Jahangir

Born Nur ud-din Muhammad Salim on 31 August 1569, the third and only surviving son of Akbar, he learned Chagatai, Persian, Hindustani, military tactics, and statecraft before leading an army at 26 to crush a revolt in Orchha in 1594. He took the throne as Jahangir on 3 November 1605 after Akbar's death. His reign pushed Mughal authority deeper into the Rajput kingdoms and the Deccan, balanced relations with Safavid Persia and the Ottomans, and opened contact with the English East India Company. He married Mehar-un-Nisa, who became Empress Nur Jahan and wielded considerable political power, while painting and architecture flourished under his patronage. Revolts by his own sons tested the throne, and decades of opium and alcohol destroyed his health. He died on 28 October 1627, triggering a brief succession struggle before his son Shah Jahan took power.