Jahanara Begum Sahib

Jahanara Begum Sahib

Shahzadi of the Mughal Empire

House

Timurid

Father

Shah Jahan

Mother

Arjumand Banu Begum

Born

2 April 1614

Died

16 September 1681

Burial

Nizamuddin Dargah, New Delhi

Shahzadi (Imperial Princess) Jahanara Begum Sahib (April 2, 1614 September 16, 1681) was the eldest daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan and Empress Mumtaz Mahal.[1] She was also the older sister of her father's successor and the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. During her lifetime, she was honoured with various titles conferred upon her by her father, Shah Jahan, which included Sahibat al-Zamani (Lady of the Age) and Padishah Begum (Lady Emperor), or Begum Sahib (Princess of Princesses). Upon her death, her younger brother Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title: Sahibat-uz-Zamani (Mistress of the Age).

Contents

1 Influence at court 2 Accident 3 Relations with family 4 Burial 5 Personal attributes 6 Sufism 7 In popular culture 8 Notes 9 Literature

Influence at court
Upon the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, Jahanara, who was just 17, took the place of her mother as First Lady of the Empire, despite her father having three other wives.[2] As well as caring for her younger brothers and sisters, she is also credited with bringing her father out of mourning and restoring normality to a court darkened by her mother's death and her father's grief. One of her tasks after the death of her mother was to oversee the betrothal and wedding of her brother, Dara Shikoh to Begum Nadira Banu, which had been originally planned by Mumtaz Mahal, but postponed by her death. Jahanara's mother, Arjumand Banu Begum, Empress Mumtaz Muhal died while giving birth. Mumtaz Mahal's personal fortune valued at 10,000,000 rupees, was divided by Shah Jahan between Jahanara Begum (who received half) and the rest of her surviving children.[3] Her father frequently took her advice and entrusted her with charge of the Imperial Seal. 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) and Padishah Begum (Lady Emperor), or Begum Sahib (Princess of Princesses).

Her power was such that, unlike the other royal princesses, she was allowed to live in her own palace, outside the confines of the Agra Fort.[4]

Accident
Jahanara was in her wardrobe, when the chemicals in her perfume got close to a lamp and started a fire, causing her to be engulfed in flames. Her father nursed her back to health. She was cured by a mendicant named Hanum, who was richly rewarded by Shah Jahan. After her recovery, Shah Jahan gifted her with rare gems and jewellery and bestowed upon her the revenues of the port of Surat.[4] She later visited Ajmer, following the example set by her great-grandfather Akbar.[5]

Relations with family

The passing of Shah Jahan beside his daughter and caretaker Princess Jahanara. Historians report a deep love and genuine liking between Jahanara and her brother Dara Shikoh, unlike the cool politeness that existed between Aurangzeb and herself.[citation needed] Jahanara had referred to Aurangzeb as the "white serpent" (since Aurangzeb had very fair complexion) in a kind of diary she had written, also calling him a tiger and panther.[6] Legend says that once when Aurangzeb was severely sick, Jahanara took care of him. Later when he asked her whether she would support him for the throne, she said that he would not be emperor due to which Aurangzeb became very angry with her.[citation needed] When Aurangzeb fell out of favour with his father during the time of Jahanara's convalescence, she is credited with using the celebrations of her recovery to encourage her father to restore Aurangzeb to his former positions.[citation needed]

There is record of tensions with her sister Roshanara Begum, three years her junior, who resented her elder sister's position as First Lady of the Empire.[7] Jahanara took the side of Dara Shikoh in the struggle for the throne. Dara had promised her to lift the ban on marriage for Mughal princesses, which Akbar had introduced. Had he triumphed, her power would likely have continued. 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. After the death of their father, Jahanara and Aurangzeb were reconciled. He gave her the title, Empress of Princesses and she replaced Roshanara as First Lady.[8] Jahanara's sister Roshanara Begum was reportedly very jealous of her sister's return to power. Jahanara was soon secure enough in her position to occasionally argue with Aurangzeb and have certain special privileges which other women did not possess. She 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 said would alienate his Hindu subjects.

