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Mariam-uz-Zamani

April 21, 2023

Mariam-uz-Zamani (lit. 'Mary/Compassionate of the Age');[5] (c. 1542 – 19 May 1623), commonly known by the misnomer 'Jodha Bai',[6] was the chief consort and principal Rajput wife[a] as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] She was also the longest-serving Hindu empress of the Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty-three years (1562 –1605).[17]

Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum
Empress consort of Mughal Empire
Queen mother of the Mughal Empire
Rajkumari of Amer
Artistic depiction of Mariam-uz-Zamani
BornHarka Bai
c. 1542
Amer, Kingdom of Amber
Died19 May 1623(1623-05-19) (aged 80–81)[1]
Agra,[1] Mughal Empire
Burial
Tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani, Sikandra, Agra
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1562; d. 1605)​
Issue
Names
Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba[4]
Dynasty
FatherRaja Bharmal of Amer
MotherRani Champavati Solanki
ReligionHinduism

Born a Rajput princess,[18][a] she was married to Akbar by her father, Raja Bharmal of Amer due to political exigencies.[21][22] 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.[22] She was an extremely beautiful woman[23] and was said to possess uncommon beauty.[24] She is presumed to possess a strong, sinewy frame[25] and was widely known for both her grace and intellect. In the words of Akbar, she's described as 'piece of the moon'.[26]

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.[27] She is stated as the favourite and an influential consort of Akbar, having a considerable influence in the matters of the court.[28][29][7][30][31][32][33] Described as an intelligent,[34] amiable, kind[35] and liberal woman,[36] she was often consulted by Akbar on important matters.[37] She was the mother of Akbar's eldest surviving son and eventual successor, Jahangir, and the grandmother of Shah Jahan.

Name, Titles and 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.[38][39][40] Her paternal grandparents were Raja Prithviraj Singh I and Apurva Devi, a daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner.[41]

 
Mariam-uz-Zamani's artistic illustration

Her birth name is unknown.[22] 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 '.[22] Other names provided by various sources include Harkha Bai,[21] Jiya Rani, Maanmati bai,[42] Harika bai, Hira Kunwari,[43] Heer Kunwari, Shahi-Bai and Shahi Begum.[44]

She was bestowed an honorific Muslim name, 'Wali Nimat Begum' (lit. 'Blessings of God') by Akbar, in 1564, after two years of her marriage.[45] She was given the high honor of being titled as 'Mariam-uz-Zamani' (lit. 'Mary/Compassionate of the Age') by Akbar on the occasion of their son, Jahangir's birth.[46][47] This was the title by which she was referred to in contemporary Mughal chronicles, including Jahangir's autobiography, the Tuzk-e-Jahangiri.[48] Apart from the title of Mariam-uz-Zamani, she also bore two more glorious titles of 'Mallika-e-Muezamma' (lit. 'Exalted Empress')[49] and 'Mallika-e-Hindustan' (lit. 'Empress of Hindustan').[49] She was commonly referred as 'Shahi Begum' (lit. 'Imperial consort') throughout her reign.[50][51] She would officially use the name Wali Nimat Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba.[4]

Erroneous Identification

The misnomer of Jodha Bai

Akbar ordained that the names of women of his seraglio should not be mentioned in public as the sanctity of Mughal women was considered so great that even their names could not be pronounced, they should be designated by some epithet either from the place of their birth or the country or the city in which they have been first regarded by the monarch with the eye of affection,[52][53] hence Mariam Zamani had been addressed as the daughter of Raja Bharmal[54] or sister of Raja Bhagwant Das[27] in Akbarnama. Her son, Salim referred to her by her title, Hazrat Mariam-uz-Zamani in his chronicles. This led to the confusion and freedom exercised by various historians to guess and speculate her birth name.

The name by which she is most popularly known in modern times is 'Jodha Bai' .[22][44][55][23][56] 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.[57] 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.[58] Instead, it is assumed that 'Jodha Bai' or 'Jodh Bai' in fact refers to the wife of Jahangir, Jagat Gosain, the daughter of Raja Udai Singh of Jodhpur.[59][60]

Misidentification as Christian

Mariam-uz-Zamani's identity has been throughout centuries falsely inferred as Christian primarily on the pretext of her title, 'Mariam', and the absence of her background details from official Mughal chronicles giving rise to speculation about her race and religion.[9] It was presumed by various writers that since she was named Mariam, she must have been a Christian lady. However Islam revers Mary or Mariam as their own. Maryam is the only woman named in their holy book Quran and as per Muslims, she was the greatest woman to ever lived. This signifies the honour bestowed upon the empress and her distinguished rank as Akbar's wife as a title with an identical name, 'Mariam Makani' was bestowed over Akbar's mother by Akbar.

According to Edmund Smith, the story of Salim's mother being of Christian origin was started by some visitors of Fatehpur Sikri who expressed the idea that the painting in Mariam's house at Fatehpur Sikri represented annunciation and therefore believed that Mariam must have been a Christian, however, the liberal historian of Akbar, Abul Fazl makes no mention of her being Christian or Akbar ever having a Christian wife. Additionally Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh, a chronicle written in the Mughal era, explicitly states Mariam-uz-Zamani as a daughter of Raja Bharmal, therefore putting end to the supposition of her being a Christian. It was not only that the painting in Sonahra Makan may have led to speculation of her as Christian but the name Maryam (Mary) has also led weight to the theory of "Christian wife" however Maryam is a common name among Muslims and Maryam-uz-Zamani (Mary of Age) was conferred upon her on the birth of her son, prince Salim.[61][62] For the verification of the assertion of her association with Christianity, Edmund Smith had her crypt opened to find out whether the tomb was that of a Christian lady, but he did not find any trace of the cross.[63]

Marriage to Akbar

 
Portrait of Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar with Mariam-uz-Zamani begum.

Mariam-uz-Zamani'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 account of his conflict with Sujamal. Bharmal agreed to pay peshkash and had given his son and Mariam-uz-Zamani'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.[64] 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 daughter be given to Akbar in marriage.[21]

Raja Bharmal then espoused his gentle daughter, who was veiled in chastity, in honourable wedlock to Emperor Akbar, and was enlisted in the rank of honoured consorts.[65][66] Akbarnama quotes, "Raja Bharmal introduced his eldest daughter, in whose forehead shone the lights of chastity and intellect, among the attendants on the glorious pavilion."[54]

The marriage, thus, a political one, took place amidst proper festivity on February 6, 1562, while Akbar was on his way back to Agra from Ajmer (after offering prayers at the tomb of Moinuddin Chishti) at the imperial military camp in Sambhar, Rajasthan, instead of the bride's natal home. As per Abu'l Fazl, Akbar accepted the marriage proposal of the daughter of Raja Bharmal due to a divine vision he had at Ajmer Sharif. The Amber princess's marriage provided her family's powerful support throughout the reign.[67]

Views of eminent historians about their marriage:

"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 the socio-cultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar."

— Historian J.L. Mehta, Advanced study in the history of medieval India(1981)[8]

"The heavenly reward, was not long in coming... Raja Bihari Mal of Jaipur arrived to seek a military alliance with the Mughals, and in the pledge of his loyalty, offered his eldest daughter in marriage to Akbar. The Emperor, still under the spiritual spell of Ajmer, thought the offer part of some grand design of the Khwaja and accepted it without hesitation... Jodha Bai entered the harem as a Hindu, not as a Muslim. The insistence on conversion was waived at the instance of her father. A small, exquisite temple was built within the four walls of the fort; she went there every morning to pray and also perhaps to underline her identity as a proud Rajput. With a blue-blooded Rajput princess in the harem, there came about a radical change in the style of life in the palace and at the court. Jodha Bai was as good-looking as she was tactful. Warm-hearted liberalism added lustre to her physical charm. Akbar respected her. So did everybody else. Maham Anaga, in particular, became very fond of her. Soon she became the centre around which life in the palace revolved. Akbar often consulted her on important matters; her responses were invariably high-minded and above partisanship. An equation of complete trust gradually developed between the two. The future greatness of Akbar was in no small measure due to the large-heartedness of Jodha Bai. With a lesser person in her place, the story of the reign of Akbar might have been different."[68]

— Muni Lal, 1980

"No marriage in medieval Indian history was, politically, so happy and fruitful, as the one contracted by Akbar with the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer in January 1562. It symbolized the dawn of a new era in Indian politics; it gave the country a line of remarkable sovereigns; it secured to four generations of Mughal Emperors the services of some of the greatest captains and diplomats that medieval India produced."[69]

— Dr. Beni Prasad, History of Jahangir

"It was indeed, in more than one way, a marriage made in heaven. Not only was the princess of Amber to become a highly respected Qadasi Arkani Mariam-uz-Zamani (the pillar of purity, Mary of Age), the queen mother of Akbar's firstborn son and later successor: this marriage also sealed the mighty Rajput-Mughal alliance that would become the backbone of Akbar's military power and the very foundation of Mughal Empire. In itself, there was nothing unusual about Hindu kings offering their daughters to Muslim rulers as a token of their submission, but Akbar's attitude towards his wife and her family was significantly different. Contrary to the usual practice, he did not ask her to convert to Islam but allowed her to maintain a Hindu shrine in the imperial residence, he occasionally would participate in the Hindu festivities. Her relatives were not treated as mere vassals, but as true allies, friends, and family members, in every respect, equal or superior to the leading Muslim amirs. In short, Akbar's alliance with the Rajput house of Amber was the very cornerstone upon which his military might and the internal cohesion of his empire was founded."

— Dirk Collier, The Great Mughals and their India

The youthful Rajput princess in due time became not only the first lady of the empire but also a much-cherished, much-admired and much-loved object of the Emperor's heart. A true and honourable wife, she became the mother of Prince Salim in 1569 and thereafter, her ascendency to a unique place in the royal palace dazzled every eye. When Akbar initiated his high-minded experiment in the equality of all religions, she became a living symbol of liberalism both in religious and state affairs. She had a surfeit of intelligence, wit and female magnetism that charmed Akbar. Lack of vanity was the ornament she wore with almost divine grace. In the youth, in middle age and later when passion was no more than a pleasant memory, she was a perfect companion to the monarch.[70]

Family advancement

Mariam-uz-Zamani's family became one of the highest-ranking nobles in the Akbar's court.[71] 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.

 
Amber Fort, native home of Mariam-uz-Zamani

Her father Raja Bharmal, after her marriage to Akbar, was immediately made the commander of 5000 cavalry units, the highest rank that could be held by the noble in the court.[71] Mariam-uz-Zamani's brother Bhagwant Das in the year 1585, became commander of 5000 cavalry units and bore the proud title Amir-ul-Umra (Chief Noble). His son, Man Singh I, rose even higher to become commander of 7000 forces, the first to hold that rank in Akbar's reign, and it was only later that Akbar's foster brother Mirza Aziz Koka was raised to the same rank.[72] Akbar referred to Raja Man Singh farzand (son).[73] Even Raja Bihari Mal was denied that eminent rank, he did not cross the five thousand mark. However, it may be of interest that of the four hundred and sixteen Mansabdars of Akbar, only forty-seven were Rajputs, and the aggregate of their quotas amounted to fifty-three thousand horses. Of these, seventeen held Mansabs of from two thousand to five thousand and thirty from one hundred to two thousand. The princes of Amber, Marwar, Bikaner, Bundi, Jaisalmer and Bundelkhand held Mansabs of above one thousand, but Amber alone held the dignity of five thousand.[74] His equation with the Amber Raja and his nephew Man Singh was conditioned in no small measure by his tenderness, tantamounting almost to love, for Mariam Zamani.[75]

Akbar's respect for the family of Mariam-uz-Zamani was profound. As per historian Badani, who specializes in Rajputana history, Akbar shared an intimate relationship with the Amer clan. After the death of the fiancé of one of the daughters of Raja Bharmal and younger sister of Mariam-uz-Zamani, Sukanya, in the Battle of Paronkh in October 1562, Akbar personally took the responsibility for her marriage to a Rajput clan and adopted her as her own daughter.[76] To honour 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 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 also arranged the marriage of the daughter of her brother, Raja Bhagwant Das, to Salim on 13 February 1585. Man bai became the first and chief consort of Prince Salim. For this marriage Akbar personally visited the town of Amer and as a token of respect for her family carried the palanquin of her daughter-in-law on his shoulders for some distance. The gifts given by Mariam Zamani to the bride and bride-groom were valued at twelve lakh rupees.[77] Man Bai later became the mother to Akbar's favourite grandson, Khusrau Mirza,[78][79] and received the prestigious title of 'Shah Begum'. [80]

Religion, Style and birth of children

Akbar, at the insistence of Raja Bharmal, did not convert the princess to Islam and permitted her to perform Hindu rituals in her palace. [81] 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 empress.[82][83] She gradually became his most loved wife and till his death remained his favourite 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, gems and frescoes.

Harka bai arrived at Akbar's court resplendent in the sensuous and excessively feminine style of the Rajput nobility.[52] She is illustrated to wear heavy, swinging, and gathered ghagra which would stop well above her ankle and a tightly fitting choli, tied at back with tasselled strings. Her head and shoulders were covered with an odhani but so translucent and fine that her bare midriff and arms were visible through that shimmering dupatta. Light would flicker against her heavy gold jewellery -swinging earrings, nose rings, clinging bracelets, and girdle of gold. In a few years, the culture and dressing style of this Rajput princess influenced the Mughal dresses and etiquette of the Mughal court.[52] Cohen suggests that by including the textiles like bandhani in the royal paintings made in the region near the birthplace of Maryam Zamani, Akbar and Jahangir might be acknowledging her importance.[6] Her roots were deeply embedded in the Rajput culture and style which was exhibited in her colourful and elaborated odhani or embroidered lehengas.

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.[2][3][84][85][86] Akbar arrived in Agra on 9 October 1564 for the birth of twins.[87] 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 Mariam-uz-Zamani 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 Salim Chisti, a reputed Khawaja who lived at Fatehpur Sikri.[88] Akbar confided in Salim Chisti who assured him that he would be soon delivered of three sons who would live up to a ripe old age.

