‘Isan Daulat Begum Sahib was opinionated and tactful. She was a very far-sighted and intelligent woman. Most of the work was done with his advice.
These words belong to the founder of the Mughal Empire, Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, which he said about his grandmother in his memoir ‘Baburnama’. In the preface of the same book, it is written that since the death of Babur’s father in 1494, Esan Daulat Begum remained his guide and helper in overcoming political crises, the real power and affairs were in her hands.
The Mughal emperor used to carry his mother’s palanquin
During the Mughal era, the first lady was usually the mother of the emperor and not his queen, except in Nur Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. After the death of the mother, the queen takes her place. All the Mughal emperors from Babur onwards respected their mothers very much.
SM Edwards, in ‘Babur, Diarist and Despot’, writes that Esan Daulat Begum (Babur’s maternal grandmother) and Katlagnagar played a major role in shaping Babur’s life. Babur inherited his intellectual prowess from his mother.
Radhe Shyam writes in his book “Babur” that “During the period of Jihad, mother Katalagh Nagar Khanum was also Babur’s close advisor.” Educated in Turkish and Persian, Khanum accompanied him on most of his campaigns and during his reign.
Babur also had access to his wife and Humayun’s mother, Maham Begum, during his distant campaigns in Badakhshan and Transexonia.
According to Romerguden, Mahim was strong and youthful and it seems that Babur did not forbid him from doing anything.
Bibi Mubaraka was also one of Babar’s desired wives. By marrying her, Babur’s relationship with the Yusufzai clan ended and his hold on Afghanistan was strengthened.
However, Maham Begum enjoyed a higher position and was allowed to sit beside her husband on the throne.
Researcher SA Tirmizi writes that Humayun was fortunate to have the patronage of his mother Maham Begum. “She was well-educated, intelligent and broad-minded.”
Humayun’s maternal grandmother Gul Badan Begum’s book ‘Humayun Nama’ is the only known book written by a woman in 16th century Mughal India. Gul Badan was raised and educated by Maham Begum.
When Humayun received his first responsibility as the governor of Badakhshan, Mahim Begum accompanied him in the running of affairs during this period of training. Helping Humayun’s succession points to his important position.
Writer Rubilal quoted British writer AS Beveridge as saying, ‘Both as wife and queen mother, Mahim appears to be a shrewd woman of wisdom, status, and authority, who prefers to advise and guide her younger ones. She considered it her duty to lead, and uphold the name and honor of her family.’
Apart from them, the role of Hamida Bano Begum was also important in political affairs, who had hardly agreed to marry Humayun.
The incident has been described in the ‘Hamayun Nama’ as follows: ‘For 40 days, Hamidah Bano Begum was reluctant [for the marriage] and she was not agreeing in any way. Finally, my mother Dildar Begum told her that she will marry someone. Then who can be better than the king? The Begum replied, Yes, I will marry anyone whose neck I can reach. Not from a man whose feet, I know, my hand cannot reach. My mother advised him a lot and finally convinced him.
She was given the title Maryam Makani by her son Akbar.
After marriage, Hamida Bano suffered hardship and exile with Humayun. Within a year of Akbar’s birth in Amarkot, Sindh, leaving him with a midwife, he made a perilous journey to Kandahar and then to Persia (Iran) with Humayun.
He made a political alliance against Bairam Khan’s wish by arranging Akbar’s marriage with the granddaughter of Humayun’s confidant Amir Munaim Khan. Hamida Bano held a high position in the royal harem and had the authority to issue decrees.
According to the Humayun Nama, after the coronation ceremony, which was called Jashan-e-Jalus, the emperor first visited his mother and other relatives.
Abul Fazl has written that Akbar had great respect for his mother Maryam Makani and used to come out of the capital to welcome her.
Once when Akbar’s mother was taken from Lahore to Agra in a palanquin. Akbar, traveling with them, lifted their palanquin on his shoulders from one place to another and carried it from one side of the river to the other.
It is written in ‘Akbar Nama’ that once Prince Salim was not given the honor of bariyabi by Emperor Akbar for some time due to excessive drinking and bad company. But at the request of Maryam Makani (Hameeda Bano Begum) he was allowed to play Cornish.
