Good Morning - Page 3

Originally posted by: myviewprem

Royal family members drank and even smoked hooka etc that included jahanara and roshanara too

For some it must be fashin and easy availability or friends influence

But we must understand why many royals got addicted to booze and drugs

It must be tough being a royal prince or royal princess in mughal harem

Royal prince like Salim had to got to war at young age, hardly 9-10 years old. They saw death and war and voilence as kids and were expected to grow up fast. War field is tough place and even adults get shaken up there. Second thing is staying away from family for long. Third the expectation of being crown prince from parents as well as citizens constantly and scrutiny must be tough. Fourth is parents neglect of royal kids, do you think an emperor or empress would bother or have much time for their kids. Usually royal kids must be brought up by maids etc. Royal kids had dai mas to feed them, the princess would not feed own kids as they had constant pressure to look good so husband does not get attracted to souten etc. Fathers would be busy in court and war and tours. Finally if all this was not enough no sucession plan or rules. Royal prince had to compete with step brothers, farticide was common. Imagine being scared when your step brother or mothers will kill you and your kids. All the politics and games in mughal court and harem must not be for faint hearted ones. So to forget all this may be they drank and did drugs. Not all can take too much pressure and tensions and scruitny.

Of course taking drugs was an extreme thing

Salim banned it after becoming emperor

But rich and royals could get it easily and continued using it

Salim himself drank wine and added drugs to his wine(hes written in jehangirnama)

I think Salim and Maan bai were emotional and short fused people. They could not handle constant tension and scruitny and hence took to addiction to forget same. One historian says Jehangir aka Salim could be a very good librarian or naturalist. So their interest was different but they had other roles like soldier or administrator. Maan bai was like a modern 21st girl thinking, she wanted husband to listen to her, was not able to handle harem competition from other wives and may not be street smart, did not like anyone slighting her and would pick fights. Apart from that she was lonely husband away in wars and bhagawat and son in Akbars harem than with her. Basically her concept of self respect and right and wrong was very high. That must have taken a toll on her mental health leading her to become addicted and suicide at young age.

So we must analyze someones life circumstance to know why they must have drank wine or had drugs etc. Those wine/drugs must have helped them remain sane to some extent in all the politics. In those times there were no psychiatrists to help people in upset/tension so drinks and drugs were used may be. Family also not there with them, so they became addicted to drinks and drugs.