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| Shah Jahan's Chambers with Jahanara and Roshanara's Bangla on both sides overlooking the Anguri Bagh, Agra Fort. |
Background:
The Timurid Dynasty, better (and wrongly) known as the Mughal Empire, ruled the Subcontinent from 1526 C.E. till the time the British East India Company successfully captured Delhi from Bahadur Shah II in 1857 C.E. (The size of the empire obviously varied) Hence a large part of medieval Indian history revolves around the characters of this dynasty. Due to the extensive amount of contemporary records right from Babur, the founder of the empire writing his own memoirs in “Babarnama” to the accounts of court poets like Abu Talim and the extensive details of Abul Fazl, one has a clear idea about the functioning of the Timurid empire as well as the Harem involving the royal ladies of the dynasty. Almost nothing is left to the imagination when it comes to the lives of the first six and most famous and successful Timurid emperors, namely Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Alamgir.
What is more fascinating for the history lover is the way Jahangir in his memoir gives us a sneak peek into the private life in the Harem for the first time while this continues in bits and pieces when Shah Jahan’s chronicles are recorded by the likes of his courtier Inayat Khan. These accounts give us an insight not only into the lives of these famous men but the many women who were the driving force in their political and personal lives. The sisters, mothers, wet nurses, mentors, wives and even ladies in waiting played very illustrious roles in the lives of these famous men.
Babur’s sister Khanzada Begum, his youngest daughter Gulbadan Begum (who also happens to write the Humayun Nama or biography of Humayun) Humayun’s wife Bega Begum, Hamida Banu, Akbar’s wet nurse Maham Anga, Jija Anga, his wives Rukaiya Sultanam Begum, Salima Sultana Begum, Mariam Ur Zamani (Harka Bai), Jahangir’s wives Maan Kanwar Bai of Amer, Maanwati Bai of Jodhpur titled Jagat Gossain (also Jodha Bai) Nur Jahan his coregent, Shah Jahan’s wife Mumtaj Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum) Qandahari Begum, Akbarbadi Begum, his daughters Jahanara and Roshanara, Aurangzeb’s wife, Dilras Banu, Zainabadi Begum, daughters Zeenat Un Nissa, Zeb Un Nissa, as well as some others like Nadira Banu (Wife of Dara Shikoh) all find very prominent mention in history.
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| Close Up of Jahanara's Chambers |
Family History
Jahanara Begum was hence born on the 2nd of April, 1614 C.E. to Prince Khurram and his wife Arjumand Banu Begum at the Akbari Fort in Ajmer, present-day Rajasthan. She was the surviving firstborn child of Arjumand Banu and the second to her father Khurram (His first wife Qandahari Begum gave birth to a girl child Perhez Banu while Mumtaj Mahal's firstborn died at the age of three) Jahangirnama not only mentions the lunar positions of the birth of this child, the emperor also mentions naming his granddaughter Jahan Ara (Light of the World) and does not fail to mention how delighted Khurram was at the birth of his daughter when Jahangir named her Jahan Ara or "Light of the world" (Interesting fact to note here, around the year 1608, Jahangir had a small garden made in Kabul, which he had named Jahanara much before naming his granddaughter the same.)
Jahanara was born into very strong lineages both from her paternal as well as maternal sides. The Timurid dynasty’s founder Babar was in fact the descendent of Ghengis Khan from his mother’s side and Timur from his father. Jahanara’s father Shah Jahan was born to Jahangir’s wife Jagat Gossain, the Rajput princess of the Rathore clan of Marwar. Arjumand Banu was the niece of the strong-willed and intelligent Nur Jahan and daughter to Jahangir’s trusted noble Asaf Khan. Jahanara inherited both the skills of administration and control of Nur Jahan and Arjumand Banu (later Mumtaj Mahal) and the learned sides of the Timurid women like Salima Begum or Gulbadan Begum. She was well-versed in Persian literature and could tell the Quran by heart as a child. Her mentor Sati Un Nisa, also one of the chief ladies in her mother’s harem played a crucial role in her upbringing and held strong counsel during her years as the Padshah Begum.
