Nur Jahan's Marriage with Jahangir - A Dutch Account
Jahangir's Memoirs (Rogers & Beveridge and Thackston) do not mention his marriage to his famous wife Nur Jahan, but rather state that in the 11th year of his reign (1616), he ordered Nur Mahal Begum to be called Nur Jahan Begum.
Mutamid Khan's Iqbalnama-i-Jahangiri provides some insight about their marriage, "Among the great events that occurred during the 6th year of the reign was the emperor Jahangir's demanding Nur Jahan Begum in marriage." "It happened that on the celebration of New Year's Day in the 6th year of the emperor's reign, her appearance caught the king's far-seeing eye, and so captivated him that he included her amongst the inmates of his select harem."
In the Tarikh-i-Salim Shahi, Jahangir speaks of his union with Nur Jahan in glowing terms, "On Nur Jahan, who is the superior of the 400 inmates of my harem, I have conferred the rank of thirty thousand. In the whole empire there is scarcely a city in which this princess has not left some lofty structure, some spacious garden, as a splendid monument of her taste and munificence. As I had then no intention of marriage she did not originally come into my family but was betrothed in the time of my father to Sher Afgan, but after that chief was killed I sent for the Qazi and contracted a regular marriage with her, assigning for her dowry the sum of eighty lacs of ashrefies of five methkals, which sum she requested as indispensable for the purchase of jewels, and I granted it without a murmur.
At the period in which this is written, I may say that the whole concern of my household, whether gold or jewels, is under her sole and entire management. Of my unreserved confidence, indeed, this princess is in entire possession, and I may allege without a fallacy, that the whole fortune of my empire has been consigned to the disposal of this highly endowed family; the father being my diwan, (Itimad-ud-daula) the son my lieutenant-general, with unlimited powers, (Asaf Khan) and the daughter the inseparable companion of all my cares."
It is worth noting that the Tarikh-i-Salim Shahi, an earlier version of Jahangir's Memoirs, has been questioned by historians for its accuracy. However, the statements mentioned above appear to be reliable.
The Dutch manuscript "Hindustan Chronicle," likely completed in 1627, was translated into English by Brij Narain. This chronicle was authored by either Pieter Van den Broecke or Francisco Pelsaert, who were factors of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Dutch historian Joanes de Laet translated this work into Latin and published it in 1631 under the title of "A fragment of the history of India, gathered from Dutch sources and rendered into Latin by Joannes de Laet." This Latin chronicle was then translated into English by J.S. Hoyland under the title of "Empire of the Great Mogol."
The narrative commences with Jahangir receiving news of the murder of his foster-brother Qutb-ud-din Khan Koka by Sher Afgan near Rajmahal in Bengal in March 1607. Shaikh Ghias-ud-din and Kishwar Khan decapitated Sher Afgan's body and presented his head to Jahangir. Subsequently, they imprisoned Sher Afgan's brother Qumar Sultan, his son, his mother and his wife Mihr-un-nissa, treating them with disrespect.
Jahangir, who was in Kabul at the time, reached Agra in March 1608 and ordered Islam Khan to send Sher Afgan's family to Agra.
On the way to Agra, Mihr-un-nissa visited Shah Hamadan, a famous dervish known for his accurate predictions. The dervish predicted that she would be bestowed to emperor Jahangir and receive many other blessings. (De Laet recorded the dervish's words as follows, "The king would be exceedingly gracious to her, and that her future would be brilliantly successful.")
After reaching Agra, they were brought before Jahangir. Sher Afgan's brother and son were placed in the custody, while Mihr-un-nissa and her daughter were appointed as lady-in-waiting to Jahangir's step-mother, Ruqayya Sultan Begum.
Ruqayya Sultan Begum always kept Mihr-un-nissa by her side. One day, the Begum brought her into the harem where Jahangir unexpectedly entered. Upon noticing Mihr-un-nissa, he gently lifted her veil to see her face. That was their first meeting.
A few days later, during a Nowruz celebration, Jahangir was enjoying himself with the women in his harem, Mihr-un-nissa approached him with her young daughter, who was around five or six years old. Jahangir, who was deeply in love with Mihr-un-nissa by this time, jokingly told her, "I will be father to this child." Mihr-un-nissa humbly replied, "Who am I that I should be numbered among the king's wives? Your Majesty must disregard me, who am but a poor widow. Only take pity on this child and show kindness to her."
From that moment on, Jahangir was deeply infatuated with Mihr-un-nissa. It became his routine to visit Itimad-ud-daula's house every evening, staying there overnight and returning to the palace in the morning.
This renewed affection had its roots in the past. Jahangir, formerly known as prince Salim, had been in love with Mihr-un-nissa during the lifetime of his father Akbar. She was already promised to Sher Afgan, so Akbar forbade Jahangir from marrying her. Nevertheless, Jahangir's feelings for her never completely faded away.
