Fictional Accounts on How Nur Jahan and Jahangir Met
Mihr-un-nnisa Khanum was the youngest daughter of Mirza Ghiyasud-din Muhammad Beg, also known as Itimad-ud-daula, who migrated from Persia to India and served Emperor Akbar. Through his skill and hard work, Ghiyas Beg rose to prestigious positions such as Diwan of Kabul and later Diwan-i-Bayutat by 1595. His daughter Mihr-un-nnisa was well-educated and excelled in music, dance, poetry, and painting.
This article explores the fascinating legends surrounding the encounter between Mihr-un-nnisa, who would later become known as Nur Jahan, and Jahangir.
One such story tells that during a party at the house of Itimad-ud-daula, Mihr-un-Nisa saw prince Salim for the first time. She fell in love with him and hoped to win his heart. Salim too was captivated by her singing and dancing, and when their gazes meet, she intentionally dropped her veil to reveal her beauty.
Despite knowing that Mihr-un-Nisa was already betrothed to Sher Afgan, a Turkoman nobleman at court, by his father Akbar, Salim still sought his father's permission to intervene. However, Akbar declined to commit such an injustice, and Mihr-un-nnisa ended up marrying Sher Afgan. Although Sher Afgan was aware of Salim's feelings for his wife, he paid little attention to Salim's enmity towards him.
Salim, deeply affected by Mihr-un-nnisa's marriage with Sher Afgan, did not dare to openly seek revenge during his father's lifetime. Some courtiers, who were loyal to Salim, took advantage of his emotions, and threw disgrace upon Sher Afgan. Disgusted by this, Sher Afgan with his wife retreated to Bengal, where he was appointed as the superintendent of the district of Burdwan by the governor.
Years passed, and after Akbar's death, prince Salim ascended the throne with the title of Jahangir. Now, there was no one who could oppose his desires. Jahangir made plans to eliminate his rival and summoned Sher Afgan back to the court at Delhi. He warmly welcomed Sher Afgan and bestowed new honors upon him. Sher Afgan believed that the emperor had forgotten about his wife over time, but he was wrong.
However, Jahangir could not openly put Sher Afgan to death in order to take his wife. Therefore, he attempted to destroy his rival through a stratagem. He arranged a tiger hunting expedition in the forest of Nidarbari, inviting Sher Afgan and other officers to join him. During the hunt, Jahangir challenged his officers, "Who among you will advance singly and attack this tiger?"
They looked at each other and then turned their eyes towards Sher Afgan. He stated, "To attack an animal with weapons is both unmanly and unfair. God has given to man limbs and sinews as well as to tigers; he has added reason to the former to conduct his strength." Other nobles disagreed and argued that men were weaker than tigers and could only overcome them with steel. Sher Afgan, determined to prove them wrong, discarded his weapons and approached the tiger unarmed.
Jahangir, who was pleased, pretended to discourage Sher Afgan from the mission. However, Sher Afgan remained resolute. After a fierce struggle between Sher Afgan and the tiger the brave warrior managed to kill the animal, despite being badly injured himself. As a result, Sher Afgan's reputation grew. Nevertheless, Jahangir's efforts to take Sher Afgan's life did not cease.
Sher Afgan had barely recovered from his wounds when he came to pay his respects at the court. Jahangir showed him affection. However, a trap was being set for him. Jahangir ordered one of his elephant drivers to attack Sher Afgan and trample him to death when he next came to the court.
When Sher Afgan was being carried in his palanquin to the court on the following occasion, he saw an elephant blocking his way. The bearers, frightened, threw the palanquin and fled to save their lives. Sher Afgan somehow managed to rise and, drawing his sword, cut off the elephant's trunk with one blow. Jahangir saw this scene from the window of his palace, he felt shame and astonishment. After reaching the palace, Sher Afgan recounted the events to Jahangir, who once again praised Sher Afgan's strength and courage, but did not abandon his plans.
After six months, Sher Afgan was granted permission to retire to Rajmahal, the capital of Bengal, with his wife.
Qutb-ud-din Khan Koka, the governor of Bengal, was aware of the emperor's plans to assassinate Sher Afgan. To earn the emperor's favor, he hired forty assassins to murder Sher Afgan.
