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Chapter 14 – Some Incidents of Shah Jahan’s Reign

1628–1659 A.D.

There is extant a voluminous native history of Shah Jahan’s reign, entitled Padshah-namah, “Book of the King.” It was written by Abd-al-Hamid of Lahore, who died in 1654 A.D., five years before the emperor’s decease, leaving behind him a most detailed account of his royal patron. These annals cover twenty-one years of the emperor’s reign, and, taken together, they make up two large volumes of nearly seventeen hundred pages, which rehearse the more important transactions of the kingdom during that period.

The excerpts which are included in the present volume are chosen because of their general interest, and they are representative of dozens of others in the Eastern chronicler’s account. The passages selected refer to a visitation of the plague in Shah Jahan’s reign, to the construction of the famous Peacock Throne, and to an attempted conquest of Tibet:–

For an entire year during the rule of the Emperor

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Shah Jahan no rain had fallen in the territories of the Balaghat, and the drought had been especially severe about Daulatabad. Even in the following year there had been a deficiency in the bordering countries and a total absence of rain in the Deccan and Gujarat. The inhabitants of these two countries were reduced to the direst extremity. Life was offered for a loaf, but none would buy; rank was to be sold for a cake, but none cared for it; the once bounteous hand was now stretched out to beg for food, and the feet which had always trodden the way of contentment walked about only in search of sustenance. For a long time dog’s flesh was sold for goat’s flesh and the pounded bones of the dead were mixed with flour and sold, but when this was discovered, the sellers were brought to justice. Destitution at length reached such a pitch that men began to devour each other and the flesh of a son was preferred to his love. The multitude of those who died blocked the roads, and every man whose dire sufferings did not terminate in death and who retained the power to move wandered off to the towns and villages of other countries. Those lands which had been famous for their fertility and plenty now retained no trace of productiveness.

The emperor, in his gracious kindness and bounty, directed the officials of Burhanpur, Ahmadabad, and the country of Surat to establish soup kitchens or almshouses for the benefit of the poor and destitute. Every day sufficient soup and bread were prepared to satisfy the wants of the hungry. It was further ordered that

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A street scene in Ahmadabad.

so long as his Majesty remained at Burhanpur, five thousand rupees should be distributed among the deserving poor every Monday, that day being distinguished above all others as the day of the emperor’s accession to the throne; and on twenty Mondays one hundred thousand rupees were accordingly given away in charity. Ahmadabad had suffered more severely than any other place, and his Majesty therefore ordered the officials to distribute fifty thousand rupees among the famine-stricken people. Want of rain and scarcity of grain had caused great distress in many

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other countries. Under the directions of the wise and generous emperor, therefore, taxes amounting to nearly seven million rupees were remitted by the revenue officers, a sum equal to an eleventh part of the whole revenue. When such remissions were made from the exchequer, it may be conceived how great were the reductions made by the nobles who held fiefs and commands.’

This short extract is sufficient to show that famine is no new thing in India. The next selection relates to the world-renowned Peacock Throne of Delhi, which is accounted among the richest treasures ever owned by an Oriental monarch. This throne was constructed at the order of Shah Jahan in the eighth year of his reign, early in the seventeenth century (1044 A.H., 1634 A.D.), but it now reposes in the palace of the Shah of Persia, at Teheran, having been carried away from India by Nadir Shah, after his victorious invasion of Hindustan, about the middle of the eighteenth century. Lord Curzon, nevertheless, maintains that the throne now in Teheran is not the original Peacock Throne of Delhi, but was made for Fath Ali Shah more than half a century after Nadir Shah’s time. Be that as it may, the description of the jewelled Takht-i Ta’us, or “Peacock Throne,” by Abd-al-Hamid is none the less interesting:–

In the course of years many valuable gems had come into the imperial jewel-house, each one of which might serve as an ear-drop for Venus or as an adornment for the girdle of the Sun. Upon the accession

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Shah Nasir-ad-din of Persia

From an old Persian print.

of the emperor, it occurred to him that, in the opinion of far-seeing men, the acquisition of such rare jewels and the keeping of such wonderful brilliants could render but one service, that of adorning the throne of empire.

They ought, therefore, to be put to such a use that beholders might benefit by their splendour and that majesty might shine with increased brilliancy.

It was accordingly ordered that, in addition to the

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jewels in the imperial jewel-house, rubies, garnets, diamonds, rich pearls, and emeralds, to the value of twenty million rupees (over £2,200,000), should be brought for the inspection of the emperor, and that they, together with some exquisite jewels exceeding fifty thousand miskals (nearly 634 pounds Troy) in weight and worth 8,600,000 rupees (over £950,000), should be carefully selected and handed over to Be-badal Khan, the superintendent of the goldsmiths’ department. He was also to receive one hundred thousand tolas of pure gold, equal to 250,000 miskals (over 334 pounds Troy) in weight and 1,400,000 rupees (over £155,000) in value.