Birth of Prince Salim

Few years before the birth of prince Salim, Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani went barefoot on a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif Dargah to pray for a son.[89][90] In 1569, Akbar heard the news that his chief 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 Khawaja Salim Chisti. The expectant empress was sent to the Salim Chisti humble dwelling in Fatehpur Sikri during the latter period of her pregnancy. Akbar himself travelled often from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri during her period of pregnancy to take care of the empress for whom a royal palace named Rang Mahal was constructed in Fatehpur Sikri.[91]

One day while Mariam-uz-Zamani was pregnant with Salim, the baby stopped kicking in the womb abruptly. Akbar was at that time hunting cheetahs when this matter was reported to him, thinking if he could have done anything more, as that day was Friday he vowed that from that day he would never hunt cheetahs on Friday for the safety of his unborn child and as per Salim he kept his vow till throughout his life. Salim too in reverence for his father's vow never hunted cheetahs on Friday.[92]

 
Painting describing the scene of the birth of prince Salim, seated next to Mariam Zamani on the chair is Mariam Makani, grandmother of prince Salim.

On 31 August 1569, the empress gave birth to a boy who received the name, Salim, in acknowledgement of his father's faith in the efficacy of the holy man's prayer. Akbar, overjoyed with the news of his heir-apparent, ordered a great feast and festivities which were held up to seven days on the occasion of his birth and ordered the release of criminals with great offence. Throughout the empire, largesses were bestowed over common people, and he set himself ready to visit Sikri immediately. However, he was advised by his courtiers to delay his visit to Sikri on the account of the astrological belief in Hindustan of a father not seeing the face of his long-awaited son immediately after his birth. He, therefore, delayed his visit and visited Sikri to meet his wife and son after forty-one days after his birth.

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".[26] The Empress was presented with jewellery 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.[93][94] She was subsequently given the high honour of being titled 'Mariam-uz-Zamani' (Mary/Compassionate of the Age).[2] The ranks of Raja Bhagwan Das and Man Singh I were raised by two thousand horses each, and they were presented with robes of honour graded next only to those bestowed upon members of the royal family.[95] Akbar broke his records of generosity by giving rich awards and extensive Jagirs to the elite of the court.

She was purported to be the foster mother of Daniyal Mirza, as initially his care and protection were entrusted to her maternal clan.[96] Several marriages of her eldest son Salim and her foster son, Daniyal, were held at her palace.

As Empress of Hindustan

The Empress held a significant influence over Akbar.[97][31] Her high rank in the imperial harem provided her with substantial power and privilege, and she was designated as in charge of the Hindu harem of Akbar.[52] Tirmizi 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.[98] She is described as a charismatic and adventurous woman[99] having a high-spirited disposition and a taste for the unusual.[100] She commanded unreserved respect from all communities not only for her distinguished virtues of tolerance, but also for her wide ranging munificence and solicitude for the poor. On every festive occasion- Muslim or non-Muslim-she gave some cent of her privy purse in charity.[101]

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.[54] Abul Fazl calls her “the choicest apple from the garden of paradise".[94] Badayuni in his book states Akbar's affection and endearment for her with the statement "magic the kind daughter of Raja Bharmal did on Akbar".[35] Another contemporary account describes her as a 'great adventurer'.

She was a major driving force and prime inspiration for Akbar's promotion of secularism.[102] In the words of historian Lal, "The personality and beauty of Mariam-uz-Zamani were indeed partly responsible for Akbar's religious neutrality."[103] She was throughout an active partner in Akbar's search for Divine religion.[104] Nizamuddin Ahmad professes 'daughter of Raja Bihari Mal, who was veiled in chastity, was ennobled by a marriage with His Majesty and was enlisted in the rank of honoured consorts.' [65] Abdul Qadir Badayuni describes her as a woman with a gentle disposition.[66]

" In the perspective of my work, Harkha Bai’s depiction has been particularly problematic... we forget many complicated and nuanced ways in which Harkha Bai influenced Akbar and the Mughal court. We ignore the cultural, culinary, artistic, and religious impact of this Rajput queen, reducing her instead to the usual, tired trope of a love interest of the central male figure. She has been terribly written out of history. She had an amazing life and went on to become a very influential, powerful, and wealthy woman. Her life was not a typical Mughal life of a queen that we imagine, of putting on ittar and perfume and changing clothes every hour."[105][28]

— Ira Mukhoty, The Perspective Magazine

She had her garden in Agra which was gifted to her by Akbar and had several palaces constructed for her by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri, Mandu, Lahore, and Allahabad.[102] 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. This palace commonly known as Jodha Bai Mahal 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 empress for her prayers and a Tulsi math. Jodha Bai's Mahal was a masterpiece with its commotion of Indian and Persian architecture. This was the biggest residential palace in the city, and to this day it stands, though in ruins, as a monument of Akbar's love for the Amber princess.[106]

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

Her palace in Mandu called Nilkanth temple (Mandu) or as recorded by Jahangir in his biography, Imarat-i-Dilkhusha (the heart-pleasing abode), was the favourite 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. This palace was commissioned by Akbar for her in the year 1574 and has a Lord Shiva temple inside with a Shiv Ling and is built as per Mughal architecture on a hilltop.[56] She was also the patron of several towns during her reign and held many jagirs like Bayana, pargana of Jansath, etc.[107]

She would often travel to her hometown, Amber, which was just 200 km away from her home.[52] The Empress also had the privilege to accompany Akbar often during his campaigns. During his Gujarat campaign when her brother Bhopat had fallen in the battle of Sarnal, Akbar sent Mariam-uz-Zamani, who was travelling with him during this campaign, to her native town Amer to pay condolences to her parents.[27] 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's relationship with his mother

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'. 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.[108]

In 1607 when Jahangir decides to visit Gardens of Babur, he decides to take his mother and a few ladies of his harem along with him and states, "I ordered Khurram to attend upon Hazrat Maryam-Zamani and the other ladies and to escort them to me. When they reached the neighbourhood of Lahore.. I embarked on a boat and went to a village named Dahr to meet my mother, and I had the good fortune to be received by her. After the performance of obeisance and prostration (rites of Korunish, Sajda, and Taslim before my exalted mother)..."[109][110] Jahangir would greet his mother by performing Korunish, Sajda, and Taslim 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.[111][112] 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."[113]

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 traveller 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". She hosted several events and royal functions at her own palace,[114] like Jahangir's solar and lunar weighings,[115] all his birthday celebrations, Jahangir's marriage to the Amer princess, daughter of Kunwar Jagat Singh, [116] Shahzada Parviz's wedding to the daughter of Sultan Murad Mirza and the henna ceremony of Ladli Begum, daughter of Nur Jahan and Shahryar Mirza.[117][118]

Powers and Influence

The Empress held considerable freedom of speech in the political matters of court.[97] 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 for failing to maintain the abidance of his order.[35] She would exercise her influence to secure a pardon for offenders.

The religious ulemas of Akbar's court were utterly displeased by the influence of Mariam-uz-Zamani and his Hindu wives on him in making him follow the 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.[119]

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

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 their 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.[120]

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 honour their traditions and culture and made sure that he was no exception to it.[35]

Akbar's Imperial harem was re-organized into a fortress-like institution which is quite in contrast to the image of the reigns of Babur and Humayun. Harbans Mukhia attributed this change to the growing influence of Rajput cultural ethos on Akbar ever since his marriage in 1562 to Mariam-uz-Zamani.[121] Ira Mukhoty draws a parallel between Akbar's reverence for sun worship and Harka Bai's family clan emblem being Lord Surya (sun).[52]

One of her intercessions in the inclination of his son include in May 1603, when Akbar suggested that Salim should undertake a military expedition for chastizement of Rana Amar Singh who was making encroachments on Mughal territories in Rajasthan. Salim suspicious of his father's motives expressed his reluctance to accept the assignment however this provoked Akbar to issue a formal firman appointing Shahzada Salim to the command of the proposed expedition. The ladies of the harem, Mariam-uz-Zamani and Salima Sultan Begum requested the Emperor not to press the matter, and let Salim continue to live under his eye at the court. Akbar succumbed to their pleas and withdrew the firman.[122] Muni Lal says that at the time when Akbar marched towards Salim to wage a war, Mariam-uz-Zamani was torn by conflicting loyalties between father and son.[123]

Muni Lal notes another intervention of her alongside Salima Sultan Begum to revoke the orders of house arrest for Salim by Akbar. After the death of Hamida Bano Begum, in order to cease his rebellions and put an end to his alcoholism and debauchery, Akbar ordered he should be kept in solitary confinement in ghusalkhana and ordered no serving of alcohol and opium. Salim begging for wine the entire time behaved like a madman. Akbar appointed his physician to recommend the minimum necessary alcohol for his health. Muni Lal claims, 'the taming of the temperamental Salim bristled with complications, especially when Mariam Zamani and Salima Begum took into their scheming heads to leave no design unused to win freedom for their Baba'. The pressure from the senior queens became too compelling to be resisted for long. Akbar gave in and allowed Salim to shift to his palace.[124]

The Empress of Hindustan was the wealthiest and most distinguished woman of her time.[52] She was honoured by various members of the regality of prominent nations during her husband and son's reign by receiving several precious and exorbitant gifts.[82] Mariam-uz-Zamani had numerous agents, middlemen, and financial advisers, "mirroring in miniature the Emperor's own finance ministry".[52] She had her own vakils to advise her and maintain her various properties.[125]

She 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 cavalry units.[126] 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 honour bestowed upon no other Mughal Empress. Jahangir accompanied by his courtiers would on the eve of the new year present her with jewels and presents at her palace.[126]

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the senior-most woman in the imperial harem and held a high rank since the reign of Akbar.[52] Muni Lal refers to her as the First Lady of the Empire. She had the right to issue official documents and edicts in her name, called Farman (sovereign mandates).[127] Issuing of such orders was confined to the highest ladies of the harem such as Hamida Banu Begum, Nur Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal and Jahanara Begum.[128][129] 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.[82][130] 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.[98]

Khusrau's affair

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 the 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.[131] 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 a powerful contender to the throne by the ambitious empress Nur Jahan however, she did not succeed.[132]

Ellison Banks Findly notes a strong-worded letter of Mariam-uz-Zamani to her son, Jahangir, written by her in the year 1616 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 Nur Jahan junta whom she believed was eager to eliminate Khusrau they would eventually kill Khusrau and it would be disastrous for the Mughal dynasty as the future descendants would use it as a specimen to murder their brothers for the possession of the royal throne. Succumbing to the pleas of his mother, sisters, Khusrau's stepmothers and sisters, Jahangir did not transfer the control of Khusrau to Nur Jahan or Prince Khurram.[133] Further, Findly adds that this foretelling of her substantiated soon afterwards 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.

As an Entrepreneur

Mariam-uz-Zamani was greatly interested in trade and commerce and was the earliest recorded woman who consistently engaged in inland and overseas trade.[126][134] During the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir, she built ships that carried pilgrims to and from the Islamic holy city Mecca, ran an extensive trade of silk and several spices to international borders, and oversaw the trade with Gulf countries and nations. In the words of Findly, she had, in the larger arena, helped chart the role of Mughal women in the newly expanding business of foreign trade.[114] Akbar took significant note of Mariam-uz-Zamani's activities of interest and invested time and money in her trading endeavours and had long discussions with the empress about her business endeavours.[135] She was the only wife of Akbar authorized for international trade.

The most influential queen of the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1542-1605), and mother of Emperor Jahangir, was the beautiful Empress Mariam-uz- Zamani ... She stands out as an adviser who maintained that without a strong navy, the Mughal Empire would be overtaken by foreign armies. As the Mughals had come from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, both landlocked countries, the concept of a navy was just not in their DNA. But then Akbar allowed his favourite and most loved wife to build ships for trade and Haj pilgrims at the Khizri Darwaza on the River Ravi.[14]

— Aiysha Safdar

She would often travel to various cities of her empire and seaports to manage her trade business. As early as about 1595, in a story recorded by the Portuguese traveller Benedict Goes, when Mariam-uz-Zamani was travelling from a certain place for her business exigency, she was robbed of all her personal possessions and was left without the ordinary necessities of life. Jesuit Benedict Goes hearing this assisted her before prince Salim could reach her. When this news was delivered to Akbar's court, Akbar and his court attendants in astonishment praised and thanked Benedict for his services to the queen as the assistance she sought from her countrymen was delivered to her by a stranger. Salim who was at a distance of eight days from his mother came in haste to meet his mother and meeting Benedict he embraced him and ordered full repayment of the advances he lent to the queen. When Mariam-uz-Zamani reached Akbar's court safely, several people arrived there to welcome her and presented her with many gifts.[136][137]

Regarded as a woman who built the first large sea-faring ships of the Mughals at Lahore, she was the owner and patron of the largest ships named Rahīmī[138] and afterward Ganj-i-Sawai.[139][140] No other noblewoman on record seems to have been as adventurous a trader as the Queen Mariam-uz-Zamani, however, and no trader's ship (especially the Rahimi) seems to have gotten into as much trouble as hers.[137][141] Nur Jahan and Jahanara Begum carried on the legacy of Mariam-uz-Zamani by engaging in overseas trade and commerce.[142]

East India Company

In late 1610 or early 1611, when Mariam-uz-Zamani's ship was being loaded for Mocha, she sent one of her agents to buy indigo in Bayana (an important centre of indigo production 50 miles southwest of Agra) to be put aboard the ship for sale in Mocha.[137] Just as the deal was being completed, however, William Finch, arrived and did what no Indian would dare to do. He offered a little more than she would have given, got the indigo, and made off with it.[137][143] William Finch was an agent of Hawkins, ambassador of East India Company who was well received by Jahangir.[144][52]

