Jahāngīr, c. 1615 Jahangir (birth name Salim), the son of Akbar, was so eager to take power that he staged a brief revolt in 1599, proclaiming his independence while his father was still on the throne.

Two years later he went so far as to arrange for the assassination of his father’s closest friend and adviser, Abu al-Fazl. These events disturbed Akbar, but the pool of possible successors was small, with two of Jahangir’s younger brothers having drunk themselves to death, so Akbar formally designated Jahangir as his successor before his death in 1605. Jahangir inherited an empire that was stable and wealthy, leaving him to focus his attention on other activities. His patronage of the arts was unprecedented, and his palace workshops produced some of the finest miniature paintings in the Mughal tradition. He also consumed excessive amounts of alcohol and opium, at one point employing a special servant just to manage his supply of intoxicating drugs.

Mughal Library