Akbar loved his elder son very much. Compared to other princes he had been entrusted with higher positions. From time to time magnanimity shown to Saleem by the emperor, the rewards and titles awarded to him clearly showed Akbar had chosen him to succeed him.
But Saleem was showing the traits of a spoilt royal brat as he grew up. His insolent behaviour often shocked Akbar and hurt him. Their relationship became very bitter.
In July, 1589 Akbar fell seriously ill. He felt shooting pain in his stomach. According to the historian Abdul Fazal—’Akbar had doubts that his wayward son Saleem had got him poisioned by winning the royal cook over in some way.’
But somehow Akbar got well.
In 1597 Emperor Akbar went to Kashmir on a royal holiday. There prince Saleem did something obnoxious to offend Akbar so gravely that the former was barred from entering the royal court. Later Saleem apologized for his indecent behaviour and Emperor Akbar at once forgave him. The sire had been very kind to his son inspite of all the misdeeds of the latter.
Saleem carried a grudge against Abul Fazal besides his own sire. The prince thought because of Abul Fazal he was not getting the importance he deserved.
In 1598, Akbar wanted to send Saleem on a southern campaign to enable him to prove to the court that he was a worthy successor to the Moghul throne. But Saleem refused to undertake the campaign which annoyed the emperor. The distance between the father and the son grew further.
The deep analysis of the behaviour of Saleem reveals that he was getting frustrated as he was growing older and the crown was no nearer than before. Meanwhile due to some accidents and health complications of the advanced age Akbar was physically weakening. In the same proportion the hunger for throne in Saleem was growing stronger.
There was no dirth of courtiers, chieftains and commanders who converged on Saleem and instigated him as they realised Akbar was on the verge of becoming history. They wanted to take advantage of the situation and make their future brighter by getting closer to the rising son.
That was the real factor which was making Saleem arrogant and egoful. He considered himself to be the virtual ruler of Hindustan even while Akbar was alive. That was the reason for this insolent behaviour. There was one more reason for his odd behaviour. Saleem led an indulgent life. Besides being a debauched he had become a drunkard. That affected his health. Some other addictions were also suspected. Akbar often admonished him for his addictions that gripped the prince. The sire remained fond of his son. He wanted his son to accept important responsibilities that could redeem him from addictions besides gaining him valuable experience.
In 1599 Akbar appointed Saleem to take charge of the campaign the emperor wanted to start against Rana Amar Singh, the son of late Rana Pratap Singh. Saleem showed little interest in it. He returned back from Ajmer abandoning the campaign.
Then Emperor Akbar was on southern campaign.
Saleem took advantage of the absence of Akbar. He moved towards Agra and usurped a huge property worth about a crore that belonged to Amir Shahbaz Khan Kamboo. Saleem wanted to take over Agra but did not succeed and moved on to Allahabad.
There he acted very harshly against the officials and chieftains of the empire. The properties of some officials were confiscated by him. Saleem seized revenue money of the empire amounting to Rs. 30 lakh that had come from Bihar. At Allahabad he held court and acted like a sovereign. It was his private show and amounted to treason against the empire. When Akbar learnt about the rebellious activities of his son he was busy in laying seige to the fort of Asir.
Akbar was shocked at hearing the news of the treason like acts of Saleem but he didn’t lose his head. He sent a letter to Saleem through Mohammad Shareef who was a close friend of the prince. Akbar had used entreaties and pleas to reason with his son in the sentiment of a fond father instead of an angry emperor. He hoped Shareef would also intercede on his behalf but the latter betrayed him. At Allahabad Mohammad Shareef joined Saleem’s camp.
Saleem continued with his rebellious acts.
Akbar had to return to Agra.
In 1602 Saleem sought permission to have an audience with the emperor which was denied. A few days later Akbar learnt that Saleem was coming to meet him with a force of 30,000 cavalrymen. Akbar sent him a message that he should come alone to the emperor if he wished to have a meeting or return to Allahabad.
