Jahangirnama: Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India

This translation presents an engaging portrait of an intriguing emperor and his flourishing empire. The Emperor Jahangir is probably best know in the West as being the father of Shahjahan, who built the Taj Mahal. His reign was one of great prosperity, and his passion for art and nature encouraged a flowering that some say rivalled European art during the rule of the Medicis. In penning his memoirs, Jahangir followed a tradition begun by his great-grandfather, the Emperor Babur. Jahangir's memoirs, however, provide not only the history of his reign, but also his reflections on art, politics, and private details about his family including the suicide of one of his wives and selections of poetry written by members of his harem. One of Jahangir's stories describes his astonishment at witnessing the fall of a meteorite, an event that so amazed him that he ordered that a dagger be made from its metal.