When Mariam-uz-Zamani heard that she had been outbid by an Englishman and had to suffer a great loss as the ship was set to sail, she was furious and complained to her son, the emperor, who made the English representative at the court, William Hawkins, suffer for a long time after that,[137][143] mentioning that he had no choice but to curry favour with the jesuits in order to obtain a safe conduct that would allow him and his wife to travel to Goa, from where they would embark for Europe.[145] William Finch, on the other hand, struggled to sell the acquired indigo in Lahore and had come to the conclusion that the prospects of English trade in India were hopeless. He informed Hawkins that he planned to sell the indigo in Aleppo, a Syrian city, and then travel back to England.[146][147]

William Finch's hasty decision to outbid the charismatic Mariam-uz-Zamani had catastrophic consequences for the immediate future of the East India Company at Jahangir's court.[52][23] The repercussions were so severe, in fact, that in 1612, English Captain Jourdain noted, " the Queen's ship, the Rahimi, was bound for Mocha, & the [local] merchants would not lade their goods aboard until wee [Europeans] were gone from the country."[148][137]

Conflict with Portuguese

The Portuguese maintained relatively amicable relations during Akbar's reign, despite hostilities, and continued well until Jahangir's reign.[149] During the reign of Jahangir, the Portuguese were threatened by the presence of other European traders, especially the English, in the Mughal Court.[52] In order to pressurize the Emperor to expel European rivals from the Mughal court, the Portuguese challenged Jahangir's authority and prestige by targeting a ship owned by his mother, the Queen Mother Mariam-uz-Zamani.[150]

William Hawkins noted that on February 1, 1609, he witnessed a great stirre touching the Mariam-uz-Zamani's ship as it prepared to carry goods to Mocha, an Arabian port south of Mecca at the Red Sea's entrance.[151] The Portuguese threatened to abscond with the ship to Diu unless she paid an exorbitant fee for a cartaz or pass.[17] It is recorded that the Portuguese demanded 1,00,000 mamudies for their cartaz and then 20,000; eventually, to forestall violence, the two sides were able to compromise on a much smaller payment of 1,000 rialls and some odd money.[151][17]

One incident in particular that caused a rift between the Mughals and the Portuguese was the seizure and burning[152] of Mariam-uz-Zamani's greatest pilgrimage ship, the Rahimi, in September 1613.[153] Although she was carrying the necessary Portuguese pass and did not violated any terms applied on it,still, out of greed/anger at the new Mughal friendship with the English, the Portuguese acted "contrary to their pass" and carried off "the Rahimi" with all of her richly laden cargo, worth 100,000 pounds, equivalent to today's currency, half a billion rupees, and the approximately 700 passengers still on board to Goa.[154][155] Jeronimo de Azevedo celebrated the capture of the Rahimi as "worthy prey that was brought and for giving the Mughals a cause of sorrow."[156]

When it became clear that the Portuguese had no intention of returning the Queen Mother's ship, Jahangir sent Muqarrab Khan, his governor, to stop all shipping activities at Surat, the major Indian fort for seagoing trade and to lay siege to the Portuguese town of Daman.[157] The Jesuit church in Agra, which had been built under Akbar, was closed, and all allowances to Portuguese priests in Mughal India were suspended.[154][158][159]

The entire Mughal court, as well as the city of Surat, was in an uproar, and the tumult and outcry at the Mughal court were unprecedented. In the words of Findly, "Rahimi incident was the only act of piracy against India, which, on record, evoked a severe and intense response from the Mughal government."[160] The extreme actions taken by Jahangir were unusual, as Mughal court had grown used to the rapacious brutality of the Portuguese and would react by ignoring it or accommodating it. But for Rahimi, which has been seized by the Portuguese, Mariam-uz-Zamani's flagship pilgrim ship, the queen mother demands retribution. This was an unusual situation, demonstrating the great cultural upheavals and the tectonic changes that were shaping the Mughal empire: this was a Hindu queen's Muslim ship, carrying Hajj pilgrims in Christian waters patrolled by the Portuguese armada.[161]

The Portuguese realizing their loss tried for peace[162] and later agreed to compensate the Mughal government for the loss of the Queen Mother's vessel and "to grant certain additional passes to native vessels proceeding to the Red Sea," but since the agreement was contingent upon the expulsion of the English, Jahangir resisted. Eventually, an agreement was made by the emperor by which the Portuguese had to pay "three lakhs of rupees for the ship taken," but the issue of English expulsion was left hanging as Jahangir became increasingly aware of English power at sea.[163] The Portuguese capture of Mariam-uz-Zamani's ship thus served to bring about a major change in the relationship between the two governments and was, by a fortunate accident, a substantial windfall for the English.

"The Great Mogul's mother was a great adventurer, which caused the Great Mogul to drive the Portingals out of this place."[164]

— William Foster, Letters Received By The East India Company (Vol II)

Post Rahimi Business Activities

Mariam-uz-Zamani carried on with her commercial and pilgrimage ships despite losing her 'greatest pilgrimage ship', the Rahimi. She was in command of a fleet of ships.[165] In 1617, two English pirates tried to seize Mariam-uz-Zamani's ship, which was returning from the Red Sea with numerous hajjis and valuable cargo, but in the nick of time, the ship was rescued. If it had not been for the fortunate interposition of the fleet of the East India Company, which came up before the contest was decided, the result of Englishmen's selfish enterprise would have been the closing of the busiest markets in India to English commerce.[166][167][168][169]

After the loss of her ship Rahimi, the Dowager Empress then ordered the build of an even 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, and silver, and bringing back the pilgrims.[139]

Patron of Art and Architecture

Mariam-uz-Zamani was one of the great female patrons of the architecture of her time.[170] She constructed one of the earliest built mosques in Lahore, Pakistan, as per Mughal architecture, known as the Begum Shahi Mosque.[171][172][32] She sponsored a remarkable public work, a baoli (step-well) along with a garden near the old district at Brahambad, Bayana.[32][170][173] However, only the baoli remains. She laid a large garden around the tomb of her deceased Emperor husband, Akbar and was also later buried there.[174] She also commissioned the entrance to the Lahore fort, known as Masjidi Darwaza, now corrupted into Masti Darwaja (Masti Gate).[172][171][175]

Both Mariam-uz-Zamani's mosque and baoli (step-well) had an inscription attesting to her role in the construction of these historical monuments. The mosque was constructed during the early period of Jahangir, in 1023 A.H./1614 A.D., as recorded in a Persian inscription fixed on the facade of the northern gate.[172] A marble inscription on the gate of the baoli (step-well) dates it to the seventh year of Jahangir's reign (1612); it was thus built at the same time as Begum Shahi's mosque at Lahore.[170] Thus Jahangir's reign bears the stamp of female patronage.[176]

Begum Shahi Mosque

 
Begum Shahi Mosque, one of the earliest and most exquisite mosques of Mughal Empire in Lahore.

Begum Shahi Mosque is the earliest dated exquisite mosque of the Mughal Empire built during Jahangir's reign.[172][171][176] This mosque was named after her in her honour and is known as the Begum Shahi Mosque. It is located close to the old Masti Gate of the Walled City of Lahore, opposite the eastern walls of the Lahore Fort.[171] It stands out uniquely for its frescoes, which are significant for their perfect technique and variety of subjects.[177] It featured the earliest dated Iranian motif in Mughal architecture.[178]

"These paintings are unrivalled in Pakistan and perhaps in India "for their delicacy and lively variety" and for their harmonious golden tone, which is due only in part to age."[179]

— Mortimer Wheeler, Five thousand years of Pakistan

"Never in the history of the architecture of the early Moghul period do we find such an extensive and exclusive use of this type of decoration. The endless variety of geometric floral and inscriptional designs spread over the interior surface in a subtle colour scheme is a characteristic not seen elsewhere."[180]

— Ahmad Nabi Khan, Pakistan archaeology no.7

This mosque stands as the best example of the fusion of Timurid and Safavid components. The prayer hall of Begum Shahi Mosque is a single-aisle five-bay structure with elaborate painted decoration. Its inner central dome reveals one of the first dated occurrences of a network developed from points arranged in concentric circles.[176]

The mosque features Lahore's first five-bay prayer chamber that would later be typical of all later Mughal mosques such as the Wazir Khan Mosque and Badshahi Mosque.[181] The ceilings of tomb Itimad-ud-Daula, with their richly polychromed net vaulting and stellate forms, are a more refined version of those at Begum Shahi Mosque.[182][183] The spectacularly painted prayer chamber of Wazir Khan Mosque and its interior, as well as the central pishtaq's recessed arch and stellate vaulting, are richly polychromed using a technique similar to that on Begum Shahi Mosque.[184]

At the time of its construction, this was the only important mosque located in the vicinity of the Lahore fort, and therefore it was frequented by the nobility of the Mughal court. The mosque remained frequented for prayer by the Mughal nobility and the common man alike for more than two hundred years until it was turned into a gunpowder factory by Ranjit Singh.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's Baoli

 
Maryam Zamani's Baoli at Bayana
 
Majestic gateway of Maryam Zamani's baoli

Around 1612 AD, she commissioned a great step well and a large garden in Bayana near district Brahmabad.[173][185] The step well was much appreciated by her son, Jahangir, who visited it around 1619 and noted that it was a grand building and was very well built at an expense of just 20,000 rupees. The baoli was considered by the English traveller, Peter Mundy to be “the best of this Kinde that I have yet seene,... a very costly and curious piece of worke".[170] Further he notes that it is a grand building with beautiful gates, cupolas, arches, chawtress, galleries, pillars and rooms above and below. The step-well consists of a gate, four flights of stairs leading down to the water level and a well-shaft at the farther end of the main axis, all constructed in red sandstone. Another European traveller, Thevenot who noticed this complex of garden and baoli notes it as a Royal house insinuating that this building was also meant to house the royal owner of this complex during her occasional visits to the locality.[107]

The main gateway of the baoli is represented by a double-storeyed structure facing east where the smaller rectangular portal is framed into a high arch. This gateway appears to be typically representative of the post-Fatehpur Sikri Mughal architecture of the early 17th century, it also carries an imprint of Rajput conceptions. Although there are only two stories, it is constructed to give the three-storeyed effect from the front. The baoli was built as a part of the garden built by the empress.[186] Rajeev Bargoti notes that her interest in indigo trade might have been because her revenue free grants were located in the indigo producing tract around Bayana including pargana Jansath.[107]

Inscription on Mariam-uz-Zamani Baoli (step-well): 

"1. During the reign of Shah Nuruddin Jahangir, the world became a garden because of his benevolence.

2. By the order of his mother, Maryam Zamani, the divine light became bright.

3. There was built a bagh (garden) and a beautiful baoli (step-well), which made paradise blush with shame.

4. The intelligence said for the hijra date: "San I haft julus padshahi" (the seventh regnal year of the king). " [187]

— Rajeev Bargoti, Maryam Zamani's Baoli at Bayana

Death

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

Mariam-uz-Zamani died in May 1623, immensely rich and powerful,[188][189][52] and due honour was given by burying her in a mausoleum close to that of an equally redoubtable man she was married to, Akbar.[188][114] 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. Jahangir had made several references in his autobiography towards her declining health since 1616 and calls her decrepit.

Her tomb, built between 1623 and 1627, is on Tantpur road in Jyoti Nagar, next to the tomb of Akbar. Mariam's Tomb, commissioned by her son, Jahangir, who grieved her loss immensely,[114] is only a kilometre from Tomb of Akbar the Great, in the direction of Mathura[190] and she stands as the only wife buried close to Akbar. Her tomb resembles her husband's mausoleum in one important aspect, the upper storey of both is open to the sun and rain, and its upper corners are embellished by beautiful pavilions surmounted by lovely domes.[63] The grave itself is underground with a flight of steps leading to it.

Issue

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

  • Hassan Mirza (19 October 1564, Agra, Mughal Empire — 5 November 1564, Agra, Mughal Empire) (twin with Hussain)
  • Hussain Mirza (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 was also the foster mother of one of her stepsons:

  • Daniyal Mirza (11 September 1572, Ajmer, Mughal Empire — 19 March 1605, Mughal Empire)

Notes

  1. ^ a b Professor Ellison Banks Findly notes that the reason for the absence of her background in historical accounts has been on the account of bigotry and she was Hindu by birth, eldest daughter of Raja Bihari Mal and that her name has been suppressed by historians out of prejudice.[19][20]

See also

In popular culture

Films and TV serials

Literature

Bibliography

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mariam uz-Zamani.
  • Eraly, Abraham (2000). Emperors of the Peacock Throne the saga of the great Mughals. Penguin books. ISBN 978-0-14-100143-2.
  • Findly, Ellison Banks (April–June 1988). "The Capture of Maryam-uz-Zamānī's Ship: Mughal Women and European Traders". Journal of the American Oriental Society. American Oriental Society. 108 (2): 227–238. doi:10.2307/603650. JSTOR 603650.
  • Bargoti, Rajeev (1991). "Maryam Zamani's Baoli at Bayana". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. Indian History Congress. 52: 464–469. JSTOR 44142642.
  • Findly, Ellison B. (1993). Nur Jan:Empress of Mughal India. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-536060-8.
  • Lal, Muni (1980). Akbar. University of Michigan. ISBN 978-0-7069-1076-6. OCLC 7796032.
  • Mukhoty, Ira (2018). Daughters of the Sun: empresses, queens and begums of the Mughal Empire. New Delhi. ISBN 978-93-86021-12-0. OCLC 1040634538.
  • Lal, Muni (1988). Mughal Glory. Delhi: Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd. ISBN 81-220-0076-2.
  • Jahangir, Emperor; Thackston, Wheeler McIntosh (1999). The Jahangirnama: memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India. Washington, D.C.: Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; New York: Oxford University Press. pp. [2], 316. ISBN 978-0-19-512718-8.