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| Painting of a young Jahanara |
Prominence in the Harem
Jahanara’s life before her mother’s death is sheltered from the public eye. She travelled with her parents at a very early age, during his father’s expeditions to Burhanpur and was also with her parents during the rebellion of Khurram against his father Jahangir in 1626C.E. at the threshold of her teens. Hence, it is safe to assume she travelled with her parents across to Mewar where Khurram sought shelter first at Mewar under Rana Karan Singh. This further helped the fascination both Dara and she nurtured later about the differences and similarities between their clan and culture with those of their Hindu counterparts. Burhanpur played a very crucial role during most of her childhood years when she spent away from the luxury of Lahore or Agra. She is mentioned occasionally in contemporary documents as learned, skilled and intelligent, as well as for the gifts and honours she is bestowed upon.
Shah Jahan came to the throne in 1627 C.E. after the death of Jahangir and a power struggle between him and his stepbrother Shahryar and his nephew Dawar Baksh. It is safe to say Shah Jahan restricted his family’s interaction with Nur Jahan who had been at loggerheads with him and was house arrested in Lahore where she spent the rest of her life. Nevertheless, she remained an enigma to Jahanara Begum who had only heard of this Empress and was too young during her reign.
Mumtaj Mahal (unsure of when the title was bestowed upon her) was Shah Jahan’s favourite queen. She is mentioned as taking an active part as the head of the harem between 1627-1630 C.E. conducting trade and council using the royal seal with her name on it and organising the marriages of her sons, Dara, Shuja and Aurangzeb to their cousins. However, she, unfortunately, doesn’t survive seeing any of them get married.
On the 17th of June, 1631 C.E. Mumtaj Mahal died due to complications at childbirth while her fourteenth child Gauhar Ara was being born. She left behind her seven surviving children namely, Jahanara, Dara Shikoh, Shuja, Aurangzeb, Roshan Ara, Murad and Gauhar Ara. Upon her death, the responsibilities of her siblings were handed over to the seventeen-year-old Jahanara Begum who was closest to her younger brother Dara. She also, alongside a mere sixteen-year-old Dara, held court and arranged funerals while their father grieved in private. When Shah Jahan came to terms with the tragedy one of his first actions in court was to make Jahanara Begum the Padshah Begum or chief of the harem. This was not a shocker as even before him, Babar too relied on his sister instead of his wives to be the chief of his harem. Shah Jahan trusted her competency to run the harem more than that of his other wives perhaps. Let me go ahead and further clarify here, that Padshah Begum was a title for the chief of Harem and not the queen or wife of the emperor.
Harem: Myths and Reality
The Europeans often misrepresented the idea of a harem in any southeast or eastern countries in their chronicles. These rumours eventually became more famous than the reality of a harem. The term Harem is mostly looked down upon as a representation of a house for the Emperor’s pleasure, his queens, concubines and dancing girls. This is not true. Harem or the inner house (also known as Zenana) is the private part of a fort or palace which is accessible only to a selected few. Even the emperor or the princes had limited access to the harem. The harems were usually run by queens or matrons and had a hierarchy system. All the royal ladies, children, their staff and guards used to form the harem. Eunuchs used to guard the harem and no male guards were allowed inside. Every member of staff and even the royal ladies and princes had specific functions and jobs in the harem in return for which they were paid a monthly incentive. All the expenses of food, maintenance, organising festivals, gifts and rewards, clothes and jewellery were extensively recorded by accountants and looked upon by the harem head.
The Padshah Begum, in the case of the Timurids, had the role of organizing festivities, weddings, weighing, rewards upon winning wars, and special meals for the emperor. They also played an active role in suggesting political and administrative policies to the emperor. In many instances when the emperor was not reachable, noblemen, courtiers and even the Princes sought council with the Padshah Begum instead. The Padshah Begum was most often present in the Diwan E Khas or Court of the Courtiers. No outsiders, including courtiers, were allowed inside the harem or private chambers. Even the queens and princesses often met their acquaintances and male family members in public appearance chambers in the relatively outer parts of the harem.
