Mariam-uz-Zamani

Mariam-uz-Zamani (lit. 'Mary of the Age');[7] (c. 1542 – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai, was the principal Hindu wife and chief consort[8] of the third Mughal Emperor, Akbar. She was the favorite Queen Consort of Akbar[9][1][2][10][11] and was the longest-serving Hindu Empress of the Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty-three years (1562 –1605).[12]

Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum
Rajkumari of Amer
Empress consort of Mughal Empire
Queen mother of Mughal Empire
Artistic depiction of Queen Mother Mariam-uz-Zamani, the favorite[1][2] and most influential sultana[3] of Emperor Akbar.[4]
Empress Consort of Mughal Emperor Akbar
TenureFebruary 1562 — October 1605
Queen Mother of Mughal Emperor Jahangir
TenureOctober 1605 — May 1623
Bornc. 1542
Amer Fort
Died19 May 1623(1623-05-19) (aged 80–81)[5]
Agra,[5] Mughal Empire
Burial
Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani, Sikandra, Agra
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1562; d. 1605)​
Issue
Names
Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba[6]
Regnal name
Shahi Begum (lit. 'Imperial Begum')
Dynasty
FatherRaja Bharmal of Amer
MotherRani Champavati
ReligionHinduism

Born a Hindu princess in 1542,[13] she was married to Akbar by her father, Raja Bharmal of Amer due to political exigencies.[14][15] Her marriage to Akbar led to a gradual shift in the latter's religious and social policies. She is widely regarded in modern Indian historiography as exemplifying both Akbar's and the Mughals' tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies within an expanding multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire.[15] In subsequent centuries, she has been referred to by several other names, including Jodha bai, Heer Kunwari, Hira Kunwari,[16] and Harkha Bai.[14] She was commonly referred as Shahi Begum (lit. 'Imperial Begum') throughout her reign.[17][18] She was an extremely beautiful woman[19] recorded to possess uncommon beauty,[20] widely known for both, her grace and intellect. Akbar once publicly referred her as 'a piece of the moon'.[21]

She was a senior-ranking wife of Akbar who in the words of Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, commanded a high rank in the imperial harem.[22] As recorded by Henry Beveridge, she was head of the Hindu harem of Akbar. Several medieval historical chronicles, written during the reign of Emperor Akbar namely 'Tarikh-I-Farishta' and 'Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh', by Abdul Qadir Badayuni, a courtier in Akbar's court states Mariam-uz-Zamani to be the favorite and most influential consort of Akbar.[1][3] The Empress held a prodigious influence in the matters of the court during Akbar's reign and was often consulted by Akbar in important matters.[23] She was an intelligent,[24] amiable,[19] kind,[25] gentle[26] and secular woman.[27] She was the mother of Akbar's eldest surviving son and eventual successor, Jahangir, and grandmother of Shah Jahan.

Name, Titles and Background

Background

Mariam-uz-Zamani was born in 1542 as the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer by his wife Rani Champavati, daughter of Rao Ganga Solanki.[28][29][30] Her paternal grandparents were Raja Prithviraj Singh I and Apurva Devi, a daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner.[31]

Artistic impression of Mariam-uz-Zamani, chief Rajput Queen of Akbar, commonly known as Jodha bai.

Name

Her birth name is unknown.[15] Later historical accounts give several suggestions for her birth name. In an 18th-century genealogy of her clan (the Kachwahas) for example, she is referred to as 'Harkhan Champavati'.[15] Other names provided by various sources include Harkha Bai,[14] Jiya Rani, Maanmati bai, Harika bai, Hira Kunwari, Heer Kunwari, and Shahi-Bai.