References

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  2. ^ a b c d Lal 1980, p. 133.
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  114. ^ a b c d Findly 1993, pp. 177–178: "About this time, Jahangir's own immediate family experienced some changes. His mother, the charismatic and adventurous Hindu widow of Akbar, Maryamuzzamani, died early in the summer of 1623 in Agra and was buried in a tomb in Sikandra near her husband, Akbar. Maryamuzzamani had played an important social role in Jahangir's life by hosting most of his family celebrations at her own home, and she had, in the larger arena, helped chart the role of Mughal women in the newly expanding business of foreign trade. Though Jahangir must have grieved immensely at her death, his notice of it in his memoirs was very short, saying only that “I trust that Almighty God will envelop her in the ocean of His mercy.” She was the last in the illustrious series of parents to die in this period, and her death came, strangely, only four years before Jahangir's own."
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  124. ^ Lal 1980, p. 303: "Some chroniclers aver that Emperor gave smack on his son's face, felled him and ordered that he should be kept in solitary confinement in one of the ghusalkhanas of the fort. Alcoholic drinks and opium were not permitted to be served to him. Salim was in agony. On the second day, he raved like a madman and begged for a cup of his favourite wine. The Emperor relented and deputed one of his personal physicians to examine the Prince and prescribe such quantities of alcohol as he considered necessary for his health. The taming of the temperamental Salim bristled with complications, especially when Mariam Zamani and Sultan Salima Begum took into their scheming heads to leave no design unused to win freedom for their Baba. The pressure from the senior ladies became too compelling to be resisted for long. Akbar gave in and allowed Salim to shift to his palace."
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External links

  • Jodha, More than Akbar's wife
  • Unknown fact about Queen Mother Mariam uz Zamani
  • Harking back: Mystery of the Rajput empress Mariam Zamani
  • Akbar and his favorite Rajput wife
  • Jodha, Queen of sheer opulence
  • Harking back: The Empress and her two doomed pilgrim ships

