Khusrau: A Worthy Prince of Unblemished Character
This revolt during Jahangir's reign is the heinous tale of Mughal Prince Khusrau. It is a story of a struggle between the desire for power and the fear of losing power, where the tragedy of the relationship between father and son stirs pain in the human mind. Khusrau was the second child born to Jahangir's Rajput wife Manbai. Manbai was the daughter of Bhagwan Das, the king of Amber. Khusrau's maternal uncle, Raja Mansingh, was the governor of Bengal, and Mirza Aziz Koka was his father-in-law. Khusrau grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather, Akbar. He was a handsome, well-mannered, intelligent, charming, young man of impeccable character. He was the favorite of the courtiers and popular among the citizens.
Jahangir's Concern: Fear of Losing Power
The question arises: what was the reason for such a good prince's separation from his emperor father? In fact, Khusrau's own qualities, identity, kinship, and popularity became the enemies of his life. The emperor father started considering his son as a threat to his throne. Why shouldn't it be so? Grandfather Akbar was once fed up with his drunken and rebellious son Salim, who had now become Jahangir, and started looking at Khusrau as an alternative. Jahangir could not get rid of this fear even after becoming the emperor. He kept considering Khusrau as a fraud and a conspirator. However, Munib Khan's old palace was given to him to live in, and Rs. 1 lakh was also granted for renovations.
Khusrau's Complaint: Desire for Power
On the other hand, the seed of desire for power that was sown in Khusrau's mind could not be eliminated. This complaint of Khusrau was also justified in one sense because he did not get any post or mansab according to his position as the crown prince. His role in administration was made negligible. A great sorrow upon him was that no facility or favor was given to his friends. He could have withstood all this, but how could he always deny doubt and hatred instead of love in the eyes of his father? So, he always remained sorrowful. This behavior of the son exasperated the apprehensive father, and he banned Khusrau's movement in the city.
Rebellion: Anxiety Over a Bleak Future
Khusrau became restless with his detention and bleak future. On April 6, 1606, on the pretext of visiting Akbar's tomb at Sikandra with 350 cavalry, he left the fort of Agra and proceeded towards Delhi. Husain Beg arrived in Mathura with 300 horsemen. The royal treasury coming to Agra on the way was looted. As soon as the news spread, supporters, including soldiers and farmers, started gathering around Delhi, whose number reached around 12,000. But as soon as he realized the strong security of Delhi, he turned towards Lahore. The Diwan of the province, Abdul Rahim, was encountered at Lahore, and he was made the Shahi Diwan. The rebels laid siege to the Lahore Fort, but Subedar Dilawar Khan continued to defend it successfully.
Preparation for Suppression of Rebellion: Leaving No Stone Unturned
That night itself, Prime Minister Sharif Khan woke up Jahangir and informed him about the rebel's escape. The responsibility of leading the counter-action campaign was given to Mirbakshi Farid Khan. Along with this, the emperor also sent his soldiers for vigilance. The Kotwal of Agra was made an intelligence officer to ensure no mistakes were made and to prevent any further conspiracy. The road to Bengal was blocked so that he could not meet his maternal uncle Mansingh. The Prime Minister was warned that whatever would be done to Khusrau would not be considered a crime because the king had no relatives. Even after all this, Jahangir was not satisfied, so he himself joined the campaign.
Khusrau's Defeat: A Definite Result
Here, Khusrau still failed to take Lahore Fort. By then, he got information about the arrival of the royal army under the leadership of the emperor. Continuing the siege of the fort, he left with some 10,000 soldiers to confront the royal army. A definite result was seen in the bloody struggle of Bhairowal, where Khusrau suffered a crushing defeat. During the escape, Sheikh Farid, who was later given the title of Murtaza Khan as a reward, captured Khusrau on the Sodharao bank of the Chenab River.
Punishment to Rebels: To Set an Example for the Future
The rebels were brought before Jahangir, where Hussain Baig and Abdul Rahim were sewn into ox and donkey skins, leading to Hussain Baig's death, though Abdul Rahim survived and was reinstated to his old position. Other supporters were hanged on both sides of the road outside Lahore. The main rebel, Khusrau, was seated on a dirty elephant and humiliated in front of his followers.
Guru Arjan Dev: Scepter or Religious Fanaticism
In this incident, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev, was killed on May 30, 1606. The Guru was accused of helping Khusrau in Gondwal with a saffron tilak and a donation of five thousand rupees. The royal demand was that the Guru should accept his crime and pay a fine of 2 lakhs. Punishment was given for refusal. Jahangir himself confirmed the religious intolerance in the incident, although historian Vincent Arthur Smith did not see it as communal but rather a matter of political power.
Conspiracy: And He Was Blinded
Khusrau was imprisoned in the Agra Fort. His intimacy with the security personnel led to the cooperation of a eunuch, Atbar Khan, and Nuruddin, which probably led to a conspiracy to kill Jahangir. However, the plot was exposed. As a result, Khusrau was blinded so that he could never attempt such an act again. The father’s heart broke once, but later, Persian physician Hakim Sadr treated him, and it is said that vision in one eye was restored. As a reward, the doctor was given the title of Massim Uj Jama.
Khusro Bagh: Mother, Let Me Sleep Now
Due to Nur Jahan's influence and Khusrau being a potential rival to Khurram (Shah Jahan), he was taken to the Deccan, where he was imprisoned in Burhanpur and then executed in March 1622. By Jahangir's order, his grave was moved from Burhanpur to Agra, and later to Allahabad. Here, he was buried next to his mother in Khuldabad, now known as Khusro Bagh.
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