Many European accounts, mostly commissioned by Western monarchs, wrote extensive lies about the harem culture as well as character assassinating the emperors and queens. The reason for this was simple. When a traveller was commissioned by another monarch to come across to a different land and write about it, one of his jobs was to please his patron monarch. Economically and administratively the monarchs were aware of how superior the Eastern world was (The Timurids being the wealthiest monarch of the time) so the only thing they could fabricate to please their patrons was the private life of the emperors and the description of the empire. Most went to great lengths and collected “bazaar gossip” to an extent of high imagination to feed the European minds. One of the most famous books is “Storia Do Mogor” by Nicolao Manucci. Bazaar Gossip was the most reliable source of information most of these travellers would find and Manucci was no different.
However, both Francois Bernier and Manucci, two of the most prominent European accounts, first mention Jahanara as a charismatic persona, enigmatic character and a public figure to the subjects were easily drawn to. They mentioned her generous kind endeavours and charities. They also express their surprise at the amount of wealth and power she held. Afsan Bokhari in her very famous thesis on Jahanara also reflects upon this opinion.
Most European accounts based on bazaar gossip, however, go to the extent of imagining incest inside the Timurid dynasty between fathers and daughters and Manucci also bloats about being present to record the historical war of Samugarh as it happened, without sustaining any harm.
No Timurid record of this most talked of war, however, mentions or acknowledged his version. In reality, he is only mentioned in contemporary accounts as a part of the ambassadors in the court of Shah Jahan who presented him with gifts and never had any access to the harem or the war front. The only time Timurid records do mention any Europeans was when their doctors were consulted to treat Jahanara’s burn injuries though they were not allowed inside the harem to see her. The exchange of their medicine was a trade incentive offered by the emperor.
These Europeans played a very crucial role in tarnishing the image of the characters in the eyes of their European counterparts. In an era when women in Europe were struggling to find suitable grooms and dowry for a better life and queens were challenged and conspired against time and again by men who refused to bow to women, these men were nevertheless intimidated by the power the royal Timurid women held. From Nur Jahan who had coins in her name, co-ruling with her husband Jahangir efficiently, to all the princesses possessing great wealth and property, jagirs that brought them revenue, ships of trade and even high ranks in the courts, it is easy to understand why they needed to fabricate and downplay the character analysis of these women.
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| Representation of Jahanara in European style |
Relationship with Siblings
Jahanara Begum had always been known to be closest to her sibling Dara Shikoh, who was only a year and a few months younger than her. Dara and Jahanara shared the love for cultural confluences of Hinduism and Islam in the subcontinent and hence turned to Sufism to find the philosophical answers they sought. Jahanara was in fact introduced to her Sufi Pir by Dara himself. Apart from that, her exchange of letters with Aurangzeb, the later emperor Alamgir, shows that even though she supported Dara to the throne and their ideologies were different, Aurangzeb always held Jahanara in high regard in the absence of a mother as the elder sister. Her rivalry with sister Roshanara who supported Aurangzeb to the throne is again speculated as Bazaar gossip to paint Roshanara’s image as that jealous and ambitious. What we know is that Roshanara supported Aurangzeb who was always her closest sibling but later fell from his eyes when she misused his royal seal while he was unwell.
When Jahanara Begum had an accidental burn on 26th March 1644 C.E. at Agra Fort, she was severely injured and mostly bedridden for the next eight months. All her siblings, Shuja who was posted in Bengal, Murad and Aurangzeb from the Deccans, Dara and Roshanara came to be by her side in this battle of life and death despite their differences in politics and power. She was also perhaps the guardian to the youngest sibling Gauhar Ara who remained neglected in history.
Jahanara’s hold over her siblings as well as the emotional attachment she felt towards them was further established when at the brink of an unavoidable war of accession she, in a desperate attempt to stop her kins, suggested to the emperor to divide the empire among her brothers. This however proved to be futile.
After being imprisoned by Aurangzeb in the harem at Agra Fort from 1658 C.E. to 1666 C.E. when Shah Jahan died, formally making the already ruling Aurangzeb the emperor, one of his first trips to Agra involved his willingness to meet Jahanara with the utmost respect, apologize to her and request her to travel to the new capital of Shahjahanabad with him and help out in his administration in a similar way that she helped her father. This not only established the respect but also the skills of administration Jahanara possessed.
