Jahanara Begum
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Jahanara Begum (23 March 1614 – 16 September 1681) was a princess of the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
. She was the second and the eldest surviving child of Mughal Emperor
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
and Mumtaz Mahal. After Mumtaz Mahal's untimely death in 1631, the 17-year-old Jahanara was entrusted with the charge of the royal seal and conferred the title of '' Padshah Begum'' (First lady) of the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
, even though her father had three surviving wives. She was Shah Jahan's favorite daughter and wielded major political influence during her father's reign, and has been described as "the most powerful woman in the empire" at the time. Jahanara was an ardent partisan of her brother, Dara Shikoh, and supported him as her father's chosen successor. During the war of succession which took place after Shah Jahan's illness in 1657, Jahanara sided with the heir-apparent Dara and joined her father in Agra Fort, where he had been placed under house arrest by Aurangzeb. When Aurangzeb ascended to the throne, Jahanara was replaced by her younger sister, Roshanara as Padshah Begum. A devoted daughter, she took care of Shah Jahan until his death in 1666. Later, Jahanara reconciled with Aurangzeb who gave her the title 'Empress of Princesses' and replaced her younger sister, Princess Roshanara Begum, as the First Lady.Preston, page 285. Jahanara died during Aurangzeb's reign. She is known for her written works as well, which continue to be a primary way in which her presence in Sufism survives until today. She is well known for a biography of Sheikh Mu’in ad’-Din Chishti, ‘Munis al arwah’ whom she believed to have been the highest of the Sufi saints in India and her spiritual master, despite having lived four centuries before her.


Early life and education

Jahanara's early education was entrusted to Sati al-Nisa Khanam, the sister to Jahangir's poet laureate, Talib Amuli. Sati al-Nisa was known for her knowledge of the
Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...
and Persian literature, as well as for her knowledge of etiquette, housekeeping, and medicine. She also served as principal lady-in-waiting to her mother, Mumtaz Mahal. Many of the women in the imperial household were accomplished at reading, writing poetry and painting. They also played chess, polo and hunted outdoors. The women had access to the late Emperor Akbar's library, full of books on world religions, and Persian, Turkish and Indian literature. Jahanara was no exception. From a carefree girl, she was pushed into government politics, overseeing domestic and international trade, and even mediating courtiers and foreigners to communicate with the emperor, and was involved in the tasks of resolving family disputes. Upon the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, Jahanara, aged 17, took the place of her mother as First Lady of the Empire, despite her father having three other wives. In addition to caring for her younger brothers and sisters, she was also a good caretaker of her father. One of her tasks after the death of her mother was to oversee, with the help of Sati al-Nisa, the betrothal and wedding of her brother, Dara Shikoh to Nadira Banu Begum, which was originally planned by Mumtaz Mahal, but postponed by her death. Her father frequently took her advice and entrusted her with the charge of the Imperial Seal. Having the right to issue farmans and nishans , she was given the greatest and highest rank in the harem. She also attended councils and discussed important aspects of state and governance from behind her curtained seat. The state nobles and kings or foreign ambassadors, whether commercial or political, sought her intervention before the emperor. Her word became so powerful that it was said that it could change the fortunes of people. As French traveller and physician François Bernier writes in his memoirs,''Travels in the Mogul Empire'',
"Shah Jahan reposed unbounded confidence in his favourite child; she watched over his safety, and so cautiously observant, that no dish was permitted to appear upon the royal table which had not been prepared under her superintendence."
In 1644, when Aurangzeb angered his father, the ''Badshah'', Jahanara interceded on her brother's behalf and convinced Shah Jahan to pardon him and restore his rank. Shah Jahan's fondness for his daughter was reflected in the multiple titles that he bestowed upon her, which included: ''Sahibat al-Zamani'' (Lady of the Age), ''Padishah Begum'' (Lady Emperor)'','' and ''Begum Sahib'' (Princess of Princesses). Her power was such that, unlike the other imperial princesses, she was allowed to live in her own palace, outside the confines of the Agra Fort. There, she held her own court where she entertained nobles, ministers, officers, clerics and ambassadors, and discussed government affairs or their requests. Foreign trade was known to be an aspect of the empire which felt her influence. It is recorded that the Dutch embassy, in attempting to get permission for trade, had taken note of the importance of Jahanara’s approval, in swaying her father Shah Jahan. In addition to this, she often travelled from the capital, accepting many beggars and petitioners from the people and issued Hukm or Farman to meet the needs of society.Preston, page 235. In March 1644, just days after her thirtieth birthday, Jahanara suffered serious burns on her body and almost died of her injuries. Shah Jahan ordered that vast sums of alms be given to the poor, prisoners be released, and prayers offered for the recovery of the princess. Aurangzeb, Murad, and Shaista Khan returned to Delhi to see her. Accounts differ as to what happened. Some say Jahanara's garments, doused in fragrant perfume oils, caught fire. Other accounts assert that the princess' favorite dancing woman's dress caught fire and the princess, coming to her aid, burnt herself on the chest. During her illness, Shah Jahan was so concerned about the welfare of his favourite daughter, that he made only brief appearances at his daily durbar in the Diwan-i-Am. Royal physicians failed to heal Jahanara's burns. A Persian doctor came to treat her, and her condition improved for a number of months, but then, there was no further improvement until a royal page named Arif Chela mixed an ointment that, after two more months, finally caused the wounds to close. A year after the accident, Jahanara fully recovered. After the accident, the princess went on a pilgrimage to
Moinuddin Chishti Mu'in al-Din Hasan Chishti Sijzi (; February 1143 – March 1236), known reverentially as Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (), was a Persians, Persian Islamic scholar and Sufism, mystic from Sistan, who eventually ended up settling in the Indian subcontin ...
's shrine in Ajmer. After her recovery, Shah Jahan gave Jahanara rare gems and jewellery, and bestowed upon her the revenues of the port of Surat. She later visited
Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...
, following the example set by her great-grandfather Akbar.