Now Saleem realised that he had pushed his sire a bit too far and the emperor wont hesitate in using military might against him. He quietly returned to Allahabad.
To appease Saleem Emperor Akbar appointed him as the governor of Bengal and Orissa. But he refused to accept the assignment. Through that defiant act Saleem clearly indicated that he wanted the throne of the Moghul Empire and nothing less.
To deal with the tricky situation Akbar sent for Abul Fazal who was on the southern campaign.
Saleem got wind of it and his blood shot up. That man Abul Fazal he hated most and considered him to be the one responsible for the bitter relationship between the emperor and the crown prince. He decided to eliminate his enemy even before he reached to the emperor. Saleem asked his friend Raja Veer Singh Bundela of Orhawa to do the job.
On August 12, 1602 Veer Singh intercepted Abul Fazal and his band between Barki Sarai and Antri. An armed clash followed. Veer Singh sent severed head of Abul Fazal to Allahabad as a gift to Prince Saleem.
The assassination of his favoured man anguished Emperor Akbar.
In grief he lamented, “Why didn’t Saleem kill me if he so badly wanted the throne?”
Akbar dispatched Rai Tripurdas to deal with Veer Singh Bundela and arrest him. But Bundela managed to avoid falling in the hands of the Moghul task force. Several times Moghul force engaged him in battle but each time he managed to flee when the defeat became imminent. At last, the task force returned having failed to nab Veer Singh Bundela who remained free till the end.
It is said that after the death of Akbar when Saleem descended on throne he duly rewarded Veer Singh Bundela with the title of ‘Raja’ and a command of 3000 soldiers.
The assassination of Abul Fazal widened the chasm between Akbar and Saleem. All the doors of patch up and compromise appeared shut.
But the begums Salim Sultan and Gulbadan who had considerable influence on Akbar intervened and worked their charm for the benefit of Saleem. At last Akbar yielded and agreed to meet his prodigal son at Agra.
Saleem duly arrived at Agra. With his head on his sire’s feet the son accepted his follies. As ever Akbar melted down and moved emotionally he put his turban on the head of Saleem to convey the fact that he and only he was the heir to the throne of Moghul empire. If appeared that the father and the son had finally patched up for good.
Then Akbar asked Saleem to move to Mewar and take charge of the campaign there. The prince displayed his reluctance and disinterest. He said he could go if the emperor accepted certain conditions. The conditions were impossible to meet.
So, Akbar ordered him to go back to Allahabad.
There Saleem began to drown his sorrow in the drinking which deranged his mind. For minor faults he began to give barbaric punishments to official. When Akbar was told about them, it gave even the emperor goose pimples in shock. He could not take it for long. At last Akbar decided to personally go to Allahabad and punish the degenerate prince. On August 21, 1604 he set out for Allahabad through Yamuna river course. Only a little way he had travelled when he received the news that mother Marium Makani had fallen gravely sick. She had been ill for sometime. The serious condition of the mother made Akbar return to Agra at once. On August 29, 1604 Marium Makani passed away and for sometime Akbar couldn’t undertake any important mission in the mourning period as the tradition demanded.
Saleem knew that due to circumstances for the time being Akbar had put off his plan to punish him but the idea was not given up. He had just postponed it and would do it as soon as the time permitted. Saleem thought of being diplomatic and make use of the opportunity when he could go to Agra on the pretext of taking part in the condolence rituals of the death of his grandma Marium Makani.
On November 9, 1604 Saleem reached Agra. He presented the emperor a diamond worth Rs. 1 lakh and 200 elephants.
Overtly Akbar treated him calmly and accepted condolences. But as soon as the court session ended he got Saleem arrested and reprimanded publicly. The prince was shut in a bathroom and got a physician named Raja Salivahana treat him for alcoholism. Saleem was not to be given alcohol.
A historian De Leyatt has even written that Emperor Akbar infact slapped Saleem a few times.
Saleem was released after 10 days.