The assassins entered Sher Afgan's house and hid themselves in the writing chamber, located within the sleeping room at the end of a narrow passage. That night, Sher Afgan and his family went to sleep as usual. When the assassins believed Sher Afgan was sleeping, some of them prepared to attack. However, an elderly man among them, feeling guilty, cried out, "Hold! have we not the emperor's orders? Let's behave like men. Forty shall fall upon one, and that one asleep!" "Boldly spoken," Sher Afgan exclaimed as he quickly got out of bed, grabbed his sword and moved towards a corner of the room. The assassins attacked him, but within a few minutes, many of them lay dead at his feet. Some of them managed to escape. Sher Afgan thanked the old man for his warning and, after inquiring about who had hired the assassins, dismissed him with generous gifts.
Sher Afgan chose to relocate to Burdwan and set out for that place with his family. However, Qutb-ud-din Khan, under the pretext of managing the affairs of the capital, traveled to various dependent provinces with a large retinue. During his journey, he arrived at Burdwan with secret orders from Jahangir to dispatch Sher Afgan.
When Sher Afgan heard that Qutb-ud-din was coming to Burdwan, he came out to meet him on horseback with two followers. After exchanging friendly greetings, they rode together for some time. As they neared the city, Qutb-ud-din got on his state elephant, pretending to make a grand entrance into Burdwan.
Sher Afgan remained on horseback, when one of Qutb-ud-din's pikemen struck his horse and began to drive it forward. Enraged by this insult, Sher Afgan drew his sword. As he saw Qutb-ud-din's followers with their swords drawn ready to attack him, Sher Afgan realized there was a plot against his life. He spurred his horse towards the elephant and killed Qutb-ud-din. He then turned his sword on other chiefs, slaying five of them. The first to die by his hands was Aiba Khan Chak.
The remaining guards surrounded Sher Afgan, shooting arrows and firing muskets at him. His horse fell and died. Realizing the outnumbering of guards, Sher Afgan challenged them to single combat. He was seriously injured during the fight. Knowing that his end was near, Sher Afgan turned towards Mecca and performed ablution with some dust thrown over his head. Six bullets and numerous arrows struck his body before he finally fell. It was only in his last moments that his enemies approached and cut him into pieces.
The governor who succeeded Qutb-ud-din sent Mihr-un-nnisa to Delhi. She was graciously received by Jahangir's mother. However, Jahangir was deeply saddened by the death of his foster-brother Qutb-ud-din and swore never to see the woman who was responsible for it. He had her confined to a poor apartment in the harem and provided a meager fourteen anas for her and her attendants' sustenance.
Despite the harsh treatment from the emperor, Mihr-un-nnisa always held out hope for a chance to rekindle his former affection. Turning her focus to fashion designing, she created new tapestry and embroidery designs, painted silks, and crafted exquisite ornaments for women. Her work brought her both fame and a substantial amount of money, which she used to decorate her apartments and dress her attendants in luxurious attire. She lived this way for four years without once seeing the emperor.
Her beauty, talents, and accomplishments caught the attention of Jahangir, who unexpectedly visited her apartments one day and was astonished by the elegance and grandeur. Mihr-un-nnisa herself was dressed in simple white muslin, while her attendants were adorned in lavish brocades.
When Jahangir inquired about the differences in appearance between Mihr-un-nnisa and her slaves, she cleverly replied, "Those born to servitude must dress as it shall please those whom they serve; these are my servants, and I reduce the burden of bondage by every indulgence in my power: But I that am your slave, o emperor of the moguls, must dress according to your pleasure and not my own." Despite her sarcasm, Jahangir was delighted and embraced her. The next day, a grand celebration was arranged to celebrate his marriage to the widow of Sher Afgan.
This story is also retold in the History of the Punjab, albeit with some variations. In this version, Asmat Begum, Mihr-un-nnisa's mother, was favored by Mariam Zamani, the mother of prince Salim. Asmat Begum and her daughter would often visit the royal lady, where Mihr-un-nnisa used to perform singing and dancing in the harem.
One day, while Mihr-un-nnisa was dancing, prince Salim entered the royal apartment, and their eyes met, sparking love between them. However, Mihr-un-nnisa was already engaged to Ali Quli Beg, a Persian official at the court. Despite this, Salim continued to meet Mihr-un-nnisa at her house. This annoyed Asmat Begum so much that she spoke of it to Mariam Zamani, and through her, the matter reached Akbar's ears.
