Editing Jahangir (section)

=== Religious view ===
[[File:Jahangir with sufi.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7| A [[Mughal miniature]] by [[Bichitr]] dated from the early 1620s depicting the [[Mughal emperor]] ''Jahangir'' [[Jahangir preferring a Sufi shaikh to kings|preferring an audience]] with Sufi [[saint]] to his contemporaries, the [[Ottoman Sultan]] [[Ahmed I]] and the [[King of England]] [[James VI and I|James I]] (d. 1625); the picture is inscribed in [[Persian language|Persian]]: "Though outwardly shahs stand before him, he fixes his gazes on dervishes."]]
[[File:Portrait of Emperor Jahangir Praying.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait of Mughal Emperor Jahangir making [[Dua]]]]

According to [[M. Athar Ali]], Jahangir generally continued the religious policy of Akbar and had a major interest in [[pantheism]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ali |first=M. Athar |year=1990 |title=The Religious World of Jahangir |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=51 |pages=295–296}}</ref>

At the start of his regime, many staunch Sunnis were hopeful, because he seemed less tolerant of other faiths than his father had been. At the time of his accession and the elimination of Abu'l Fazl, his father's chief minister and the architect of his eclectic religious stance, a powerful group of orthodox noblemen had gained increased power in the Mughal court. This included nobles especially like [[Shaikh Farid Bukhari|Shaykh Farid]], Jahangir's trusted [[Mir Bakhshi]], who held firmly the citadel of orthodoxy in Muslim India.<ref>{{cite book |author=Muhammad Tariq Awan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgpuAAAAMAAJ&q=highest%20post%20in%20mughal%20government%20is%20mir%20bakhshi |title=History of India and Pakistan: pt. 1. Great Mughals |date=1994 |publisher=[[Ferozsons]] |isbn=978-969-0-10034-4 |page=342 |access-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405042902/https://books.google.com/books?id=OgpuAAAAMAAJ&q=highest%20post%20in%20mughal%20government%20is%20mir%20bakhshi |archive-date=5 April 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> Another influence for Jahangir changed his religious policies was due to the action of [[Ahmad Sirhindi]], who routinely attend the court debates to counteract some religious beliefs and doctrines which prevalent in the court.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Hasan Murtaza |title=7. Letters of Sheikh Ahmad. (A New Source of Historical Study) [1563—1624 A. D.] |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |date=1946 |volume=9 |pages=273–281 |jstor=44137073 |language=En |quote=n : It v as written from the Imperial Camp. It shows that the Imam was held in esteem in the Imperial Court, used to attend it daily and by his daily debates there used to counter-act the beliefs and doctrines pre- valent in court. /It almost gives a list of the beliefs and doctrines which were discussed, criticised and ridiculed in the Court. T}}</ref> In the process, it is recorded from these correspondence which compiled in 1617, that Farid Murtaza Khan took Ahmad Sirhindi advices regarding this matter.<ref name="pol">{{cite journal |author1=Irfan Habib |title=The Political Role of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi and Shah Waliullah |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |date=1960 |volume=23 |pages=209–223 |jstor=44304065 |language=en |issn=2249-1937 |quote=There is no real proof ... that Shaikh Farid ever took Shaikh Ahmad's advice}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=March 2024}} His efforts influenced [[Abul Fazl]], protegee of emperor Akbar, to support Ahmad Sirhindi in effort to convince Jahangir to reverse the policies of Akbar of tolerating Hindus in Mughal court.<ref name="The Mughal Empire Part 1, Volume 5; John F. Richards; 1993">{{cite book |author1=John F. Richards |title=The Mughal Empire Part 1, Volume 5 |date=1993 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-56603-2 |pages=98–100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HHyVh29gy4QC |access-date=4 December 2023 |language=En |format=Paperback}}</ref> [[Yohanan Friedmann]] has noted that according to many modern historians and thinkers, the puritanical though of Ahmad Sirhindi has inspired the religious orthodoxy of emperor [[Aurangzeb]].<ref name="The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought; Gerhard Bowering, Mahan Mirza, Patricia Crone">{{cite book |author1=Gerhard Bowering |author2=Mahan Mirza |author3=Patricia Crone |title=The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought |date=2013 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-13484-0 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q1I0pcrFFSUC |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=En |format=Hardcover}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Malik |first1=Adnan |last2=Zubair |first2=Muhammad |last3=Parveen |first3=Uzman |title=Effects of social reforms of shaykh Ahmad sirhindi (1564-1624) on muslim society in the sub continent |journal=Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities |date=2016 |volume=55 |issue=2 |pages=155–164 |url=https://philpapers.org/rec/MALEOS-28 |access-date=9 March 2024 |publisher=[[University of Karachi]] |doi=10.46568/jssh.v55i2.70 |doi-access=free}}</ref>{{rp|pp=162–163}} This was noted by how Ahmad Sirhindi manage to influence the successor of emperor Akbar, starting from Jahangir, into reversing Akbar policies such as lifting marriage age limits, mosque abolishments, and ''[[Hijri year|Hijra]]'' methodology revival which abandoned by his father.{{sfn|Malik|Zubair|Parveen|2016|pp=158-161}}  It is noted by historians that this influence has been significantly recorded during the conquest of [[Kangra district|Kangra]] under Jahangir, that at the presence of Ahmad Sirhindi who observed the campaign, the Mughal forces had the Idols broken, a cow slaughtered, [[Khutbah]] sermon read, and other Islamic rituals performed.{{sfn|Malik|Zubair|Parveen|2016|pp=159-161}} Further mark of Jahangir departure from Akbar secular policy were recorded Terry, a traveller, who came and observed India region between 1616 and 1619, where he found the mosques full of worshippers, the exaltation of Quran and Hadith practical teaching, and the complete observance of [[Fasting during Ramadan]] and [[Eid al-Fitr]] celebrations.{{sfn|Malik|Zubair|Parveen|2016|pp=159-161}}