Burial

Jahan Ara's tomb (left), Nizamuddin Auliya's tomb (right) and Jamaat Khana Masjid (background), at Nizamuddin Dargah complex, in Nizamuddin West, Delhi Upon her death, Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title: Sahibat-uz-Zamani (Mistress of the Age).[9] Jahanara is buried in a tomb in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex in New Delhi, 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 [1681 AD]

Personal attributes
No formally attributed likeness of her is known to exist.[10] She was highly educated and well versed in Persian and Arabic,[10] as well as a writer, painter and poet (of some repute).[11] Jahanara was known for her active part in looking after the poor and financing the building of mosques and gardens.[12] For example, when the Sahibi (a ship constructed by herself), was going to set sail for its first journey (on 29 October 1643), she ordered that the ship make its voyage to Mecca and Medina and "... that every year fifty koni (One Koni was 4 Muns or 151 pounds) is of rice should be sent by the ship for distribution among the destitute and needy of Mecca."[13] In Agra she is best known for sponsoring the building of the Jami Masjid in 1648 in the heart of the old city. 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 of them. All of Jahanara's building projects were completed around the year 1650, inside the city walls of Shahjahanabad. The best known of her projects is Chandni Chowk, the central bazaar. While reviewing the book The Life of a Mogul Princess: Jahanara Begum (daughter of Shahjahan) by Andrea Butenschon, it is stated by Mohsin Maqbool Elahi as follows: The story behind the book, The Life of a Mogul Princess: Jahanara Begum (daughter of Shahjahan), is in itself interesting. Andrea Butenschon found a unique handwritten copy in Persian of Jahanaras book by accident. While she was visiting the Jasmine Tower of the Agra Fort, the manuscript fell into her hands from behind a marble slab which was on the verge of breaking. She translated the manuscript into English and the book was finally published in 1931, almost 300 years after Jahanara had written it.

Sufism
Together with her brother Dara Shikoh, she was a disciple of Mullah Shah Badakhshi, who initiated her into the Qadiriyya Sufi 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.[5] She wrote a biography of Moinuddin Chishti, the founder of the Chishtiyah order, titled Munis al-Arw, as well as a biography of Mullah Shah, titled Rislah-i ibyah, in which she also described her initiation by him.[14] 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 and spoke of herself as a faqrah to signify her vocation as a Sufi woman.[15]

Jahanara Begum stated that she and her brother Dr were the only descendants of Timur to embrace Sufism.[16] However, Aurangzeb was spiritually trained as a follower of Sufism as well. As a patron of Sufi literature, she commissioned translations of and commentaries on many works of classical literature.[17]

In popular culture
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, by John Shors. She is the main character in the novel Shadow Princess by Indu Sundaresan, published on 23 March 2010. She is also the main character in Jean Bothwell's An Omen for a Princess (1963). Actresses Mala Sinha and Manisha Koirala have portrayed the role of Jahanara in their respective films, namely Jahan Ara (1964) and Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005).

Notes
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. ^ Jahanara Begum (1613-1683) ^ Preston, page 176. ^ Preston, page 175. ^ a b Preston, page 235. ^ a b Schimmel, Annemarie (1997). My Soul Is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum. p. 50. ISBN 0-8264-1014-6. ^ Review: A princess with taste ^ Preston, page 266. ^ Preston, page 285. ^ Preston, page 286. ^ a b Preston, page 232. ^ Lasky, Kathryn (2002). The Royal Diaries: Jahanara, Princess Of Princesses. Scholastic Inc.. pp. 147. ISBN 0-439-22350-4. ^ WISE: Muslim Women: Past and Present - Jahanara ^ Moosvi, Shireen (2008). People, Taxation, and Trade in Mughal India. Oxford University Press. pp. 264. ISBN 0-19-569315-9. ^ Rizvi, Saiyid Athar Abbas (1983). A History of Sufism in India. 2. New Delhi: Mushiram Manoharlal. p. 481. ISBN 81-215-0038-9. ^ Helminski, Camille Adams (2003). Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure. Boston: Shambhala. p. 129. ISBN 1-57062-967-6. ^ Hasrat, Bikrama Jit (1982). Dr Shikh: Life and Works (second ed.). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 64. ^ Schimmel, Annemarie (1997). My Soul Is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum. p. 51. ISBN 0-8264-1014-6.

Literature

Eraly, Abraham (2004) (paperback). The Mughal Throne (First ed.). London: Phoenix. pp. 555 pages. ISBN 978-0-7538-1758-2.

Preston, Diana & Michael (2007) (Hardback). A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time (First ed.). London: Doubleday. pp. 354 pages. ISBN 978-0-385-60947-0. Lasky, Kathryn (2002) (Hardback). The Royal Diaries: Jahanara, Princess Of Princesses (First ed.). New York: Scholastic Corporation. pp. 186 pages. ISBN 978-0439223508. http://books.google.ae/books?id=JkGoaOy5-EkC&.