The Mughals also built a Shalamar Bagh outside of Lahore

It belongs to the end of the second decade of the 17th century. The magic of the natural beauty of Kashmir was speaking to Mughal Emperor Nooruddin Muhammad Saleem aka Jahangir.

This is reflected in Jahangir’s autobiography ‘Tazak Jahangiri’, in which he calls Kashmir ‘an evergreen garden’ and ‘a fruitful field’.

He would often go to Kashmir from Lahore in summers and conduct government affairs from Hari Parbat, a fort built by his father, Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar, in Srinagar.

In the year 1619, Jahangir built a beautiful garden in the Zaburun mountain range, about 10 kilometers from Hari Parbat, which is known today as Shalamar Bagh.

Historians say that Jahangir built this garden out of love for his beloved wife Mehraul Nsa known as Noor Jahan who had a keen interest in the construction of gardens.

Eminent Kashmiri historian, researcher, critic and writer Muhammad Yusuf Teng told Independent Urdu that Emperor Jahangir visited Kashmir 13 times during his reign.

He said: ‘Noor Jahan used to stay with him on most occasions. No other Mughal emperor and queen spent as much time in Kashmir as Jahangir and Nur Jahan.’

He added: ‘Jahangir’s caravan would have left for Kashmir as soon as the sun rose in Lahore. Then when the saffron harvest was ready here in October or November, the emperor’s caravan would go back to Lahore.

Well-known Kashmiri historian Zarif Ahmed Zarif told Independent Urdu that when Jahangir, who took over the reins of the Mughal Empire in 1605, came to Kashmir for the first time, this place became a home in his heart and mind at the first sight.

‘Jahangir, seeing the beauty of Kashmir, expressed his wish that my cemetery should be here too.’

Muhammad Yusuf Teng says that there is no doubt that Jahangir had the Shalamar Bagh built for Noor Jahan.

According to him: ‘The construction of Shalamar Bagh was a dream of Noor Jahan which was fulfilled by Jahangir. After the construction, Noor Jahan performed the duties of managing this garden. They are active in making this garden more attractive. Not only that, Noor Jahan built many gardens in Kashmir under his patronage.

Sunil Sharma in his book ‘Mughal Arcadia – Prussian Literature and Indian Court’ writes that Noor Jahan’s name is associated with several gardens located in Agra, Lahore and Srinagar.

Shalamar Bagh, called the jewel of Kashmir’s gardens, consists of two parts. One part is called Farah Bakhsh which was built by Jahangir in 1619 for Noor Jahan. The name of the second part is Faiz Bakhsh, which was built by his son Shah Jahan in 1934.

‘The second major garden in Srinagar is Nishat which is even more attractive than Shalamar Bagh. It was built by Noor Jahan in 1625 with his brother Asif Khan. He built many other gardens including Achha Bill and Jharuka Bagh in Kashmir.’

German historian and author Michael J. Casimir in his book ‘Floating Economies: The Cultural Ecology of the Dal Lake in Kashmir’ writes: ‘The Mughal Emperor Jahangir in 1619 created another within Kashmir called Jannat Nazir for his queen Noor Jahan. Heaven was built. The famous Mughal gardens of Shalamar Bagh and Nishat Bagh are still visible in the northeastern part of Dal Lake.

James L. Wescott and JW Bulman wrote in their paper ‘Mughal Gardens: Sources, Places, Representations and Prospects’ that the construction of gardens reached its peak during Jahangir’s reign under the patronage of his queen Noor Jahan.

Noor Jahan’s family migrated from Persia to India in the late 16th century. After her marriage to Jahangir, Noor Jahan, her father and brothers gained increasing political power and supervised the construction of central cities, caravanserais and gardens in Kashmir province.’

Colonel Tejkumar Taku in his book ‘Kashmir: Its Aborigines and Their Excursions’ has written: ‘When Jahangir first visited Kashmir, he was stunned to see a very picturesque waterfall on the Mughal Road. Jahangir named this waterfall after his beloved Queen Noor Jahan and named it Noor Chamb. Today this waterfall is known as Noori Chimp.’

Features of Shalamar Bagh

Historian Muhammad Yusuf Teng says that during the Mughal era, especially during the reign of Jahangir, Shalamar Bagh used to host music and dance parties at night, in which the men and women of the Mughal family and other relatives were included.