April 21, 2023
mariam, zamani, mary, compassionate, 1542, 1623, commonly, known, misnomer, jodha, chief, consort, principal, rajput, wife, well, favourite, wife, third, mughal, emperor, akbar, also, longest, serving, hindu, empress, mughal, empire, with, tenure, forty, three. Mariam uz Zamani lit Mary Compassionate of the Age 5 c 1542 19 May 1623 commonly known by the misnomer Jodha Bai 6 was the chief consort and principal Rajput wife a as well as the favourite wife of the third Mughal emperor Akbar 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 She was also the longest serving Hindu empress of the Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty three years 1562 1605 17 Wali Nimat Mariam uz Zamani BegumEmpress consort of Mughal Empire Queen mother of the Mughal Empire Rajkumari of AmerArtistic depiction of Mariam uz ZamaniBornHarka Baic 1542 Amer Kingdom of AmberDied19 May 1623 1623 05 19 aged 80 81 1 Agra 1 Mughal EmpireBurialTomb of Mariam uz Zamani Sikandra AgraSpouseAkbar m 1562 d 1605 wbr IssueHassan Mirza 2 3 Hussain Mirza 2 3 Jahangir Daniyal Mirza foster NamesWali Nimat Mariam uz Zamani Begum Sahiba 4 DynastyKachwaha by birth Timurid by marriage FatherRaja Bharmal of AmerMotherRani Champavati SolankiReligionHinduismBorn a Rajput princess 18 a she was married to Akbar by her father Raja Bharmal of Amer due to political exigencies 21 22 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 22 She was an extremely beautiful woman 23 and was said to possess uncommon beauty 24 She is presumed to possess a strong sinewy frame 25 and was widely known for both her grace and intellect In the words of Akbar she s described as piece of the moon 26 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 27 She is stated as the favourite and an influential consort of Akbar having a considerable influence in the matters of the court 28 29 7 30 31 32 33 Described as an intelligent 34 amiable kind 35 and liberal woman 36 she was often consulted by Akbar on important matters 37 She was the mother of Akbar s eldest surviving son and eventual successor Jahangir and the grandmother of Shah Jahan Contents 1 Name Titles and Background 1 1 Erroneous Identification 1 1 1 The misnomer of Jodha Bai 1 1 2 Misidentification as Christian 2 Marriage to Akbar 3 Family advancement 4 Religion Style and birth of children 4 1 Birth of Twins 4 2 Birth of Prince Salim 5 As Empress of Hindustan 5 1 Jahangir s relationship with his mother 6 Powers and Influence 6 1 Khusrau s affair 7 As an Entrepreneur 7 1 East India Company 7 2 Conflict with Portuguese 7 3 Post Rahimi Business Activities 8 Patron of Art and Architecture 8 1 Begum Shahi Mosque 8 2 Mariam uz Zamani s Baoli 9 Death 10 Issue 11 Notes 12 See also 13 In popular culture 13 1 Films and TV serials 13 2 Literature 14 Bibliography 15 References 16 External linksName Titles and Background EditMariam uz Zamani was born in 1542 as the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer by his wife Rani Champavati daughter of Rao Ganga Solanki 38 39 40 Her paternal grandparents were Raja Prithviraj Singh I and Apurva Devi a daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner 41 Mariam uz Zamani s artistic illustration Her birth name is unknown 22 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 22 Other names provided by various sources include Harkha Bai 21 Jiya Rani Maanmati bai 42 Harika bai Hira Kunwari 43 Heer Kunwari Shahi Bai and Shahi Begum 44 She was bestowed an honorific Muslim name Wali Nimat Begum lit Blessings of God by Akbar in 1564 after two years of her marriage 45 She was given the high honor of being titled as Mariam uz Zamani lit Mary Compassionate of the Age by Akbar on the occasion of their son Jahangir s birth 46 47 This was the title by which she was referred to in contemporary Mughal chronicles including Jahangir s autobiography the Tuzk e Jahangiri 48 Apart from the title of Mariam uz Zamani she also bore two more glorious titles of Mallika e Muezamma lit Exalted Empress 49 and Mallika e Hindustan lit Empress of Hindustan 49 She was commonly referred as Shahi Begum lit Imperial consort throughout her reign 50 51 She would officially use the name Wali Nimat Mariam uz Zamani Begum Sahiba 4 Erroneous Identification Edit The misnomer of Jodha Bai Edit Akbar ordained that the names of women of his seraglio should not be mentioned in public as the sanctity of Mughal women was considered so great that even their names could not be pronounced they should be designated by some epithet either from the place of their birth or the country or the city in which they have been first regarded by the monarch with the eye of affection 52 53 hence Mariam Zamani had been addressed as the daughter of Raja Bharmal 54 or sister of Raja Bhagwant Das 27 in Akbarnama Her son Salim referred to her by her title Hazrat Mariam uz Zamani in his chronicles This led to the confusion and freedom exercised by various historians to guess and speculate her birth name The name by which she is most popularly known in modern times is Jodha Bai 22 44 55 23 56 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 57 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 58 Instead it is assumed that Jodha Bai or Jodh Bai in fact refers to the wife of Jahangir Jagat Gosain the daughter of Raja Udai Singh of Jodhpur 59 60 Misidentification as Christian Edit Mariam uz Zamani s identity has been throughout centuries falsely inferred as Christian primarily on the pretext of her title Mariam and the absence of her background details from official Mughal chronicles giving rise to speculation about her race and religion 9 It was presumed by various writers that since she was named Mariam she must have been a Christian lady However Islam revers Mary or Mariam as their own Maryam is the only woman named in their holy book Quran and as per Muslims she was the greatest woman to ever lived This signifies the honour bestowed upon the empress and her distinguished rank as Akbar s wife as a title with an identical name Mariam Makani was bestowed over Akbar s mother by Akbar According to Edmund Smith the story of Salim s mother being of Christian origin was started by some visitors of Fatehpur Sikri who expressed the idea that the painting in Mariam s house at Fatehpur Sikri represented annunciation and therefore believed that Mariam must have been a Christian however the liberal historian of Akbar Abul Fazl makes no mention of her being Christian or Akbar ever having a Christian wife Additionally Khulasat ut Tawarikh a chronicle written in the Mughal era explicitly states Mariam uz Zamani as a daughter of Raja Bharmal therefore putting end to the supposition of her being a Christian It was not only that the painting in Sonahra Makan may have led to speculation of her as Christian but the name Maryam Mary has also led weight to the theory of Christian wife however Maryam is a common name among Muslims and Maryam uz Zamani Mary of Age was conferred upon her on the birth of her son prince Salim 61 62 For the verification of the assertion of her association with Christianity Edmund Smith had her crypt opened to find out whether the tomb was that of a Christian lady but he did not find any trace of the cross 63 Marriage to Akbar Edit Portrait of Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar with Mariam uz Zamani begum Mariam uz Zamani 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 account of his conflict with Sujamal Bharmal agreed to pay peshkash and had given his son and Mariam uz Zamani 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 64 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 daughter be given to Akbar in marriage 21 Raja Bharmal then espoused his gentle daughter who was veiled in chastity in honourable wedlock to Emperor Akbar and was enlisted in the rank of honoured consorts 65 66 Akbarnama quotes Raja Bharmal introduced his eldest daughter in whose forehead shone the lights of chastity and intellect among the attendants on the glorious pavilion 54 The marriage thus a political one took place amidst proper festivity on February 6 1562 while Akbar was on his way back to Agra from Ajmer after offering prayers at the tomb of Moinuddin Chishti at the imperial military camp in Sambhar Rajasthan instead of the bride s natal home As per Abu l Fazl Akbar accepted the marriage proposal of the daughter of Raja Bharmal due to a divine vision he had at Ajmer Sharif The Amber princess s marriage provided her family s powerful support throughout the reign 67 Views of eminent historians about their marriage 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 the socio cultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar Historian J L Mehta Advanced study in the history of medieval India 1981 8 The heavenly reward was not long in coming Raja Bihari Mal of Jaipur arrived to seek a military alliance with the Mughals and in the pledge of his loyalty offered his eldest daughter in marriage to Akbar The Emperor still under the spiritual spell of Ajmer thought the offer part of some grand design of the Khwaja and accepted it without hesitation Jodha Bai entered the harem as a Hindu not as a Muslim The insistence on conversion was waived at the instance of her father A small exquisite temple was built within the four walls of the fort she went there every morning to pray and also perhaps to underline her identity as a proud Rajput With a blue blooded Rajput princess in the harem there came about a radical change in the style of life in the palace and at the court Jodha Bai was as good looking as she was tactful Warm hearted liberalism added lustre to her physical charm Akbar respected her So did everybody else Maham Anaga in particular became very fond of her Soon she became the centre around which life in the palace revolved Akbar often consulted her on important matters her responses were invariably high minded and above partisanship An equation of complete trust gradually developed between the two The future greatness of Akbar was in no small measure due to the large heartedness of Jodha Bai With a lesser person in her place the story of the reign of Akbar might have been different 68 Muni Lal 1980 No marriage in medieval Indian history was politically so happy and fruitful as the one contracted by Akbar with the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer in January 1562 It symbolized the dawn of a new era in Indian politics it gave the country a line of remarkable sovereigns it secured to four generations of Mughal Emperors the services of some of the greatest captains and diplomats that medieval India produced 69 Dr Beni Prasad History of Jahangir It was indeed in more than one way a marriage made in heaven Not only was the princess of Amber to become a highly respected Qadasi Arkani Mariam uz Zamani the pillar of purity Mary of Age the queen mother of Akbar s firstborn son and later successor this marriage also sealed the mighty Rajput Mughal alliance that would become the backbone of Akbar s military power and the very foundation of Mughal Empire In itself there was nothing unusual about Hindu kings offering their daughters to Muslim rulers as a token of their submission but Akbar s attitude towards his wife and her family was significantly different Contrary to the usual practice he did not ask her to convert to Islam but allowed her to maintain a Hindu shrine in the imperial residence he occasionally would participate in the Hindu festivities Her relatives were not treated as mere vassals but as true allies friends and family members in every respect equal or superior to the leading Muslim amirs In short Akbar s alliance with the Rajput house of Amber was the very cornerstone upon which his military might and the internal cohesion of his empire was founded Dirk Collier The Great Mughals and their India The youthful Rajput princess in due time became not only the first lady of the empire but also a much cherished much admired and much loved object of the Emperor s heart A true and honourable wife she became the mother of Prince Salim in 1569 and thereafter her ascendency to a unique place in the royal palace dazzled every eye When Akbar initiated his high minded experiment in the equality of all religions she became a living symbol of liberalism both in religious and state affairs She had a surfeit of intelligence wit and female magnetism that charmed Akbar Lack of vanity was the ornament she wore with almost divine grace In the youth in middle age and later when passion was no more than a pleasant memory she was a perfect companion to the monarch 70 Family advancement EditMariam uz Zamani s family became one of the highest ranking nobles in the Akbar s court 71 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 Amber Fort native home of Mariam uz Zamani Her father Raja Bharmal after her marriage to Akbar was immediately made the commander of 5000 cavalry units the highest rank that could be held by the noble in the court 71 Mariam uz Zamani s brother Bhagwant Das in the year 1585 became commander of 5000 cavalry units and bore the proud title Amir ul Umra Chief Noble His son Man Singh I rose even higher to become commander of 7000 forces the first to hold that rank in Akbar s reign and it was only later that Akbar s foster brother Mirza Aziz Koka was raised to the same rank 72 Akbar referred to Raja Man Singh farzand son 73 Even Raja Bihari Mal was denied that eminent rank he did not cross the five thousand mark However it may be of interest that of the four hundred and sixteen Mansabdars of Akbar only forty seven were Rajputs and the aggregate of their quotas amounted to fifty three thousand horses Of these seventeen held Mansabs of from two thousand to five thousand and thirty from one hundred to two thousand The princes of Amber Marwar Bikaner Bundi Jaisalmer and Bundelkhand held Mansabs of above one thousand but Amber alone held the dignity of five thousand 74 His equation with the Amber Raja and his nephew Man Singh was conditioned in no small measure by his tenderness tantamounting almost to love for Mariam Zamani 75 Akbar s respect for the family of Mariam uz Zamani was profound As per historian Badani who specializes in Rajputana history Akbar shared an intimate relationship with the Amer clan After the death of the fiance of one of the daughters of Raja Bharmal and younger sister of Mariam uz Zamani Sukanya in the Battle of Paronkh in October 1562 Akbar personally took the responsibility for her marriage to a Rajput clan and adopted her as her own daughter 76 To honour 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 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 also arranged the marriage of the daughter of her brother Raja Bhagwant Das to Salim on 13 February 1585 Man bai became the first and chief consort of Prince Salim For this marriage Akbar personally visited the town of Amer and as a token of respect for her family carried the palanquin of her daughter in law on his shoulders for some distance The gifts given by Mariam Zamani to the bride and bride groom were valued at twelve lakh rupees 77 Man Bai later became the mother to Akbar s favourite grandson Khusrau Mirza 78 79 and received the prestigious title of Shah Begum 80 Religion Style and birth of children EditAkbar at the insistence of Raja Bharmal did not convert the princess to Islam and permitted her to perform Hindu rituals in her palace 81 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 empress 82 83 She gradually became his most loved wife and till his death remained his favourite 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 gems and frescoes Harka bai arrived at Akbar s court resplendent in the sensuous and excessively feminine style of the Rajput nobility 52 She is illustrated to wear heavy swinging and gathered ghagra which would stop well above her ankle and a tightly fitting choli tied at back with tasselled strings Her head and shoulders were covered with an odhani but so translucent and fine that her bare midriff and arms were visible through that shimmering dupatta Light would flicker against her heavy gold jewellery swinging earrings nose rings clinging bracelets and girdle of gold In a few years the culture and dressing style of this Rajput princess influenced the Mughal dresses and etiquette of the Mughal court 52 Cohen suggests that by including the textiles like bandhani in the royal paintings made in the region near the birthplace of Maryam Zamani Akbar and Jahangir might be acknowledging her importance 6 Her roots were deeply embedded in the Rajput culture and style which was exhibited in her colourful and elaborated odhani or embroidered lehengas Birth of Twins Edit On 19 October 1564 after two years of her marriage Mariam uz Zamani gave birth to twin sons Mirza Hassan and Mirza Hussain 2 3 84 85 86 Akbar arrived in Agra on 9 October 1564 for the birth of twins 87 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 Mariam uz Zamani 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 Salim Chisti a reputed Khawaja who lived at Fatehpur Sikri 88 Akbar confided in Salim Chisti who assured him that he would be soon delivered of three sons who would live up to a ripe old age Birth of Prince Salim Edit Few years before the birth of prince Salim Akbar and Mariam uz Zamani went barefoot on a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif Dargah to pray for a son 89 90 In 1569 Akbar heard the news that his chief 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 Khawaja Salim Chisti The expectant empress was sent to the Salim Chisti humble dwelling in Fatehpur Sikri during the latter period of her pregnancy Akbar himself travelled often from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri during her period of pregnancy to take care of the empress for whom a royal palace named Rang Mahal was constructed in Fatehpur Sikri 91 One day while Mariam uz Zamani was pregnant with Salim the baby stopped kicking in the womb abruptly Akbar was at that time hunting cheetahs when this matter was reported to him thinking if he could have done anything more as that day was Friday he vowed that from that day he would never hunt cheetahs on Friday for the safety of his unborn child and as per Salim he kept his vow till throughout his life Salim too in reverence for his father s vow never hunted cheetahs on Friday 92 Painting describing the scene of the birth of prince Salim seated next to Mariam Zamani on the chair is Mariam Makani grandmother of prince Salim On 31 August 1569 the empress gave birth to a boy who received the name Salim in acknowledgement of his father s faith in the efficacy of the holy man s prayer Akbar overjoyed with the news of his heir apparent ordered a great feast and festivities which were held up to seven days on the occasion of his birth and ordered the release of criminals with great offence Throughout the empire largesses were bestowed over common people and he set himself ready to visit Sikri immediately However he was advised by his courtiers to delay his visit to Sikri on the account of the astrological belief in Hindustan of a father not seeing the face of his