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Shahzadi (Imperial Princess) Jahanara Begum Sahib (Urdu: شاهزادی جہاں آرا بیگم صاحب ) (April 2, 1614–September 16, 1681) was the eldest daughter of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.[1]
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Influence at Court
Upon the death of Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, Jahanara, who was just 17, took the place of her mother as first lady in the country, despite her father having one other wife.[2] As well as caring for her younger brothers and sisters, she is also credited with bringing her father out of mourning and restoring normality to a court darkened by her mother's death and her father's grief. One of her tasks after the death of her mother was to oversee the betrothal and wedding of her brother, Dara Shikoh, to a begum, Nadira Banu which had been originally planned by Mumtaz Mahal but postponed by her death. Jahanara's mother Arjumand Banu Begum, Empress Mumtaz Muhal died while giving birth.
Mumtaz Mahal's personal fortune valued at 10,000,000 rupees was divided by Shah Jahan between Jahanara Begum, who received half and the rest of her surviving children.[3]
Her father frequently took her advice and entrusted her with charge of the imperial seal. Shah Jahan's fondness for his daughter was reflected in the multiple titles he bestowed upon her, which include Sahibat al-Zamani (Lady of the Age) and Padishah Begum (Lady Emperor) or Begum Sahib (Princess of Princesses).
Her power was such that, unlike the other royal princesses, she was allowed to live in her own palace, outside the confines of the Agra Fort.[4]
Accident
On the night of the 4 April 1644,[5] while she was heading towards her sleeping quarters her dress brushed against a lamp left burning on the floor. Her garment caught fire and she was enveloped in flames. Two of the attendants who had tried to help Jahanara died of their burns. Her injuries were such that it was not until late in 1644 that she was deemed to be out of danger and an 8 day festival of thanks celebrated.[5] With the assistance of numerous physicians Shah Jahan himself nursed her back to health.
After her recovery Shah Jahan gifted her rare gems and jewellery and bestowed upon her the revenues of the port of Surat.[4] She made a pilgrimage to Ajmer, following the example set by her great-grandfather Akbar.[6]
Relations with Family
Historians report a deep love and genuine liking between Jahanara and her brother Dara Shikoh, unlike the cool politeness that existed between Aurangzeb and herself.[citation needed] Jahanara had referred to Aurangzeb as the "white serpent" in a kind of diary she had written also calling him a tiger and panther.[7] Legend says that once when Aurangzeb was severely sick, Jahanara took care of him. Later when he asked her whether or not she would support him for the throne and she said that he would not be emperor, Aurangzeb became very angry at her.[citation needed] When Aurangzeb fell out of favour with his father during the time of Jahanara's convalescence she is credited with using the celebrations of her recovery to encourage her father to restore Aurangzeb to his former positions.[citation needed]
There is record of tensions with her sister Roshanara Begum, three years her junior who resented her elder sister's position as first lady of the empire.[8]
Struggle for Power
Jahanara took the side of Dara Shikoh in the struggle for the throne. Dara had promised her to lift the ban on marriage for Moghul princesses, which Akbar had introduced. Had he triumphed, her power would likely have continued.
Care of her father
On Aurangzeb's usurpation of the throne, Jahanara joined her father in imprisonment at the Agra Fort where she devoted herself to his care until his death.
Relations with Aurangzeb
After the death of their father Jahanara and Aurangzeb were reconciled. He gave her the title, 'Empress of Princesses' and she replaced Roshanara as first lady.[9] Jahanara's sister Roshanara Begum was reportedly very jealous of her sister's return to power. Jahanara was soon secure enough in her position to occasionally argue with Aurangzeb - something which generally resulted in the death of anyone doing so - and have certain rights other women did not have.
She argued against Aurangzeb's strict regulation of public life in accordance with his conservative religious beliefs and his decision in 1679 to restore the poll tax on non-Muslims, which she said would alienate his Hindu subjects.
