Hamida Banu Begum
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Hamida Banu Begum (Persian: حمیده بانو بیگم; 1527 – 29 August 1604) was the
empress consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but historically she does not formally ...
of the second Mughal emperor
Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...
and the mother of his successor, the third Mughal emperor
Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
.The Humayun Nama: Gulbadan Begum's forgotten chronicle
Yasmeen Murshed, The Daily Star, 27 June 2004.
She was bestowed the title of Mariam Makani (), by her son, Akbar. She also bore the title of Padshah Begum during the reign of Akbar.


Family

Hamida Banu Begum was born 1527 to a family of Persian descent. Her father, Shaikh Ali Akbar Jami, a
Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
, was a preceptor to Mughal prince Hindal Mirza, the youngest son of the first Mughal emperor, Babur. Ali Akbar Jami was also known as Mian Baba Dost, who belonged to the lineage of Ahmad Jami Zinda-fil. Hamida Banu's mother was Maah Afroz Begum, who married Ali Akbar Jami in Paat,
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
. As suggested by her lineage, Hamida was a devout
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
.


Meeting with Humayun

She met
Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...
, as a fourteen-year-old girl and frequenting Mirza Hindal's household, at a banquet given by his mother, Dildar Begum (The late Babur's wife idowand Humayun's step-mother) in Alwar. Humayun was in exile after his exodus from
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
, due to the armies of
Sher Shah Suri Sher Shah Suri (born Farid al-Din Khan; 1472 or 1486 – 22 May 1545), also known by his title Sultan Adil (), was the ruler of Bihar from 1530 to 1540, and Sultan of Hindustan from 1540 until his death in 1545. He defeated the Mughal Empire, ...
, who had ambitions of restoring Afghan rule in Delhi. When negotiations for Humayun's marriage with Hamida Banu Begum were going on, both Hamida and Hindal bitterly opposed the marriage proposal, possibly because they were involved with each other. It seems probable that Hamida was in love with Hindal, though there is only circumstantial evidence for it. In her book the ''Humayun-nama'', Hindal's sister and Hamida's close friend, Gulbadan Begum, pointed out that Hamida was frequently seen in her brother's palace during those days, and even in the palace of their mother, Dildar Begum. Initially, Hamida refused to meet the emperor; eventually after forty days of pursuit and at the insistence of Dildar Begum, she agreed to marry him. She refers to her initial reluctance in the ''Humayunama'',Mukherjee, p.120


Marriage

The marriage took place on a day chosen by the Emperor, an avid astrologer himself, employing his
astrolabe An astrolabe (; ; ) is an astronomy, astronomical list of astronomical instruments, instrument dating to ancient times. It serves as a star chart and Model#Physical model, physical model of the visible celestial sphere, half-dome of the sky. It ...
, at mid-day on a Monday in September, 1541 ( Jumada al-awwal 948 AH) at Patr (known as Paat, Dadu District of
Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...
). Thus, she became his junior wife, after Bega Begum (later known as Haji Begum, after ''
Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...
''), who was his first wife and chief consort. The marriage became "politically beneficial" to
Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...
, as he got help from the rival
Shia Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
groups during times of war. A year after a perilous journey through the desert, on 22 August 1542, she and Emperor Humayun reached
Umerkot Umerkot (Urdu: ; Dhatki language, Dhatki : عمرڪوٽ; Sindhi language, Sindhi: عمرڪوٽ; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, mərkoːʈ formerly known as Amarkot) is a city in the Sindh province of Pakista ...
ruled by Rana Prasad, a
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
Sodha Rajput, at a small desert town, where the Rana gave them asylum. Two months later, she gave birth to the future Emperor,
Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
, early in the morning on 15 October 1542 (fourth day of
Rajab Rajab () is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of the classical Arabic verb ''rajaba'' is "to respect", which could also mean "be awe or be in fear", of which Rajab is a derivative. This month is regarded as one ...
, 949 AH); he was given the name Humayun had heard in his dream at Lahore – the Emperor Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar.. In coming years, she took on numerous tough journeys to follow her husband, who was still in flight. First, in the beginning of the following December, she and her new born went into camp at Jūn, after traveling for ten or twelve days. Then in 1543, she made the perilous journey from Sindh, which had Qandahar for its goal, but in course of which Humayun had to take hasty flight from Shal-mastan, "through a desert and waterless waste". Leaving her little son behind, she accompanied her husband to Persia, here they visited the shrines of her ancestor, Ahmad-e Jami and Shiites shrine, of
Ardabil Ardabil (, ) is a city in northwestern Iran. It is in the Central District (Ardabil County), Central District of Ardabil County, Ardabil province, Ardabil province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The ...
in
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, the place of origin of
Safavid dynasty The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from Safavid Iran, 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder em ...
, which helped them immensely in the following years. In 1544, at a camp at Sabzawar, 93 miles south of
Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...
, she gave birth to two daughters, who died on the return journey from Persia. Thereafter, she returned from Persia with the army given to Humayun by
Shah of Iran The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...
, Tahmasp I, and at
Kandahar Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...
met Dildar Begum, and her son, Mirza Hindal. Thus it was not until 15 November 1545 (Ramdan 10th, 952 AH) that she saw her son Akbar again: the scene of young Akbar recognizing his mother amongst a group of women has been keenly illustrated in Akbar's biography, '' Akbarnama''. In 1548, she and Akbar accompanied Humayun to Kabul.


