Shahryar (Mughal prince)

Prince Shahryar (شاهزاد شهريار) (b. 1000; deposed, 1068; d. 1076. A.H.) [ [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702015%26ct%3D362%26rqs%3D482 Gealogy of Timur Emperors] Ain-i-Akbari, by Abul Fazl, Volume I, chpt. 363.] (1605- 1638) was the youngest son of Jahangir, and the husband of Ladli Begum, making him the stepson and son-in-law of Jahangir's empress, Nur Jahan. Following Jahangir's death, Nur Jehan supported Shahriyar's attempt to become emperor, but they were defeated by Shah Jahan.

Shahryar was born a few months before Akbar's death (1605), to Jahangir's seventh wife, who was also the mother to "Sultan Jahandar" ["The Mughals of India: A Framework for Understanding" By Harbans Mukhia, 2004, Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0631185550. Page 123.] He went on to marry, in the 16th year of Jahangir's reign, to "Mihrunnisa" (as her mother), or Ladli Begum, the daughter of Nur Jahan, by her first marriage to Sher Afghan, and had a daughter by her, "Arzani Begum" [ [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702051%26ct%3D224 The Grandees of the Empire - Jahángír's children, "Sultan Shahryar"] Ain-i-Akbari, by Abul Fazl, Volume I, Chpt. 30.] [ [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702015%26ct%3D309%26rqs%3D348 Ali Q] Ain-i-Akbari, by Abul Fazl, Volume I, chpt. 310, "'Alí Q.'s daughter, who, like her mother, had the name of Mihrunnisa, was later married to Prince Shahryar, Jahangir's fifth son.".]

At Nur Jahan request, he was given the "pargana" of Dholpur and its fort from Jahangir,which Prince Khurram wanted for himself and appointed Daria Khan, an Afgan as its in-charge, this led to a skirmish between Nur Jahan appointed, Sharifu-l-Mulk, who was a servant of Shahryar and Daria Khan who arrived on the scene shortly, and tried to force himself into the fort, eventually the Sharifu-l-Mulk ended up losing an eye, due to a war injury [ [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D07601010%26ct%3D36%26rqs%3D142 Dholpur] The Riyazu-s-Salatin (Gardens of the Sultans), a History of Bengal, by Ghulam Husain Salim ‘Zayadpuri’. 1787-8.]

On October 13. 1625, Jahangir appointed Shahryar as Governor of Thatta, and Sharif-ul Mulk carried out the administration as the Deputy of the Prince [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=XlhXAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Shahryar%22+mughal+prince&dq=%22Shahryar%22+mughal+prince&lr=&pgis=1 Sharyar Governor] "The Calligraphers of Thatta" By Muhammad Abdul Ghafur, 1968, Pakistan-Iran Cultural Association. Page 18.]

Ascension and death

After, the death of his father, Mughal Empereor,Jahangir on October 28, 1627, Shahryar to ascend to the Mughal throne, as Nur Jahan desired, and since he was in Lahore at the time, he immediately took over the royal treasury and distributed over 70 lac rupees amongst old and new noble men to secure his throne. Meanwhile, "Mirza Baisinghar", son of the late Prince Daniyal, on the death of the Emperor, fled to Lahore, and joined Shahryar.

Soon near Lahore, his forces met those of Asaf Khan, a loyal of Shah Jahan, who has already proclaimed Dawar has the Emperor near Agra, as a stop-gap arrangement, to save the throne of Shah Jahan, in which Shahryar lost, fled into the fort, where the next morning he was presented in front of Dawar Baksh, who placed him in confinement and two-three days later he was blinded by Asaf Khan, thus bringing his short reign to a tragic end [Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, By Asiatic Society of Bengal, Asiatic Society (Calcutta, India). Published 1868. p 218. ]

Like all Mughal princes, Shahryar too had training in poetry and after he was blinded towards the end of his life, he wrote a poignant verse titled, "Bi Gu Kur Shud didah-i-Aftab" [Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature, by Nabi Hadi, page 554. ] On the 2nd Jumada-l awwal, 1037 A.H., (1628), Shah Jahan ascended to the throne at Lahore, and on the 26th "Jumada-l awwal", January 23, 1628, upon his orders, Dawar, his brother Garshasp, Shahryar, and Tahmuras and Hoshang, sons of the deceased Prince Daniyal, were all put to death by Asaf Khan [ [http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D80201016%26ct%3D165%26rqs%3D115%26rqs%3D116%26rqs%3D225%26rqs%3D226%26rqs%3D232%26rqs%3D249%26rqs%3D250%26rqs%3D351%26rqs%3D352%26rqs%3D456%26rqs%3D457%26rqs%3D640%26rqs%3D641%26rqs%3D681%26rqs%3D682 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.] [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=ugxFjVDk3I8C&pg=PA282&dq=Shahryar&lr=&sig=ACfU3U2PCUMj_QQlStXwj0JVW1PwZQUGBg#PPA278,M1 Shahryar] "Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India", by Ellison Banks Findly, Oxford University Press US, page 275-282, 284, "23 January...".] .

After his death, all the brothers of Shah Jahan were now dead, and he ruled the empire till 1658.

Asaf Khan, was made the prime minister of Mughal Empire, and Nur Jahan, with an annual pension of two lakh and spent the rest of her days, confined in her palace in Lahore, along with Ladli Begum, the widow of Shahryar [ [http://www.ualberta.ca/~rnoor/tomb_noor_jahan.html Noor Jahan] University of Alberta.] . Nur Jahan died in 1645 at age 72 [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-46970/India Shah Jahan] britannica.com.] .

Further reading

* "Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India", by Ellison Banks Findly, Oxford University Press US. 2000. ISBN 0195074882.

References

*http://www.kahany.com/writing/0198nurjahan.shtml