Prince Salim once again rebelled and assumed the royal position in Allahabad. Akbar took the help of his most trusted advisor Abul Fazl to resolve the matter. But on the way Abul Fazl was killed by Salim. Akbar was deeply saddened and bored.
It was Maryam Makani and Gul Badan Begum who begged for Salim’s forgiveness. Akbar accepted his wish and asked his paternal aunt and wife Salima Sultana Begum to inform the prince of his pardon and present him at the court. Salima and Mah Chochak Begum’s daughter Bakhtul-Nisa reconciled the two.
This Salim became Emperor Jahangir.
According to Tazuk-i Jahangiri, Jahangir respected his mother Jodhabai (Maryam-uz-Zani) very much. It was in their house that the emperor was weighed and the marriages of princes took place.
Love from sisters
After Maham Begum’s death, Babur made his elder sister Khanzada Begum the head of the harem with the title of Padshah Begum. Gul Badan used to address her as ‘the most beloved lady’ or ‘Aqe Janam’.
He remained in the same position during the reign of Humayun. During Humayun’s reign, Khanzada Begum played the role of a peacemaker and tried to resolve disputes between Humayun and his brothers Hindal, Kamran and Askari.
Gul Badan Begum has given many examples in Humayun Nama which show Babur and Humayun’s love for their sisters. If a sister became a widow, the brother would always be there to shelter her.
When Gul Mishka Begum became a widow, Humayun ordered her to be brought back to Agra. Jahangir mentions his sisters Shukar-ul-Nasa Begum and Uram Bano Begum fondly in his memoirs, although they were born to different mothers.
Daughters of the Mughal family
The Mughal emperors were very fond of their daughters and made great arrangements for their education and cultivation of their talents.
But many of them, especially after Akbar’s time, remained unmarried. Many writers and foreign travelers like Manuchi have blamed Akbar for starting this tradition, but many writers disagree because Akbar married his sisters and daughters to eligible men. However, Akbar disliked marriage among close relatives.
There are some restrictions on the marriage of princesses till the time of Shah Jahan. This was probably done to limit the number of claimants to the throne. But Aurangzeb got some of his daughters and nieces married to siblings’ children.
The education of the Mughal princesses was arranged.
Babur’s daughter, who engaged herself in literary activities, was Gul Badan Begum. She is known for her famous work Humayun Nama.
According to the Akbarnama, Humayun’s wife, Bega Begum, popularly known as Haji Begum, was an educated woman. She was familiar with the technique of writing and had a deep knowledge of medicine.
Humayun’s niece Salima Sultana Begum was well versed in Persian language and literature.
Emperor Akbar had little formal education of his own. But he was very much interested in the educational process and the education of princes and princesses. It is said that he established a school for girls in his Fatehpur Sikri Mahal. Mughal princesses were tutored by educated women or old men inside the palaces.
During Akbar’s reign, a woman, Jan Begum, was awarded five thousand dinars by the Emperor of India for writing a commentary on the Qur’an.
Jahan Ara, the daughter of Shah Jahan and Queen Mumtaz Begum, was renowned for her knowledge and grace. The mention of the elders of the Chishti line written by him, ‘Monus-ul-Arwah’ is still a very useful book for researchers.
Among the Mughal princesses, Zaib-ul-Nisa is a famous poetess and Sahib Diwan. His Persian ghazals were highly regarded.
Soma Mukherjee writes that if the queen was childless, she was allowed to adopt another woman’s child.
Humayun’s mother Maham Begum had lost four children after his birth. He was given and brought up by his second wife Dildar Begum’s children Hindal and Gul Badan. Akbar’s childless first wife, Ruqiya Sultan Begum, was given Prince Salim’s son Khurram after the birth of a child.
According to Ira Mukhoti, Akbar encouraged widows to remarry and did not consider widowhood and divorce stigmatizing. Before him stood the shining example of Khanzada Begum, twice divorced, and still held in high esteem.
After initially praising women who practiced sati, he grew disgusted with the system and criticized the men who supported it.
When daughters were born, according to Abul Fazl, Akbar ordered as elaborate a celebration as for the birth of sons.