long awaited son immediately after his birth He therefore delayed his visit and visited Sikri to meet his wife and son after forty one days after his birth 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 26 The Empress was presented with jewellery 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 93 94 She was subsequently given the high honour of being titled Mariam uz Zamani Mary Compassionate of the Age 2 The ranks of Raja Bhagwan Das and Man Singh I were raised by two thousand horses each and they were presented with robes of honour graded next only to those bestowed upon members of the royal family 95 Akbar broke his records of generosity by giving rich awards and extensive Jagirs to the elite of the court She was purported to be the foster mother of Daniyal Mirza as initially his care and protection were entrusted to her maternal clan 96 Several marriages of her eldest son Salim and her foster son Daniyal were held at her palace As Empress of Hindustan EditThe Empress held a significant influence over Akbar 97 31 Her high rank in the imperial harem provided her with substantial power and privilege and she was designated as in charge of the Hindu harem of Akbar 52 Tirmizi 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 98 She is described as a charismatic and adventurous woman 99 having a high spirited disposition and a taste for the unusual 100 She commanded unreserved respect from all communities not only for her distinguished virtues of tolerance but also for her wide ranging munificence and solicitude for the poor On every festive occasion Muslim or non Muslim she gave some cent of her privy purse in charity 101 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 54 Abul Fazl calls her the choicest apple from the garden of paradise 94 Badayuni in his book states Akbar s affection and endearment for her with the statement magic the kind daughter of Raja Bharmal did on Akbar 35 Another contemporary account describes her as a great adventurer She was a major driving force and prime inspiration for Akbar s promotion of secularism 102 In the words of historian Lal The personality and beauty of Mariam uz Zamani were indeed partly responsible for Akbar s religious neutrality 103 She was throughout an active partner in Akbar s search for Divine religion 104 Nizamuddin Ahmad professes daughter of Raja Bihari Mal who was veiled in chastity was ennobled by a marriage with His Majesty and was enlisted in the rank of honoured consorts 65 Abdul Qadir Badayuni describes her as a woman with a gentle disposition 66 In the perspective of my work Harkha Bai s depiction has been particularly problematic we forget many complicated and nuanced ways in which Harkha Bai influenced Akbar and the Mughal court We ignore the cultural culinary artistic and religious impact of this Rajput queen reducing her instead to the usual tired trope of a love interest of the central male figure She has been terribly written out of history She had an amazing life and went on to become a very influential powerful and wealthy woman Her life was not a typical Mughal life of a queen that we imagine of putting on ittar and perfume and changing clothes every hour 105 28 Ira Mukhoty The Perspective Magazine She had her garden in Agra which was gifted to her by Akbar and had several palaces constructed for her by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri Mandu Lahore and Allahabad 102 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 This palace commonly known as Jodha Bai Mahal 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 empress for her prayers and a Tulsi math Jodha Bai s Mahal was a masterpiece with its commotion of Indian and Persian architecture This was the biggest residential palace in the city and to this day it stands though in ruins as a monument of Akbar s love for the Amber princess 106 Khawabgah of Mariam uz Zamani within her palace in Fatehpur Sikri commonly known as Jodha bai Palace Her palace in Mandu called Nilkanth temple Mandu or as recorded by Jahangir in his biography Imarat i Dilkhusha the heart pleasing abode was the favourite 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 This palace was commissioned by Akbar for her in the year 1574 and has a Lord Shiva temple inside with a Shiv Ling and is built as per Mughal architecture on a hilltop 56 She was also the patron of several towns during her reign and held many jagirs like Bayana pargana of Jansath etc 107 She would often travel to her hometown Amber which was just 200 km away from her home 52 The Empress also had the privilege to accompany Akbar often during his campaigns During his Gujarat campaign when her brother Bhopat had fallen in the battle of Sarnal Akbar sent Mariam uz Zamani who was travelling with him during this campaign to her native town Amer to pay condolences to her parents 27 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 s relationship with his mother Edit 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 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 108 In 1607 when Jahangir decides to visit Gardens of Babur he decides to take his mother and a few ladies of his harem along with him and states I ordered Khurram to attend upon Hazrat Maryam Zamani and the other ladies and to escort them to me When they reached the neighbourhood of Lahore I embarked on a boat and went to a village named Dahr to meet my mother and I had the good fortune to be received by her After the performance of obeisance and prostration rites of Korunish Sajda and Taslim before my exalted mother 109 110 Jahangir would greet his mother by performing Korunish Sajda and Taslim 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 111 112 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 113 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 traveller 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 She hosted several events and royal functions at her own palace 114 like Jahangir s solar and lunar weighings 115 all his birthday celebrations Jahangir s marriage to the Amer princess daughter of Kunwar Jagat Singh 116 Shahzada Parviz s wedding to the daughter of Sultan Murad Mirza and the henna ceremony of Ladli Begum daughter of Nur Jahan and Shahryar Mirza 117 118 Powers and Influence EditThe Empress held considerable freedom of speech in the political matters of court 97 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 for failing to maintain the abidance of his order 35 She would exercise her influence to secure a pardon for offenders The religious ulemas of Akbar s court were utterly displeased by the influence of Mariam uz Zamani and his Hindu wives on him in making him follow the 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 119 A 19th century sketch of Queen Mother Mariam uz Zamani 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 their 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 120 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 honour their traditions and culture and made sure that he was no exception to it 35 Akbar s Imperial harem was re organized into a fortress like institution which is quite in contrast to the image of the reigns of Babur and Humayun Harbans Mukhia attributed this change to the growing influence of Rajput cultural ethos on Akbar ever since his marriage in 1562 to Mariam uz Zamani 121 Ira Mukhoty draws a parallel between Akbar s reverence for sun worship and Harka Bai s family clan emblem being Lord Surya sun 52 One of her intercessions in the inclination of his son include in May 1603 when Akbar suggested that Salim should undertake a military expedition for chastizement of Rana Amar Singh who was making encroachments on Mughal territories in Rajasthan Salim suspicious of his father s motives expressed his reluctance to accept the assignment however this provoked Akbar to issue a formal firman appointing Shahzada Salim to the command of the proposed expedition The ladies of the harem Mariam uz Zamani and Salima Sultan Begum requested the Emperor not to press the matter and let Salim continue to live under his eye at the court Akbar succumbed to their pleas and withdrew the firman 122 Muni Lal says that at the time when Akbar marched towards Salim to wage a war Mariam uz Zamani was torn by conflicting loyalties between father and son 123 Muni Lal notes another intervention of her alongside Salima Sultan Begum to revoke the orders of house arrest for Salim by Akbar After the death of Hamida Bano Begum in order to cease his rebellions and put an end to his alcoholism and debauchery Akbar ordered he should be kept in solitary confinement in ghusalkhana and ordered no serving of alcohol and opium Salim begging for wine the entire time behaved like a madman Akbar appointed his physician to recommend the minimum necessary alcohol for his health Muni Lal claims the taming of the temperamental Salim bristled with complications especially when Mariam Zamani and Salima Begum took into their scheming heads to leave no design unused to win freedom for their Baba The pressure from the senior queens became too compelling to be resisted for long Akbar gave in and allowed Salim to shift to his palace 124 The Empress of Hindustan was the wealthiest and most distinguished woman of her time 52 She was honoured by various members of the regality of prominent nations during her husband and son s reign by receiving several precious and exorbitant gifts 82 Mariam uz Zamani had numerous agents middlemen and financial advisers mirroring in miniature the Emperor s own finance ministry 52 She had her own vakils to advise her and maintain her various properties 125 She 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 cavalry units 126 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 honour bestowed upon no other Mughal Empress Jahangir accompanied by his courtiers would on the eve of the new year present her with jewels and presents at her palace 126 Mariam uz Zamani was the senior most woman in the imperial harem and held a high rank since the reign of Akbar 52 Muni Lal refers to her as the First Lady of the Empire She had the right to issue official documents and edicts in her name called Farman sovereign mandates 127 Issuing of such orders was confined to the highest ladies of the harem such as Hamida Banu Begum Nur Jahan Mumtaz Mahal and Jahanara Begum 128 129 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 82 130 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 98 Khusrau s affair Edit 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 the 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 131 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 a powerful contender to the throne by the ambitious empress Nur Jahan however she did not succeed 132 Ellison Banks Findly notes a strong worded letter of Mariam uz Zamani to her son Jahangir written by her in the year 1616 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 Nur Jahan junta whom she believed was eager to eliminate Khusrau they would eventually kill Khusrau and it would be disastrous for the Mughal dynasty as the future descendants would use it as a specimen to murder their brothers for the possession of the royal throne Succumbing to the pleas of his mother sisters Khusrau s stepmothers and sisters Jahangir did not transfer the control of Khusrau to Nur Jahan or Prince Khurram 133 Further Findly adds that this foretelling of her substantiated soon afterwards 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 As an Entrepreneur EditMariam uz Zamani was greatly interested in trade and commerce and was the earliest recorded woman who consistently engaged in inland and overseas trade 126 134 During the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir she built ships that carried pilgrims to and from the Islamic holy city Mecca ran an extensive trade of silk and several spices to international borders and oversaw the trade with Gulf countries and nations In the words of Findly she had in the larger arena helped chart the role of Mughal women in the newly expanding business of foreign trade 114 Akbar took significant note of Mariam uz Zamani s activities of interest and invested time and money in her trading endeavours and had long discussions with the empress about her business endeavours 135 She was the only wife of Akbar authorized for international trade The most influential queen of the Mughal Emperor Akbar 1542 1605 and mother of Emperor Jahangir was the beautiful Empress Mariam uz Zamani She stands out as an adviser who maintained that without a strong navy the Mughal Empire would be overtaken by foreign armies As the Mughals had come from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan both landlocked countries the concept of a navy was just not in their DNA But then Akbar allowed his favourite and most loved wife to build ships for trade and Haj pilgrims at the Khizri Darwaza on the River Ravi 14 Aiysha Safdar She would often travel to various cities of her empire and seaports to manage her trade business As early as about 1595 in a story recorded by the Portuguese traveller Benedict Goes when Mariam uz Zamani was travelling from a certain place for her business exigency she was robbed of all her personal possessions and was left without the ordinary necessities of life Jesuit Benedict Goes hearing this assisted her before prince Salim could reach her When this news was delivered to Akbar s court Akbar and his court attendants in astonishment praised and thanked Benedict for his services to the queen as the assistance she sought from her countrymen was delivered to her by a stranger Salim who was at a distance of eight days from his mother came in haste to meet his mother and meeting Benedict he embraced him and ordered full repayment of the advances he lent to the queen When Mariam uz Zamani reached Akbar s court safely several people arrived there to welcome her and presented her with many gifts 136 137 Regarded as a woman who built the first large sea faring ships of the Mughals at Lahore she was the owner and patron of the largest ships named Rahimi 138 and afterward Ganj i Sawai 139 140 No other noblewoman on record seems to have been as adventurous a trader as the Queen Mariam uz Zamani however and no trader s ship especially the Rahimi seems to have gotten into as much trouble as hers 137 141 Nur Jahan and Jahanara Begum carried on the legacy of Mariam uz Zamani by engaging in overseas trade and commerce 142 East India Company Edit In late 1610 or early 1611 when Mariam uz Zamani s ship was being loaded for Mocha she sent one of her agents to buy indigo in Bayana an important centre of indigo production 50 miles southwest of Agra to be put aboard the ship for sale in Mocha 137 Just as the deal was being completed however William Finch arrived and did what no Indian would dare to do He offered a little more than she would have given got the indigo and made off with it 137 143 William Finch was an agent of Hawkins ambassador of East India Company who was well received by Jahangir 144 52 When Mariam uz Zamani heard that she had been outbid by an Englishman and had to suffer a great loss as the ship was set to sail she was furious and complained to her son the emperor who made the English representative at the court William Hawkins suffer for a long time after that 137 143 mentioning that he had no choice but to curry favour with the jesuits in order to obtain a safe conduct that would allow him and his wife to travel to Goa from where they would embark for Europe 145 William Finch on the other hand struggled to sell the acquired indigo in Lahore and had come to the conclusion that the prospects of English trade in India were hopeless He informed Hawkins that he planned to sell the indigo in Aleppo a Syrian city and then travel back to England 146 147 William Finch s hasty decision to outbid the charismatic Mariam uz Zamani had catastrophic consequences for the immediate future of the East India Company at Jahangir s court 52 23 The repercussions were so severe in fact that in 1612 English Captain Jourdain noted the Queen s ship the Rahimi was bound for Mocha amp the local merchants would not lade their goods aboard until wee Europeans were gone from the country 148 137 Conflict with Portuguese Edit The Portuguese maintained relatively amicable relations during Akbar s reign despite hostilities and continued well until Jahangir s reign 149 During the reign of Jahangir the Portuguese were threatened by the presence of other European traders especially the English in the Mughal Court 52 In order to pressurize the Emperor to expel European rivals from the Mughal court the Portuguese challenged Jahangir s authority and prestige by targeting a ship owned by his mother the Queen Mother Mariam uz Zamani 150 William Hawkins noted that on February 1 1609 he witnessed a great stirre touching the Mariam uz Zamani s ship as it prepared to carry goods to Mocha an Arabian port south of Mecca at the Red Sea s entrance 151 The Portuguese threatened to abscond with the ship to Diu unless she paid an exorbitant fee for a cartaz or pass 17 It is recorded that the Portuguese demanded 1 00 000 mamudies for their cartaz and then 20 000 eventually to forestall violence the two sides were able to compromise on a much smaller payment of 1 000 rialls and some odd money 151 17 One incident in particular that caused a rift between the Mughals and the Portuguese was the seizure and burning 152 of Mariam uz Zamani s greatest pilgrimage ship the Rahimi in September 1613 153 Although she was carrying the necessary Portuguese pass and did not violated any terms applied on it still out of greed anger at the new Mughal friendship with the English the Portuguese acted contrary to their pass and carried off the Rahimi with all of her richly laden cargo worth 100 000 pounds equivalent to today s currency half a billion rupees and the approximately 700 passengers still on board to Goa 154 155 Jeronimo de Azevedo celebrated the capture of the Rahimi as worthy prey that was brought and for giving the Mughals a cause of sorrow 156 When it became clear that the Portuguese had no intention of returning the Queen Mother s ship Jahangir sent Muqarrab Khan his governor to stop all shipping activities at Surat the major Indian fort for seagoing trade and to lay siege to the Portuguese town of Daman 157 The Jesuit church in Agra which had been built under Akbar was closed and all allowances to Portuguese priests in Mughal India were suspended 154 158 159 The entire Mughal court as well as the city of Surat was in an uproar and the tumult and outcry at the Mughal court were unprecedented In the words of Findly Rahimi incident was the only act of piracy against India which on record evoked a severe and intense response from the Mughal government 160 The extreme actions taken by Jahangir were unusual as Mughal court had grown used to the rapacious brutality of the Portuguese and would react by ignoring it or accommodating it But for Rahimi which has been seized by the Portuguese Mariam uz Zamani s flagship pilgrim ship the queen mother demands retribution This was an unusual