Wealth and charity

In honor of his coronation, on 6 February 1628, Shah Jahan awarded his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, Jahanara's mother, the title of Padshah Begum and 200,000 ashrafis (Persian gold coins worth two Mohurs), 600,000 rupees and an annual privy purse of one million rupees. Moreover, Shah Jahan presented Mumtaz with jewels worth five million rupees. Jahanara was given the title of Begum Sahiba and received 100,000 ashrafis, 400,000 rupees and an annual grant of 600,000 and she was also awarded jewels worth two million and five hundred thousand rupees. Upon Mumtaz Mahal's death, her personal fortune was divided by Shah Jahan between Jahanara Begum (who received half) and the rest of Mumtaz Mahal's surviving children. Jahanara was allotted income from a number of villages and owned several gardens, including, Bagh-i-Jahanara, Bagh-i-Nur and Bagh-i-Safa. "Her '' jagir'' included the villages of Achchol, Farjahara and the ''Sarkars'' of Bachchol, Safapur and Doharah. The ''pargana'' of Panipat was also granted to her." As mentioned above, she was also given the prosperous city of Surat. Her great-grandmother,
Mariam-uz-Zamani Mariam-uz-Zamani (; – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai, was the Empress consort, chief consort, principal Hinduism, Hindu wife and the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was also the longest-servi ...
established an international trading business in the Mughal Empire and owned several trading ships like '' Rahīmī'' and '' Ganj-I-Sawai'', which dealt between Surat and the Red Sea trading silk, indigo and spices. Nur Jahan continued the business, trading in indigo and cloth. Later, Jahanara continued the tradition. She owned a number of ships and maintained trade relations with the English and the Dutch. Jahanara was known for her active participation in looking after the poor and financing the building of mosques. When her ship, the ''Sahibi'' was to set sail for its first journey (on 29 October 1643), she ordered that the ship make its voyage to
Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...
and
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
and, "... that every year, fifty ''koni'' (One Koni was 4 Muns or 151 pounds) of rice should be sent by the ship for distribution among the destitute and needy of Mecca." As the de facto Primary Queen of the Mughal empire, Jahanara was responsible for charitable donations. She organized almsgiving on important state holidays and religious festivals, supported famine relief and pilgrimages to Mecca. Jahanara made important financial contributions in the support of learning and arts. She supported the publication of a series of works on Islamic mysticism, including commentaries on Rumi's '' Mathnavi'', a very popular mystical work in Mughal India.