Emperor Akbar disliked the practice of early marriages in the society. Akbar promulgated regulations regarding marriages and tried to curb such practices as far as possible by imposing the duty of kotwals in the cities.
Respect for women without discrimination
The respect of the Mughal emperors was not limited to their mother or sister.
When Babur defeated King Ibrahim Lodhi, he treated his mother with respect, assigned her land and palace. Babur called her ‘mother’. But they conspired to poison the emperor’s food.
The emperor had eaten very little food but fell ill. It was later discovered that the symptoms were from poison administered by Ibrahim’s mother. Despite this, Babur relented.
The other people involved in the conspiracy were killed but the woman was sent to Kabul. However, he escaped from his guards and committed suicide by jumping into the Indus River.
Apart from his mother, the emperor had great respect for other senior women in the harem. Babur himself often visited them. On hearing the news of their arrival, they would go outside and sometimes on foot to welcome them.
It is written in Humayun Nama that he used to visit elderly women on Fridays. It was a hot day. The queen said, “Loo is walking.” What if you don’t go there that one Friday? Babur replied that those who do not have fathers and brothers, if their hearts are not happy, I will do them.
Like his father, Humayun would personally visit the elderly women of the harem and speak to them with compassion. Events were also organized in his honor. Akbar also respected his paternal grandmother Gul Badan. Gul Badan wrote ‘Hamayun Nama’ on his request.
Lands, money and charity
Babur started the practice of giving parganahs (land consisting of many mauzas from which revenue was collected) to the women of the harem.
He had given a pargana worth 7 lakhs to Ibrahim Lodhi’s mother. He also assigned some houses and lands to the women of the harem. Humayun used to give precious gifts in the form of ashrafis and shahrakhis to the women of the harem in Sufi feasts.
With these funds, apart from their daily needs, the royal women also organized charity work and banquets.
After Babur’s death, Maham Begum used to feed the people twice a day. She organized a grand feast on Humayun’s accession to the throne in 1530 and gave khilaats to 7000 people.
Humayun’s wife Haji Begum also spent a substantial part of her personal allowance in charity. He distributed a lot of charity in Hajj to Makkah. These royal ladies of the harem used to give precious gifts to their loved ones on special occasions.
Foster mothers were no less important
Apart from the real mothers, there were foster mothers in the Mughal family. These foster mothers, called Angas, were highly respected by the Mughals.
Akbar’s foster mother Mahim Anga was the most powerful after the emperor.
Jahangir has given the news of his foster mother’s death in his memoirs book ‘Tazak Jahangiri’ in these words: “The mother of Qutb-ud-Din Khan Koka who nursed me and was like a mother to me.” Was or ever kinder than my own kind mother. Gone in God’s mercy. I placed his funeral cot on my shoulders by the feet and carried it to the grave. In severe grief, he did not feel like eating or changing his clothes for a few days.
Powers of royal women
Afzal Hussain writes that in the Mughal harem there were women of Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Iranian, Turani, Portuguese and many other European nationalities and different regions of the country. In this way, they indirectly teach different languages to their spouses and others and familiarize them with different regional cultures and arts.
Rajdeep Sinha of Vishwa Bharati University, Annapurna Sinhadas researches that in Mughal India, royal women had many legal rights and extraordinary powers. He had the right to issue many official documents like decrees, decrees, signs, parwans.
During the reign of Shah Jahan, the royal seal was handed over to Queen Mumtaz Mahal. After the death of Mumtaz Mahal, the dowry was given to Begum Sahiba i.e. daughter Jahan Ara.
Jahangir’s Queen Noor Jahan was also seen in Jharuka Darshan with the Emperor. Thus the administration practically fell into the hands of Noor Jahan and no important decision regarding the state could be taken without his consent.
Noor Jahan’s seal and signature were also recorded along with the royal edicts of Jahangir.
Noorjahan’s name was also engraved on silver and gold coins of Jahangir’s time.
The German Orientalist Ann Marie Schmal wrote these words of Jahangir: ‘I have handed over the business of government to Nur Jahan; I want nothing but a full glass of wine and half full of meat.’
But the commentator Alexander Dow says: ‘Nur Jahan broke all restrictions and customs and gained power by his ability rather than by Jahangir’s weakness.’