Jahangir's meetings lasted for forty days. One day, he called Khwaja Abul Hasan and ordered him to go to Itimad-ud-daula to ask for the hand of Mihr-un-nissa on his behalf, expressing that he would make her his chief wife. When Itimad-ud-daula received this news, he paid homage to Jahangir with Sijida and Taslim. He replied, "My poor, innocent daughter pleases the king is inexpressible honour for me. How am I, the least of his servant worthy of it?"
An auspicious day was set, and Jahangir married Mihr-un-nissa before the Qazi. Great celebrations and feasts were held. Mihr-un-nissa's name was changed to Nur Jahan. Jahangir rewarded Itimad-ud-daula by appointing him commander of 5000 horse and bestowed various dignities and offices in the court upon her relatives.
European merchants and travelers have mentioned in their travelogues several bazaar gossips about the early romantic relationship between Jahangir and Nur Jahan. This account may be the earliest source to document their past love affair, although there is no mention of Jahangir murdering Sher Afgan in relation to this affair.
As per the Dutch chronicle, Mihr-un-nissa was a lady-in-waiting to Ruqayya Sultan Begum, however, Iqbalnama claims she served Jahangir's mother, while Beni Prasad mentions Salima Sultan Begum. The Dutch chronicle also notes that Mihr-un-nissa's name was changed to Nur Jahan after her marriage. According to Jahangirnama and Iqbalnama, she was first given the title of Nur Mahal, which was later changed to Nur Jahan in 1616.
During the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which falls on March 21 or 22, a fancy fair was held in the harem. Thomas Coryat mentions that during this fair, the wives of tradesmen would gather to sell their goods. The king acts as a broker for his women, using the profits to fund his supper that evening. This custom gave him the opportunity to catch a glimpse of all the beautiful women in town. It was at one such fair (in 1611), that he first laid eyes on Mihr-un-nissa.
Reference:
A Contemporary Dutch Chronicle of Mughal India By Brij Narain and Sri Ram Sharma. [A Translation of a Dutch MS. 'Hindustan Chronicle,' Probably by F. Pelsaert, in the Rijksarchief at The Hague.]
The Empire of the Great Mogol. A Translation of De Laet's "Description of India and Fragment of Indian History" [the Latter Based on a Dutch MS. Chronicle Probably Compiled by F. Pelsaert]. Translated by J.S. Hoyland and Annotated by S.N. Banerjee
Mutamid Khan's Iqbalnama-i-Jahangiri provides some insight about their marriage, "Among the great events that occurred during the 6th year of the reign was the emperor Jahangir's demanding Nur Jahan Begum in marriage." "It happened that on the celebration of New Year's Day in the 6th year of the emperor's reign, her appearance caught the king's far-seeing eye, and so captivated him that he included her amongst the inmates of his select harem."
In the Tarikh-i-Salim Shahi, Jahangir speaks of his union with Nur Jahan in glowing terms, "On Nur Jahan, who is the superior of the 400 inmates of my harem, I have conferred the rank of thirty thousand. In the whole empire there is scarcely a city in which this princess has not left some lofty structure, some spacious garden, as a splendid monument of her taste and munificence. As I had then no intention of marriage she did not originally come into my family but was betrothed in the time of my father to Sher Afgan, but after that chief was killed I sent for the Qazi and contracted a regular marriage with her, assigning for her dowry the sum of eighty lacs of ashrefies of five methkals, which sum she requested as indispensable for the purchase of jewels, and I granted it without a murmur.
At the period in which this is written, I may say that the whole concern of my household, whether gold or jewels, is under her sole and entire management. Of my unreserved confidence, indeed, this princess is in entire possession, and I may allege without a fallacy, that the whole fortune of my empire has been consigned to the disposal of this highly endowed family; the father being my diwan, (Itimad-ud-daula) the son my lieutenant-general, with unlimited powers, (Asaf Khan) and the daughter the inseparable companion of all my cares."
It is worth noting that the Tarikh-i-Salim Shahi, an earlier version of Jahangir's Memoirs, has been questioned by historians for its accuracy. However, the statements mentioned above appear to be reliable.
The Dutch manuscript "Hindustan Chronicle," likely completed in 1627, was translated into English by Brij Narain. This chronicle was authored by either Pieter Van den Broecke or Francisco Pelsaert, who were factors of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Dutch historian Joanes de Laet translated this work into Latin and published it in 1631 under the title of "A fragment of the history of India, gathered from Dutch sources and rendered into Latin by Joannes de Laet." This Latin chronicle was then translated into English by J.S. Hoyland under the title of "Empire of the Great Mogol."