According to him: ‘At that time the fort on the banks of the Dal Lake touched the borders of Hari Parbat. After conducting government affairs in the fort for the whole day, the emperor, his family and other government officials used to board boats and reach Shalamar Bagh. After being busy in gatherings and sitting there till midnight, they would come back to the fort to rest. ‘

Historian Zarif Ahmad Zarif says that the view of Shalamar Bagh was spectacular at night and Jahangir himself liked to spend time in this garden under the moonlight.

‘The main feature of Shalamar Bagh in Srinagar is its terraces. Each segment is at a specific elevation. A clear water stream flows from the highest level. At the time when Jahangir constructed the Shalamar Bagh, the canal was 36 feet wide and one and a half kilometers long.

He said: ‘Poplar trees were extensively planted in this garden. Outside the Shalamar Bagh today stands a 62 feet wide poplar tree which is the second oldest poplar tree in the valley. In the Mughal era, the first section of Shalamar Bagh was called Diwan Aam and the last and highest section was called Diwan Khas. A charming twelve-door was built in it, from which the whole garden could be seen.’

Muhammad Yusuf Teng says that Shalamar Bagh had a twelve-door with paintings studded with diamonds.

When Dogra Raj, devoid of aesthetic sense, was imposed on Kashmir, its officials looted those diamonds and jewels and deposited them in their treasury. ‘

Like Srinagar, Lahore also has a Shalamar Bagh, so what is the difference between the two? In response to this question, Teng said: ‘Lahore also has a vast Shalamar Bagh, but the Shalamar Bagh in Srinagar is the largest and has many attributes. Lahore’s Shalamar Bagh is smooth, on the contrary, our Shalamar Bagh is divided into uneven sections. The poplar tree is the soul of the Shalamar garden. Our Shalamar garden is full of poplar trees but there are no poplar trees in Lahore.’

Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Kao, the former head of the history department of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad Deccan, said in a conversation with Independent Urdu: ‘I have examined the Mughal gardens with a keen eye on the Marxist theory that the Mughals used these gardens as an aesthetic hobby. What is built as Although their construction provided employment to some local people, a large peasant community had to bear the brunt. The tax or jizya received from these people was spent on the construction of these gardens, so these gardens were built with the blood and sweat of these farmers.

Jehangir’s favorite queen

Noor Jahan was the daughter of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the most important person associated with the royal court. She was first married to an Iranian youth, Ali Quli Beg, who was given the title of Sher Afgan by the Mughal royal court.

About 13 years after the marriage, Ali Qali Beg died, after which Noor Jahan was brought back to the royal court. Here she was assigned to the service of Ruqia Sultan Begum, widow of Emperor Akbar and stepmother of Jahangir.

Maulvi Ahmad Ali Rampuri, the translator of Jahangir’s ‘Tazik Jahangiri’, writes: ‘One day during Nowruz celebration, Emperor Jahangir’s eyes fell on Noor Jahan and she fell in the Emperor’s heart. The emperor gave him the honor of entering the royal harem. First he gave the title of Noor Mahal and later he was honored with the title of Noor Jahan.

According to him: ‘Noor Jahan Begum had made such a home in the heart of the emperor that all the business of the kingdom except the sermon was done by her order. She used to sit in the jharuka for a while and the nobles and ministers would come and perform the rituals and listen to the orders. His name was coined. Gradually, Emperor Jahangir withdrew from the government and handed over the reins of government to Noor Jahan Begum.

Dr. Beni Prashad in his book ‘History of Jahangir’ writes that no incident of Jahangir’s reign is as absorbing as his marriage to Noor Jahan.

For 15 years, this woman remained the most prominent and powerful person in the Mughal Empire. Noor Jahan had a generous heart. He had immense love for Jahangir.’

Kashmir in the eyes of Jahangir

Emperor Jahangir in his autobiography ‘Tazak Jahangiri’ writes about Kashmir: ‘The name of the city is Srinagar. The river Jhelum passes through its middle. The city has a magnificent mosque (now called Jama Masjid Srinagar) built in 1392 by Sultan Sikandar. There are two large ponds adjacent to the city. People are transported by boats. The road to Kashmir is very difficult.’

Appreciating the natural beauty of Kashmir, Jahangir writes: ‘It is like an evergreen garden. There is a Gulshan for kings and a charming inn for dervishes. Almond and peach trees are considered the best trees here. Adjacent to the city is a hill called Koh Maran. It is also called as Hari Parbat. To the east lies Mount Dal.’

“During the reign of my father Sukhwar, the construction of a strong fort of stone and lime was started here, which was completed during my reign. This fort is so big that the hill has come inside it. A wealth house has been built near him and a garden has been planted inside this wealth house.’