Khusrau Mirza

Khusrau Mirza
Mirza[1]

Emperor Jahangir receiving his two sons, Khusrau and Parviz, an album-painting in gouache on paper, c 1605-06.
Issue Sultan Dawar Bakhsh Bahadur
Sultan Buland Akhtar
Sultan Gurshasp Mirza
Others
Father Jahangir
Mother Manbai
Born 16 August 1587
Died 26 January 1622 (aged 34)
Burial Allahabad
Religion Islam
Occupation Prince of the Mughal Empire

Khusrau Mirza (Urdu: خسرو مِرزا; August 16, 1587 – January 26, 1622) or Prince Khusrau was the eldest son of the Mughal emperor Jahangir.[2] He was born in Lahore on August 16, 1587.[3] His mother, Manbhawati Bai or Shah Begam, was a Kachhwaha princess and the daughter of Raja Bhagwant Das. She committed suicide on May 16, 1604 by consuming poison.[4]

Khusrau's first wife and chief consort was the daughter of the extremely powerful, Khan-i-Azam, Mirza Aziz Koka. She was his favourite and bore him his eldest son, Prince Dawar, as well as his second son, Buland Akhtar (who died at an early age).[5]

Khusrau had another son Gurshasp by an unnamed mother. By the daughter of Muqim, son of Mihtar Fazil Rikab-dar, he had his youngest son, Rastekar.[6]

The rebellion and its aftermath

Mughal Army captures Prince Khusrau Mirza and his followers, and presents them to Jahangir.
A savage lesson for Khusru by compelling him to ride on an elephant between long line of his companions impaled on stakes

Khusrau rebelled against his father in 1606 to see who would succeed emperor Akbar. He left Agra on April 6, 1606[7] with 350 horsemen on the pretext of visiting the tomb of Akbar at nearby Sikandra. In Mathura, he was joined by Hussain Beg with about 3000 horsemen. In Panipat, he was joined by Abdur Rahim, the provincial dewan of Lahore. When Khusrau reached Taran Taran, he received the blessings of Guru Arjan Dev (this incident does not find support in the Mughal records,[8] however, so its importance or veracity is doubtful).

He laid the siege of Lahore, defended by Dilawar Khan. Soon, Jahangir reached Lahore with a big army and Khusrau was defeated in the battle of Bhairowal. Khusrau and his followers tried to flee towards Kabul but they were captured by Jahangir's army while crossing the Chenab,[8] and later he was imprisoned in Agra.

The Mausoleum of Khusrau Mirza in Khusro Bagh, Allahabad

In 1607, Khusrau was ordered to be blinded as a punishment though his eyesight was never completely lost. In 1616, he was handed over to Asaf Khan. In 1620, he was handed over to his younger brother Prince Khurram, who was later known as emperor Shah Jahan. In 1622, he was killed on the orders of Prince Khurram.[9][10]

After the death of Jahangir in 1627, Khusrau's son, Prince Dawar was briefly made ruler of the Mughal Empire by Asaf Khan to secure the Mughal throne for Shah Jahan.

On Jumada-l awwal 2, 1037 AH (December 30, 1627[11]), Shah Jahan was proclaimed as the emperor at Lahore. On Jumada-l awwal 26, 1037 AH (January 23, 1628[11]), Dawar Bakhsh, his brother Garshasp, Shahryar, as well as Tahmuras and Hoshang, sons of the deceased Prince Daniyal, were all put to death by Asaf Khan,[12] who was ordered by Shah Jahan to send them "out of the world", which he faithfully carried out.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Mughla title Mirza, the title of Mirza and not Khan or Padshah, which were the titles of the Mongol rulers.
  2. ↑ The Grandees of the Empire Ain-i-Akbari, by Abul Fazl, Volume I, Chpt. 30.
  3. ↑ Beveridge, H. (tr.) (1939, reprint 2000) The Akbar Nama of Abu'l-Fazl, Vol.III, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, ISBN 81-7236-094-0, p.799
  4. ↑ Beveridge, H. (tr.) (1939, reprint 2000) The Akbar Nama of Abu'l-Fazl, Vol.III, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, ISBN 81-7236-094-0, p.1239
  5. ↑ Blochmann, H. (tr.) (1927, reprint 1993). The Ain-I Akbari by Abu'l-Fazl Allami, Vol.I, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, pp.323-4
  6. ↑ The Eleventh New Year's Feast after the Auspicious Accession Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, Alexander Rogers and Henry Beveridge. Royal Asiatic Society, 1909–1914, p. 153/321.
  7. ↑ Majumdar, R.C. (ed.)(2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, p.179
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Flight of Khusrau The Tuzk-e-Jahangiri Or Memoirs Of Jahangir, Alexander Rogers and Henry Beveridge. Royal Asiatic Society, 1909–1914. Vol. I, Chapter 3. p 51, 62-72., Volume 1, chpt. 20
  9. ↑ Mahajan V.D. (1991, reprint 2007) History of Medieval India, Part II, New Delhi: S. Chand, ISBN 81-219-0364-5, pp.126-7
  10. ↑ Melton, J. Gordon (Jan 15, 2014). Faiths Across Time: 5,000 Years of Religious History. ABC-CLIO. p. 1163. Retrieved Nov 3, 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Taylor, G.P. (1907). Some Dates Relating to the Mughal Emperors of India in Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, New Series, Vol.3, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society of Bengal, p.59
  12. ↑ Death of the Emperor (Jahangir) The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period, Sir H. M. Elliot, London, 1867–1877, vol 6.
  13. ↑ Majumdar, R.C. (ed.)(2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp.197-8

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