Titles

She was bestowed an honorific Muslim name, 'Wali Nimat Begum' (lit. 'Blessings of God') by Akbar, in 1564, after two years of her marriage.[32] 'Mariam-uz-Zamani' was a prestigious title bestowed on her by Akbar on the occasion of their son Jahangir's birth.[33] This was the title by which she was referred to in contemporary Mughal chronicles, including Jahangir's autobiography, the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri.[34] Apart from the title of Mariam-uz-Zamani, she also bore two more glorious titles of 'Mallika-e-Muezamma' (lit. 'Exalted Empress')[35] and 'Mallika-e-Hindustan' (lit. 'Empress of Hindustan').[35] She was commonly referred as 'Shahi Begum' (lit. 'Imperial Begum') throughout her reign.[18] She would officially use the name Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba.[6]

The misnomer of Jodha Bai

The name by which she is most popularly known in modern times is 'Jodha Bai'.[36] The name 'Jodha Bai' was first used in relation to Mariam-uz-Zamani in James Tod's Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, a colonialist history written in the early 19th century.[37] This naming appears to have been an error, given that it implies a relationship with the royal family of Jodhpur, rather than that with the Rajas of Amber.[38] Instead, it is believed that 'Jodha Bai' in fact refers to the wife of Jahangir, Jagat Gosain daughter of Raja Udai Singh of Jodhpur.[39]

Marriage to Akbar and Religion

Marriage

Harkha Bai's marriage was the result of a conflict between her father and Akbar's brother-in-law, Sharif-ud-din Mirza, the Hakim of Mewat. Raja Bharmal had been facing harassment at Sharif-ud-din's hands on the account of his conflict with SujaMal. Bharmal agreed to pay Peshkash and had given his son and Harka Bai's full brother, Jagannath, and two nephews, Raj Singh, son of Raja Askaran and Khangar, son of Jagmal as hostages but Sharif-ud-din wished to destroy him.[40] So he approached Akbar to request his intervention. The emperor agreed to mediate on the condition of Raja Bharmal's submission, as well as the suggestion that his beautiful daughter be given to Akbar in marriage.[14] Raja Bharmal then espoused his gentle daughter in honorable wedlock to Emperor Akbar.[41]

The marriage, thus, a political one, took place on 6 February 1562, while Akbar was on his way back to Agra from Ajmer (after offering prayers to the tomb of Moinuddin Chishti) at the imperial military camp in Sambhar, Rajasthan, instead of the bride's natal home. The marriage with the Amber princess provided the service of her family throughout the reign.[42]

Religion

Akbar at the insistence of her father, Raja Bharmal did not convert her to Islam and permitted her to perform Hindu rituals in her palace. [43] Although the marriage was a result of a political alliance, the two however gradually developed an intimate and affectionate bond. Akbar himself is recorded to participate in the pooja performed by the beautiful empress though he married several other Hindu princesses in his life.[44] She gradually became his most loved wife and till his death remained his favorite and subsequently was also the only wife buried close to Akbar. She was a devotee of Lord Krishna. The palace commissioned for her by Akbar in the imperial harem was decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna and frescoes.

Potrait of Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar with Mariam-uz-Zamani begum, drawn as per Akbar's description.

Historian J.L. Mehta notes that Bihari Mal gave rich dowry to his daughter and sent his son Bhagwan Das with a contingent of Rajput soldiers to escort his newly married sister to Agra as per Hindu custom. Akbar was deeply impressed by the highly dignified, sincere and princely conduct of his Rajput relations. He took Man Singh, the youthful son of Bhagwant Das into the royal service. Akbar was fascinated by the charm and accomplishments of his Rajput wife; he developed real love for her and raised her to the status of chief queen. She came to exercise profound impact on socio-cultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar.[8]

Birth of Twins

On 19 October 1564, after two years of her marriage, Mariam-uz-Zamani gave birth to twin sons, Mirza Hassan and Mirza Hussain. Akbar arrived in Agra on 9 October 1564 for the birth of twins.[45] Both of them died within a few days of their birth. Mirza Hussain died on 29 October 1564 and Mirza Hassan died on 5 November 1564.

Grief struck, Akbar took her along with him after their sons' demise as he set out for a war campaign, and during his return to Agra, he sought the blessings of holy man, Salim Chisti, a reputed holy man who lived at Sikri.[46] He confided in the saint who assured him that he would be soon delivered of three sons who will live up to good old age. In the year 1566, Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani went on a barefoot pilgrimage to Ajmer dargah to pray for a son.[47]

