Jahanara Begum – The Forgotten Mughal Princess

Ancient Indian texts and scriptures always talk about the great kings who once ruled over this great land and how they won great battles and wars. But the one thing that is seldom mentioned in our scriptures are the women who established their position in a society, which at that time wasn’t ready to accept powerful and opinionated ladies. The very first one amongst the many, is Jahanara Begum – A Mughal Princess like No Other.

Jahanara Begum

The eldest daughter of the fifth Mughal King, Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Jahanara Begum lived a very comfortable life. She was born into one of the wealthiest kingdom’s in the world, the mighty Mughal Empire. But unknown to most at the time, including her own family, she was clearly way ahead of most, who existed in and around her lifetime. She was the eldest of the seven siblings, of whom the most known ones are her two brothers Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb, and her younger sister Roshanara Begum. She was born in Ajmer (current day Rajasthan), in the year 1614. Her childhood was spent learning the Quran and other Persian scriptures, witnessing the various feuds that took place in the Royal Mughal Harem and observing the politics of the Royal Court. A very well educated and responsible girl for her time, Jahanara went on to become the most important women in the mighty Mughal Empire. However, her life was not all happy and luxurious.

Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal

Tragedy struck on 17^th June 1631. The beloved wife of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, passed away at the age of 38, due to childbirth complications. Shah Jahan got consumed by grief and started drifting away from his royal duties as a king. But what was worse off was that he was so blinded, that he could not see the extreme tensions that were developing between his children, especially Aurangzeb and Dara Shikoh. Now, the eldest lady of the royal family, Jahanara, had to assume all the responsibilities that her mother once held. She was only 17 years-old at the time. This is why Jahanara was never an ordinary woman. Barely an adult, she took charge of the royal duties and was soon bestowed with the title of Malika-e-Hindustan Padshah Begum – The First Lady of the Indian Empire. This was the highest rank of honour that a woman could receive in the Mughal court. Since her father had drowned himself in his sorrows, she also had to look over the important on-goings in the Mughal Court, which were outside her line of duty

She practically assumed the role of a parent. She had to take care of her father and her siblings, especially Aurangzeb. But more importantly, she had to look after her youngest sibling Gauhar Ara Begum, whom her mother had died giving birth to. It is said that Shah Jahan was so devastated by the death of his wife, that he refused to even look at his new-born daughter. A French traveler François Bernier wrote: “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”. Bad luck struck her life once again when a terrible accident took place on 4^th April 1644. Jahanara was badly burnt in an incident, which caused terrible, permanent scarring across her body. She had always been known for her beauty, and now a freak accident had permanently scarred her. (The reasons behind her scarring are many, but I won’t mention them now)

Dara Shikoh

Upon her recovery from this fateful incident, she was given the revenues from the Port of Surat, and allotted an income from a number of villages and gardens. Not just this, her mother had left her with half of her property, whose value would now have been approximately ten million rupees. Once she became “The Lady of the Empire”, the royal seal was entrusted to her and her annual ‘salary’ was increased from ₹6,00,000 to ₹10,00,000 which was then further raised to ₹17,00,000 during Aurangzeb’s reign. This is why Jahanara was one of the richest women in the world at the time. She also had her own personal trading ship from which she got a lot of revenue, named ‘Sahibi’.

Aurungzeb

On the days during which Jahanara was unconscious because of the accident, her brothers Dara Shikoh and Aurungzeb would visit her every single day. When Aurungzeb first got the news of her accident, he was posted in the Deccan region. He left all his work there, and came rushing back to his sister’s aid. Both of her brothers would read Persian poems to her on the days when she was recovering. Even when she was in a state where she could not sit upright, she tried to make amends between the two brothers. Unlike her father, Jahanara was quick to sense that tension was brewing between her two younger brothers. She never took sides up until the very last minute, when war was on the brink of breaking out and she was forced to side with Dara.

“The Passing of Shah Jahan” a painting by Abanindranath Tagore

Ultimately, as fate would have it, Aurungzeb won the War of Succession and killed Dara Shikoh. He placed an ill Shah Jahan under house arrest in the Agra Fort and stripped Jahanara off her several royal titles, partly because she followed her father into exile. She lived with her father up until his death and took care of him. It is said that the place within Agra Fort where Shah Jahan was held captive, had a beautiful view of the Taj Mahal and that Shah Jahan died looking at it, since that was said to be his last wish. After her father’s death, she returned to the capital of the Empire – Shahjahanabad (current day Old Delhi). Her relationship with Aurungzeb improved and the title of Padshah Begum was restored to her. Post this, she led a relatively peaceful life, dedicated mainly to her passion for art and humanity. Jahanara is most famously remembered as the architect of Chandi Chowk. She looked over the development of the entire area. She was also a poetess and an author. She wrote a book on the Sufi Saint Moin-ud-Din Chishti.

Jahanara’s Book

Stephen Blake in his book “Shahjahanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India” gives a beautiful description of how Chandni Chowk looked at the time of its construction:

“The chowk was an octagon with sides of one hundred yards and a large pool in its center. To the north, Jahanara built a caravansarai (roadside inn) and a garden and, to the south, a bath. On certain nights, the moonlight reflected pale and silvery from the central pool and gave to the area the name Chandni Chowk (Silver or Moonlight Square). This name slowly displaced all others until the entire bazaar, from the Lahori Gate to the Fatehpuri Masjid, became known as Chandni Chowk.”

“Shahjahanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India”

Water Colour Painting of Chandni Chowk

On 16^th September 1681, Jahanara passed away at the age of 67 years. She died a natural death. During her lifetime, she built a tomb for herself – made out of white marble and it is open to the sky. Her tomb is in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex in New Delhi and the inscription on her grave is a short poem written by her in Persian. When translated, it means:

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 [1681 AD]

Jahanara’s Tomb and it’s inscription

And thus, perished one of the greatest women to have lived in Indian history. Jahanara Begum was not just a Mughal princess who lived a life of wealth and luxury, but also a woman who witnessed many tragedies in her lifetime of 67 years. The only person who managed to gain the respect of Aurungzeb despite going against him, Jahanara was bestowed upon posthumously with the title of Sahibat-uz-Zamani (Mistress of the Age), by Aurungzeb.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahanara_Begum

https://feminisminindia.com/2018/06/01/jahanara-begum-mughal-queen/

https://www.thebetterindia.com/168684/jahanara-begum-mughal-princess-chandni-chowk-history-india/