situation demonstrating the great cultural upheavals and the tectonic changes that were shaping the Mughal empire this was a Hindu queen s Muslim ship carrying Hajj pilgrims in Christian waters patrolled by the Portuguese armada 161 The Portuguese realizing their loss tried for peace 162 and later agreed to compensate the Mughal government for the loss of the Queen Mother s vessel and to grant certain additional passes to native vessels proceeding to the Red Sea but since the agreement was contingent upon the expulsion of the English Jahangir resisted Eventually an agreement was made by the emperor by which the Portuguese had to pay three lakhs of rupees for the ship taken but the issue of English expulsion was left hanging as Jahangir became increasingly aware of English power at sea 163 The Portuguese capture of Mariam uz Zamani s ship thus served to bring about a major change in the relationship between the two governments and was by a fortunate accident a substantial windfall for the English The Great Mogul s mother was a great adventurer which caused the Great Mogul to drive the Portingals out of this place 164 William Foster Letters Received By The East India Company Vol II Post Rahimi Business Activities Edit Mariam uz Zamani carried on with her commercial and pilgrimage ships despite losing her greatest pilgrimage ship the Rahimi She was in command of a fleet of ships 165 In 1617 two English pirates tried to seize Mariam uz Zamani s ship which was returning from the Red Sea with numerous hajjis and valuable cargo but in the nick of time the ship was rescued If it had not been for the fortunate interposition of the fleet of the East India Company which came up before the contest was decided the result of Englishmen s selfish enterprise would have been the closing of the busiest markets in India to English commerce 166 167 168 169 After the loss of her ship Rahimi the Dowager Empress then ordered the build of an even 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 and silver and bringing back the pilgrims 139 Patron of Art and Architecture EditMariam uz Zamani was one of the great female patrons of the architecture of her time 170 She constructed one of the earliest built mosques in Lahore Pakistan as per Mughal architecture known as the Begum Shahi Mosque 171 172 32 She sponsored a remarkable public work a baoli step well along with a garden near the old district at Brahambad Bayana 32 170 173 However only the baoli remains She laid a large garden around the tomb of her deceased Emperor husband Akbar and was also later buried there 174 She also commissioned the entrance to the Lahore fort known as Masjidi Darwaza now corrupted into Masti Darwaja Masti Gate 172 171 175 Both Mariam uz Zamani s mosque and baoli step well had an inscription attesting to her role in the construction of these historical monuments The mosque was constructed during the early period of Jahangir in 1023 A H 1614 A D as recorded in a Persian inscription fixed on the facade of the northern gate 172 A marble inscription on the gate of the baoli step well dates it to the seventh year of Jahangir s reign 1612 it was thus built at the same time as Begum Shahi s mosque at Lahore 170 Thus Jahangir s reign bears the stamp of female patronage 176 Begum Shahi Mosque Edit Begum Shahi Mosque one of the earliest and most exquisite mosques of Mughal Empire in Lahore Begum Shahi Mosque is the earliest dated exquisite mosque of the Mughal Empire built during Jahangir s reign 172 171 176 This mosque was named after her in her honour and is known as the Begum Shahi Mosque It is located close to the old Masti Gate of the Walled City of Lahore opposite the eastern walls of the Lahore Fort 171 It stands out uniquely for its frescoes which are significant for their perfect technique and variety of subjects 177 It featured the earliest dated Iranian motif in Mughal architecture 178 These paintings are unrivalled in Pakistan and perhaps in India for their delicacy and lively variety and for their harmonious golden tone which is due only in part to age 179 Mortimer Wheeler Five thousand years of Pakistan Never in the history of the architecture of the early Moghul period do we find such an extensive and exclusive use of this type of decoration The endless variety of geometric floral and inscriptional designs spread over the interior surface in a subtle colour scheme is a characteristic not seen elsewhere 180 Ahmad Nabi Khan Pakistan archaeology no 7 This mosque stands as the best example of the fusion of Timurid and Safavid components The prayer hall of Begum Shahi Mosque is a single aisle five bay structure with elaborate painted decoration Its inner central dome reveals one of the first dated occurrences of a network developed from points arranged in concentric circles 176 The mosque features Lahore s first five bay prayer chamber that would later be typical of all later Mughal mosques such as the Wazir Khan Mosque and Badshahi Mosque 181 The ceilings of tomb Itimad ud Daula with their richly polychromed net vaulting and stellate forms are a more refined version of those at Begum Shahi Mosque 182 183 The spectacularly painted prayer chamber of Wazir Khan Mosque and its interior as well as the central pishtaq s recessed arch and stellate vaulting are richly polychromed using a technique similar to that on Begum Shahi Mosque 184 At the time of its construction this was the only important mosque located in the vicinity of the Lahore fort and therefore it was frequented by the nobility of the Mughal court The mosque remained frequented for prayer by the Mughal nobility and the common man alike for more than two hundred years until it was turned into a gunpowder factory by Ranjit Singh Mariam uz Zamani s Baoli Edit Maryam Zamani s Baoli at Bayana Majestic gateway of Maryam Zamani s baoli Around 1612 AD she commissioned a great step well and a large garden in Bayana near district Brahmabad 173 185 The step well was much appreciated by her son Jahangir who visited it around 1619 and noted that it was a grand building and was very well built at an expense of just 20 000 rupees The baoli was considered by the English traveller Peter Mundy to be the best of this Kinde that I have yet seene a very costly and curious piece of worke 170 Further he notes that it is a grand building with beautiful gates cupolas arches chawtress galleries pillars and rooms above and below The step well consists of a gate four flights of stairs leading down to the water level and a well shaft at the farther end of the main axis all constructed in red sandstone Another European traveller Thevenot who noticed this complex of garden and baoli notes it as a Royal house insinuating that this building was also meant to house the royal owner of this complex during her occasional visits to the locality 107 The main gateway of the baoli is represented by a double storeyed structure facing east where the smaller rectangular portal is framed into a high arch This gateway appears to be typically representative of the post Fatehpur Sikri Mughal architecture of the early 17th century it also carries an imprint of Rajput conceptions Although there are only two stories it is constructed to give the three storeyed effect from the front The baoli was built as a part of the garden built by the empress 186 Rajeev Bargoti notes that her interest in indigo trade might have been because her revenue free grants were located in the indigo producing tract around Bayana including pargana Jansath 107 Inscription on Mariam uz Zamani Baoli step well 1 During the reign of Shah Nuruddin Jahangir the world became a garden because of his benevolence 2 By the order of his mother Maryam Zamani the divine light became bright 3 There was built a bagh garden and a beautiful baoli step well which made paradise blush with shame 4 The intelligence said for the hijra date San I haft julus padshahi the seventh regnal year of the king 187 Rajeev Bargoti Maryam Zamani s Baoli at BayanaDeath Edit Tomb of Mariam uz Zamani Sikandra Agra Mariam uz Zamani died in May 1623 immensely rich and powerful 188 189 52 and due honour was given by burying her in a mausoleum close to that of an equally redoubtable man she was married to Akbar 188 114 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 Jahangir had made several references in his autobiography towards her declining health since 1616 and calls her decrepit Her tomb built between 1623 and 1627 is on Tantpur road in Jyoti Nagar next to the tomb of Akbar Mariam s Tomb commissioned by her son Jahangir who grieved her loss immensely 114 is only a kilometre from Tomb of Akbar the Great in the direction of Mathura 190 and she stands as the only wife buried close to Akbar Her tomb resembles her husband s mausoleum in one important aspect the upper storey of both is open to the sun and rain and its upper corners are embellished by beautiful pavilions surmounted by lovely domes 63 The grave itself is underground with a flight of steps leading to it Issue EditMughal Emperor Akbar and Mariam uz Zamani Begum are confirmed to have at least three children Hassan Mirza 19 October 1564 Agra Mughal Empire 5 November 1564 Agra Mughal Empire twin with Hussain Hussain Mirza 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 was also the foster mother of one of her stepsons Daniyal Mirza 11 September 1572 Ajmer Mughal Empire 19 March 1605 Mughal Empire Notes Edit a b Professor Ellison Banks Findly notes that the reason for the absence of her background in historical accounts has been on the account of bigotry and she was Hindu by birth eldest daughter of Raja Bihari Mal and that her name has been suppressed by historians out of prejudice 19 20 See also EditBegum Shahi Mosque Jodha Bai Mahal Nilkanth temple Mandu Rahimi Ganj I SawaiIn popular culture EditFilms and TV serials Edit Sulochana portrayed Rani Jodha Bai in the 1953 film Anarkali 191 Durga Khote portrayed Jodha Bai in the 1960 Indian epic film Mughal e Azam 192 Zohra Mirza played the role of Jodha Bai in 1958 Urdu film Anarkali Jamuna played the role of Jodha bai in the Telugu movie Akbar Salim Anarkali Puja Acharya dawned the role of Mariam uz Zamani as Jodha Bai in the Doordarshan television series Akbar The Great 1988 1989 Aishwarya Rai portrayed Jodha Bai in the 2008 film Jodhaa Akbar directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar 193 Paridhi Sharma played the role of Jodha Bai in the historical drama series Jodha Akbar which ran from 2013 to 2015 194 Delnaaz Irani portrayed Jodha Bai in the historical comedy series Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal from 2014 to 2016 She was replaced by Pragati Mehra in 2016 for a few episodes as she was unavailable due to personal issues 195 Tasha Kapoor portrayed the role of Heer Kunwari aka Jodha Bai in Bharat Ka Veer Putra Maharana Pratap Jodha Bai was portrayed by Gurdeep Kohli in the Colors TV series Dastaan E Mohabbat Salim Anarkali 196 Aditi Sajwan portrayed the empress in the Star Bharat comedy series Akbar Ka Bal Birbal 197 Anuradha Tarafdar played the role of Jodha Bai in Manohar Arshi s film Akbar s Bridge 198 Sandhya Mridul portrayed Jodha Bai in Taj Divided by Blood 199 Literature Edit Jodha Bai is also a major character in Salman Rushdie s 2008 novel The Enchantress of Florence She is the pivot character in the book of Subhadra Sen Gupta The Teenage Diary of Jodh Bai as the character Jodh bai Bibliography Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mariam uz Zamani Eraly Abraham 2000 Emperors of the Peacock Throne the saga of the great Mughals Penguin books ISBN 978 0 14 100143 2 Findly Ellison Banks April June 1988 The Capture of Maryam uz Zamani s Ship Mughal Women and European Traders Journal of the American Oriental Society American Oriental Society 108 2 227 238 doi 10 2307 603650 JSTOR 603650 Bargoti Rajeev 1991 Maryam Zamani s Baoli at Bayana Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Indian History Congress 52 464 469 JSTOR 44142642 Findly Ellison B 1993 Nur Jan Empress of Mughal India New York Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 536060 8 Lal Muni 1980 Akbar University of Michigan ISBN 978 0 7069 1076 6 OCLC 7796032 Mukhoty Ira 2018 Daughters of the Sun empresses queens and begums of the Mughal Empire New Delhi ISBN 978 93 86021 12 0 OCLC 1040634538 Lal Muni 1988 Mughal Glory Delhi Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd ISBN 81 220 0076 2 Jahangir Emperor Thackston Wheeler McIntosh 1999 The Jahangirnama memoirs of Jahangir Emperor of India Washington D C Freer Gallery of Art Arthur M Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Institution New York Oxford University Press pp 2 316 ISBN 978 0 19 512718 8 References Edit a b Rogers Alexander Beveridge Henry eds 1909 The Tuzuk i Jahangiri or Memoirs of Jahangir Volume 2 Royal Asiatic Society London p 261 a b c d Lal 1980 p 133 a b c Foreign Department Of India 1905 References In The Press To The Visit Of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince And Princess Of Wales To India 1905 06 p 421 a b Sujan Rai Bhandari 1695 Khulasat ut Tawarikh Zafar Hasan p 374 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 a b Houghteling Sylvia 2017 The Emperor s Humbler Clothes Textures of Courtly Dress in Seventeenth Century South Asia Ars Orientalis 47 20220203 103 doi 10 3998 ars 13441566 0047 005 JSTOR 45238933 S2CID 191885191 a b Hindu Shah Muhammad Qasim 1595 1612 Gulshan I Ibrahimi Vol 2 p 143 Akbur after this conquest made a pilgrimage to Khwaja Moyin ood Deen Chishty at Ajmere and returned to Agra from whence he proceeded to visit the venerable Sheikh Sulim Chishty in the village of Seekry As all the king s children had hitherto died he solicited the Sheikh s prayers who consoled him by assuring him he would soon have a son who would live to a good old age Shortly after his favourite sooltana being then pregnant on Wednesday the 17th of Rubbee ool Awul in the year 997 was delivered of a son who was called Sulim a b Mehta Jaswant Lal Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd p 222 ISBN 978 81 207 1015 3 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 Rajput 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 the sociocultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar Salim later Jahangir the heir to the throne was born of this wedlock on 30th August 1569 a b Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava 1964 Medieval Indian Culture Universal Publications p 184 Chaudhary S N Roy 2011 Restoration of Split Milk Gyan Publishing House p 77 ISBN 978 81 212 1046 1 The mother of Jahangir was a pious Hindu princess the most favorite queen of Akbar Ahloowalia B S 2009 Invasion of the Genes Genetic Heritage of India Strategic Book Publishing p 130 ISBN 978 1 60860 691 7 Jodha Bai s 474th birth anniversary 17 facts about the Queen Mother India Today Hunter William W 1881 1895 Lodge Henry Cabot ed The History of Nations India and Modern Persia Vol 5 P F Collier amp son New York p 114 His favorite wife was a Rajput princess mother of his successor Jahangir a b Safdar Aiysha Khan Muhammad Azam January June 2021 History of Indian Ocean A South Indian perspective PDF Journal of Indian Studies 7 1 186 The most influential queen of the Mughal Emperor Akbar 1542 1605 and mother of Emperor Jahangir was the beautiful Empress Mariam uz Zamani commonly known as Jodha Bai She stands out as an adviser who maintained that without a strong navy the Mughal Empire would be overtaken by foreign armies As the Mughals had come from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan both landlocked countries the concept of a navy was just not in their DNA But then Akbar allowed his favourite and most loved wife to build ships for trade and Haj pilgrims at the Khizri Darwaza on the River Ravi Lal 1980 p 322 Esposito John L 1999 The Oxford History of Islam Oxford University Press New York ISBN 978 0 19 510799 9 OCLC 40838649 a b c Findly 1988 pp 229 233 Aftab Tahera 2008 Inscribing South Asian Muslim Women An Annotated Bibliography amp Research Guide Leiden Brill Publishers p 44 Findly 1988 p 229 Harking back Mystery of the Rajput empress Mariam Zamani DAWN COM 22 March 2020 a b c Chandra Satish 2005 Medieval India from Sultanate to the Mughals Revised ed New Delhi Har Anand Publications pp 111 112 ISBN 978 81 241 1066 9 a b c d e chief Bonnie G Smith 2008 The Oxford Encyclopedia of women in world history Oxford England Oxford University Press p 656 ISBN 978 0 19 514890 9 a b c Pillai Manu S 2019 The Courtesan The Mahatma And The Italian Brahmin Tales From Indian History Westland Publications Limited Price Mahor David ed 1829 Tarikh i Salim Shahi Beni Prasad 1930 History Of Jahangir 1930 p 24 a b Badayuni Abdul Qadir 1590 Muntakhab ut Tawarikh Vol 2 p 125 a b c Fazl Abul 1590 Ain I Akbari Vol 3 p 49 When the world conquering armies had been deputed the Shahinshah proceeded stage by stage On the day that he reached Sirohi Madhu Singh and a number of men were sent to fetch that nursling of fortune s garden Shahzada Sultan Daniel who had been conveyed from Ajmir to Amber so that he might be brought back to Ajmir and might come under the shadow of the Presence In order to do honour to Rajah Bhagwan Das his auspicious sister who held high rank in the imperial harem was sent off in order so that she might be present at the mourning for her brother Bhupat who had fallen in the battle of Sarnal a b Ruby Lal and Ira Mukhoty on the powerful women of Mughal Empire Smith Bonnie G ed 2008 The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History Vol 4 Oxford University Press p 656 ISBN 978 0 19 514890 9 Khan Ahmad Nabi 1970 Pakistan archaeology no 7 p 123 a b Havell E B Ernest Binfield 1918 The history of Aryan rule in India from the earliest times to the death of Akbar The Library of Congress New York Frederick A Stokes company p 463 a b c Schimmel Annemarie 2004 The empire of the great Mughals history art and culture Corinne Attwood Burzine K Waghmar Francis Robinson London p 148 ISBN 978 1 86189 185 3 OCLC 61751123 Srivastava A l 1957 A Short History Of The Akbar The Great p 22 Mubarak Abul Fazl 1593 Ain i Akbari p 36 a b c d Badayuni Abdul Qadir 1590 Muntakhab ut Tawarikh Vol III Unknown fact about Queen Mother Mariam uz Zamani India Today 1 October 2016 Lal 1980 p 104 With a blue blooded Rajput princess in the harem there came about a radical change in the style of life in the palace and at the court Jodha Bai was as good looking as she was tactful Warm hearted liberalism added lustre to her physical charm Akbar respected her So did everybody else Maham Anga in particular became very fond of her Soon she became a centre around which life in the palace revolved Akbar often consulted her on important matters her responses were invariably high minded and above partisanship An equation of complete trust gradually developed between the two The future greatness of Akbar was in no small measure due to the large heartedness of Jodha Bai With a lesser person in her place the story of the reign of Akbar might have been different L McJannet Bernadette Andrea Early Modern England and Islamic