Birth of Prince Salim

In 1569, Akbar heard the news that his chief Hindu consort was expecting a child again and hoped for the first of the three sons that had been promised to him after the death of the twins by Sheikh Salim Chisti. The expectant empress was sent to Sheikh's humble dwelling Sikri during the latter period of her pregnancy. Akbar himself use to travel often from Agra to Sikri during her period of pregnancy to take care of the empress for whom a royal palace named Rang Mahal was constructed in Sikri.[48] On 31 August 1569, the beautiful empress gave birth to a boy who received the name, Salim, in acknowledgment of his father's faith in the efficacy of the holy man's prayer. Akbar's ecstasy in having his heir-apparent born to Heer Kunwari was enormous and publicly proclaimed, "It is right for that piece of moon".[21] The Empress was presented with jewelry worth one lakh gold coins immediately when Akbar met her for that first time in Sikri after the birth of sultan Salim and gave a 'Rajvanshi pat' on her head expressing his love.[49] She was subsequently honored with the prestigious title of 'Mariam-uz-Zamani' (Mary/Compassionate of the Age).

A painting describing the scene of the birth of the 4th Mughal emperor of India, Jahangir.

Some sources cite her to be the mother of Akbar's second son, Murad Mirza too. She was the foster mother of Daniyal Mirza as well, he was the favorite son of Emperor Akbar who was born on 11 September 1572 in Ajmer. Several marriages of her eldest son Salim and her foster son, Daniyal, were held at her palace.

Family advancement

Mariam-uz-Zamani's family became the highest-ranking nobles in the Akbar's court. The Rajas of Amber especially benefited from their close association with the Mughals and acquired immense wealth and power. Her family was held in high esteem by Akbar for their unmatchable courage, devotion, and loyalty all of which greatly endeared to the Emperor. Of twenty-seven Rajputs in Abu'l-Fazl list of mansabdars, thirteen were of the Amber clan, and some of them rose to positions as high as that of imperial princes. Her father Raja Bharmal, after her marriage to Akbar was immediately made the commander of 5000 cavalries, the highest rank that could be held by the noble in the court. Mariam-uz-Zamani's brother Raja Bhagwan Das in the year 1585, became commander of 5000 cavalries and bore the proud title Amirul-Umara (Chief Noble). His son, Man Singh I, rose even higher to become commander of 7000 forces which was at par with the mansab of royal princes. Akbar used to call Raja Man Singh his farzand(son).[50]

Akbar's respect for the family of Mariam-uz-Zamani was profound. To honor them, he visited her native town Amer, in the year 1569 and enjoyed the largesse bestowed over him by his in-laws. During this time, Mariam-uz-Zamani was into the fourth month of her pregnancy and thereafter was shortly was delivered with Salim. Abul Fazl notes that his stay in Amer was of a month and a half and Akbar was showered with several noticeable gifts. Mariam-uz-Zamani got the daughter of her brother, Raja Bhagwant Das, married to Jahangir on 13 February 1585. For this marriage Akbar personally visited the town of Amer and as a token of respect for her family himself carried the palanquin of her daughter-in-law on his shoulders for some distance. Man Bai later became the mother to Akbar's favorite grandson, Khusrau Mirza,[51][52] and received the prestigious title of 'Shah Begum'. [53]

The Empress of Hindustan

Being the favorite wife of Akbar, the Empress held a significant influence over him and wielded immense powers in the Mughal court. Akbar bestowed several titles on Heer Kunwari like Wali Nimat Begum (Blessings of God),[54] Mallika-e-Muezama (Exalted Empress),[35] Mallika-e-Hindustan (Empress of Hindustan),[35] Mariam-uz-Zamani (Mary/Compassionate of the Age) and Shahi Begum (Imperial Begum). Findly proclaims it was her retirement as the Empress Consort of the Mughal Empire after the demise of her husband, Akbar that led to the decline of Rajput influence in the Mughal court. She has high praises reserved in the biography of her husband.