Much before the wars of succession all her brothers, Dara, Shuja and Murad named her as the guardian of their daughters in case they met with some accidents. Jahanara spent her life taking care of her nieces in her quiet palace in Shahjahanabad and even arranged for their weddings. Dara's daughter Jahanzeb Banu Begum was perhaps the closest she had to a daughter. Her wedding had thus been extensively recorded as well.
In one of the lighter letters from Prince Aurangzeb to his elder sister, he complained about how his father had accused him of stealing good mangoes from the Deccan and sending the bad ones to Agra to the emperor when in reality the drought had extensively damaged the fruit that year. Shah Jahan had gone to the extent of taking away Aurangzeb’s jagir and allowance over this matter. Jahanara played the peacemaker in not only this case but several other times when Shah Jahan was partial towards the rather incompetent Dara thus making his other sons despise him. This also proves that even though Shah Jahan and Dara were closer to Jahanara, her unbiased opinion perhaps made the other siblings, even Aurangzeb turn to her, during trouble.
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| The Jasmine Tower where she was kept under house arrest by Aurangzeb |
Private life
By contracting her dress, fire has acquired such dignity that angels may well make their rosaries of sparks ~ Abu Talib Karim
Perhaps the most significant event in Jahanara’s private life that was under the scrutiny of public eyes, and contemporary chronicles and affected the emperor too was when Jahanara’s dress caught fire, leading to her burning injuries. After her recovery, the delighted emperor declared eight days of festivities and fireworks in her honour. Apart from that most of her private life remains under speculation.
Many sources contemporary and otherwise mention the men in Jahanara Begum’s otherwise unmarried life, most often than not the story is mere speculation and romanticization of the enigma she was. One of the first and foremost names we come across is the dancer boy Dulera. Dulera was obviously of a lower status than the princess who was infatuated with him as a teenager, probably when her mother was still alive. While European chronicles cook up a very Filmy tale of Dulera being caught under her bed by the emperor and burnt in a bowl of oil to his death, it is unclear how much this relationship was. It appeared to be a mere infatuation with the princess that led to his death (we don’t know how) and thus establishing a reality check for the otherwise emotional Jahanara. Afsan Bokhari in her thesis on Jahanara mentions Dulera as one of her first interests in the other sex.
Akbar, after the rebellion of his brother-in-law for the Timurid throne, had established the law whereupon the Timurid princesses were only to be married to their cousins thus making sure that the throne stayed in the dynasty. Shah Jahan had unfortunately in the quest for the throne killed not only his brothers but also his nephews. This left Jahanara and Roshanara with no option of marriage. Probably they were aware of that as both of their focus were more on politics, administration, architecture and culture than having a private life. They wanted to be significant in the politics of the land and the dynasty and contribute to the empire in their own way.
Both princesses inherited jagirs and jewellery from their maternal side as well. However, Jahanara received a fair share of it being the Padshah Begum with an income of 17 lac a year. She owned her own trading ship “Sahibi” which not only traded abroad from the port of Surat but also took Haj pilgrims and received hefty remuneration from her properties. Most of this income Jahanara spent on books, culture, charity and architecture. One may wonder that she was probably trying to establish her name and legacy through her charity, commissions and the very famous Chandni Chowk in the heart of Shahjahanabad, which still stands today, as a mark of her immortality in history. The Jama Masjid in Agra and the now-destroyed Jahanara Bagh too were part of her architectural endeavours. Apart from that, she commissioned the Begum Sahib Dalan at the Ajmer Sharif which still stands as a marble splendour as well as her humble tomb in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex. She was the first woman to contribute to the architecture of Ajmer Sharif as well as the first to be acknowledged in name beside her father's for building the Jama Masjid. A section of the Masjid dedicated as a Mazhar or prayer space for women was specially made by her to allow women to pray in the mosque the same way men did. This was one of her many instances of female empowerment.
