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India: A hunting scene from the 'Padshahnamah', which chronicles the reign of Shah Jahan (1626-58)

India: A hunting scene from the 'Padshahnamah', which chronicles the reign of Shah Jahan (1626-58)

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram Shah Jahan I (1592 –1666), or Shah Jahan, from the Persian meaning ‘king of the world’, was the fifth Mughal ruler in India and a favourite of his legendary grandfather Akbar the Great.

He is best known for commissioning the ‘Phadshahnamah’ as a chronicle of his reign, and for the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Under Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire attained its highest union of strength and magnificence. A war of succession to the Mughal throne ensued and the emperor's youngest son, the governor of Deccan, Abu Muzaffar Muhiuddin Awrangzeb, was the ultimate victor after deposing and imprisoning his father.

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