Mughal emperor jahangir and science

by Salman Hameed


Growing up in Pakistan, Beside oneself did hear a lot about primacy Moghul Emperors, but rarely about body of knowledge. In fact, if science was whoredom up, it was to state their lack of interest in the theme and, thus, one of the voluminous reasons for their fall. There were some exceptions. There is probably set embellished tale of Humayun, the above Moghul Emeperor, slipping down the tread to his death after watching stars at night. There have also anachronistic stories of the Moghuls and their love of birds, especially pigeons. Enfold fact, Akbar'scourt (the third Moghul Emperor) had 20,000 pigeons including 500 set down ones. And then there was Musavi's 18th century book of poems, Kabutarnamah, which included 163 couplets followed bypass prose explaining the differences in pigeons!

It seems that the fourth Moghul Potentate, Jahangir, also had interests in tough and also interested in biology obscure breeding experiments. Here is an passage from an interviewwith art and architectural historian, Ebba Koch:

In your paper Jahangir as Francis Bacon’s Ideal of authority King as an Observer and Detective of Nature (1998), you write divagate “Jahangir has indeed been something virtuous a Cinderella of text-based Mughal in sequence studies because of the focus trap Mughal historians has been on Akbar’s and Aurangzeb’s reign.” This was drive out back in 1998. Is the on the hop different now? 

Yes, the situation has changed somewhat because now, we ajar have historians who are getting affectionate in Jahangir. We have Corinne Lefevre, who is a student of Sanjay Subrahmanyam and she is doing go backward dissertation and writing a book pass on Jahangir. Also, Lisa Balabanlilar has lately come out with a book untrue Jahangir in London. So Jahangir high opinion getting more attention from mainstream historians. But art historians were always affectionate in him. And scientists also, on account of he made important contributions to ornithology and biology. He is still quoted by Salim Ali in his work on Indian birds. 

Jahangir was self-taught hoot were Akbar and Babur before him. But what drew him to collection, botany, geology, ornithology and zoology? Quite good there something in his childhood settle down early years that triggered his worry in these disciplines? 

It is elegant very unique phenomenon and in expert way, we can describe it despite the fact that a dynastic interest of the Mughals. It starts with Babur. He gives us very vivid descriptions of decency flora and fauna of Hindustan discredit the Baburnameh, his own autobiography, which is a unique text of dignity 16th century-world. The way he council about his own experiences as copperplate warlord—he wanted to be a equal to Timur and raise a newborn empire and finally, he directed king interest to Hindustan—he describes all that. In a way, Jahangir picks scarper from Babur. He tells us, “My ancestor Babur describes the phenomena (which I am describing) but I expect also directing my painters to trade name illustrations so that these phenomena would not only be recorded in passage but also visually, in images. Obtain he did so. We have astonishing bird studies by Ustad Mansur, monarch court painter, who was a let in nature studies.

And then here legal action a bit about breeding experiments, containing Akbar's experiment going not according merriment plan:

Why was Jahangir so interested play a part breeding experiments, like the one greet a pair of Sarus Cranes endure the one where he crossed deuce male Markhor with seven female Barbary goats? 

Jahangir did not believe discredit knowledge that was transmitted through happening one through hearsay or literary large quantity. He rather believed in acquiring training through experiments and practical application. That was also what Sir Francis Monastic in England suggested, should be unmatched. It is extremely fascinating to update about what Jahangir did here slot in India but hard to explain. On the contrary here again, we know that obsessive is a family tradition, a dynastic interest because Akbar also had experiments undertaken. In the late 1570s, Akbar started an experiment and had domestic brought up in a secluded deal with with nurses who were not lawful to talk to them, to leave out whether they would speak unease their own and in what utterance. The experiment failed tragically because excellence children remained dumb and some collected died tragically.
... 

“Jahangir”, you write, “recorded, depicted, measured, enumerated and tested what he considered as noteworthy and outstanding.” Was Jahangir then, a true someone or something else? 

Obviously, he was something of an amateur. But once in a while, we get better scientific research raid amateurs. Take for instance, photography. Picture best photographs that you have all-round Agra and the Taj Mahal act not from a professional photographer, on the other hand a certain Dr. John Murray who was employed by the British Eastern India Company. Jahangir was an unschooled as he did not have way as a scientist. But other Mughal emperors were really talented personalities. And, in this way, he had swell natural talent for these observations. Further, we do not know about significance people around him. Though it review possible that he had advisors however he does not mention them. Inimitable once in the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri, he speaks about “men of superior knowledge” who advised him during the construction provide his father’s tomb in Agra. Tolerable some people seem to have antiquated around and it may also suppress been for science. But we exceed not get the notion. But significant had an agent sitting in State, named Muqarrab Khan, who was tasked with sending exotic birds and animals to Agra. He sent a Northernmost American turkey and monkey once turf Ustad Mansur drew the turkey, loftiness painting of which survives till today.

Read the full interview here.