Sufism

Along with her brother Dara Shikoh, she was a disciple of Mullah Shah Badakhshi, who initiated her into the Qadiriyya
Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
order in 1641. Jahanara Begum made such progress on the Sufi path that Mullah Shah would have named her his successor in the Qadiriyya, but the rules of the order did not allow this. She wrote a biography of
Moinuddin Chishti Mu'in al-Din Hasan Chishti Sijzi (; February 1143 – March 1236), known reverentially as Khawaja Gharib Nawaz (), was a Persians, Persian Islamic scholar and Sufism, mystic from Sistan, who eventually ended up settling in the Indian subcontin ...
, the founder of the Chishti Order in India, titled '' Mu'nis al-Arwāḥ'' (), as well as a biography of Mullah Shah, titled '' Risālah-i Ṣāḥibīyah'', in which she also described her initiation by him. Her biography of Moinuddin Chishti is highly regarded for its judgment and literary quality. In it, she regarded him as having initiated her spiritually four centuries after his death, described her pilgrimage to
Ajmer Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...
, and spoke of herself as a ''faqīrah'' to signify her vocation as a Sufi woman. An aspect of her Sufi work also included an autobiographical narrative, detailing her thoughts and experiences, titled ''Sahibiya (The Lady’s Treatise)'', and contained information pertaining to her spiritual experience, her search for a Sufi master and her transitioning to the Qadiri order in Lahore. This transition was a complicated decision to make: “It occurred to me that I was a disciple of the Chishti order, but now that I was entering the Qadiri order, would there be conflict in me?” Jahanara Begum stated that she and her brother Dārā were the only descendants of Timur to embrace Sufism. (However, Aurangzeb was spiritually trained as a follower of Sufism as well.) As a patron of Sufi literature, she commissioned translations and commentaries of many works of classic Sufi literature.


War of Succession

Shah Jahan fell seriously ill in 1657. A war of succession broke out among his four sons, Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh. During the war of succession, Jahanara supported her brother Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. When Dara Shikoh's generals sustained a defeat at Dharmat (1658) at the hands of Aurangzeb, Jahanara wrote a letter to Aurangzeb and advised him not to disobey his father and fight with his brother. She was unsuccessful. Dara was badly defeated in the Battle of Samugarh (29 May 1658), and fled towards Delhi. Shah Jahan did everything he could to stop the planned invasion of Agra. He asked Jahanara to use her diplomacy to convince Murad and Shuja not to throw their weight on the side of Aurangzeb. In June 1658, Aurangzeb besieged his father Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort, forcing him to surrender unconditionally, by cutting off the water supply. Jahanara came to Aurangzeb on 10 June, proposing a partition of the empire. Dara Shikoh would be given the Punjab and adjoining territories, Shuja would get Bengal, Murad would get Gujarat, Aurangzeb's son Sultan Muhammad would get the Deccan, and the rest of the empire would go to Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb refused Jahanara's proposition on the grounds that Dara Shikoh was an infidel. On Aurangzeb's ascent to the throne, Jahanara joined her father in imprisonment at the Agra Fort, where she devoted herself to his care until his death in 1666. Her rival and younger sister, Roshanara, replaced her as Padshah Begum and Begum Sahib, and took over the control of the imperial family and palace thanks to the assistance she had rendered to Aurangzeb during the war of succession. After the death of their father, Jahanara and Aurangzeb reconciled. He restored her former titles to her; Padshah Begum ''(Lady Emperor or Grand Empress)'', and Begum Sahib ''(Princess of Princesses)'', and bestowed upon her a new title, Shahzadi Sahib (''Empress of Princesses''). Again, the control of the Khāndān-e-Shahi (royal family) and the Zenana (harem) was entrusted to her. Jahanara replaced Roshanara as the First Lady. As the first lady of his court, her annual allowance was raised from Rs 1 million rupees (during the reign of Shah Jahan) to Rs 1.7 million. In addition, Aurangzeb again gave her the revenue of the port of Surat and a grand mansion in Delhi, where Aurangzeb would spend hours conversing with her. Aurangzeb respected her and sought her counsel in matters of state and public welfare. She never shied from arguing with the Emperor in order to prove her point, especially when it concerned his enforced austerity measures or his practice of religious intolerance. Jahanara re-entered politics and was influential in various important matters and had certain special privileges which other women did not possess: an independent life with a private palace of her own, the power to issue Hukm or Farman (an imperial order that was only the emperor's right), to attend the council (''shura'' or ''diwan''), to receive audiences in her palace, and to mediate between officers, politicians, and foreign kings and the emperor. She also argued against Aurangzeb's strict regulation of public life in accordance with his conservative religious beliefs, and his decision in 1679 to restore the poll tax on non-Muslims, which she believed would alienate his Hindu subjects. She publicly quarreled with him on these issues and criticised him for his policy.


Relationship with Shah Jahan

Jahanara’s influence in Mughal administration resulted in several rumors and accusations of an incestuous relationship with her father, Shah Jahan. Such accusations have been dismissed by modern historians as gossip, as no witness of an incident has been mentioned. Historian K. S. Lal also dismisses such claims as rumors, propagated by courtiers and mullahs. He cites Aurangzeb's confining of Jahanara in the Agra Fort with the royal prisoner and gossip magnifying a rumor. Several contemporary travelers have mentioned such accusations. Francois Bernier, a French physician, mentions rumors of an incestuous relationship being propagated in the Mughal Court. However, Bernier did not mention witnessing such a relationship. Niccolao Manucci, a Venetian traveler, dismisses such accusations by Bernier as gossip and ''"The talk of the Low People".''