As stated by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak in Akbarnama, she's described as both intellectual and tactful and is termed as an auspicious lady having lights of chastity and intellect shining on her forehead.[24] Badayuni in his book states Akbar's affection and endearment for her with the statements "Akbar had fallen into the trap of beautiful daughter of Raja Bharmal" and "magic the kind daughter of Raja Bharmal did on Akbar".[55] Since his marriage with the daughter of Raja Bharmal, he is said to have complimented her by ordering the continuous burning of hom in which occasionally he would join her during her prayers.[56]

She was a major driving force and prime inspiration for Akbar's promotion of secularism.[57] She was held in high esteem by Akbar throughout her life. After the demise of her twins, Hassan Mirza and Hussain Mirza in the year 1564, the empress was taken to the war by Akbar and later to the abode of Salim Sheikh.[58] In the year 1566, Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani went on a pilgrimage barefoot to Dargah Ajmer to pray for a son.[47] The Empress also had the privilege to accompany Akbar often during his campaigns. The freedom Akbar bestowed on her was immense. During his Gujarat campaign when her brother Bhopat had fallen in the battle of Sarnal, Akbar personally sent Mariam-uz-Zamani, who was traveling with him during this campaign, to her native town Amer to pay condolences to her parents.[22] She would often travel to various cities of her empire and seaports to manage her trade business.

Khawabgah of Mariam-uz-Zamani within her palace in Fatehpur Sikri, commonly known as Jodha bai Palace.

She had her own garden in Agra which was gifted to her by Akbar and had several palaces constructed for herself by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri, Mandu, and Allahabad.[57] In Agra, her palace of residence is believed to be Jahangiri Mahal, constructed by Akbar for his Hindu wives. When Akbar moved his court to Fatehpur Sikri in 1571, she resided in one of the most magnificent and beautiful palaces of Fatehpur Sikri which was built in the zenana complex. This palace was built as per Rajasthani architecture and was the biggest palace of his harem. This palace commonly known as Jodha Bai palace was also internally connected to the Khawabgah of Akbar. Her palace was decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna and in its time is reported to be studded with gems and frescoes. This palace also includes a temple used by the beautiful empress for her prayers and a Tulsi maath. Her palace in Mandu called Nilkanth temple or as recorded by Jahangir in his biography, Imarat-i-Dilkhusha (the heart pleasing abode), was the favorite retreat place of Jahangir where he would celebrate his birthdays with his mother as recorded by Thomas Roe, a Christian missionary in Jahangir's court. Her palace in Mandu commissioned by Akbar for her has a Lord Shiva temple inside with a Shiv Ling and is built as per Mughal architecture on a hilltop. She also in later life commissioned a palace for herself in Lahore. She was also the patron of several towns and cities during her reign.

Akbar used to take a particular note of Mariam-uz-Zamani's activities of interest like her trading expedition. He personally invested time in her trading endeavors and had long discussions with the empress which were held often about her trade.[59] The Empress was a very smart businesswoman and oversaw the trade with Gulf countries and nations. No other noblewoman on record seems to have been as adventurous a trader as the Queen Mariam-uz-Zamani. [60] She was the only wife of Akbar who was authorized for international trade. Muhammad Azam Khan in his journal states, "The most influential queen of Emperor Akbar and mother of Jahangir, was the beautiful Empress Mariam uz Zamani. She stands out as an advisor who maintained that without a strong navy, the Mughal empire would be overtaken by foreign armies. As Mughals had come from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, both landlocked countries, the concept of a navy was not in their DNA. But then Akbar allowed his favorite and most loved wife to build ships for trade and Hajj pilgrims at the Khizri Darwaza on the river Ravi".[4]

Mariam-uz-Zamani owned ships that carried pilgrims to and from the Islamic holy city Mecca and ran an extensive trade of silk and several spices to international borders. She was the owner and the patron of the largest ship sailing across the seas named Rahīmī and afterward Ganj-I-Sawai. After her death, this honor was bestowed on the ladies holding the highest rank in the imperial harem like Nur Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal and Jahanara Begum. She is recorded to be a virtuous woman with high ideals and fidelity. She had been faithful and highly devoted to her husband throughout her life having sided with Akbar than her son Salim, during the latter's rebellion against his father.

