Last updated: 5 November 2026
Quick answer: Mughal emperor Jahangir died on 28 October 1627, aged 58, near Bhimber on the road from Kashmir to Lahore. Years of heavy drinking and opium had left him with chronic asthma, and a severe cold on the journey proved fatal. His entrails were buried on the spot and his body was carried to Lahore, where he lies in a tomb at Shahdara. His son Shah Jahan seized the throne.
How did Jahangir die? Not in a palace. The fourth Mughal emperor died in a tent on a mountain road, while trying to reach the warmth of the Punjab plains before winter. His death set off one of the fastest and most ruthless successions in Mughal history.
Jahangir’s Death at a Glance
| Date of death | 28 October 1627 |
| Age | 58 (born 31 August 1569 at Fatehpur Sikri) |
| Place | Near Bhimber (Sarai Saidabad), between Rajouri and the plains, on the Kashmir–Lahore route; today in Pakistan-administered Kashmir |
| Cause of death | Respiratory illness: chronic asthma worsened by a severe cold, after decades of alcohol and opium use |
| Burial | Entrails at Chingus Sarai; body at Shahdara Bagh, Lahore, in a tomb finished around 1637 |
| Reign | 1605–1627 |
| Successor | Shah Jahan (Prince Khurram), crowned at Agra in February 1628 |
What was Jahangir’s cause of death?
Jahangir died of a respiratory illness that had been building for years. In his own memoirs, the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, he admits to drinking heavily from his teens, at one point some twenty cups of double-distilled spirits a day, and to taking opium. By the 1620s he suffered from asthma that left him short of breath, and he relied on Nur Jahan and her physicians to control his intake.
In 1627 he went to Kashmir for its cool air, hoping it would help. It did not. As autumn set in, he caught a severe cold, his breathing failed, and the court began the descent towards Lahore. He died on the way, on 28 October 1627.
Why were Jahangir’s entrails buried separately?
Lahore was days away and the body had to be preserved. The court physicians removed the internal organs and buried them near where he died, at a rest-house fort known as Chingus Sarai near Bhimber. Local tradition links the name to the Persian word for intestines. The embalmed body then travelled to Lahore with Nur Jahan and arrived on 12 November 1627. He was buried in the Dilkusha garden at Shahdara, across the Ravi, a place he had loved. Nur Jahan was later buried nearby in her own tomb.
What happened after Jahangir’s death?
Jahangir named no clear heir, and his court was split. Nur Jahan backed Prince Shahryar, Jahangir’s youngest son, who had married her daughter Ladli Begum. Her own brother, Asaf Khan, backed Prince Khurram, who had married his daughter Mumtaz Mahal.
Khurram was far away at Junnar in the Deccan. To buy time, Asaf Khan placed a puppet on the throne, Dawar Bakhsh, son of the late Prince Khusrau. Asaf Khan’s forces then defeated Shahryar near Lahore, captured and blinded him. Khurram reached Agra and was crowned Shah Jahan in February 1628, after which Shahryar, Dawar Bakhsh and other princes were put to death. Nur Jahan retired to Lahore on a pension and died there in 1645.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Jahangir die?
He died of a respiratory illness, asthma worsened by a severe cold, on the road from Kashmir to Lahore in October 1627. His health had been ruined by decades of alcohol and opium.
When did Jahangir die?
On 28 October 1627.
At what age did Jahangir die?
He was 58. He was born on 31 August 1569.
Where did Jahangir die?
Near Bhimber, on the route between Kashmir and Lahore.
Where is Jahangir buried?
At Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Pakistan. His entrails were buried separately near Bhimber.
Who became emperor after Jahangir?
His son Khurram, as Shah Jahan, after a brief interlude in which Dawar Bakhsh was set up as a stopgap.
Sources and Further Reading
- Jahangir, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, translated by Alexander Rogers and Henry Beveridge.
- Muhammad Hadi’s continuation of the Tuzuk, covering 1624–1627.
- Ruby Lal, Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan (2018).
- “Tomb of Jahangir”, Wikipedia.
Related: How Did Akbar Die? · Mughal Family Tree · Akbar’s Wives · How Did Aurangzeb Die?
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