The throne was to be three gaz (six feet) in length, two and a half gaz (five feet) in breadth, and five gaz (ten feet) in height, and was to be set with the jewels already mentioned. The outside of the canopy was to be of enamel work with occasional gems, the inside was to be thickly set with rubies, garnets, and other jewels, and it was to be supported by twelve emerald columns. On the top of each pillar there were to be two peacocks thickly set with gems, and between each two peacocks was to be a tree studded with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and pearls. The ascent was to consist of three steps set with jewels of fine water.

This throne was completed in the course of seven years at a cost of ten million rupees (over £1,100,000). Of the eleven jewelled recesses formed around it for cushions, the middle one, intended for the seat of the emperor, cost one million rupees (nearly £100,000). Among the jewels set in this recess was a ruby worth

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Shah Jahan holding an audience

a hundred thousand rupees (about £10,000), which Shah Abbas, the King of Iran, had presented to the late Emperor Jahangir, who sent it to his present Majesty when he accomplished the conquest of the Deccan.

On it were engraved the names of Sahib-kiran (Timur), Mir Shah Rukh, and Mirza Ulugh Beg. When it came into the possession of Shah Abbas in course of time, his name was added, and when Jahangir obtained it,

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he added the name of himself and of his father. Now it received the addition of the name of his most gracious Majesty Shah Jahan. At the command of the emperor, a poem by Haji Mohammad Jan, the final verse of which contained the date, was placed upon the inside of the canopy in letters of green enamel. On his return to Agra, the emperor held a court and sat for the first time upon his throne.’

The description given by Abd-al-Hamid of Shah Jahan’s invasion of Tibet in 1636 A.D. has a special interest because of the comparatively recent expedition by British forces to Lhasa.

The late Emperor Jahangir had long entertained the design of conquering Tibet and in the course of his reign Hashim Khan, the son of Kasim Khan Mir-bahr, the governor of Kashmir, had invaded the country with a large force of horse and foot and local landholders at the bidding of the emperor. Although he entered the country and did his best, he met with no success and was obliged to retreat with great loss and difficulty. In the tenth year of Shah Jahan’s reign, 1046 A.H. (1636 A.D.), the imperial order was given that Zafar Khan, then governor of Kashmir, should assemble the forces under his command and effect the conquest of Tibet.

He accordingly collected nearly eight thousand horse and foot, composed of imperial forces, his own men, and retainers of the lords of the marches in his province. He marched by the difficult route of Karcha-barh and in the course of one month reached the district of

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Shkardu, the first place of importance in Tibet and on this side of the Nilab (Indus). Upon the summits of two high mountains Ali Rai, father of Abdal, the present lord of the marches of Tibet, had built two strong forts, the higher called Kaharphucha and the lower Kahchana. Each of them had a road of access like the neck of a reed or the curve of a talon. The road of communication between the two was on the top of the mountain. Abdal shut himself up in the fort of Kaharphucha, but placed his minister and general manager in the fort of Kahchana and sent his family and property to the fort of Shakar, which stands upon a high mountain on the other side of the Nilab.

After examining the height and strength of the fortresses, Zafar Khan was of the opinion that it was inexpedient to invest and attack them; but he saw that the military and the peasantry of Tibet were much distressed by the harsh rule of Abdal and he resolved to win them over by kindness. He then sent a detachment to subdue the fort of Shakar and to make prisoners of the family of Abdal. The whole time which the army could keep the field in this country was not more than two months, for if it remained longer, it would be snowed up.

He accordingly sent Mir Fakhr-ad-din with four thousand men against the fort of Shakar, while he himself watched the fort in which Abdal was. He next sent Hasan, the nephew of Abdal, with some other men of Tibet who had entered the imperial service, and some landholders of Kashmir, who had friendly relations

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with the people of the country, to endeavour to win over the inhabitants by persuasion and promises. Mir Fakhr-ad-din crossed the river Nilab and laid siege to the fort, which was commanded by Abdal’s son, Daulat, who was about fifteen years of age. He sallied out to attack the besiegers, but was driven back with heavy loss. The besiegers then advanced and opened their trenches against the gate on the Shkardu side. The son of Abdal was so frightened by these proceedings that, regardless of his father’s family in the fort, he packed up the gold, silver, and all that was portable and escaped in the night by the Kashghar gate. Mir Fakhr-ad-din, learning of his flight, entered the fort. He could not restrain his followers from plundering, although he took charge of Abdal’s family A force was sent in pursuit of the son, but the detachment was not able to overtake the fugitive, although it returned with some gold and silver that he had thrown away on the road as he fled.

On hearing of this victory, Zafar Khan pressed the siege of Kaharphucha and Kahchana, and the governor and garrison of the latter accordingly surrendered. Abdal, in despair at the progress made by the invaders and at the loss of his wives and children, likewise opened negotiations and surrendered the fort of Kaharphucha. Zafar Khan was apprehensive that the snow would fall and close the passes and that he might be . attacked from the side of Kashmir at the instigation of Abdal. Without making any settlement of the country, therefore, and without searching for Abdal’s

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property, he set out on his return, leaving Mohammad Murad, Abdal’s deputy, in charge of Tibet, and taking with him Abdal, his family, and some of the leading men of the enemy.

This collection transcribed by Chris Gage
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