JAHANGIR (1605-1627 A.D)

The emperor for his own compulsions, very meticulously dealt with Kashmir and took special interest in its affairs. Endowed with fine literary and artistic tastes he was so much impressed and delighted by scenic beauty of the valley that he ever remarked ,he would rather lose all his empire than Kashmir”. Even on his death bed,when asked to name any thing which was dearest to his heart,he said, “ Kashmir and nothing else”. His memories,”Tuzki-Jehangiri “ is full of the passages describing in detail the beauties of the valley of Kashmir.To quote.”Kashmir is a garden of eternal spring, or an iron fort to a palace of kings-a delightful flower bed,and heart expanding heritage for dervishes. Its pleasure meadows and enchanting cascades are beyond all description. These are running streams and fountains beyond count. Wherever, the eye reaches,there are vendure and running water. The red rose, the violet and narcissus grow of themselves in the field. There are all kinds of flowers and all sorts of sweet-scented herbs more, than can be calculated. In the soul enchanting spring, the hill and plain are filled with blossoms, the gates,the walls,the courts, the roofs, are lighted up by the torches of banquets adorning tulip.What shall we say of these thinghs or of the white meadows and the fraignant trefoil ?”.

To prevent himself from the scorching heat of the plains,Jehangir in company of his versatile queen Nur Jehan visited the valley several times. Francisco Paleart, a Dutch, in the service of the East India Company from 1621 A.D to 1627 A.D., has given reason of Jehangir’s special preference for Kashmir in these word’s, “when the heat in India increases, his (Jehangir’s) body burns like a furnance owing to his consumption of excessively strong drink and opinum, excessive which were still greater in his youth. He usually leaves Lahore in March or April and reaches Kashmir in May. All the nobles curse the place, for it makes the rich poor,and the poor cannot fill their stomachs there, because every thing is excessilvely dear; but apparently the king prefers his own comfort or pleasure to the welfare of his people”.However,presence of the emperor in the valley prevented the governor from misusing the power vested in him. Any complaint against the governor was very attentively listened by the Emperor and orders fro the redressal of the grievances were issued on the spot.

Jehangir took keen interest in the welfare of his subjects and while making appointment of the Subedars he gave preference to the persons who had some knowledge of the Subah. Name and tenure of office, of the Subedars appointed by Jehangir is given below.

Mirza Ali Khan, Hashim Khan (1609-1612 A.D),Sardar Khan (1612-1615 A.D), Ahmad Beg (1615-1618 A.D.),Dilawar Khan(1618-1620 A.D),Iradat Khan(1620-1622 A.D) and Itqad Khan(1622-1633 A.D), Prior to their appointment as Subedar, they had served in Kashmir in one capacity or the other and have gained enough knowledge about Kashmir. At the time of their appointment or promotion, the Subedars affered huge gifts comprising varieties of Kashmiri arts and crafts to the Emperor. Frequently visits of the Emperor to the valley prevented Subedars to a large excent, to misuse their official position.

Excepting Itqad Khan who introduced certain corrupt practices like free supply of fruit to government officials, free labour by villagers for carrying the luggage of Subedar and his retinue, etc., the Subedars conducted the administration of the province efficiently and did nor neglect the welfare of the masses. Both, subjects as well as soldiers, were relieved of great burden when in 1621 A.D., the vexation tax, “Rasum-i-Faujdari”, who abolished. The customs of sati and child infanticide, although did not seem to find much favour with the Hindus in Kashmir were in vogue in the valley and in the neighbouring states. In Rajouri the pernicious customs were prevalent among the Muslim families also where the women were buried alive alongwith their dead husbands. Jahangir in his zeal to cause a total reformation did not hesitate to introduce reforms effecting the social life of the people . He immediately put a ban on these inhuman practices and thereby saved the humanity from suffering and pain caused by man himself.

