CHENNAI: They say that Shah Jahan was the most handsome of all the Mughal emperors. Portraits of him show an aristocratic nose, a high forehead and eyes far less Mongol than that of his father. He was an accomplished rider and a swordsman. As an emperor, although he did not possess the energy of Babur or the genius of Akbar, he was nevertheless a very capable administrator.
The Mughals, like any other royals of India, loved luxury and had a lavish lifestyle. But have you wondered what really constituted the average day in the life of a Mughal emperor? Well, here is a glimpse:
At 4 am, Shah Jahan rose and turned towards Mecca to recite his morning prayers. Then with the aid of his innumerable slaves, each of whom was appointed to deliver a particular article of clothing, he dressed. His jewels would arrive from their nightly keep at the harem.
He then proceeded to the mosque where he knelt for two hours in prayer. Returning to the palace, he stepped out onto the marble balcony where crowds of people thronged, pushing each other for a glimpse of the emperor, shouting “Padshah Salamat” (long live the king).
If Shah Jahan happened to be in a good mood, he took time to hear petitions from peasants, appeals for clemency from criminals and complaints from landlords.
After an hour of dispensing justice, he moved on, maybe to the jasmine pavilion to indulge in his favourite pastime of watching an elephant fight. This sport was a royal prerogative and therefore, only a king could order an elephant fight.
Elephants were brought from as far as Sumatra and Siam and chosen for their fierceness, somewhat like how bulls are chosen for bullfights today. Unlike the elephants who usually lived to fight another day, the mahouts — a person who rides the elephant — even though they were highly trained, were lucky if they survived a fight with only the loss of a limb.
Before each fight, the mahouts took leave of their families as a soldier may do before going to a battle, not knowing if they would return. A fight was considered finished if one elephant brought another to the ground. The animals were then separated with a charkha, which was a hollow bamboo cross with gun powder at each end that whirled like a pinwheel when ignited and frightened the animals into releasing each other from the deadly embrace.
When the elephant fight ended, it was time for work. The emperor proceeded to the Diwan-i-Am, the hall of public audience. He sat at the holy window and presided over the morning’s business.
Behind the emperor stood servants, swatting flies with yak tail whisks and guards with banners displaying the Mughal insignia. On either side of him were members of the royal family. Below them stood Asaf Khan, who was the Prime Minister and the father of Mumtaz Mahal.
On the step below, separated from the royalty by balustrades, were throngs of courtiers, sultans, governors, everyone carefully positioned according to their ranks and standing with their heads bowed before the emperor.
The business of the day commenced as the emperor gave orders to the provinces, made his recommendations for promotions and pensions, dictated letters and signed them with his palm print. He heard the appeals of trembling supplicants, some who may have been standing for hours until the emperor looked up and enquired about their demands.
All the while, musicians played soft and sweet music. The emperor then retired for a rest. He examined rare gifts sent by friendly neighbours or items seized from vanquished enemies. Exotic animals like ant eaters and rhinoceros were paraded before him.
At 11.30 pm, the emperor moved to the Shah Burj, a private tower, to confabulate on confidential matters with his Prime Minister, the shrewd Asaf Khan and trusted viceroys. Also present were his sons, the pious and aloof Aurangzeb and Murad, the gullible brute, always ready to go to war at the slightest provo-
cation. In this room was played the politics of manipulation, agreements made and agreements broken. This is where the history of the empire was made.
Following the meeting, some more prayers were recited and more business was discussed in the Hall of Public audience.
When the time came to eat, a team of tatars tasted all the dishes to make sure that they were not poisoned. The emperor then ate and retired to the harem for the night.