Khusrau Mirza (16 August 1587 – 26 January 1622) was the eldest son of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir and his first wife, Shah Begum.
[5][non-primary source needed] Khusrau Mirza had powerful people backing him which included his father-in-law Mirza Aziz Koka, his maternal uncle Raja Man Singh, Queen Mother Mariam-uz-Zamani, Salima Sultan Begum and Jahangir's favourite sister Shakr-un-Nissa Begum, all of them together tried to secure a pardon for the charming prince and save him from death penalty.
[citation needed] Khusrau was born in Lahore on August 16, 1587, as the eldest son and second child of Jahangir and Man Bai.
[6] On account of Khusrau's birth, Prince Salim (later known as Emperor Jahangir) honoured his wife Man Bai with the title of Shah Begum.
[citation needed] He received military training under the most trusted and highest-ranking noble in the Mughal Court, his maternal uncle, Raja Man Singh.
As noted by a European clergyman of the Mughal court, Khusrau is reported to have a pleasing presence and was admired by the common people.
On 28 March 1594, Akbar made an unprecedented decision in honour of the young prince in the Mughal Court by granting Khusrau a high imperial rank of 5000 horses when he was six years old.
An incident noted by a Christian missionary, on his first encounter with Prince Khusrau, records, "On the evening following our arrival, the Emperor (Akbar) called us and showed us pictures of our Savior (Jesus Christ) and the Blessed Virgin (Mother Mary), and held them in his arms with as much as reverence as though it was our priests.
His status in subsequent months was raised above his father's when Akbar assigned him a drum and tuman-togh (A staff with a Yaks tail fur affixed), the symbols of honour that were exclusive to the Emperor himself.
[10]Khusrau's first wife and chief consort was the daughter of extremely powerful Mirza Aziz Koka, known as Khan Azam, son of Jiji Anga, Emperor Akbar's Wet nurse.
He was seated in a grand style on an elephant and paraded down Chandni Chowk, while on both sides of the narrow street, the noblemen and barons who had supported him were held at knifepoint on raised platforms.
Jahangir, however, filled with guilt later asked his health officials to find a remedy for the recovery of his son's eyesight though they remained unsuccessful.
In 1620, in order to secure her power in the Mughal court amidst Jahangir's declining health, Nur Jehan proposed a marriage of her daughter Mihr-un-Nissa Begum to Khusrau.
[27] To honour his son, Jahangir had him buried next to the tomb of his mother, Shah Begum, and ordered the construction of a mausoleum in Khusro Bagh in Allahabad.
On Jumada-l awwal 26, 1037 AH (January 23, 1628[29]), Dawar, his brother Garshasp, uncle Shahryar Mirza, as well as Tahmuras and Hoshang, sons of the deceased Prince Daniyal, were all put to death by Asaf Khan,[30] who was ordered by Shah Jahan to send them "out of the world", which he faithfully carried out.