JAHANGIR'S REIGN

Jahangir was thirty-six years old when he started his rule. He ruled from 1605 to 1627.

During his reign, art greatly flourished. Paintings where a source of great aesthetic pleasure for him, and he loved to collect them.

He was a good writer. His love for nature is evident in the description of wildlife in his book 'Tuzk-i-Jahangiri'.

Jahangir was very fond of making monuments. He had many gardens developed in Kashmir.

He did good work in the beginning by setting free the prisoners of war. He maintained the empire as Akbar had left it for him.

His only shortcoming was his love for a life of ease and comfort. Moreover, he would easily believe people and did as they asked him to do.

The persecution and death of Guru Arjun Dev ji, the fifth Sikh Guru, happened at the time when Jahangir was the Mughal Emperor. Because of this, the Sikhs turned against the Mughal Emperors.

It was during the rule of Jahangir that the Britishers Sir Thomas Roe came to India.

The Portuguese had already arrived in India. The Britishers were also sent by the Queen of England to start trade with the East.

Sir Thomas Roe came to Jahangir's court to ask for his permission to have exclusive rights to build factories in Surat and other areas.

Had Jahangir refused, the history of India would have taken a different course. But Jahangir gave special permission to the Britishers to trade in India. In return he was given rarities from the European market.

The Britishers who came to India were under the East India Company at that time and not directly under the Queen of England.

Jahangir signed a treaty with the East India Company under which the British merchants were given special rights to trade in India.