Jahangir issued bans on cowslaugher and animal slaughter on certain days of the week in continuance of his father's policy. According to the ''[[Dabistan-i Mazahib]]'' he appointed Srikant of Kashmir to be qazi of the Hindus so that they would have their own judicial representative. He also continued his father's policy of patronizing Brahmins and temples. Notably he issued several grants to the [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism|Chaitanya sect]] for their temples in [[Vrindavan]], but also made negative comments about their temples. He, like his father, dissaproved of reincarnation and idol worship and ordered the boar image to be removed from Rana Shankar's temple at [[Pushkar]].{{Sfn|Ali|1990|pp=294-295}}

Most notorious was the execution of the [[Sikh]] [[Guru Arjan Dev]] on Jahangir's orders. His lands were confiscated and his sons imprisoned as Jahangir suspected him of helping Khusrau's rebellion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wynbrandt |first=James |year=2009 |title=A Brief History of Pakistan |url={{Google books|xQGwgJnCPZgC|page=|keywords=|text=|plainurl=yes}} |publisher=Facts on File |pages=83–84 |isbn=978-0-8160-6184-6}}</ref> It is unclear whether Jahangir even understood what a Sikh was, referring to Guru Arjan as a Hindu, who had "captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners... for three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm." The trigger for Guru Arjan's execution was his support for Jahangir's rebel son [[Khusrau Mirza]], yet it is clear from Jahangir's own memoirs that he disliked Guru Arjan before then: "many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam."<ref>Goel, The Story of Islamic Imperialism in India, 59.</ref> Guru Arjan's successor Guru Hargobind was imprisoned for sometime but released soon. He developed friendly relations with Jahangir and accompanied him on his journey to Kashmir just before the latter's death.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chandra |first=Satish |title=History of Medieval India (800-1700) |url=https://archive.org/details/history-of-medieval-india-800-1700_202303/page/324/mode/1up |year=2015 |orig-year=First published 2007  |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-250-3226-7 |page=324 |language=en}}</ref>

According to Jahangir's memoirs, he issued a farman banning Jain seorahs (monks) due to alleged scandalous behavior. However, the ban was quickly rescinded but Jahangir neglected to mention that in his memoirs. There is a wide variety of evidence that Jahangir had good relations with Jains and Jain sources themselves extol him. According to Ali, Jahangir wrote his memoirs with his intended audience of Persian-speaking Muslims in mind and sought to portray himself as an anti-idolatry sultan and thus "modified" facts.{{Sfn|Ali|1990|pp=292-293}} Jahangir's memoirs also omit the fact that three of his nephews at one point converted to Christianity with his permission, although they would later reverse their decision.{{Sfn|Ali|1990|pp=293-294}}

He issued 'Jahangiri coins' which had his own portrait. He even issued the zodiac series of gold and silver coins which had images of zodiac symbols alongside the radiating sun in the background, due to his faith in astrology. The sign of the zodiac was substituted for the month in which the coin was minted. All of this was considered haram by the ulema due to which his successor Shahjahan ordered all those coins melted, accounting for their extreme rarity now.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Sharma |first=Kamayani |date=2022-09-13 |title=Why did Mughal emperor Jahangir issue these rare and singular astrology-themed coins? |url=https://scroll.in/magazine/1032653/why-did-mughal-emperor-jahangir-issue-these-rare-and-singular-astrology-themed-coins |access-date=2024-10-14 |magazine=Scroll.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The COININDIA Coin Galleries: Jahangir |url=https://coinindia.com/galleries-jahangir.html |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=coinindia.com}}</ref> 

Jahangir had a strong inclination toward pragmatism, reason and skepticism. He often remarked on unusual occurrences by stating, "This is so strange, it is recorded here," or dismissing claims that defied logic with, "It does not accord with reason, and my mind does not accept it."  While he upheld religious tolerance, his patience did not extend to deceitful religious practices. He swiftly punished a self-proclaimed guru who displeased him, expelled a yogi while destroying his idol for performing a superstitious ritual with his visitors, and imprisoned a renowned Naqshbandi Muslim scholar for a while, who, in his view, held an inflated sense of self-importance and hoodwinked people by peddling mysticism. However, he was not without his own biases. He maintained a deep reverence for the tombs of saints and firmly believed in the power of holy men’s prayers, particularly those he credited with enabling his birth. He held faith in astrology and ensured he gave alms to counteract the negative effects of unfavorable planetary alignments.<ref name=":4" />

According to [[Richard M. Eaton|Richard M Eaton]], Emperor Jahangir issued many edicts admonishing his nobles not to convert the religion of anybody by force, but the issuance of such orders also suggests that such conversions must have occurred during his rule in some measure. He continued the Mughals tradition of being scrupulously secular in outlook. Stability, loyalty, and revenue were the main focus, not the religious change among their subjects.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ashraf |first=Ajaz |title='We will never know the number of temples desecrated through India's history': Richard Eaton |url=http://scroll.in/article/769463/we-will-never-know-the-number-of-temples-desecrated-through-indias-history-richard-eaton |access-date=2022-05-17 |work=Scroll.in |date=20 November 2015 |language=en-US |archive-date=26 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526191846/https://scroll.in/article/769463/we-will-never-know-the-number-of-temples-desecrated-through-indias-history-richard-eaton |url-status=live }}</ref>