Zoya Ansari glances at the filial rivalries in the Mughal Empire of Dissenting sons
On the one hand, the Mughals & Dissenting sons were famous for their warm filial relationships and intense respect for their households and on the other there was an amazingly unending rivalry between emperor fathers and their strong-headed sons and heirs. The contrast between these two tendencies has not surprised many as the ruling motive of the rulers of Mughal Empire was power-grab and then holding on to it. This motive is seen dominant in the annals of Mughal rule and it not only provides yet another testament to the vagaries of power but also reflects the ultimate nature of sovereign power. In this context, the life stories of the first six reigns of emperors categorised as great Mughals whose rule spanned between 1526 to1707 are littered with uprisings of their respective sons and heirs jolting the empire after fairly regular intervals.
The general perception is that children, particularly sons tend to idolise their father and consider them practically infallible. This identification is most often demonstrated by a son’s imitation of his father’s behaviour by walking like him, talking like him or wearing his clothes or shoes. At this age, a son wants so much to please his father and receive his approval and acceptance. In an interesting parallel the relationship between emperor Akbar and his mentor Bairam Khan was like that of a father and son and Akbar called him ‘Baba’ and treated him reverentially handing him the substance of power. Akbar remained under the tutelage of Bairam Khan for good 16 years but then the pulls of absolute power drove a serious wedge between them and it soon became evident that there was no love lost between them. It became obvious that the teenager Akbar started resenting and even fearing him soon falling out with him.
Akbar started to resent the intense ruthlessness in Bairam Khan along with holding the purse strings so strongly that Akbar felt the pinch rather seriously. Akbar hated to ask for funds required for maintaining his household and he was deeply irked when he realised that Bairam Khan lavishly spent financial resources on his followers and their families. This aspect was very quickly capitalised on by the group surrounding Akbar particularly his foster mother Maham Anaga whom Akbar greatly valued though in future he did not hesitate to kill her son, when Akbar’s imperial privilege was impugned by him. The situation that developed soon witnessed Akbar jilting Bairam Khan who lost all power. Bereft of Akbar’s patronage, Bairam Khan became an easy target and soon was killed while proceeding to Hajj.
In the next generation Akbar had to face almost a similar situation when his son Jahangir started to think that his father’s attitude was not very relevant to the changed circumstances and he tried asserting his right to take over the throne. Jahangir was hot-headed and inebriated most of the time and caused tremendous worry for Akbar but the emperor’s huge prestige and his reputation for invincibility thwarted all attempts by Jahangir to dethrone him. Jahangir also was driven by his ambition and worried that it was getting late for him to become emperor as Akbar was solidly in power and maintained robust health. It was also known that Jahangir was scared that he may die young without becoming king and wanted to become one fast. His addiction to wine and opium was slowly ruining his health and he was acutely conscious of this fact and wanted to take over power as soon as possible.
It was also mentioned that Jahangir was afraid of the cabal surrounding Akbar who was known to tilt towards his grandson Khusrau who was an active prince having a good deal of supporters in the establishment close to the emperor. Akbar openly started favouring Khusrau and this activity went to the extent that Khusrau started calling his father, Jahangir, as Shah Bhai instead of Shah Baba. Khusrau also was reported to bribe the personnel of the protective guard of Akbar and it was known that in 1603 he was doling out the princely sum of Rs.1 lac a day in this respect. Jahangir was acutely aware of such machinations and fled to Allahabad and declared himself as emperor getting currency issued in his name.
Despite reconciliation with Akbar, the situation did not improve till the senior ladies of the imperial household including Akbar’s redoubtable mother Hamida Bano Begum and his wife Ruqaya Begum, in whose household Jahangir grew up, interceded and brought him back to the imperial fold. The schism however remained with Jahangir remaining scared of the fact that his father may make Daniyal or Khusrau as heir instead of him as Akbar was fed up with his addiction. Akbar was also resentful of Jahangir’s wanton cruelty and his wayward attitude.
In the next generation Khusrau became a credible threat to Jahangir’s rule but the emperor was able to overcome his rebellion ultimately handing him over to his younger son, Khurram, later Shahjahan, who made sure that Khusrau was finally put out of the way. Khurram remained a veritable part of the power triumvirate that ruled during Jahangir’s reign as he showed little interest in ruling but soon Khurram got fed up with all the games his ally, empress Nur Jahan, was playing with him keeping him away from the seat of power and he felt he was doing all work like winning wars and Nur Jahan was taking credit of it and enjoying fruits of his work. Khurram was also scared that since his younger brother Shahryar was Nur Jahan’s son in law she may make him the emperor and exercise power in his name as she had done with Jahangir. Khurram revolted against his father but did not succeed in dislodging him and finally succeeded as Shahjahan when Jahangir died.
The internecine rivalry for power reached its zenith when the royal Mughal family was badly divided in multiple factions sadly led by the reigning emperor Shahjahan whose single-minded intention of his eldest son Dara Shikoh to succeed him alienated other three sons of his who felt themselves equally qualified to become emperor. Shahjahan’s third son Aurangzeb proved more resourceful and proved to be a better general winning all battles against his brothers in the field and, by deceit, neutralising one of his brothers who allied with him. In addition Aurangzeb was extra-cautious to be careful about his father’s intentions as Shahjahan never hid his disfavour towards him and denied him royal favour by removing him from his position as governor of Hyderabad Deccan.
It was not hidden that Aurangzeb was against his father and brother for more than two decades and when the time came for final showdown, he was more than ready to exact his revenge. He emerged as the ultimate winner in the war of succession and was able to hold the Mughal Empire for half-a-century although his reign proved the swan song of the greatest dynasty that ruled the subcontinent. One of the more credible reasons assigned for the fall of the Mughal Empire was the lack of a proper method of succession that frequently put the ruling edifice into turmoil that gradually weakened the very fabric of the Mughal rule. TW
