The mask is off – the charm is wrought –
And Selim (Jahangir) to his heart has caught,
His Nourmahal (Nur Jahan), his Haram’s Light!
And well do vanish’d frowns enhance
The charm of every brighten’d glance;
And dearer seems each dawning smile
For having lost its light awhile:
And, happier now, for all her sighs,
As on his arm her head reposes,
She whispers him, with laughing eyes,
‘Remember, love, the Feast of Roses.’
‘Lalla Rookh’ by Thomas Moore
‘Nur Jahan’ – a name that has now become synonymous with exquisite beauty and an astounding amount of power that has made her one of the most well-known Empresses in Indian History. When we think about the legacy of the grand Mughal Empire, stunning visuals of the magnificent monuments come to our mind, along with the larger-than-life love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, and the bloody assassinations of the many-princes and nobles in the quest for the prized throne. But one remarkable figure that most of us tend to overlook, is the actual power behind the throne during Emperor Jahangir’s reign – ‘Mehrunissa’.
Idealised portrait of the Mughal empress Nur Jahan, circa 1627
In 1577, on a rather stormy night, Mehrunissa was born in a half-broken tent, in modern day Kandahar, Afghanistan. Her father, Ghiyas Beg, was the wazir (Prime Minister) of Isfahan, and was in the service of Shah Tahmasp of Iran. Her parents, both of Persian aristocratic descent, had fled Persia after a civil war broke out in the region due to the reigning Shah’s sudden death. Asmat Begum, Mehrunissa’s mother, was pregnant with her at the time and the family found themselves in a hapless condition with a meagre amount of food supply and three more children to look after. It was only after Mehrunissa’s birth that the family’s fortunes changed. A merchant noble, Malik Masud, who worked in Emperor Akbar’s court, helped Ghiyas and his family make their way towards Agra and the Emperor’s court. Believing his newest-born child to be a gift from Allah, Ghiyas named her ‘Mehrunissa’ which literally means – ‘Sun among Women’.
An 18th-century portrait of Mirza Ghiyas Beg. Color and gold over gold-sprinkled black ground on paper
Ghiyas Beg soon began his career in Emperor Akbar’s court in 1577. As her father’s position and power in the Mughal Empire only grew, Mehrunissa was offered the best possible education and grew up to be an extremely intelligent woman. At the young age 16, Nissa was already fluent in Persian and Arabic, as well as art, music, literature, and dance. A strikingly beautiful young lady, the future Empress was well-endowed with stunning Persian genes and azure blue eyes, that were characteristic of her ancestry.
As was the custom at the time, a young seventeen-year-old Nissa was married off to Ali Quli Istajlu, a soldier in the Mughal Army, in 1594. Quli was a table attendant for Shah Ismail II (who was the son of Shah Tahmasp, the former ruler of Iran who had employed Ghiyas Beg) up until 1578. After the Shah’s murder Ali Quli fled Persia and landed in the Mughal-occupied territory of what is now a region in modern-day Punjab, Pakistan. Soon, he was recruited in the Mughal Army where he displayed his valour and courage and won over the favour of Emperor Akbar. As his political career took off, Ali Quli (now known as ‘Sher Afgan Khan’), was married off to Mehrunissa. However, there are several legends and accounts that indicate that Prince Salim was attracted to Nissa long before her first marriage to Quli. One such account by Alexander Dow in his book ‘History of Hindostan’ narrates the story of when Salim paid a visit to Ghiyas Beg’s house.
A portrait of Nur’s future husband and the 4th Mughal Emperor – Jahangir
Along with the Prince, Ghiyas invited several honoured guests to dine. Since the purdah system was practiced in the Mughal households at the time, all the ladies were introduced in their veils. As soon as Mehrunissa appeared before him, Salim was smitten by “her stature, her shape, her gait…”. It’s as though Nissa noticed this immediately and –
“When his eyes seemed to devour her, she, as by accident, dropped her veil; and shone upon him, at once, with all her charms… her timid eyes… fell upon the Prince, and kindled all his soul into love.”
“Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan” by Ruby Lal
Prince Salim was “distracted with his passion” for the rest of the evening and pleaded with Akbar to break off Mehrunissa and Ali Quli’s engagement. However, the Emperor refused to do so and the heartbroken Prince “retired abashed”. Thus, Nissa got married to Sher Afgan. In the same year as their marriage, 1594, the couple departed for the distant town of Burdawan, in the eastern Mughal province of Bengal. The couple couldn’t be more different than each other. Their only common ground seemed to be their shared Persian heritage. Ali Quli was a man of few words and his interests predominantly lay in fighting on the battlefield. But Mehrunissa, on the other hand, was a woman of keen observation and took a lot of interest in matters of governance, trade and administration. The role of an Empress that she was to assume later on in her life, would find its home here in the role that Nissa assumed of a wife and an advisor. She seems to have had a huge hand in helping her husband when it came to matters of the state and the empire.
A painting depicting Prince Khusrau’s capture and Jahangir examining him
In the year 1600 or 1601, Mehrunissa gave birth to her only daughter and child Ladli Begum. As she began this new chapter of motherhood in her life, a sudden shock came her way when, in 1607, her husband Ali Quli was killed in a conflict. By this time Prince Salim had already ascended the throne and was now known by the name Jahangir – Emperor Jahangir, the fourth Mughal Emperor. The newly crowned Emperor’s eldest son, Prince Khusrau was in the midst of a rebellion against his father during this time and Quli’s conflicting loyalties made him a scapegoat in this dispute. However, certain historians who have romanticized his death, claim that Jahangir had Ali Quli killed in order to be able to marry Mehrunissa – a claim that has no evidence whatsoever.
Empress Nur Jahan tamping down the gunpowder in a musket; a 17th century portrait by the court painter Nadir uz-Zaman
Whatever be the details, Mehrunissa’s married life was cut short as she was widowed at the age on 30, in 1607. She was soon brought back to the imperial court in Agra and was placed under the protection of the women of the Mughal Zenana. She was entrusted to take care of the Emperor’s mother Harkha Bai, an act that proved the deep affection and trust that Jahangir held for her. This is perhaps where Mehrunissa’s prominence in the Mughal court grew.
“Nur Jahan holding a portrait of Jahangir”, circa 1627
Barely a few years later, in 1611, Nissa married Emperor Jahangir, and became his (legally) last and favourite wife. Although Jahangir makes absolutely no mention of her for the longest time in his journal, in 1614, he suddenly launched into a vivid account of his most beloved wife, ‘Nur Jahan’s’ remarkable actions. This account, till date, remains the only one wherein such a rich depiction of a royal Mughal women has been penned. He paints a cherishing portrait of Nur and describes her as a –
“… sensitive companion, superb caregiver, accomplished adviser, hunter, diplomat and aesthete.”
“Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan” by Ruby Lal
Jahangir and Prince Khurram with Nur Jahan, c. 1624. This scene is probably set in the Aram Bagh, Agra, which Empress Nur Jahan, a great patron of gardens, had re-modeled in 1621
From here on, after her entry into the Mughal Harem, Nur Jahan’s power and influence only grew. In 1612, a year after her marriage with Jahangir, Nur orchestrated a wedding match between the Emperor’s favourite son Khurram (later known as Shah Jahan) and her niece Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal). This wedding aided Nur to form a powerful alliance, one that would form the backbone for most her reign, between – her father, her brother Asaf Khan (father of Mumtaz) and Khurram. Nur’s family’s influence and grasp over the royal affairs grew steadfast as the Emperor began taking a backseat in the functioning of the Empire and let his wife take over the reins. Soon enough, the Padshah Begum (The Empress), was known throughout the empire for her bravery, her superb hunting skills (especially in hunting ferocious tigers) and her administrative skills. Furthermore, Nur even issued royal farmans (a royal decree issued by the emperor) bearing her name on it. By 1617, Nur Jahan had gold and silver coins carrying her name on them, circulating throughout the empire.