Salim begged his father to cancel Mihr-un-nnisa's engagement with Ali Quli, but Akbar refused to commit such an injustice. He advised Mihr-un-nnisa's mother to quickly arrange her marriage to Ali Quli. Mihr-un-nnisa, who was in love with prince Salim, warned her parents that rejecting the marriage would enrage Salim, who was vengeful, and pleaded with them, explaining that both her and Salim's happiness depended on this marriage. She assured them that she was not afraid of his chief wife, Jodh Bai, and that she could handle Salim. Despite her pleas, Mihr-un-nnisa was married to Ali Quli and taken to Burdwan.
Similar to the previous story, events such as Akbar's death, Jahangir's accession, and his unsuccessful attempts to murder Ali Quli using a tiger, elephant, and forty assassins are described. However, Jahangir, impressed by Ali Quli's strength, conferred upon him the title of Sher Afgan.
Jahangir appointed his foster brother Qutb-ud-din Khan as the governor of Bengal, with the condition that he should persuade Sher Afgan to divorce Mihr-un-nnisa, and if he refused, Qutb-ud-din was to kill him. Sher Afgan refused to divorce his wife and left the palace. Later, Qutb-ud-din visited Sher Afgan at his jagir. Suspecting treachery, Sher Afgan had a dagger hidden in his clothing.
During their conversation about the divorce, an argument broke out and Sher Afgan stabbed Qutb-ud-din. Injured, Qutb-ud-din called for his guards, on which Pir Muhammad Khan (possibly Aiba Khan Chak) charged Sher Afgan and dealt him a blow with his sword on the head, but Sher Afgan skillfully returned the blow, killing his attacker. The guards rushed forward against Sher Afgan and there follows a similar kind of description of Sher Afgan's death.
After Sher Afgan's death, Mihr-un-nnisa was sent to Agra. Upon her arrival at the court, Jahangir offered her marriage. But, she was so deeply affected by the death of her husband that she disregarded his proposal. This displeased Jahangir, and he ignored her for four years. Mihr-un-nnisa remained neglected in the harem as an attendant of Jahangir's mother. The story is almost the same until Jahangir came to meet her.
On New Year's day Jahangir entered the harem and chanced to see his former love. Her simple muslin attire deeply affected Jahangir, rekindling the flame of love in his heart. He adorned her with his own necklace, and they were married in 1611.
Was Jahangir Responsible for the Murder of Sher Afgan?
Nur Jahan's Marriage with Jahangir - A Dutch Account
This article explores the fascinating legends surrounding the encounter between Mihr-un-nnisa, who would later become known as Nur Jahan, and Jahangir.
One such story tells that during a party at the house of Itimad-ud-daula, Mihr-un-Nisa saw prince Salim for the first time. She fell in love with him and hoped to win his heart. Salim too was captivated by her singing and dancing, and when their gazes meet, she intentionally dropped her veil to reveal her beauty.
Despite knowing that Mihr-un-Nisa was already betrothed to Sher Afgan, a Turkoman nobleman at court, by his father Akbar, Salim still sought his father's permission to intervene. However, Akbar declined to commit such an injustice, and Mihr-un-nnisa ended up marrying Sher Afgan. Although Sher Afgan was aware of Salim's feelings for his wife, he paid little attention to Salim's enmity towards him.
Salim, deeply affected by Mihr-un-nnisa's marriage with Sher Afgan, did not dare to openly seek revenge during his father's lifetime. Some courtiers, who were loyal to Salim, took advantage of his emotions, and threw disgrace upon Sher Afgan. Disgusted by this, Sher Afgan with his wife retreated to Bengal, where he was appointed as the superintendent of the district of Burdwan by the governor.
Years passed, and after Akbar's death, prince Salim ascended the throne with the title of Jahangir. Now, there was no one who could oppose his desires. Jahangir made plans to eliminate his rival and summoned Sher Afgan back to the court at Delhi. He warmly welcomed Sher Afgan and bestowed new honors upon him. Sher Afgan believed that the emperor had forgotten about his wife over time, but he was wrong.
However, Jahangir could not openly put Sher Afgan to death in order to take his wife. Therefore, he attempted to destroy his rival through a stratagem. He arranged a tiger hunting expedition in the forest of Nidarbari, inviting Sher Afgan and other officers to join him. During the hunt, Jahangir challenged his officers, "Who among you will advance singly and attack this tiger?"
They looked at each other and then turned their eyes towards Sher Afgan. He stated, "To attack an animal with weapons is both unmanly and unfair. God has given to man limbs and sinews as well as to tigers; he has added reason to the former to conduct his strength." Other nobles disagreed and argued that men were weaker than tigers and could only overcome them with steel. Sher Afgan, determined to prove them wrong, discarded his weapons and approached the tiger unarmed.
