If you think the Great Muslim Mughal Emperors of the Sub-Continent had clean slates, well, they haven’t taught you any thing in history class have they. These were powerful men who ruled over millions but each had their own dark and dirty secrets – a code they lived by…

Here are some of the strangest, darkest secrets of the Great Mughal Emperors we never knew.

1. Every Mughal emperor married more than once

It was a tradition to keep many wives. The wives lived inside a Harem – where the women enjoyed an absurdly luxurious life with hundreds of slaves – the Emperor would visit a different wive every night and if a slave caught his eye, she would always be at his service.

2. Humayun, the famous Mughal Emperor, son of Babur the first Mughal Emperor was very fond of Opium and merry making

This was one of the reasons that made him lose ground against Sher Shah Suri

3. Aurangzeb Alamgir, son of Shahjahan, murdered three of his brothers and impeached his father just to be able to sit on the throne of the Mughal Sultanate

4. Babur the Great, the military tactician, defeated Ibrahim Lodhi’s Army

Even though he was outnumbered 10,000 to 100,000 – just because of his military tactics and skills in the battlefield.

5. Akbar the Great made a tower of heads

About 30,000 beheaded skulls were fixed into the tower

6. Jahangir, never fell in love with a kaneez called Anarkali (she might not even exist)

7. Aurangzeb Alamgir was the only Mughal Emperor who did not drink wine at all, due to his Islamic and religious principles

8. Jehangir, son of Akbar the Great, is said to have slow-poisoned his father to be crowned King of India

Akbar’s degrading health finally halted when died of Diarrhea

9. Humayun, who could not be killed by Sher Shah Suri or his Maratha enemies – died by falling down the steps of his library when he was drunk and under influence of Opium

10. Akbar the Great did not know how to read or write, as he was dyslexic

Well, that did not stand in his way of gaining knowledge and starting his own religion called “Din-e-Illahi”

So if you’re a student of history or are keen about what happened in the times of our forefathers, well, you now have a fair idea of their appetite and ruthlessness.

Also see: 11 Basic Rights of Wives in Islam According to Quran and Hadith