Jahanara spent the last years of her life in Shahjahanabad but refused to stay in the Red Fort where her brother Dara was sentenced to death. This led Aurangzeb to give her one of the palaces kept intact from the time of Firoz Shah which she renovated into a stay, with gardens, fountains, marble architecture and splendours. She was the only significant Timurid lady to have stayed outside the forts.
Another of her rumoured relationships, or perhaps interest is attributed to Aurangzeb’s aide Najabat Khan. During the initial years of Shah Jahan’s reign and Dara’s prominence, Najabat Khan was ambitious to rise to high ranks in the Mughal court and soon realised how competent Aurangzeb was and was quick to shift favourites. He spent years in the Deccan aiding Aurangzeb. However, any contact or interest that led to these rumours is unknown. Jahanara Begum was well aware of the implications of her marriage to anyone. Being the Padshah Begum of the land meant that if she was allowed to marry, she would choose someone below her rank and give them the leverage to claim the throne before her brothers thus slipping the throne away from the clan. If she was to marry, she also had to give up her service to her clan and the harem to avoid this. Jahanara Begum was not only competent but well aware of her responsibilities after the demise of her mother.
Perhaps the only “affair” of hers that caught the public eye or perhaps found mention in history was that with Rao Raja Chattrasal Hada of Bundi. He was the grandson of Rao Raja Ratan Singh whom he succeeded to the throne. But even as a prince of one of Shah Jahan’s most faithful alliances ever since his rebellion as Prince Khurram (Ratan Singh saved him), Rao Raja was not only a regular at the court but also close to Dara for his eagerness in their culture. He was sent to the Deccan by order of the Padshah Begum herself, mere months after she first met him in court, reflecting on the faith she showed in him as well. A competent warrior, he followed Dara to his unsuccessful venture into Kandahar then Aurangzeb to the Deccan as well as his win over Kandahar. He was in constant touch through official letters addressed to the Padshah Begum and sought meetings with her at Agra.
Chattrasal was on more than one occasion as recorded in Shahjahan Nama, rewarded with cavalry, weaponry and jewellery by the Padshah Begum herself. He, unfortunately, died at Samugarh. Hypothetically speaking, if Dara did become emperor it was no doubt that Chhatrasal would find a position in his court and the Rajputs who had lost their prominence post-Akbar would have been back to the top positions in the court. The recorded frequent meetings between the Padshah Begum and the Rao Raja were a way of confirming such rumours as the paintings Chhatrasal patronized in his own chambers now known as the Chitrasala of Bundi that clearly had prominent Timurid figures all over the walls. Nevertheless, this love saga ended in a much-anticipated tragedy.
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| Painting of an elderly Jahanara Begum |
Life in Court:
Jahanara Begum was the Padshah Begum of the empire during the entire reign of Shah Jahan. She was hence the keeper of the Emperor’s royal seal and played an active role in decision making of policies, trade and patronising of art in the court, After her sister, Roshanara lost favour with Aurangzeb, he chose to make his daughter Zeenat Un Nisa his Padshah Begum. Jahanara continued to serve him as an advisor and matron figure. It is recorded even in Aurangzeb’s own words how he used to visit the elder sister for advice and returned enlightened by her stories, during her days at Shahjahanabad. She also played a prominent role in arranging the marriages of Aurangzeb’s children, especially his third daughter Zubdat Un Nisa to Dara’s only surviving son Sipihir Shikoh, which is often criticised by historians as an attempt by Aurangzeb to make up for his cruelty towards his brother.
Most of her later life, especially at Aurangzeb’s court, was spent corresponding to letters and complaints from various kings and chiefs across the subcontinent due to the imposing of religious taxes and other issues. Her letters to Rana Raj Singh of Mewar who was particularly unhappy with taxes imposed on Hindu pilgrims were recorded in the official history of Mewar. She is also believed to have reached out to many courtiers who were particularly unhappy with Aurangzeb. She also spent her days in the Humayun’s tomb complex giving away alms and charities, near the now untraceable tomb of her brother Dara in the complex.