Jahangir, who was pleased, pretended to discourage Sher Afgan from the mission. However, Sher Afgan remained resolute. After a fierce struggle between Sher Afgan and the tiger the brave warrior managed to kill the animal, despite being badly injured himself. As a result, Sher Afgan's reputation grew. Nevertheless, Jahangir's efforts to take Sher Afgan's life did not cease.
Sher Afgan had barely recovered from his wounds when he came to pay his respects at the court. Jahangir showed him affection. However, a trap was being set for him. Jahangir ordered one of his elephant drivers to attack Sher Afgan and trample him to death when he next came to the court.
When Sher Afgan was being carried in his palanquin to the court on the following occasion, he saw an elephant blocking his way. The bearers, frightened, threw the palanquin and fled to save their lives. Sher Afgan somehow managed to rise and, drawing his sword, cut off the elephant's trunk with one blow. Jahangir saw this scene from the window of his palace, he felt shame and astonishment. After reaching the palace, Sher Afgan recounted the events to Jahangir, who once again praised Sher Afgan's strength and courage, but did not abandon his plans.
After six months, Sher Afgan was granted permission to retire to Rajmahal, the capital of Bengal, with his wife.
Qutb-ud-din Khan Koka, the governor of Bengal, was aware of the emperor's plans to assassinate Sher Afgan. To earn the emperor's favor, he hired forty assassins to murder Sher Afgan.
The assassins entered Sher Afgan's house and hid themselves in the writing chamber, located within the sleeping room at the end of a narrow passage. That night, Sher Afgan and his family went to sleep as usual. When the assassins believed Sher Afgan was sleeping, some of them prepared to attack. However, an elderly man among them, feeling guilty, cried out, "Hold! have we not the emperor's orders? Let's behave like men. Forty shall fall upon one, and that one asleep!" "Boldly spoken," Sher Afgan exclaimed as he quickly got out of bed, grabbed his sword and moved towards a corner of the room. The assassins attacked him, but within a few minutes, many of them lay dead at his feet. Some of them managed to escape. Sher Afgan thanked the old man for his warning and, after inquiring about who had hired the assassins, dismissed him with generous gifts.
Sher Afgan chose to relocate to Burdwan and set out for that place with his family. However, Qutb-ud-din Khan, under the pretext of managing the affairs of the capital, traveled to various dependent provinces with a large retinue. During his journey, he arrived at Burdwan with secret orders from Jahangir to dispatch Sher Afgan.
When Sher Afgan heard that Qutb-ud-din was coming to Burdwan, he came out to meet him on horseback with two followers. After exchanging friendly greetings, they rode together for some time. As they neared the city, Qutb-ud-din got on his state elephant, pretending to make a grand entrance into Burdwan.
Sher Afgan remained on horseback, when one of Qutb-ud-din's pikemen struck his horse and began to drive it forward. Enraged by this insult, Sher Afgan drew his sword. As he saw Qutb-ud-din's followers with their swords drawn ready to attack him, Sher Afgan realized there was a plot against his life. He spurred his horse towards the elephant and killed Qutb-ud-din. He then turned his sword on other chiefs, slaying five of them. The first to die by his hands was Aiba Khan Chak.
The remaining guards surrounded Sher Afgan, shooting arrows and firing muskets at him. His horse fell and died. Realizing the outnumbering of guards, Sher Afgan challenged them to single combat. He was seriously injured during the fight. Knowing that his end was near, Sher Afgan turned towards Mecca and performed ablution with some dust thrown over his head. Six bullets and numerous arrows struck his body before he finally fell. It was only in his last moments that his enemies approached and cut him into pieces.
The governor who succeeded Qutb-ud-din sent Mihr-un-nnisa to Delhi. She was graciously received by Jahangir's mother. However, Jahangir was deeply saddened by the death of his foster-brother Qutb-ud-din and swore never to see the woman who was responsible for it. He had her confined to a poor apartment in the harem and provided a meager fourteen anas for her and her attendants' sustenance.
Despite the harsh treatment from the emperor, Mihr-un-nnisa always held out hope for a chance to rekindle his former affection. Turning her focus to fashion designing, she created new tapestry and embroidery designs, painted silks, and crafted exquisite ornaments for women. Her work brought her both fame and a substantial amount of money, which she used to decorate her apartments and dress her attendants in luxurious attire. She lived this way for four years without once seeing the emperor.