Jehangir adopted a policy of non-interference in religious matters of communities and even did not favour inter-marriage between Hindus and Muslims.However,he confined his interference to banning such heartless and cruel customs in various religious communities which appeared to him most abnoxious and inhuman. He died not hesitate to improve these irritants which tried to jeopardize the execution of his schemes of social reformation. In order to grant Hindus complete freedom in every concern of personal law, the cases were refered to Pandit Sri Kanta, a Kashmiri, conversant with Hindu Science and Shastra, who was invested by Jahangir with the diginity of a judge.

Plague, in virulent form, broke out in the valley in 1615 A.D. taking heavy toll of human life.Harrowing account of catastrophe has been given by Jahangir in his memoirs….” In one instance, the dead body was thrown on the grass, and it chanced that a cow came and ate some of the grass.It died, and some dogs that had eaten its flesh also died. Things had come to such a pass that from fear of death fathers would not approach their children, and children would not go near their fathers”.

People were still mourning the death of their kiths and kins that a devastating fire broke out in the city.Royal water carriers engaged by Jahangir to extinguish the fire could not protect the people from catastrophe.More than twelve thousand houses as also the Jama Masjid of Srinagar was gutted.

During the Subedarship of Mohammed Quli Khan,the Chaks under the leadership of Amba Khan Chak made a bid fro the throne of Kashmir but the attempt was foiled by Mughal Subedar Mirza Ali Akbar Khan. The Chak leader was deserted by his own follower and he took shelter in Kishtwar.
Being in the neighbourhood of the valley of Kashmir,Kishtwar had become the refuge of refractory nobles particularly Chaks since 1572 A.D., when Yaqub Shah Chak married to Shanker Devi, the daughter of the Raja of Kishtwar. The masses in Kishtwar like their brethren in the valley were groaning under the autocratic rule. Suffice to quote a popular saying in Kishtwar, “Kishtwar is the cause way of distress, when people are hungry by day and cold by night; whoever comes there, when he goes away,is as lean as the flag staff of a faqir.” The ruler raised his revenues by inflicting heavy fines on his subjects and by levying house tax. Conspiracies to over throw Mughals in Kashmir where hatched in Kishtwar which compelled Mughals to adopt an expansionist policy in this direction. Dilawar Khan the Mughal Subedar of Kashmir at the head of a large army invaded Kishtwar from different directions The Raja with the help of Chak nobles particularly Amba Khan Chak fought ferociously and withheld Mughal forces for a long time. However with the help of local Zamindars, Mughal forces succeeded in entering Kishtwar and inflicted defeat on the Kishtwaris. The Raja of Kishtwar was caught and presented before Jahangir. One year’s revenue from Kishtwar was granted to Dilawar Khan for his excellent services to the Mughals.

Jahangir’s energy manifested itself,not only in expansion and consolidation of his empire but also in the formation of plans to beautify Kashmir which he exclaimed, “is the paradise of which priests have prophesied and poets sung”.Compared to other parts of his domain where the paradise gardens were laid after great labour, Kashmir appeard to him as a paradise itself. Natural waterfalls, cold and sweet water springs and streams emerging from the hills were exploited to the full and no opportunity was lost in designing gardens at various picturesque sites. Journey from Delhi to valley was made comfortable and charming by laying out gardens and constructing innes at convenient stages on different routes. The nobles of the court vigourously followed the example of their master and laid out pleasure seeking gardens, rich with new varieties of flower and fruit trees, in the nick and corner of the valley. The places thus developed, became spots of great attraction for tourists. This gave a Philip to the economy of the Aubha and in the words of Dr. Sufi, “Jhangir is,perhaps, the pioneer in opening up the tourist trade of the valley”, Among the famous gardens laid out during Jahangir’s rule which are still the spots of great attraction of tourists, are Nishat Bagh, gardens at Verinag and Achhabal.

Jahangir spend his last days in Kashmir and while returning to Lahore, he breathed his last at Behramgali near Rajouri.