List of Mughal empresses

This is a list of Mughal empresses. Most of these empresses were either from branches of the Timurid dynasty, from the royal houses or families of Persian nobles. Alongside Mughal emperors, these empresses played a role in the building up and rule of the Mughal Empire in South Asia, from the early 16th century to the early 18th century. The Mughal Empire mainly corresponds in the present day to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Mughal Consort

  •   Legal consorts
  •   Legal consorts who predeceased spouse's accession
  •   Legal consorts who predeceased or divorced prior to establishment of Mughal Empire
  •   Legal consorts who bore Emperors
  •   Concubines
Name Parent(s) Birth name Origin Place of Origin Marriage Became consort Ceased to be consort Death Note Spouse
Aisha Sultan Begum Sultan Ahmed Mirza and Qutak Begum unknown Timurid Samarqand 1499

(of Ferghana Valley)

1503 ;

Divorced.

unknown divorced prior to conquest of India. [1] Babur
Zainab Sultan Begum Sultan Ahmed Mirza and Khanzada Begum unknown Timurid Samarqand 1504

(of Ferghana Valley)

1506 or 1507 ;

her death

[2]
Maham Begum unknown unknown Persian 1506 1506

(of Ferghana Valley)

21 April 1526; Mughal Dynasty established.

26 December 1530;

Spouse's death

8 May 1533 Padshah Begum[3]
Masuma Sultan Begum Sultan Ahmed Mirza and Habiba Sultan Begum unknown Timurid Samarqand 1507

(of Ferghana Valley)

1508;

her death

[4]
Bibi Mubarika Malik Shah Mansur Yusufzai unknown Pashtun unknown 1519 21 April 1526; Mughal Dynasty established. 26 December 1530; 1530 [5]
Gulrukh Begum unknown Begchik Mughals before 1512 unknown
Dildar Begum unknown unknown
Bega Begum Yadgar Beg unknown Persian Khorasan 1527 26 December 1530 spouse's first accession;

22 June 1555 second accession

17 May 1540 interregnum

27 January 1556 Spouse's death

17 January 1582 Padshah Begum. Built Humayun's tomb. [6] Humayun
Hamida Banu Begum Shaikh Ali Akbar Jami and Mah Afroz Begum unknown Persian unknown 1541 22 June 1555 Spouse's accession 27 January 1556 Spouse's death 30 August 1604 Mother of 3rd Emperor Akbar. [7]
Mah Chuchak Begum unknown unknown Mongol unknown 1546 22 June 1555 Spouse's accession 27 January 1556 Spouse's death 28 March 1564 Seized Kabul from Akbar. [8]
Ruqaiya Sultan Begum Hindal Mirza and Sultanam Begum Timurid unknown 1556

marriage to the monarch

27 October 1605

Spouse's death

January 1626 [9] Akbar
Salima Sultan Begum Nuruddin Muhammad Mirza and Gulrukh Begum Naqshbandi unknown 1561

marriage to the monarch

2 January 1613 [10]
Mariam-uz-Zamani Raja Bharmal of Amber and Rani Champavati Solanki Harkha Bai Kachhwaha Amber 6 February 1562

marriage to the monarch

19 May 1623 Mother of 4th Emperor Jahangir. [11][12][13][14]
Gauhar-un-Nissa Begum Shaikh Muhammad Bakhtiyar Din Laqab Agra 1562

marriage to the monarch

Raj Kunwari Kanha of Bikaner Bika Rathore Bikaner 1570

marriage to the monarch

Nathi Bai Rawal Harraj Bhati Bhati Jaisalmer 1570

marriage to the monarch

Bhakkari Begum Sultan Mahmud of Bhakkar unknown Bhakkar July 1572

marriage to the monarch

Qasima Banu Begum Arab Shah 1575

marriage to the monarch

Bibi Daulat Shad on marriage to Monarch
Rukmavati Bai Rao Maldeo Rathore Jodho Rathore Marwar
Shah Begum Raja Bhagwant Das of Amber Man Bai Kachhwaha Amber 13 February 1585 5 May 1605 [15] Jahangir
Jagat Gosain Raja Udai Singh of Marwar and Rani Kachwahi Manrang Devi Manavati Bai Jodho Rathore Jodhpur or Phalodi 21 January 1586 3 November 1605