Jahangir paid obeisance to his mother by touching her feet. He records these instances with a sense of pride. His reference to his mother was preceded by the epithet 'Hazrat', the one usually reserved for God amongst Muslims. Jahangir referred to her as "Hazrat Mariam-uz-Zamani", "Her Majesty" or at times "my exalted mother" out of his love for her in his memoirs.[61] Jahangirnama states in 1607 after Jahangir marches to Lahore following Khusrao's rebellion, "I ordered my son Khurram to bring Her Majesty Mariam uz Zamani and my harem to me. When their entourage came nearer, I got on the boat and attained the happiness of paying homage and greeting my mother in the vicinity of the village named Dhar. After executing the rites of Korunish, Sajda, and Taslim before my exalted mother and after observing the formalities of the young owe the elders under the terms of Genghis code and Timurid law."[62] Jahangir is recorded to greet her mother by performing Korunish, Sajda, and Taslim which amongst Muslims is done before praying to God and after paying her homage used to pay respect to other elders and royals. The stature and reverence Jahangir held for his mother were exceptional, he used to carry her palanquin on his shoulders.[63] During the plague of Agra when Jahangir was in Fatehpur Sikri, he says, "On January 1618, Mallika Mariam-uz-Zamani came from Agra to meet me and I attained the happiness of waiting on her. I hope that the shadow of her protection and affection will always be over the head of this supplicant."[64]

The courtesies and largesse demonstrate by Jahangir surface the proof of the amount of respect and love he held for his mother, Mariam-uz-Zamani. In the words of Edward Terry, a foreign traveler to the Mughal court, "Jahangir's affection for his mother Her Majesty Mariam-uz-Zamani were exceptional, and not seldom would he show many expressions of duty and display his strong affections for her". Several royal functions took place in the household of Mariam-uz-Zamani like Jahangir's solar and lunar weighings,[65] all his birthday celebrations, Jahangir's marriage to the Amer princess, daughter of Kunwar Jagat Singh, [66] and Shehzada Parviz's wedding to the daughter of Sultan Murad Mirza, and several other events.[67]

Powers and Influence

The Empress held prodigious freedom of speech in matters of court during the reign of Akbar. She was one of the few wives of Akbar who had the privilege to attend and express her views on the matters of the court. One of the episodes recorded in the book of Badayuni notes that once on the execution of a Brahmin by a conservative Muslim courtier of Akbar while Akbar had ordered the investigation to be continued, the daughter of Raja Bharmal taunted Emperor Akbar publicly on failing to maintain the abidance of his order.[25] She would exercise her influence to secure a pardon for offenders. Once on her intervention, Niyabat Khan, son of Hashim Khan, Nishapuri, who had revolted against Akbar, was admitted to Akbar's presence and was saved from the death penalty.[68]

The religious ulemas of Akbar's court are recorded to have been utterly displeased by the influence of Mariam-uz-Zamani and his Hindu wives on him in making him follow rituals and practices of Hindu culture. Since his marriage with the daughter of Raja Bharmal, he is said to have complimented her by ordering the continuous burning of the hom in which occasionally he would join her during her prayers.[69]

Akbar taking note of the disapproval of Mariam-uz-Zamani and his other Hindu wives stopped eating beef as the cow was regarded as a sacred animal in religion. His Hindu wives insisted that he must refrain from eating onions and garlic which Badayuni says he agreed to. They also exerted enough influence on him to never keep a beard and abstain from association with people who kept beards. In order to gain the love of his Hindu wives and their goodwill, Badayuni notes, he abstained entirely from everything which was a natural abhorrence to them and took it as a mark of special devotion to himself if men shaved their beards so that it became common practice.[70] The marriages of the sons of Akbar, Sultan Salim, Mirza Murad, and Mirza Daniyal were also decided and fixed by Mariam-uz-Zamani and other Hindu wives as per Badayuni.

The influence of Mariam-uz-Zamani and his Hindu wives was highly resented by the Muslim conservatives of the court, even more, when Akbar had ordered everyone in the court to stand up during the evening prayers of his Hindu wives when they would light up the hom in their temples to honor their traditions and culture and made sure that he was no exception to it.[25]