Burial
Upon her death Aurangzeb gave her the posthumous title 'Sahibat-uz-Zamani' ('Mistress of the Age').[10] Jahanara is buried in a tomb in the Nizamuddin Dargah complex in New Delhi which is remarkable for its simplicity. The inscription on the tomb reads as follows:
He is the Living, the Sustaining.
Let no one cover my grave except with greenery,
for this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor.
The annihilated fakir Lady Jahanara,
Disciple of the lords of Chisht,
Daughter of Shah Jahan the Warrior
(may God illuminate his proof).
Personal Attributes
No formally attributed likeness of her is known to exist.[11] She was highly educated and well versed in Persian and Arabic,[11] as well as a poet of some repute.
Sufism
Together with her brother Dara Shikoh she was a disciple of Mullah Shah Badakhshi, who initiated her into the Qadiriyya Sufi order in 1641. Jahanara Begum made such progress on the Sufi path that Mullah Shah would have named her his successor in the Qadiriyya, but the rules of the order did not allow this.[12]
She wrote a biography of Moinuddin Chishti, the founder of the Chishtiyah order, titled Mu’nis al-Arwāḥ, as well as a biography of Mullah Shah, titled Risālah-i Ṣāḥibīyah, in which she also described her initiation by him.[13] Her biography of Moinuddin Chishti is highly regarded for its judgment and literary quality. In it she regarded him as having initiated her spiritually four centuries after his death, described her pilgrimage to Ajmer, and spoke of herself as a faqīrah to signify her vocation as a Sufi woman.[14]
Jahanara Begum stated that she and her brother Dārā were the only descendants of Timur to embrace Sufism.[15] As a patron of Sufi literature, she commissioned translations of and commentaries on many works of classical literature.[16]
Charitable Works
Jahanara was known for her active part in looking after the poor and financing the building of mosques and gardens. In Agra she is best known for sponsoring the building of the Jami Masjid in 1648 in the heart of the old city.
She also made a significant impact on the landscape of the capital city of Shahjahanabad. Of the eighteen buildings in the city of Shahjahanabad commissioned by women, Jahanara commissioned five of them. All of Jahanara's building projects were completed around the year 1650 inside the city walls of Shahjahanabad. The best known of her projects is Chandni Chowk, the central bazaar.
Other
- Her early life is depicted in The Royal Diaries book series as Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India - 1627 by Kathryn Lasky.
- Jahanara is the protagonist of the novel Beneath a Marble Sky, by John Shors.
- Actresses Mala Sinha and Manisha Koirala have portrayed the role of Jahanara in their respective films namely Jahan Ara(1964) and Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story(2005).
Notes
- ^ Jahanara Begum (1613-1683)
- ^ Preston, page 176.
- ^ Preston, page 175.
- ^ a b Preston, page 235.
- ^ a b Preston, page 234.
- ^ Schimmel, Annemarie (1997). My Soul Is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum. p. 50. ISBN 0-8264-1014-6.
- ^ Review: A princess with taste
- ^ Preston, page 266.
- ^ Preston, page 285.
- ^ Preston, page 286.
- ^ a b Preston, page 232.
- ^ Schimmel, Annemarie (1997). My Soul Is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum. p. 50. ISBN 0-8264-1014-6.
- ^ Rizvi, Saiyid Athar Abbas (1983). A History of Sufism in India. 2. New Delhi: Mushiram Manoharlal. p. 481. ISBN 81-215-0038-9.
- ^ Helminski, Camille Adams (2003). Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure. Boston: Shambhala. p. 129. ISBN 1-57062-967-6.
- ^ Hasrat, Bikrama Jit (1982). Dārā Shikūh: Life and Works (second ed.). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 64.
- ^ Schimmel, Annemarie (1997). My Soul Is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum. p. 51. ISBN 0-8264-1014-6.
Literature
- Eraly, Abraham (paperback). The Mughal Throne (First ed.). London: Phoenix. pp. 555 pages. ISBN 978-0-7538-1758-2.
- Preston, Diana & Michael (Hardback). A Teardrop on the Cheek of Time (First ed.). London: Doubleday. pp. 354 pages. ISBN 9780385609470.
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