The Mughals ruled the subcontinent for more than 300 years from the founding of their empire in the early 16th century. It was the largest and most powerful empire in India. During its golden era, The empire saw many great kings but only one queen who ruled both the empire and the hearts of the people.
Nur Jahan was the most influential Queen of the Mughal rule. Not only is she considered a beauty one of its kind but also a historic figure who changed the status of women, both common and royal.
Nur Jahan was born as Mehralansa, but her husband and Mughal emperor Jahangir gave her the famous name; Light of the World. She was born a few decades after the birth of Queen Elizabeth-I but ruled a much more diverse region than her British counterpart.
Stories of Nur Jahan’s love and bravery are frequently depicted in movies and novels but very little is known about her political acumen, high spirits, and her active life.
Nur Jahan was an elegant woman who ruled over a vast empire in spite of all the adversities. She was a poet, a hunter, and an architect. The design of the mausoleum she designed for her parents in Agra was later reflected in the Taj Mahal.
Queen Noor Jahan, did not even come from the royal family and she rose to prominence from the king’s harem as a shrewd politician and Jahangir’s favorite wife and ruled the Mughal Empire like a co-sultan
Nur Jahan grew up in a mixed tradition of Iran, Afghanistan, and India and married Sherafgun, an official of the first Mughal government, in 1594. She moved with her husband to the rich Indian state of Bengal, where she gave birth to her only child. But Nur Jahan’s husband was killed in a conspiracy followed by a clash.
Widow Nur Jahan found refuge in Jahangir’s harem, where other women began to trust and praise her. Nur Jahan married Jahangir in 1611 and she became his 20th and last wife.
Nur Jahan and King Jahangir complemented each other and The King decided to share the burden of rule with her and made her his co-ruler.
Immediately after the marriage, Nur Jahan issued a royal decree to protect the land of one of her employees. In her edict, ‘Nur Jahan Padshah Begum’ was written which was a declaration of her strength and progress in their authority.
Court historians, foreign ambassadors, merchants, and courtiers soon began to realize her importance and by 1617, her name began to be engraved on gold and silver coins along with Jahangir’s name.
A courtier recounted an incident in which she surprised the people by coming to the royal attic reserved for men. And this was not the only time she stunned everyone with her boldness.
Whether hunting, or issuing royal decrees and coins, designing government buildings, helping poor women, or raising the voice for the underprivileged, Nur Jahan led a life that was unusual for women at the time.
Nur Jahan was a Queen far ahead in time and champion of women’s rights who deserved recognition far beyond her symbolic beauty. Nevertheless, she has left a lasting impression on her memory and continues to inspire the penmen of history.
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