The narrative commences with Jahangir receiving news of the murder of his foster-brother Qutb-ud-din Khan Koka by Sher Afgan near Rajmahal in Bengal in March 1607. Shaikh Ghias-ud-din and Kishwar Khan decapitated Sher Afgan's body and presented his head to Jahangir. Subsequently, they imprisoned Sher Afgan's brother Qumar Sultan, his son, his mother and his wife Mihr-un-nissa, treating them with disrespect.
Jahangir, who was in Kabul at the time, reached Agra in March 1608 and ordered Islam Khan to send Sher Afgan's family to Agra.
On the way to Agra, Mihr-un-nissa visited Shah Hamadan, a famous dervish known for his accurate predictions. The dervish predicted that she would be bestowed to emperor Jahangir and receive many other blessings. (De Laet recorded the dervish's words as follows, "The king would be exceedingly gracious to her, and that her future would be brilliantly successful.")
After reaching Agra, they were brought before Jahangir. Sher Afgan's brother and son were placed in the custody, while Mihr-un-nissa and her daughter were appointed as lady-in-waiting to Jahangir's step-mother, Ruqayya Sultan Begum.
Ruqayya Sultan Begum always kept Mihr-un-nissa by her side. One day, the Begum brought her into the harem where Jahangir unexpectedly entered. Upon noticing Mihr-un-nissa, he gently lifted her veil to see her face. That was their first meeting.
A few days later, during a Nowruz celebration, Jahangir was enjoying himself with the women in his harem, Mihr-un-nissa approached him with her young daughter, who was around five or six years old. Jahangir, who was deeply in love with Mihr-un-nissa by this time, jokingly told her, "I will be father to this child." Mihr-un-nissa humbly replied, "Who am I that I should be numbered among the king's wives? Your Majesty must disregard me, who am but a poor widow. Only take pity on this child and show kindness to her."
From that moment on, Jahangir was deeply infatuated with Mihr-un-nissa. It became his routine to visit Itimad-ud-daula's house every evening, staying there overnight and returning to the palace in the morning.
This renewed affection had its roots in the past. Jahangir, formerly known as prince Salim, had been in love with Mihr-un-nissa during the lifetime of his father Akbar. She was already promised to Sher Afgan, so Akbar forbade Jahangir from marrying her. Nevertheless, Jahangir's feelings for her never completely faded away.
Jahangir's meetings lasted for forty days. One day, he called Khwaja Abul Hasan and ordered him to go to Itimad-ud-daula to ask for the hand of Mihr-un-nissa on his behalf, expressing that he would make her his chief wife. When Itimad-ud-daula received this news, he paid homage to Jahangir with Sijida and Taslim. He replied, "My poor, innocent daughter pleases the king is inexpressible honour for me. How am I, the least of his servant worthy of it?"
An auspicious day was set, and Jahangir married Mihr-un-nissa before the Qazi. Great celebrations and feasts were held. Mihr-un-nissa's name was changed to Nur Jahan. Jahangir rewarded Itimad-ud-daula by appointing him commander of 5000 horse and bestowed various dignities and offices in the court upon her relatives.
European merchants and travelers have mentioned in their travelogues several bazaar gossips about the early romantic relationship between Jahangir and Nur Jahan. This account may be the earliest source to document their past love affair, although there is no mention of Jahangir murdering Sher Afgan in relation to this affair.
As per the Dutch chronicle, Mihr-un-nissa was a lady-in-waiting to Ruqayya Sultan Begum, however, Iqbalnama claims she served Jahangir's mother, while Beni Prasad mentions Salima Sultan Begum. The Dutch chronicle also notes that Mihr-un-nissa's name was changed to Nur Jahan after her marriage. According to Jahangirnama and Iqbalnama, she was first given the title of Nur Mahal, which was later changed to Nur Jahan in 1616.
During the celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which falls on March 21 or 22, a fancy fair was held in the harem. Thomas Coryat mentions that during this fair, the wives of tradesmen would gather to sell their goods. The king acts as a broker for his women, using the profits to fund his supper that evening. This custom gave him the opportunity to catch a glimpse of all the beautiful women in town. It was at one such fair (in 1611), that he first laid eyes on Mihr-un-nissa.
Reference:
A Contemporary Dutch Chronicle of Mughal India By Brij Narain and Sri Ram Sharma. [A Translation of a Dutch MS. 'Hindustan Chronicle,' Probably by F. Pelsaert, in the Rijksarchief at The Hague.]
The Empire of the Great Mogol. A Translation of De Laet's "Description of India and Fragment of Indian History" [the Latter Based on a Dutch MS. Chronicle Probably Compiled by F. Pelsaert]. Translated by J.S. Hoyland and Annotated by S.N. Banerjee
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