Pakistan is a paradigm example of a failed state that has undergone an extremely dangerous form of radical Islamisation.
Shah-Jahan (1628-58)
Shah Jahan ascended the throne in 1628 and assumed the title of Abul Muzaffar
Shahbuddin Muhammad Sahib-i Kiran-i Sani. His reign opened with the execution of
his brothers and nephews. In the first year of his reign Shah Jahan had to face
the rebellion of Jujhar Singh, son of Bir Singh Deo, the Bundela chief who was
responsible for murder of Abul Fazl. He made encroachment on the Mughal
territory and showed signs of rebellion. Initially he surrendered to the Mughal
army but he revolted again in 1635. Later he was pursued by the Mughal troops
and killed by the Gonds.
The revolt of Khan Jahan Lodi in 1628 gave much more trouble to Shah Jahan
than the Bundela rising. He entered into an alliance with the ruler of
Ahmednagar and revolted. Shah Jahan realized the gravity of the situation and
decided to personally supervise the operation. But ultimately in 1630 Khan Jahan
had to give up & died near the fort of Kalanjar.
With Shah Jahan’s accession to the throne, the Deccan policy of the Mughals
entered a new phase. Apart from political differences, the Deccan rulers had
pronounced Shiahite learnings and were suspected of allegiance to the Shia
rulers of Persia. The death of Malik Ambar came as a blessing to the Mughals.
In 1630 his son Fath Kan the minister of Ahmadnagar put the king in
confinement and later killed him. In 1631 the Mughal army laid siege on Bijapur
but were compelled to raise it after twenty days for lack of provisions. Finally
in 1633 the Mughals won the fort of Daulatabad & the Nizam Shahi kingdom came to
an end. But Shah Jahan’s imperialistic designs could not be satisfied without
crushing Bijapur and Golconda. He called upon the rulers of these countries to
acknowledge his suzerainty. Abdullah Qutb Shah of Golconda formally recognized
the suzerainty of Shah Jahan but the king of Bijapur was not ready to barter
away his independence. But ultimately Adil Shah of Bijapur had t acknowledge the
over lordship of the emperor & was allowed to retain his ancestral kingdom.
Having thus settled the state affairs in the Deccan in 1636 Shah Jahan retired
to Agra. Aurangzeb was appointed the Governor of The Deccan & he occupied that
post for eight years (1636-44). During this period, Aurangzeb annexed Bagalna
near Nasik and reduced the power of Shahji. In 1653, Aurangzeb was appointed the
Governor of the Deccan for the second time. He remained in the post till 1657.
In September 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill. The physicians were not hopeful about
his recovery. As soon as the news of his illness reached his sons they started
making preparations for capturing the throne. In 1658 Aurangzib took over &
imprisoned his father. Ultimately in 1666 he did in captivity.
Undoubtedly, Shah Jahan was one of the greatest rulers of the Mughals. The
Mughal empire reached its greatest prosperity in the reign of Shah Jahan. As a
emperor he led a strenuous life. He personally supervised the minutest details
of the administration and appointed men of highest ability as his minister. He
was an orthodox musalman but was never unfair to his non-Muslim subjects. He
considerably increased the royal retinue, the state-establishments and the
magnificence of the court. The Peacock throne, the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and
numerous other works of architecture and art testify to his wealth as well as
his aesthetic sense. He was an excellent calligraphist. His patronage of men of
letters and of artisans and craftsmen was in keeping with the traditions of his
family. Poetry, music, painting, dancing, astronomy, mathematics and medicine
flourished under the generous and intelligent patronage of the emperor.
