Nur Jahan, Empress of Mughal IndiaNur Jahan was one of the most powerful and influential women in Indian history. Born on a caravan traveling from Teheran to India, she became the last (eighteenth) wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir and effectively took control of the government as he bowed to the effects of alcohol and opium. Her reign (1611-1627) marked the highpoint of the Mughal empire, in the course of which she made great contributions to the arts, religion, and the nascent trade with Europe. An intriguing, elegantly written account of Nur Jahan's life and times, this book not only revises the legends that portray her as a power-hungry and malicious woman, but also investigates the paths to power available to women in Islam and Hinduism providing a fascinating picture of life inside the mahal (harem). |
Contents
Standing in the Legend | 3 |
1 The Immigrant Persians | 8 |
2 Death of Sher Afgan and Marriage to Jahangir | 19 |
3 Rise of the Junta 16111620 | 43 |
4 The World Conqueror | 62 |
5 Life in the Womens Palaces | 88 |
6 The English Embassy | 128 |
7 Breakup of the Junta 16201627 | 161 |
10 In the Gardens of Eternal Spring | 244 |
11 The Rebellion of Mahabat Khan | 260 |
12 Death of Jahangir and Retirement to Lahore | 275 |
Selected Members of Jahangirs Family | 288 |
Selected Members of Nur Jahans Family | 289 |
Brief Chronology of the Jahangir Era | 290 |
Notes | 292 |
| 371 | |
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Common terms and phrases
A. S. Beveridge Abul Agra Ahmad Sirhindi Ain-i Akbari Akbar Asaf Khan Aurangzeb Banu Begam Bengal Bernier Beveridge in Gulbadan Blochmann Broecke brother Burhanpur Christian Coryat court daughter death Deccan Early Travels East India Company elephant emperor English eunuch example farman father Finch in Foster Findly garden Ghiyas Beg Guerreiro harem Hawkins in Foster Hindu husband Ikbal-nama-i Jahangiri E&D imperial India Company Letters Iqbalnama Islam Itimaduddaula Jahangir Jain Jarric Jesuits junta Kandahar Kashmir Khan's Khankhanan Khurram Khusrau king Koka Laet Lahore later Mahabat Khan Mahal Manucci marriage married Maryamuzzamani Mihrunnisa Mirza Misra mother Mughal Painting Mundy Muslim Naqshbandi nobles noted Nur Jahan palace Pant Parviz Pelsaert Persian Portuguese Prasad Prince queen Qutbuddin Rajput reign religious Roe's sarai Shah Jahan Shahryar Sher Afgan Shujauddins Singh Sirhindi Sribhanucandraganicarita story Sultan Surat Tavernier Terry throne tomb took trade tradition Tuzuk Valle wife woman women zanana