Worlds 2011 p 106 C M Agrawal Akbar and his Hindu officers a critical study 1986 p 27 Sarkar J N 1994 1984 A History of Jaipur Reprinted ed Orient Longman p 43 ISBN 978 81 250 0333 5 Sarkar 1994 p 31 4 Schimmel Annemarie 2004 The empire of the great Mughals history art and culture Corinne Attwood Burzine K Waghmar Francis Robinson London p 143 ISBN 978 1 86189 185 3 OCLC 61751123 Manuel Paul Christopher Lyon Alynna Wilcox Clyde 2013 Religion and Politics in a Global Society Plymouth England Lexington Books p 68 a b Hooja Rima 2006 A history of Rajasthan New Delhi Rupa amp Co ISBN 978 81 291 0890 6 OCLC 80362053 Srivastava Ashirbadi Lal 1947 The History and Culture of the Indian People Vol 7 p 368 Verma Chob Singh 1999 Splendour of Fatehpur Sikri Agam Kala Prakashan p 6 Mehta Jl Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India Sterling Publishers Pvt Ltd p 374 ISBN 978 81 207 1015 3 Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 p 78 a b Lal Muni 1977 Akbar V P House Private ltd Delhi p 133 Asher Catherine Blanshard 1992 Architecture of Mughal India Part 1 Volume 4 Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 26728 1 Retrieved 31 August 2016 Badayuni Abdul Qadir 1590 Muntakhab ut Tawarikh Vol 2 p 112 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Mukhoty Ira 2018 Daughters of the Sun empresses queens and begums of the Mughal Empire New Delhi ISBN 978 93 86021 12 0 OCLC 1040634538 Once Upon A Fable Outlook India 5 February 2022 Retrieved 6 December 2022 a b c Fazl Abul 1907 The Akbarnama Vol II Translated by Beveridge Henry ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL p 242 Collier Dirk 1 March 2016 The Great Mughals and their India Hay House Inc ISBN 978 93 84544 98 0 a b ranasafvi 6 August 2018 Nilkanth Mahal Palace Mandu Rana Safvi Retrieved 16 November 2022 Jhala Angma Dey 2011 Royal Patronage Power and Aesthetics in Princely India Pickering amp Chatto Limited p 119 Chatterjee Ramananda 1962 The Modern Review Volume 112 Prabasi Press Private Limited p 117 Chandra Satish 1 July 2008 Jodha Bai Who Is She Indian Historical Review 35 2 237 239 doi 10 1177 037698360803500214 ISSN 0376 9836 S2CID 148336450 Atul Sethi 24 June 2007 Trade not invasion brought Islam to India The Times of India Retrieved 15 February 2008 Vogel Dr J Ph 1910 Annual Report Archaeological Survey Of India 1910 II Superintendent Government Printing Calcutta India p 94 Smith Edmund W 1973 Mughal Architecture of Fatehpur Sikri Vol I Delhi Indological Book p 31 a b Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava 1964 Medieval Indian Culture Universal Publications pp 204 205 Sarkar Jadunath A History of Jaipur C 1503 1938 pp 35 amp 43 a b Ahmad Nizamuddin 1936 Tabaqat i Akbari Vol II p 258 When he arrived in the town of Sambar Raja Bihari Mai who was one of the renowned Rajas of that country came with his son Bhagwan Das and entered the imperial service with great loyalty and sincere devotion and was honoured with various favours and royal benefactions and his daughter who was veiled in chastity was ennobled by a marriage with His Majesty and was enlisted in the rank of honoured consorts a b Badayuni Abdul Qadir 1884 Muntakhab ut Tawarikh Vol 2 p 45 Raja Bharmal then espoused his gentle daughter to Emperor Akbar in honourable wedlock Smith Vincent Arthur 1917 Akbar the Great Mogul Oxford Clarendon Press p 58 ISBN 978 0 89563 471 9 Lal Muni 1980 Akbar Prasad Beni 1930 History of Jahangir p 2 Lal Muni 1988 Mughal Glory Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd pp 58 59 a b Fazl Abul 1910 The Akbarnama ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL p 36 Ahmad Aziz 31 December 2014 Studies In Islamic Culture In The Indian E p 103 Eraly 2000 p 146 Lal 1980 p 134 Lal 1980 p 143 Professor Badani 1990 Akbar s intimate relationship with Rajput clan Aligarh Muslim University a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Lal Muni 1988 Mughal Glory Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd p 87 Smith 1917 p 225 Eraly 2000 p 273 Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 p 56 Eraly 2000 p 136 a b c Findly Ellison Banks Mughal Women American Oriental Society p 233 JSTOR 603650 Eraly Abraham Emperors of the Peacock throne p 136 Havell E B Ernest Binfield 1918 The history of the Aryan rule in India from the earliest times to the death of Akbar The Library of Congress New York Frederick A Stokes company p 469 Havell EB 1912 A Handbook to Agra and the Taj Sikandra Fatehpur Sikri and the Neighbourhood Kerala State Library Longmans Green amp Co London p 107 Schimmel Annemarie 2004 The empire of the great Mughals history art and culture Corinne Attwood Burzine K Waghmar Francis Robinson London p 35 ISBN 978 1 86189 185 3 OCLC 61751123 Fazl Abul 1590 Ain I Akbari Vol 1 p 49 Thompson Della 1995 The 9th edition of the concise oxford Dictionary of English Vol 7 Oxford University Press Ahmad Aziz 1964 Studies of Islamic culture in the Indian Environment Clarendon Press Findly 1993 p 189 Jahangir opened his memoirs with a tribute to the Sufi calling him the fountainhead of most of the saints of India and in late 1608 he recalled his father s pilgrimage with Mariam uz Zamani to Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti s shrine in hopes of sons by making his own pilgrimage to Akbar s tomb in Sikandra Ahmed Nizamuddin 1599 Tabaqat i Akbari p 144 Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 pp 45 46 Chatterjee Nandani 1576 Rajasthan State Archives Imperial records a b Lal 1980 p 159 Lal 1980 p 160 Beveridge H 1907 The Akbarnama Of Abul Fazl Vol 2 p 543 An order was issued that when this celestial star should be a month old his cradle should be conveyed to the town of Amber and the care of him committed to the Rani the wife of Rajah Bara Mal The making over Daniel to this Rani would seem to imply that the mother of Daniel was related to her it might also strengthen the tradition that 3Rani s daughter was Jahangir s mother a b Iftikhar Rukhsana 2014 An analytical study of political domination of Mughal women Behind the Veil 21 a b Tirmizi S A I 1989 Mughal Documents Manohar p 31 Findly 1993 p 177 Findly 1993 p 150 Lal Muni 1988 Mughal Glory Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd p 59 a b Lal Muni 1977 Akbar V P House Private ltd Delhi Lal 1980 p 213 Lal Muni 1988 Mughal Glory Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd p 63 Transcending the Stereotypical Portrayal of Mughal Women 6 March 2021 Lal 1980 p 179 a b c Bargoti Rajeev 1991 Maryam Zamani s Baoli at Bayana Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Indian History Congress 52 466 JSTOR 44142642 Rogers Alexander Beveridge Henry eds 1625 Tuzuk i Jahangiri p 292 Emperor of India Jahangir 1999 The Jahangirnama memoirs of Jahangir Emperor of India Translated by Thackston W M Washington D C Freer Gallery of Art Arthur M Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Institution New York Oxford University Press p 61 ISBN 978 0 19 512718 8 Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 p 76 Terry Edward 1616 A voyage to East India p 82 Mohammad Azhar Ansari 1975 European Travellers Under The Mughals 1580 1627 p 78 Emperor of India Jahangir 1999 The Jahangirnama memoirs of Jahangir Emperor of India Translated by Thackston W M Washington D C Freer Gallery of Art Arthur M Sackler Gallery Smithsonian Institution New York Oxford University Press p 292 ISBN 978 0 19 512718 8 a b c d Findly 1993 pp 177 178 About this time Jahangir s own immediate family experienced some changes His mother the charismatic and adventurous Hindu widow of Akbar Maryamuzzamani died early in the summer of 1623 in Agra and was buried in a tomb in Sikandra near her husband Akbar Maryamuzzamani had played an important social role in Jahangir s life by hosting most of his family celebrations at her own home and she had in the larger arena helped chart the role of Mughal women in the newly expanding business of foreign trade Though Jahangir must have grieved immensely at her death his notice of it in his memoirs was very short saying only that I trust that Almighty God will envelop her in the ocean of His mercy She was the last in the illustrious series of parents to die in this period and her death came strangely only four years before Jahangir s own Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 p 78 230 Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 p 145 Findly 1993 p 165 Rogers amp Beveridge 1909 p 81 Badayuni Abdul Qadir 1590 Muntakhab ut Tawarikh Vol II p 269 Badayuni Abdul Qadir 1590 Muntakhab ut Tawarikh Vol 2 pp 312 313 Mukhia Harbans 2004 The Mughals of India Malden MA Blackwell Pub pp 132 133 ISBN 978 0 470 75830 4 OCLC 214282198 Lal 1980 p 299 Lal 1980 p 301 Akbar s mind was made up Salim had to be saved from himself Orders were issued for a force to be got ready immediately The expedition was to be led by the Emperor himself Here was a bold decision perhaps the boldest of his life by the 62 year old grief stricken monarch to wage a war against his own son Mariam Zamani Jodha Bai was torn by conflicting loyalties So was the old and weak Mariam Makani Hamida Banu Begum They pleaded with Akbar for restraint but to no avail The Emperor had geared himself to a pitch of resolve from where there was no going back He moved out of Agra on 21 August 1604 This time there were no ladies in his entourage Lal 1980 p 303 Some chroniclers aver that Emperor gave smack on his son s face felled him and ordered that he should be kept in solitary confinement in one of the ghusalkhanas of the fort Alcoholic drinks and opium were not permitted to be served to him Salim was in agony On the second day he raved like a madman and begged for a cup of his favourite wine The Emperor relented and deputed one of his personal physicians to examine the Prince and prescribe such quantities of alcohol as he considered necessary for his health The taming of the temperamental Salim bristled with complications especially when Mariam Zamani and Sultan Salima Begum took into their scheming heads to leave no design unused to win freedom for their Baba The pressure from the senior ladies became too compelling to be resisted for long Akbar gave in and allowed Salim to shift to his palace Findly 1993 p 96 a b c Findly 1988 p 232 Tirmizi S A I 1979 Edicts from the Mughal Harem Farman of Marium uz Zamani Idarah I Adabiyat I Delli p 69 Tirmizi S A I 1979 Edicts from the Mughal Harem Idarah i Adabiyat i Delli pp 127 128 OCLC 465427663 Mishra Rekha 1967 Women in Mughal India 1526 1748 A D Munshiram Manoharlal p 67 ISBN 978 81 215 0347 1 Mishra 1967 p 112 Xavier Jesuit 1606 Missoes Jesuitas Na India British Library London MS 9854 44 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Findly 1993 p 365 Findly 1993 p 122 Mukherjee Soma 2001 Royal Mughal Ladies and Their Contributions Gyan Books p 238 ISBN 978 81 212 0760 7 Collier Dirk 2011 The Emperor s writings Memories of Akbar the great p 326 Payne C H 1930 Jahangir and the Jesuits George Routledge and sons pp 1 a b c d e f Findly 1988 p 233 Findly 1988 p 227 a b Safdar Aiysha Khan Muhammad Azam 2021 History of Indian Ocean A south Indian perspective Journal of Indian Studies 7 1 186 188 The Empress Mariam Zamani then ordered the building of an even larger ship with 62 guns and placements for over 400 musket men It was named Ganj i Sawai and it was in its day the most fearsome ship on the seas and its objective was to trade and take pilgrims to Mecca and on the way back convert all the goods sold into gold and silver as well as bring the pilgrims back But then the English posing as pirates attacked with a 25 ship armada of alleged pirates At Mecca they claimed they were slave traders Harking back The Empress and her two doomed pilgrim ships 11 April 2021 William Foster 1897 Letters Received By The East India Company Vol II p 213 Gascoigne Bamber Gascoigne Christina 1971 The great Moghuls Internet Archive New York Harper amp Row p 165 ISBN 978 0 06 011467 1 a b Foster William 1921 Early travels in India 1583 1619 Robarts University of Toronto London Oxford University Press p 123 Foster William 1921 Early travels in India 1583 1619 Robarts University of Toronto London Oxford University Press p 83 Foster William 1921 Early travels in India 1583 1619 Robarts University of Toronto London Oxford University Press p 92 Foster William 1921 Early travels in India 1583 1619 Robarts University of Toronto London Oxford University Press p 124 Jourdain John 1905 The journal of John Jourdain 1608 1617 University of California Libraries Cambridge Eng Printed for the Hakluyt society pp 157 158 Jourdain John 1905 The journal of John Jourdain 1608 1617 University of California Libraries Cambridge Eng Printed for the Hakluyt society pp 186 187 Findly 1993 p 129 Great Britain Public Record Office Great Britain Colonial Office Great Britain India Office 1860 Colonial Records Calendar of State Papers Colonial Robarts University of Toronto London Longmans H M S O p 258 a b Foster William 1921 Early travels in India 1583 1619 Robarts University of Toronto London Oxford University Press pp 129 130 William Foster 1897 Letters Received By The East India Compan Vol II p 229 Findly 1993 p 130 a b Foster William 1921 Early travels in India 1583 1619 Robarts University of Toronto London Oxford University Press pp 191 192 203 Bocarro Antonio Felner Rodrigo Jose de Lima 1876 Decada 13 da historia da India Wellcome Library Lisboa Typ da Academia real das sciencias p 192 Bocarro Antonio n 99254262 Felner Rodrigo Jose de Lima 1876 Decada 13 da historia da India Wellcome Library Lisboa Typ da Academia real das sciencias p 192 Rogers Alexander 1909 Tuzuk i jahangiri Or Memoris Of Jahangir Vol 1 p 255 William Foster 1897 Letters Received By The East India Company Vol II pp 96 107 149 150 Great Britain Public Record Office Great Britain Colonial Office Great Britain India Office 1860 Colonial Records Calendar of State Papers Colonial Robarts University of Toronto London Longmans H M S O p 316 Findly 1988 p 228 Mukhoty Ira 2018 Daughters of the Sun Empresses Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire Aleph ISBN 978 93 86021 12 0 Orme Robert 1805 Historical fragments of the Mogul empire University of California Libraries London F Wingrave p 360 The Portuguese viceroy after retreating from captain Downton stopped at Bassein before he proceeded to Goa and instructed his governor of Daman to endeavour a reconciliation with Surat to which end the Jesuit Hieronimo Xavier worked more efficaciously at Agra by proffers and apologies which gained the emperor s mother from motives of religion and his wife by expectation of presents Foster William 1899 Letters received by the East India Company Vol III pp xxxvii xxxviii Foster William 1897 Letters Received By The East India Company Vol II p 213 Chatterjee Prasun 2012 Gender and Travel Writing in India c 1650 1700 Social Scientist 40 3 4 66 ISSN 0970 0293 JSTOR 41633802 Gardiner Samuel R 1883 History Of England Vol III p 216 Roe Thomas Foster William 1899 The Embassy Harvard University London Printed for the Hakluyt society pp 421 425 454 480 Foster William 1902 Letters received by the East India Company vol 6 pp xxx 173 175 228 274 W Noel Sainsbury Ed 1870 Calendar of State Papers Colonial Series East Indies China and Japan 1617 1621 Kerala State Library Longman amp Co and Trubner amp Co London pp lxxvi lxxx 77 121 a b c d Koch Ebba 1990 Mughal architecture p 90 a b c d Latif Syad Muhammad 1892 Lahore Its History Architectural Remains And Antiquities pp 131 132 a b c d Khan Ahmad Nabi 1970 Pakistan archaeology no 7 pp 121 122 a b Bargoti Rajeev 1991 Maryam Zamani s Baoli at Bayana Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Indian History Congress 52 464 JSTOR 44142642 Selections from the native newspapers published in the United Provinces of Agra amp Oudh Al Aziz 7 August 1905 12 August 1905 p 262 JSTOR saoa crl 25922623 Iftikhar Rukhsana January 2019 Lahore Fort A Mughal Monument on the Verge of Decline Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan 56 28 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help a b c Koch Ebba 1990 Mughal architecture p 83 Khan Ahmad Nabi 1970 Pakistan archaeology no 7 p 126 Asher Catherine Blanchard 1992 Architecture of Mughal India Internet Archive Cambridge New York Cambridge University Press pp 116 132 ISBN 978 0 521 26728 1 Mortimer Wheeler Robert Eric 1950 Five thousand years of Pakistan p 83 Khan Ahmad Nabi 1970 Pakistan archaeology no 7 p 126 Ahmed Shoaib 6 October 2021 Maryam Zamani Mosque undergoing restoration DAWN COM Retrieved 6 January 2023 Asher Catherine Blanchard 1992 Architecture of Mughal India Internet Archive Cambridge New York Cambridge University Press p 131 ISBN 978 0 521 26728 1 Koch Ebba 1983 Jahangir and the Angels Recently Discovered Wall Paintings Under European Influence in the Fort of Lahore p 176 Asher Catherine Blanchard 1992 Architecture of Mughal India Internet Archive Cambridge New York Cambridge University Press pp 225 226 ISBN 978 0 521 26728 1 Foster William 1921 Early travels in India p 148 The first of November I was sent to buy nill or indigo at Byana I lodged that night at Menha poore a great saray by which is a garden and moholl mahal palace or summer house of the Queene Mothers very curiously contrived Bargoti Rajeev 1991 Maryam Zamani s Baoli at Bayana Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Indian History Congress 52 465 JSTOR 44142642 Bargoti Rajeev 1991 Maryam Zamani s Baoli at Bayana a Note Proceedings of the Indian History Congress 52 465 JSTOR 44142642 a b Jodha More than Akbar s wife 17 February 2018 Barot Chintal 17 December 2021 Mughal Women History s Hidden traders Madras Courier Havelli EB 1912 A Handbook to Agra and the Taj Sikandra Fatehpur Sikri and the Neighbourhood Kerala State Library Longmans Green amp Co London p 102 The emperor s healing touch DAWN COM 17 September 2009 Rajadhyaksha Ashish Willemen Paul 1998 1994 Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema PDF New Delhi Oxford University Press p 365 ISBN 978 0 19 563579 9 Will U B My Jodha Sify 14 July 2005 Archived from the original on 9 December 2016 Retrieved 9 December 2016 Unnikrishnan Chaya 26 June 2013 Show review So far so good DNA India Trivedi Tanvi After being replaced Delnaaz is back on Akbar Birbal Times of India The Times of India Gurdeep Kohli Punjj dons 10kg costume for TV show Times of India The Times of India Akbar Ka Bal Birbal s Aditi Sajwan aka Rani Saheba s new best friend on the sets of the show The Times of India Akbar s Bridge India Today 30 April 1996 Retrieved 18 June 2022 Sandhya Mridul Unveils Her Character In Taj Divided By Blood Outlook India 26 February 2023 External links EditJodha More than Akbar s wife Unknown fact about Queen Mother Mariam uz Zamani Harking back Mystery of the Rajput empress Mariam Zamani Akbar and his favorite Rajput wife Jodha Queen of sheer opulence Harking back The Empress and her two doomed pilgrim ships Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mariam uz Zamani amp oldid 1150819358, wikipedia, wiki, book, 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