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| A painting often guessed to be Jahanara Begum from Dara's book of paintings |
Sufism:
A large part of Jahanara’s life was involved with her choice of religion. Ever since her family was at loggerheads for power on the throne, she turned to Sufism for solace. Her recovery from eight months of terrible illness and fight with death due to her burn injuries pushed her more towards the belief of Chisti’s powers as she recovered mostly on her pilgrimage to Ajmer. However, when she wanted to be officially recognized as a Sufi, her wish to be accepted in the Chisti order was rejected as no women were allowed to be part of it. She hence took up the Qadri order and spent a fortune in charity at the Nizamuddin Dargah in Shahjahanabad. It was Dara, who himself identified as a Sufi who introduced her to his mentor Mullah Shah Badakshi. He drew her towards the Qadri idea of “Purification of the soul”.
She and Dara were the only direct patrons of Sufism from the dynasty and wrote two significant books “Risala I Sahibiya '' and “Munis Al Arwah” which are still translated and read today. In her own words she writes “ When I realised that the truth for this existence requires Fanaa, I decided to follow what my Pir requires, to die before death, to not wait for death to extinguish me, to become one with the divine.” While reading various sources about her Sufi inclinations, one can simply infer that Sufi principles were essentially her way of coping with the pain of power and the dilemma of choosing between her siblings. As someone extremely close to the loving and nurturing Mumtaj Mahal, she perhaps regretted letting her parents down and hence turned to Sufism for solace. Through the books and her own words, one may easily see how learned and philosophical the princess was. She chose to identify herself as the “Fakira”, the first time the word was used for a female Sufi follower just like Dara often called himself “Fakir” and often in her own words lamented how the God she sought would relieve her of her sorrows. Even her humble tomb at the Nizamuddin Dargah with an open top (later copied by Aurangzeb as well) is perhaps the most simple tomb among the elites of the dynasty (alongside Rukaiya Begum’s in Babar’s gardens) and on it are curved these words that speak volumes about the kind of human she was.
“He is the living, the sustaining
Let no one cover my grave except greenery,
For this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor
The annihilated Fakira Lady Jahanara
Daughter of Shah Jahan the Warrior”
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| The carving beside her tomb |
Inference
In my years of studying Jahanara Begum and trying to understand the character she was, I have inferred that the Princess had many layers to her illustrious and somehow tragic life.
The first part of her life, till she was seventeen was perhaps insignificant because it was similar to many other Timurid princesses of her time. She focussed on education, mentored by her mother’s well-learned lady in waiting for Sati Un Nisa. From the gifts bestowed upon her by her father as a princess, we can assume he always doted on his daughter.
When she came to the limelight as Padshah Begum we noticed the natural glimpses of a good administrator she had perhaps inherited from her mother as well as the influence of strong figures like Nur Jahan in her life. She was diplomatic and most often tolerant as a Padshah Begum and had a very active role in court that often influenced the decisions of her father Emperor Shah Jahan as well as her brothers. Her nature is perhaps the reason that she was respected by all. She hence was a figure people could trust and thus played a prominent role as a moderator between her father and brothers, grievances of courtiers to the Padshah and even issues between brothers. Her trade ship and jagir were handled very efficiently and she also kept a wonderful collection of art and literature. This balance Jahanara often exhibited through the allocation of her resources to public buildings, charity and even welfare was highly praised not only by Shah Jahan’s court writers but also around the subcontinent. This showed her more human side that connected to commoners in the streets of her empire. Her ship not only traded goods but also took pilgrims to the Haj. She was, in the words of many, as often regarded by the countrymen as “their beloved princess”.
Jahanara’s turn to Sufism was also reflected in her simple living and change of perception of the world. She quit the luxuries of entertainers and wine in her attempt to be a more devout Sufi. However, she is often a character in her actions showing the turmoil she faced being trapped in the bloodbath of her brothers for the throne, and the grief of a prolongedly ill father, for whom she cared till his last breath.
The later part of Jahanara’s life shows a shift from the politics of the court to more of a role of an advisor and matron whose focus was on the wellbeing of her nieces and their future, as well as giving away most of her monthly incentives as charity. She occasionally did indulge in giving Aurangzeb advice only when it was perhaps needed but spent most of their meetings discussing other things away from his administration or political interests. Jahanara’s last few years, after the marriage of her nieces, had been as much in the dark as her initial days. She left her remaining property and wealth to them and chose a very humble tomb to rest in after a much inspiring life of sixty-seven years.