Her beauty, talents, and accomplishments caught the attention of Jahangir, who unexpectedly visited her apartments one day and was astonished by the elegance and grandeur. Mihr-un-nnisa herself was dressed in simple white muslin, while her attendants were adorned in lavish brocades.
When Jahangir inquired about the differences in appearance between Mihr-un-nnisa and her slaves, she cleverly replied, "Those born to servitude must dress as it shall please those whom they serve; these are my servants, and I reduce the burden of bondage by every indulgence in my power: But I that am your slave, o emperor of the moguls, must dress according to your pleasure and not my own." Despite her sarcasm, Jahangir was delighted and embraced her. The next day, a grand celebration was arranged to celebrate his marriage to the widow of Sher Afgan.
Reference
- Alexander Dow's History of Hindostan
- Rambles And Recollections of An Indian Official By William Henry Sleeman
- Wanderings of a Pilgrim: In Search of the Picturesque, During Four and Twenty Years in the East: with Revelations of Life in the Zenana By Fanny Parks
- The History of Bengal: From the First Mohammedan Invasion Until the Virtual Conquest of that Country by the English, A.D. 1757 By Charles Stewart
This story is also retold in the History of the Punjab, albeit with some variations. In this version, Asmat Begum, Mihr-un-nnisa's mother, was favored by Mariam Zamani, the mother of prince Salim. Asmat Begum and her daughter would often visit the royal lady, where Mihr-un-nnisa used to perform singing and dancing in the harem.
One day, while Mihr-un-nnisa was dancing, prince Salim entered the royal apartment, and their eyes met, sparking love between them. However, Mihr-un-nnisa was already engaged to Ali Quli Beg, a Persian official at the court. Despite this, Salim continued to meet Mihr-un-nnisa at her house. This annoyed Asmat Begum so much that she spoke of it to Mariam Zamani, and through her, the matter reached Akbar's ears.
Salim begged his father to cancel Mihr-un-nnisa's engagement with Ali Quli, but Akbar refused to commit such an injustice. He advised Mihr-un-nnisa's mother to quickly arrange her marriage to Ali Quli. Mihr-un-nnisa, who was in love with prince Salim, warned her parents that rejecting the marriage would enrage Salim, who was vengeful, and pleaded with them, explaining that both her and Salim's happiness depended on this marriage. She assured them that she was not afraid of his chief wife, Jodh Bai, and that she could handle Salim. Despite her pleas, Mihr-un-nnisa was married to Ali Quli and taken to Burdwan.
Similar to the previous story, events such as Akbar's death, Jahangir's accession, and his unsuccessful attempts to murder Ali Quli using a tiger, elephant, and forty assassins are described. However, Jahangir, impressed by Ali Quli's strength, conferred upon him the title of Sher Afgan.
Jahangir appointed his foster brother Qutb-ud-din Khan as the governor of Bengal, with the condition that he should persuade Sher Afgan to divorce Mihr-un-nnisa, and if he refused, Qutb-ud-din was to kill him. Sher Afgan refused to divorce his wife and left the palace. Later, Qutb-ud-din visited Sher Afgan at his jagir. Suspecting treachery, Sher Afgan had a dagger hidden in his clothing.
During their conversation about the divorce, an argument broke out and Sher Afgan stabbed Qutb-ud-din. Injured, Qutb-ud-din called for his guards, on which Pir Muhammad Khan (possibly Aiba Khan Chak) charged Sher Afgan and dealt him a blow with his sword on the head, but Sher Afgan skillfully returned the blow, killing his attacker. The guards rushed forward against Sher Afgan and there follows a similar kind of description of Sher Afgan's death.
After Sher Afgan's death, Mihr-un-nnisa was sent to Agra. Upon her arrival at the court, Jahangir offered her marriage. But, she was so deeply affected by the death of her husband that she disregarded his proposal. This displeased Jahangir, and he ignored her for four years. Mihr-un-nnisa remained neglected in the harem as an attendant of Jahangir's mother. The story is almost the same until Jahangir came to meet her.
On New Year's day Jahangir entered the harem and chanced to see his former love. Her simple muslin attire deeply affected Jahangir, rekindling the flame of love in his heart. He adorned her with his own necklace, and they were married in 1611.
Further Reading
How Died Sher Afgan, Husband of Nur JahanWas Jahangir Responsible for the Murder of Sher Afgan?
Nur Jahan's Marriage with Jahangir - A Dutch Account
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