Akbar's reign

During the reign of
Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
, there are many instances where imperial ladies interfered in matters of the court to ask pardon for a wrongdoer. She used her influence to secure a pardon for state offenders. Meanwhile, Sher Shah Suri died in May 1545, and after that his son and successor, Islam Shah died too in 1554, disintegrating the Suri dynasty rule. In November 1554, when Humayun set out for India, she stayed back in
Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
. Though he took control of Delhi in 1555, he died within a year of his return, by falling down the steps of his library at Purana Qila,
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
, in 1556 at the age of 47, leaving behind a thirteen-year-old heir, Akbar, who was to become one of greatest emperors of the empire. Hamida Banu joined Akbar from Kabul, only during his second year of reign, 1557 CE, and stayed with him thereafter, she even intervened in politics on various occasions, most notably during the ouster of Mughal minister,
Bairam Khan Muhammad Bairam Khan (; 18 January 1501 – 31 January 1561), commonly known as Bairam Khan or Bayram Khan was an important military commander, and later commander-in-chief of the Mughal Empire, Mughal army, a powerful statesman and regent at ...
, when Akbar came of age in 1560. In later years, she raised her granddaughter, Shahzada Khanam.


Death and aftermath

She was buried at Humayun's Tomb after her death on 29 August 1604 (19th Shahriyar, 1013 AH) in
Agra Agra ( ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra is the ...
, just a year before the death of her son Akbar and almost half a century after death of her husband, Humayun. Throughout her years, she was held in high regard by her son Akbar, as English traveler Thomas Coryat recorded, Akbar carrying her
palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
himself across the river, during one of her journeys from Lahore to Agra. Later when Prince Salim, future emperor Jahangir, revolted against his father Akbar, she took upon the case of her grandson, and a reconciliation ensued thereafter, even though Salim had plotted and got Akbar's favorite minister Abu'l-Fazl killed. Akbar shaved his head and chin only on two occasions, one at the death of foster-mother Jiji Anga and another at the death of his mother. She was given the title, '' Maryam-makānī'', dwelling with Mary as she was considered, 'epitome of innocence' by Akbar. She has been referred to as ''"Hazrat"'' in court chronicles of her son, Akbar and her grandson, Jahangir. Details of her life are also found in ''Humayun Nama'', written by Gulbadan Begum, sister of
Humayun Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...
,LXXXIII. Ḥamīda-bānū Begam Maryam-makānī
''Humayun-nama'' Chapter 57, Appendix A. Biographical Notices of the Women mentioned by Babar, Gulbadan Begum, and Haidar.''LXXXIII.''.
Packard Humanities Institute The Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) is a non-profit foundation, established in 1987, and located in Los Altos, California, which funds projects in a wide range of conservation concerns in the fields of archaeology, music, film preservation, ...
as well as in '' Akbarnama'' and ''
Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' (), or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document regarding the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl, in the Persian language. It forms ...
'', both written during the reign of her son, Akbar.


In popular culture

* She is portrayed by
Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid, also known as Nirmala Dutt; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) known mononyomusly as Nargis was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and finest actresses in the ...
in the 1945 Indian epic film ''Humayun''. * In '' Jodhaa Akbar'', a 2008 Indian epic film, directed by
Ashutosh Gowariker Ashutosh Gowariker (born 15 February 1964) is an Indian film director, actor, screenwriter and producer who works in Indian cinema, Indian Hindi cinema. He is known for directing films "set on a huge canvas while boasting of an opulent treatment ...
, the character of Hamida Bano was portrayed by Poonam Sinha. * From 18 June 2013, Zee TV started airing a TV series titled '' Jodha Akbar'' with Rajat Tokas and Paridhi Sharma in the lead. Hamida Banu Begum is portrayed as a main character and is played by Chhaya Phadkar. *
Rishina Kandhari Rishina Kandhari is an Indian actress whose major roles include Princess Khyati on ''Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev'', the Goddess Laxmi in ''Tenali Rama'', Empress Hamida Banu Begum Hamida Banu Begum (Persian: حمیده بانو بیگم; ...
portrayed Hamida Banu Begum in the 2017 Indian television series '' Akbar Rakht Se Takht Ka Safar''.


References


Further reading

* ''Humayun-Nama : The History of Humayun'' by Gulbadan Begum, Tr. by Annette S. Beveridge (1902). New Delhi, Goodword, 2001.
E-book at Packard Institute
* *


External links



{{Authority control Wives of Humayun 1527 births 1604 deaths Queen mothers Akbar Indian people of Iranian descent Mothers of Mughal emperors 16th-century Iranian women 16th-century Iranian people