Jahanara Begum
Shahzadi (
Imperial Princess)
Jahanara Begum (
April 2 1614–
September 16 1681) was the eldest daughter of
Shah Jahan and
Mumtaz Mahal.
Jahanara was the most beloved daughter of Shah Jahan; she took the place of her mother Mumtaz Mahal after her death as first lady in the country. Though she was only seventeen, she brought her father out of mourning and restored normality to a court darkened by her mother's death and her father's grief. Her father frequently took her advice and gave her fortune and power. Jahanara demonstrated her important role within the politics of the empire by bringing the Emperor and the court back to the normality it enjoyed before the death of Empress. Shah Jahan's fondness for his daughter was reflected in the multiple titles he bestowed upon her, which include Sahibat al-Zamani, Mistress of the Age, and Padshah Begum, or Lady Emperor; Jahanara was known to members of the
Moghul court as Begum Sahib. Begum Sahib means 'Princess of Princesses'. When her brother,Aurangzeb, became emperor, he gave her the title,'Empress of Princesses'. Being the emperor of princesses, she had the right to occasionally disobey Aurangzeb - something which generally resulted in the death of anyone doing so - and have certain rights other women did not have. Jahanaras sister, who was reportedly very jealous, asked Aurangzeb if he could give her those right but he said no because he needed her to assist in the care of his children (4 girls,6 boys).
Jahanara's power at court was unquestioned, and had her brother
Dara Shikoh, whom she favored for ascension after their father, triumphed, her power would likely have continued. Historians report a deep love and genuine liking between the two, unlike the cool politeness that existed between
Aurangzeb and herself. Legend says that once when Aurangzeb was severely sick, Jahanara took care of him. When he asked her whether or not she would support him for the throne and she said that he would not be emperor, Aurangzeb got very angry at her, which is probably why they never got along. There is record of tensions with her sister
Raushanara Begum who replaced her as head of the harem after Shah Jahan was deposed.
She was instrumental in creating marital alliances. She saw to the betrothal of her brother, Dara Shikoh, to a begum,
Nadira Banu, and planned out the wedding.
While attending a garden party in
1644, Jahanara's clothing caught fire. She became seriously sick and Shah Jahan himself nursed his beloved daughter back to health, which took many weeks.
Jahanara took the side of Dara Shikoh in the struggle for the throne, when Shah Jahan was very ill. Dara had promised her to lift the ban on marriage for Moghul princesses, which
Akbar had introduced. On
Aurangzeb's usurpation of the throne, Jahanara joined her father in imprisonment at the
Agra Fort. She was devoted in her care of her father, and took sole care of him until his death.
Jahanara was known for her active part in looking after the poor, gave lot of money for building of
mosques and gardens, and was a poet of some repute herself. 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 most well known monument is
Chandni Chowk, the central
bazaar.
Jahanara's tomb in the
Nizammuddin complex in
New Delhi is remarkable for its simplicity.