Burial

Jahanara had her tomb built during her lifetime. It is constructed entirely of white marble with a screen of trellis work, open to the sky. Upon her death, Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title, ''Sahibat-uz-Zamani'' (Mistress of the Age). Jahanara is buried in a tomb in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex in
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
, which is considered "remarkable for its simplicity". The inscription on the tomb reads as follows:

Allah is the Living, the Sustaining.
Let no one cover my grave except with greenery,
For this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor.
The mortal simplistic Princess Jahanara,
Disciple of the Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti,
Daughter of Shah Jahan the Conqueror
May Allah illuminate his proof.
1092 681 AD


Architectural legacy

Jahanara Begum's caravanserai that formed the original Chandni Chowk, from Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalf's 1843
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
. 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 ...
, she is best known for sponsoring the building of the Jami Masjid or Friday Mosque in 1648, in the heart of the old city. The Mosque was funded entirely by Jahanara, using her personal allowance. In addition to this mosque, she also financed the construction of the Mulla Shah mosque which is located in Srinagar. She founded a madrasa, which was attached to the Jama Masjid, for the promotion of education. She also funded the making of a garden in Kashmir, she was a benefactor of the people. She also made a significant impact on the landscape of the capital city of Shahjahanabad. Of the eighteen buildings in the city of Shahjahanabad commissioned by women, Jahanara commissioned five. All of Jahanara's building projects were completed around the year 1650, inside the city walls of Shahjahanabad. The best known of her projects was Chandni Chowk, the main street in the walled city of Old Delhi. She constructed an elegant
caravanserai A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...
on the East side of the street with gardens in the back. Herbert Charles Fanshawe, in 1902, mentions about the serai: :"Proceeding up the Chandni Chowk and passing many shops of the principal dealers in jewels, embroideries, and other products of Delhi handicrafts, the Northbrook Clock Tower and the principal entrance to the Queen's Gardens are reached. The former is situated at the site of the Karavan Sarai of the Princess Jahanara Begum (p. 239), known by the title of Shah Begum. The Sarai, the square in front of which projected across the street, was considered by Bernier one of the finest buildings in Delhi, and was compared by him with the Palais Royal, because of its arcades below and rooms with a gallery in front above." The serai was later replaced by a building, now known as the Town Hall, and the pool in the middle of the square was replaced by a grand clock tower ( Ghantaghar).


In popular culture

*Indian filmmaker F. R. Irani made ''Jahanara'' (1935), an early talkie film about her. *Her early life is depicted in The Royal Diaries book series as
Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India - 1627
' by Kathryn Lasky. *Jahanara is the protagonist of the novel ''Beneath a Marble Sky'' (2013) by John Shors. *She is the main character in the novel ''Shadow Princess'' (2010) written by Indu Sundaresan. *Jahanara is also the main character in Jean Bothwell's ''An Omen for a Princess'' (1963). *She is also the protagonist in Ruchir Gupta's historical novel ''Mistress of the Throne'' (2014). * Madhubala, Mala Sinha and
Manisha Koirala Manisha Koirala (; born 16 August 1970) is a Nepali people, Nepalese actress who works in Cinema of India, Indian films, predominantly in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil. Born to the politically prominent Koirala family, she is the daughter of ...
have portrayed the role of Jahanara in their respective films, namely '' Mumtaz Mahal'' (1944), '' Jahan Ara'' (1964) and '' Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story'' (2005). *Jahanara is a main character of the 2017 alternate history novel ''1636: Mission To The Mughals'' and the 2021 follow up novel ''1637: The Peacock Throne'' from the '' Ring of Fire Book series''. *Jahan Ara, a character inspired from the historical figure, is the main character of the 2022 Pakistani historical drama series " Badshah Begum (TV series)" played by Zara Noor Abbas, produced by Momina Duraid and Rafay Rashidi under the banner of MD Productions, HumTv.


Ancestry


Literature

* * *


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Jahanara 1614 births 1681 deaths Mughal princesses Indian women religious leaders Indian Sufi saints 17th-century Indian women writers 17th-century Indian writers Sufi poets Indian people of Iranian descent People from Agra Indian Islamic religious leaders 17th-century Mughal Empire people Scholars from Rajasthan People from Ajmer Educators from Rajasthan Women educators from Rajasthan Daughters of emperors 17th-century educators 17th-century women educators