August 28th, 2002
Stanley Lane Poole, the most popular historian of the British period bestowed individual titles upon each one of the Mughal rulers considered ‘Great Mughal’. Perhaps he should have refered to Shah Jahan as “the Versatile Genius”
Babur was called ‘the Brave’. His son Humayun was given the title ‘the Kind’. Akbar could not be given a –limited- to- a- specific area title and therefore became ‘the Great’. Jahangir was ‘the Pleasure Seeker’.
Shah Jahan a great and successful general, a connoisseur of paintings, calligraphy music and gardens did not do well at the hands of Stanley Lane Poole. His magnificent monuments were the cause of his downfall and he earned the diminishing and limited title or sobriquet ‘Shah Jahan, the Palace Builder’.
Shah Jahan was undoubtedly one of the great builders in world history. His palace forts at Agra and Dillee, his new city of Shahjahanabad, the congregational mosques at Agra
Dillee and Multan the gardens called Shalimar in Lahore Dillee and Srinagar show innovation in design layout and execution of an order seldom equaled and never surpassed. The Taj Mahal, a monument to matrimonial love, which the Poet Tagore called ‘ A teardrop on the Cheek of Time’ is even in its plundered state with all its jewels and canopies gone the most sought out tourist destination in the world.
Unfortunately the mastery of Shah Jahan in the area of jewellery is now only hearsay as the artifacts have all been looted broken up and melted down The jeweled Peacock throne was, however, a wonder of the world of its time and remains a fable until today..
Mughal painting like all Indian arts has been given the ‘curio’ treatment by the West. For the European or USAmerican art lover critic or dealer Masterpieces arise only from the art of Europe.
The Padishahnama chronicle gives us an idea of what painting was like under the discerning patronage of Shah Jahan’. The illuminated manuscript has paintings of exquisite good taste and helps viewers see events of the past so clearly as to feel that they themselves are participants.
We have in it paintings of events when Jahangir was Emperor and Shah Jahan a dutiful son who carried out campaigns to enlarge the empire. The filial devotion registered on Shah Jahan’s face is matched by the pride and joy of the father in the success of the son.
The reunion of the newly enthroned Shah Jahan with his sons shows intimate emotions in full court. Dignity is maintained although all main actors are close to dissolving into tears.
Another scene shows the Emperor in conversation with the Prime Minister Asaf Khan. The Persian Envoy is trying to attract the attention of the Emperor who appears quite impervious to all the acrobatics being performed.
The painting of the Prince Dara Shikoh’s wedding shows the prince bowing his head to receive the veil (SEHRAA) to cover his face to avert the evil eye. The expression of paternal joy so great as to bring tears to the eye is rendered masterfully.
In another scene the Portuguese who were blasted and smoked out of Bandel are shown in the Agra court attempting to give lavish gifts to escape the wrath of the Emperor. They had been misusing the privilege of a factory at Hooghly by abducting and selling into slavery young boys and girls from Bengal. The justification used was religion. The restrained fury registered in the eye of the Emperor’s portrait in profile of the Emperor is most powerfully rendered.
There is another remarkable painting showing the incident when an elephant in Mast or Must attacked a teenage prince Awrungzeyb. In this elephant fight gone wrong the Emperor can see the danger but is too far away to help. The keepers and huntsmen are trying their best to divert the rogue elephant away from the Prince and the Prince himself is manfully responding to the threat with a spear he wields. The anxiety of a father is beautifully rendered within the confines of restraint and dignity necessary for the station of Emperor.
In the area of Music the Emperor favoured Dhrupad and the National Museum Dillee holds a manuscript with one thousand lyrics Shah Jahan enjoyed most.
Calligraphy was the art form most prized in those times. Books were greatly treasured. Each emperor paid special attention to books when he came to the throne. He personally examined each precious manuscript in the library and affixed his seal on an end page to record the inspection. Where he felt it necessary he wrote a remark.
Shah Jahan has recorded a forgery he discovered. He says that although the book is supposed to have been transcribed by a most famous calligrapher the hand shows that the ascription is wrong. He comments that the hand appears to be that of a more recent calligrapher rather than an old Master.
Critical examination by modern scholars has upheld Shah Jahan’s opinion.
The reason why all things Indian and all Indians were run down and diminished was the British need to justify their intrusion. For two hundred years or eight generations no Indian past or present could be allowed to measure up to the mark.
Now that two generations of Indians have been born Independent the past wrongs of history should be righted.