Silver rupee coin minted under Jahangir, bearing the name of Nur Jahan. Dated AH 1037, regnal year 22 (1627/1628 CE), minted at Patna
“Mughal Brave Queen Nur Jahan with Her Husband King Jahangir after Killing Tiger with Her Spear” Painted by Ustad Haji Muhammad Sharif
One courtier described an event wherein Nur took everyone by surprise by appearing in the imperial balcony, in front of everyone, an area that was traditionally reserved only for men. She even saved the Emperor’s life when his most trusted courtier Mahabat Khan, captured him. Nur led a large army against Khan and unfortunately got captured by the enemy, due to a lapse in the Mughal army’s defence. But the Empress did not give up so easily. She raised an army in the enemy camp, under the Mahabat Khan’s watchful eye and managed to free herself and the Emperor, in a daringly courageous act. This act of defiance etched Nur’s name in history as one of the most gutsy and powerful women in the mighty Mughal Empire. Despite her many courageous acts and her impeccable sense of governance, Nur Jahan was never recognized as a proper ruler because the theologians never read the khutba (Friday sermon) in her name, which would indeed make her a legitimate Empress of Hindustan.
“Mughal Queen Nur Jahan Playing Polo with Other Princesses”
Unfortunately, Nur Jahan’s powerful alliance was broken when Prince Khurram rebelled against his father and his stepmother, a rebellion that was supported by Nur’s brother and Khurram’s father-in-law – Asaf Khan. As she lost two of her most trusted men, Nur’s power only dimmed further with the passing of Emperor Jahangir in 1627. Mercifully, the father-in-law and son-in-law duo let Nur Jahan spend the rest of her life peacefully in a confined palace in Lahore with her only child Ladli Begum. She was granted an annual amount of 2 lakh rupees by Shah Jahan, which she used to oversee the construction of her father’s tomb, now known as – I’timād-ud-Daulah’s tomb. It was this very tomb that served as a model for one of the greatest monuments to have ever been built – the Taj Mahal.
The tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, often referred to as ‘Bachha (Baby) Taj’ and a ‘Jewel Box’
The only lady to have ruled the entirety of India, until Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s reign over 300 years later, passed away on 17 December 1645 at the age of 68. Historians and men who were threatened by the amount of power she held at the zenith of her reign, have since then described her as a “a gold-digger and schemer”, “a drunk, stoned and oversexed despot” and the one who “besotted” Jahangir. Despite the numerous evidence that prove Emperor Jahangir’s and (the other princes’) addiction to opium and alcohol long before Nur ever entered his life, history always blames the woman for her husband’s acts. And thus, Nur Jahan’s legacy, that she had painstakingly built by defying patriarchy at a time when women had little to no status in society, was reduced to her husband’s carelessness and none of it was credited to her astute skills as a governor.
Nur Jahan’s tomb in Shahdara Bagh
When Shah Jahan came to power, he did everything in his capacity to erase Nur Jahan’s name from the pages of history. The little that remained, remembered her as a ‘witch’ and a ‘cruel woman’. While the world remembers the epic love saga of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, the Empress who paved a way for this marriage to take place, has sadly been forgotten by us.
Koranic verses inlaid in marble on Nur Jahan’s tomb
Nur Jahan’s marriage to Emperor Jahangir is a prime example of the rich diversity of Indian culture. She was a Shia Muslim married to a man who was partly a Sunni Muslim and partly a Hindu. Her tomb lies in Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, very close to her husband’s, which she commissioned and built herself. Nur’s daughter Ladli Begum was buried right beside her. The inscription upon her tomb reads –
“On the grave of this poor stranger, let there be neither lamp nor rose. Let neither butterfly’s wing burn nor nightingale sing”.
To read about more such strong and inspiring women from history, click on the link below to access all articles from the series – ‘Women of the Past: Rediscovered’
Sources:
Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan – by Ruby Lal
The brilliant career of Nur Jahan, empress of India – The Economist
The Mughal queen who became a feminist icon – BBC
The remarkable life of Mughal Empress Nur Jahan – Telegraph India
Notable Mughal and Hindu women in the 16th and 17th centuries A.D. – by Renuka Nath
Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India – by Ellison Banks Findly
Queen, Empress, Concubine: 50 Women Rulers from Cleopatra to Catherine the Great – by Claudia Gold