Mariam-uz-Zamani was a woman of strong personality who laid the foundation of a highly astute international trade in the Mughal Empire and was a remarkable businesswoman herself. She owned ships that carried pilgrims to and from the Islamic holy city Mecca and ran an extensive trade of silk and several spices to international borders. In 1613, her ship, the Rahīmī, was seized by Portuguese pirates along with the 600–700 passengers on board and the cargo. Rahīmī was the largest Indian ship sailing in the Red Sea and was known to the Europeans as the "great pilgrimage ship". When the Portuguese officially refused to return the ship and the passengers, the outcry at the Mughal court was quite unusually severe. The outrage was compounded by the fact that the owner and the patron of the ship was the revered Dowager Empress, Mariam-uz-Zamani. The whole affair was meant to gain leverage at a time when the Portuguese were threatened by competition from other European companies. But as it happened, the move backfired. As one observer noted, The Empress in retaliation ordered her son, Jahangir to seize the Portuguese town, Daman, block all Portuguese trade in Surat, and “hath likewise taken order for the seizing of all Portingals (sic) and their goods within his kingdoms". Furthermore, she had her son “sealed up their church doors and hath given an order that they shall no more use the exercise of their religion in these parts". Rattled, the Portuguese made amends by offering Rs 3 lakh as compensation, but on the condition that the Mughals expel the English from Agra. Jahangir refused to blink, however, calling the Portuguese bluff, and welcoming soon afterward in 1615 Thomas Roe, the famous English ambassador. “The Portuguese folly in the capture of the Rahimi, then," writes Findly, “tipped the scales in favor of the English." This episode is considered to be an example of the struggle for wealth that would later ensue and lead to colonisation of the Indian sub-continent. But it was not as if the English newcomers were granted a red-carpet reception, on the contrary, the playing field was merely leveled somewhat. Mariam-uz-Zamani herself wasn’t sympathetic to the English.

A 19th-century sketch of Queen Mother Mariam-uz-Zamani.

Around the end of 1610, William Hawkins, commander of the English East India Company’s first mission to India, instructed one of his fellow merchants, William Finch, to travel about 80 km southwest from Agra to Bayana, a town well known for its high-quality indigo production. At this time, one of Mariam-uz-Zamani’s ships was being equipped for a voyage to Mocha. An agent had consequently been sent on her behalf to procure indigo, presumably an important part of the royal cargo. But just as the deal was being concluded, Finch swooped in with a higher bid, an infraction no Indian would have dared to commit knowing her social standing, and made away with the indigo the Queen Mother had reserved. An insult to the Queen Mother was an insult to the emperor himself, while Finch was long on his way out of Bayana by this time, his boss, Hawkins, already in trouble with Jahangir for other reasons, had to suffer consequences. She exerted enough pressure on her son to ensure that Roe’s unofficial predecessor, William Hawkins, the “English Khan" who till then was friendly with Jahangir, had to pack his bags and leave for good. In any case, if there was any doubt that the Emperor’s mother was a force to reckon with, the affair around the Rahimi dispelled such thinking.

After the loss of her ship Rahimi, the Dowager Empress then ordered the build of even a larger ship with 62 guns and the placement of over 400 musket men. It was named 'Ganj-I-Sawai' and in its day was the most fearsome ship in the sea with the objective of trade and taking pilgrims to Mecca and on the way back converting all the goods into gold, silver, and bringing back the pilgrims.[4]

The Empress of Hindustan was in fact the richest and most prominent woman of her time. The Empress was honored by various members of the regality of prominent nations during her husband and son's reign by receiving several precious and exorbitant gifts. The Empress was the recipient of a noble gift, in the year 1601, from the Queen of England.[44]

The woman was perhaps, well ahead of her time. She was the first woman of the Mughal empire to have been given the privilege of holding a military rank. The Empress was one of the four senior-most figures in the Mughal court and the only woman to hold the highest military rank which was at par with the rank of the emperor itself, 12,000 cavalries.[71] She is recorded to be a skilled warfare practitioner.[72] She was known to receive a jewel from every nobleman "according to his estate" each year on the occasion of the New Year's festival, an honor bestowed upon no other Mughal Empress.[73]

Mariam-uz-Zaman held the highest rank in the Imperial harem and was granted the right to issue official documents and edicts, called Farman (sovereign mandates).[54] Issuing of such orders was confined to the highest ladies of the harem such as Hamida Banu Begum, Nur Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, Nadira Banu Begum, Jahanara Begum, and to the revered Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani.[74][75] Mariam-uz-Zamani used her wealth to build gardens, wells, mosques, and other developments around the countryside and was in charge of the Hajj department since Akbar's reign.[44][76] Mariam-uz-Zamani's retirement after her husband's death along with the death of Jagat Gosain led to the decline of Rajput influence in the Mughal court.[44]

