corundum, quality.10, gems

Jahangir’s memoirs, composed principally by the Mughal emperor himself and continued by others for the later years of his reign, provide a detailed record of his life, court, travels, political affairs, and unusually acute observations of the natural world. The work contains numerous references to jewels, gemstones, and jeweled objects presented as gifts, received as tribute, purchased, valued, or incorporated into imperial regalia. Diamonds, rubies, spinels, emeralds, pearls, and other precious materials are frequently recorded with their weights and contemporary valuations, providing important evidence for the Mughal gem trade and court appreciation of gemstones. Jahangir displays a particular interest in exceptional individual stones and carefully records their provenance, appearance, size, inscriptions, and histories of ownership. The memoirs also contain descriptions of jade and other carved hardstone vessels, jeweled weapons and ornaments, and the celebrated imperial practice of weighing rulers and princes against precious substances. Beyond gems, Jahangir’s close observations of animals, plants, minerals, geography, and unusual natural phenomena make the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri an exceptionally rich primary source for the material culture and natural history of the Mughal Empire in the early seventeenth century.