Additional Information, Dates and Bibliography:
Jahanara became the Padishah Begum upon Mumtaz’s death in the fourth year of her father’s succession in 1631 and enjoyed her position till their imprisonment in 1659.
She rejoined Aurangzeb’s Harem as the Padishah Begum in February 1666 and moved to stay at the grand mansion of Ali Mardan Khan, in October same year, in Shahjahanabad.
She met Raja Chattar Sal in June 1632 and sent him with Aurangzeb to war in September same year. Raja Chattar Sal on behalf of his grandfather provided the imperial army with 40 elephants, of which Shah Jahan took 18, and accepted his services before the Battle of Daulatabad.
In 1634, Raja Chattar Sal was sent to battle at Parinda with Khane Khana (The prime minister) by Shah Jahan after he displayed valour in Daulatabad.
On 4th April 1636, Raja Chattar Sal was injured badly at war alongside Shuja and he returned to Bundi. After this, the records of letters or meetings decreased till the War of succession.
On 26th March 1644, Jahanara suffered burn injuries.
On 24th November of the same year, she was declared fit and made a pilgrimage to Ajmer.
In 1647, the War of Balkh was fought by the Imperial Army of which Chattar Sal was a part as recorded by Bundi.
Rao Raja Chattar Sal was crowned king of Bundi in 1648 at the Taragarh Fort.
On 9th May 1649, he accompanied Aurangzeb to war at Deccan, after Jahanara Begum recommended so to the Emperor.
In the same year of Shah Jahan’s reign, Chattarsal was sent to Kandahar with Dara. Dara lost to his lack of skill and experience. He was however given a heroic welcome by his father.
In 1654 Jahanara received letters from Aurangzeb that indirectly threatened action for his father’s partiality to Dara.
On 29th May 1658, the Battle of Samugarh was fought 10 KMs from Agra between Kota and Agra between the armies of Dara and Aurangzeb who allied with Murad. Chattar Sal died here along with his brother and his son Bharat. Dara fled and Aurangzeb went ahead to capture Agra.
On 8th June 1658, Aurangzeb seized Agra. On 10th June 1658, Jahanara met him on behalf of their father and offered peace which was denied and Shah Jahan and his loyal were imprisoned in the fort itself. She had also received the news of Rao’s death on that very day.
Dara was killed in prison, beheaded for being a “Kafir” to his religion on 30th August 1658 and his severed head sent to Shah Jahan in Agra.
Shah Jahan died on 22nd January 1666 and Aurangzeb came to make peace with Jahanara on 17th February and restored her title and honour. She was thus imprisoned for eight years which ended with Aurangzeb’s apology.
On 27th March 1666C.E. Aurangzeb celebrated his coronation at Agra and offered to make Padshah Begum officially again. She gifted the emperor a jewel and accepted his peace offerings, but refused to move to Delhi with him.
In 1669 she arranged the marriage of Janazeb Begum, Dara’s daughter to Aurangzeb’s third son. Jani Begum was her favourite.
She was the only Mughal Princess who had her own trading ship at the Surat Port which was once looted by Shivaji and it had upset her terribly.
She died on 6th September in 1681 Delhi and was mourned by the Emperor for three days and given the posthumous title of “Sahibat Ur Zamani” or “Mistress of the Age”. She remains buried in the Nizamuddin Dwarka in Delhi.
Bibliography:
- The Life of A Mogul Princess Jahanara Begum
- Power, Piety of Women in Mughal World by Ruby Lal
- Munis Al Arwah & Risala I Sahibiya
- Daughters of the Sun by Ira Mukhoty
- Heroines by Ira Mukhoty
- Mumtaz Duhita Jahanara by Sreeparabat (Fictionalized History)
- Mahal by Subhadra Sengupta
- Padshahnama of Shah Jahan by Inayat Khan
- Short History of Aurangzeb by Jagunath Sircar
- Afsan Bokhari's Thesis of Jahanara Begum
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