After the death of Akbar in the year 1605, she became the prime shield of Khusrau Mirza and as noted by a Christian missionary present in Mughal court, she secured a pardon for the prince along with Salima Sultan Begum, Shakr-un-Nissa Begum, and Emperor Jahangir's other sisters upon Jahangir's succession.[77] Ellison B. Findly notes a strong-worded letter of Mariam-uz-Zamani to her son, Jahangir, written by her in the year 1618 expressing her concern for the safety of Khusrao Mirza and cites that she had anticipated that if Khusrau's charge was to be entrusted to Khurram whom she believed was eager to eliminate Khusrau to secure his succession to Mughal throne, he would eventually kill Khusrau and it would be disastrous for the Mughal dynasty as the future male descendants would use it as a specimen to murder their brothers for the possession of the royal throne. Further, Findly adds that this foretelling of her substantiated soon afterward in the Mughal Empire when Shah Jahan's kids, Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh had a face-off for the royal throne eventually leading to the murder of Prince Dara Shikoh by his brother. Nur Jahan is noted to have faked tears in front of her mother-in-law, Queen Mother Mariam-uz-Zamani for the possession of the charge of Prince Khusrau who was considered as a powerful contender to the throne by the ambitious empress Nur Jahan.[78]

Death
Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani, Sikandra, Agra.

Mariam-uz-Zamani died in May 1623, immensely rich and powerful, and due honor was given by burying her in a mausoleum close to that of an equally redoubtable man she was married to, Akbar.[79] Her desire of being close to her husband even in death is visible in the proximity of her tomb to that of her husband, Akbar. There is no concrete evidence stating the reason for her death though it is believed to have been because of sickness. Her tomb, built between 1623–27, is on the Tantpur road in Jyoti Nagar, next to the tomb of Akbar. Mariam's Tomb, commissioned by her son, is only a kilometer from Tomb of Akbar the Great and she stands as the only wife buried close to Akbar being his favorite and most devoted wife. The grave itself is underground with a flight of steps leading to it.

Flight of stairs leading to the actual grave of Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum.

Jahangir also commissioned a mosque, Mosque of Mariam Zamani Begum Sahiba in her honor, owing to the love and strong affections he had for her. It is situated in the Walled City of Lahore, present-day Pakistan.

Begum Shahi Mosque commissioned by Jahangir in honor of his mother at Lahore.

This mosque was named after Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani, in her honor, and is known as the Begum Shahi Mosque. The foundation of this mosque was laid by Dowager Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani herself in the year 1611. It is one of the biggest mosques in the city of Lahore. Historians of Lahore state that the color combination and frescoes of this mosque, which are similar to the colored frescoes on the ceiling of the palace of Mariam-uz-Zamani, known as Jodha bai Palace in Fatehpur Sikri, were unrivaled for the beauty in their prime having the finest of niches and fountains. This mosque has four Arabic-Persian verses, and one of them includes the prayer of Mariam-uz-Zamani for her son, Jahangir.

Issue

Mughal Emperor Akbar and Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba are confirmed to have at least three children:

  • Mirza Hassan (19 October 1564, Agra, Mughal Empire — 5 November 1564, Agra, Mughal Empire) (twin with Hussain)
  • Mirza Hussain (19 October 1564, Agra, Mughal Empire — 29 October 1564, Agra, Mughal Empire) (twin with Hassan)
  • Shahzada Salim (30 August 1569, Fatehpur Sikri, Mughal Empire — 28 October 1627, Rajouri, Mughal Empire)

She is purported to have had another child:

  • Murad Mirza (15 June 1570, Fatehpur Sikri, Mughal Empire — 12 May 1599, Mughal Empire)

She was also the foster mother of one of her stepsons:

  • Daniyal Mirza (11 September 1572, Ajmer, Mughal Empire — 8 April 1605, Mughal Empire)

See also

References
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  5. Rogers, Alexander; Beveridge, Henry, eds. (1909). The Tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī or Memoirs of Jahāngīr, Volume 2. Royal Asiatic Society, London. p. 261.
  6. Sujan Rai, Bhandari (1695). Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh. Zafar Hasan. p. 374.
  7. Mukhia, Harbans (2004). India's Islamic Traditions, Islam in Kashmir (Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century). New Delhi [India]: The Medieval History Journal, New Delhi. p. 126.
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