsday".
The following inscription is found on the northern face of the sarcophagus:
"majnn Salim Akbar" which can be taken to mean "the one profoundly loved by Salim, son of Akbar"
Abdullah Chagatai, a 18th century historian and architect, has given a very different version. He opines that the tomb, basically built in the centre of a pomegranate garden, contains the grave of Jahangir's wife Saheb Jamal who was very dear to him.
Jehangir never went to funeral of his mother Hira Kunwari although he was just 30Kms away from Agra in Fatekhpur Sikri at that time
Jehangir loved his elephant's so much that in winter he ordered lakes to be filled with hot water to warm it so that they would not shiver in cold
Jehangi only gave Nur Jahan the padshah begum title after Salima, Ruqaiah and Hira Kunwari his three mothers died. Till they were alive they were the Padshah Begum of the empire.
Jehangir was a scientist emperor- he carried out so many experiements and recorded them. Example- he was first person in world to correctly note gestation period of elephants, he conducted experiments to prove the soil in ferile lands of Gujarat and some other places was better than Agra's, he was a sky gazer and observed stars on telescope and noted few facts about stars, movements correctly in his book before the modern day scientists discovered the same in 20th century
Jehangir was child like by nature once while travelling to Lahore he saw poor children playing on streets and got down from his elephant and sat on ground with them and played their games with them and then gave them lots of gifts, sweets. He even cried saying "You all are so lucky to have this joy of playing without any worry which i cannot do because of worldly worries. I wish i was as lucky as you kids".
Jehangir would get extremely voilent because of his substance abuse from childhood and suddenly emotional when he would be sober for his actions taken in anger.
Ex: In anger he took Khusrau's eyes and later regretted and caled best of physicians to restore it. It was restored to some extent and he was allowed to attend court again.
Jehangir although thought of as very bad and hard hearted was very mild mannered and easily led by others. Simple things made him cry easily and he was very attached to his family and friends. He forgave Khusrau three times for rebelling and trying to assaisinate him and then only blinded him. But he was ruthless with Khusrau's followers. He forgave many nobels who supported Khusrau's rebellion and made them big posts.
Before Nur Jahan became his favourite wife it was Jagat Gosain-Jodha as he referred to who was his favourite wife. She was Khurram's mother who was his favourite son till he rebelled.
Although it is widely believed that Nur Jahan controlled the court in Jehangir's absence he refused to imprison or take strict action on Shah Jahan when he surrendered after rebellion.
Once a beggar came to Jehagir hall of audience with tattered clothes and rang bell of justice as he wanted to give jehangir gift on his birthday. Jehangir called him inside and the beggar sat by the emperor's throne and gifted him a small piece of roti he had as gift which jehangir took and ate much to disgust of his nobles etc. Then when Jehangir was served lunch he shared his plate with that beggar much to astonishment of everyone and both ate from same plate. After lunch and drinks etc the beggar found it difficult to get up and Jehangir ordered him to be left out as he was weak after giving him gifts and gold coins. But none was ready to touch him as he was dirty and smelly so Jehangir helped him and left him out. (As told by French traveller) Then when the ambassdor asked him how he richest man on earth could eat that hard bread that beggar gave as birthday gift and share his plate with him which he never shared even with his wives and kids he told he had learned it by seeing his father Akbar. Because for a rich man giving gift is not so great and they give expecting something in return but a poor sharing the only roti piece left with him is a very big and valuable to that beggar and given without expecting anything in return and hence a treasured gift.
Jehangir's death: It is said that the immediate cause of his death was provoked by the death of a young servant on his summer trip to Kashmir. This young servant was trying to gather game for the king when he went a bit too far over the cliff and fell off. Jehangir, who could watch the most inhuman tortures performed on his enemies without as much as blinking his eye, could not suffer to see a faithful servant meet his death in his service. He fell into a stupor and never recovered. He died of alcohol excesses and a heart attack in 627 AD.
Do you know Akbar and Jehangir are related to British Queen Elizabeth 2 and Prince William through Gheghis Khan? (More on Page13)
Disclaimer: These are taken from many sources and the authenticity of these may not be entirely true
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