Sultan Nigar Khanum (died 1528) was the

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

as the fourth wife of

Sultan Mahmud Mirza Sultan Mahmud Mirza ( Chagatai and ; 1453 – January 1495) was a Timurid prince from the branch of Transoxiana. He was the second son of Abu Sa'id Mirza, the ruler of the Timurid Empire. Biography His father gave him the government of Hisar ...

, the King of

Ferghana Valley The Fergana Valley (also commonly spelled the Ferghana Valley) in Central Asia crosses eastern Uzbekistan, southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Tajikistan. Encompassing three former Soviet republics, the valley is ethnically diverse and relation ...

. She was born a princess of the

Chagatai Khanate The Chagatai Khanate, also known as the Chagatai Ulus, was a Mongol and later Turkification, Turkicized khanate that comprised the lands ruled by Chagatai Khan, second son of Genghis Khan, and his descendants and successors. At its height in the l ...

as a daughter of

Yunus Khan Yunus Khan (b. 1416 – d. 1487) ( Chagatai and Persian: یونس خان), was Khan of Moghulistan from 1462 until his death in 1487. He is identified by many historians with Ḥājjī `Ali (, Pinyin: ''Hazhi Ali''; Chagatai and Persian ...

, the

Great Khan Khagan or Qaghan ( Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of imperial ...

Moghulistan Moghulistan, also called the Moghul Khanate or the Eastern Chagatai Khanate, was a Muslims, Muslim, Mongol, and later Turkic peoples, Turkic breakaway khanate of the Chagatai Khanate and a historical geographic area north of the Tian Shan, Teng ...

and his second wife Shah Begum.

Family

Sultan Nigar

Khanum Khanum, Hanum, Hanım, Hanem, Khanom, or Khanoum (Uzbek language, Uzbek: Xonim/Хоним, , Mongolian language, Mongolian: Ханым, , , , , , , ) is a female royal family, royal and aristocracy, aristocratic title that was originally derived t ...

was born a princess of the

as the second daughter of

, the

and his second wife Shah Begum. Her paternal grandfather was

Uwais Khan Uwais Khan ibn Sher Ali ( Chagatai and Persian: اویس خان ابن شیر علی) also referred to as Sultan Vais Khan, was the Moghul Khan of Mughalistan; (first from 1418 to 1421 C.E. and again from 1425 to 1429 C.E.). He was the nephew ...

, the Moghul Khan of Mughalistan and her father's predecessor. Sultan Nigar was a direct descendant of

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

, the founder and

(Emperor) of the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

through her father's side. Being the daughter of a Khan, she held the title of "

" ("daughter of a Khan or princess") by birth. She was also the half-aunt of Emperor

Babur Babur (; 14 February 148326 December 1530; born Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad) was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and mother respectively. He was also ...

, the founder 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 ...

of India as well as its first Emperor.

Marriages

Mahmud Mirza

She married firstly to Sultan Mahmud Mirza. With him she had a son, Sultan Wais also known as Khan Mirza. She was widowed in January, 1495. On Mahmud's death in Samarkand she joined her brothers in Tashkent, going off "without giving any notice of her intentions," says Babar.

Awiq Sultan

Later on she, married Awiq Sultan ''Juji'', the chief of the Uzbek Qazaqs. Haidar Mirza throws some light, and it seems that when Shaybani had murdered her brother, Mahmud Khan, Awiq left him and joined the Uzbek Qazaqs, his own people, and Sultan Nigar followed him into Moghalistan. She had two daughters by Awiq, one of whom married Abdullah Quchin and died a young wife, and the other married Rashid Sultan Chaghatai.

Qasim Khan

On Awiq's death, Sultan Nigar was married to his brother Qasim, presumably in consonance with the Turkish custom of ''yanglik''. With Qasim's death, the khanship of the Qazaqs devolved on Sultan Nigar's stepson named Tahir. He was, says Haidar, "very much attached to her, and even preferred her to the mother who had given him birth." Sultan Nigar showed her appreciation of Tahir's affection, but petitioned him, saying: "Although you are (as) my child, and I neither think of nor desire any son but you, yet I wish you to take me to my nephew, Sultan Sa'id Khan. For I am grown old, and I have no longer the strength to bear this wandering life in the deserts of

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

. Take me where I may enjoy some quiet and repose." She then offered to mediate for him and to obtain the support for him of the Mughal Khagans against his foes. Tahir accordingly escorted her to the

borders, and with her waited upon Sa'id. "The latter, from love of his aunt, rose, saying that although his rising to receive Tahir was contrary to the rules of Genghis (their common ancestor), yet that he did it out of gratitude because Tahir had brought his aunt."

Death

Sultan Nigar Khanum died of a hemorrhage in the summer of 1528.

References

{{Reflist 1528 deaths People from Samarkand 15th-century Mongol women Spouses of sultans Chagatai Khanate 15th-century Mongols 15th-century births