spouse's accession

8 April 1619

her death

mother of Emperor Shah Jahan. [16]
Sahib Jamal Khwaja Hasan unknown Turkish Herat 1586 25 June 1599 [17]
Malika Jahan Rawal Bhim Singh of Jaisalmer unknown Bhati Jaisalmer 1587 3 November 1605

spouse's accession

unknown [18]
Nur-un-Nissa Begum Ibrahim Husain Mirza and Gulrukh Begum Timurid Khorasan 26 February 1593 unknown [19]
Khas Mahal Zain Khan Koka unknown Iranian unknown 18 June 1596 unknown
Saliha Banu Begum Qaim Khan unknown unknown unknown 1608

marriage to the monarch

10 June 1620

her death

Padshah Begum. [20]
Nur Jahan Mirza Ghiyas Beg and Asmat Begum Mehr-un-nissa Persian Kandahar 25 May 1611

marriage to the monarch

28 October 1627

spouse's death

17 December 1645 Padshah Begum. Partisan of Shahryar Mirza during war of succession. [21]
Mihr-un-nissa Begum Sher Afgan Khan and Nur Jahan Turkoman unknown 23 April 1621 7 November 1627 spouse's accession 19 January 1628 spouse's death unknown De-facto Empress and daughter of Nur Jahan. [22] Shahryar Mirza (de-facto)
Kandahari Begum Sultan Muzaffar Husain Mirza Safavi unknown Safavid Persian Kandahar 1610 19 January 1628

spouse's accession

unknown [23] Shah Jahan
Mumtaz Mahal Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan and Diwanji Begum Arjumand Banu Begum Persian Agra 1612 17 June 1631

her death

Padshah Begum and mother of 6th Emperor Alamgir. Her mausoleum is Taj Mahal. [24]
Akbarabadi Mahal Mirza Iraj Izz-un-Nissa Turkoman Agra 1617 31 July 1658

spouse dethroned

28 January 1678 [25]
Lilavati Bai Kunwar Sakti Singh of Marwar Rathore Marwar prior to 1627 unknown
Dilras Banu Begum Mirza Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi and Nauras Banu Begum Safavid Persian unknown 8 May 1637 8 October 1657 Mother of the 7th Emperor, Azam Shah and poetess, Zeb-un-nisa. [26] Aurangzeb
Nawab Bai Raja Tajuddin Khan of Rajauri (disputed) Rahmat-un-Nissa Jarral unknown 1638 3 March 1707

spouse's accession

1691

her death

mother of the 8th, Bahadur Shah I. [27]
Aurangabadi Mahal unknown unknown Georgian or Circassian unknown unknown 3 March 1707

spouse's accession

November 1688

her death

[28]
Udaipuri Mahal unknown unknown Georgian or Cricassian

or Armenian

Kashmir or Udaipur July 1707
Rahmat Banu Begum Swargadeo Sutamla of Ahom kingdom and Pakhori Gabharu Ramani Gabharu Ahom Ahom kingdom 13 May 1668 1684 [29] Muhammad Azam Shah
Jahanzeb Banu Begum Dara Shikoh and Nadira Banu Begum unknown Timurid Agra 3 January 1669 1705 [30]
Shahar Banu Begum Ali Adil Shah II and Khurshida Khanum unknown Adilshahi Bijapur 26 July 1681 14 March 1707

spouse's accession

20 June 1707

spouse's death

unknown Padshah Begum. [31]
Nur-un-Nissa Begum Mirza Sanjar Khan and Zinat-i-Alam Begum Persian Khorasan 30 December 1659 February 1701 [32] Bahadur Shah I
Nizam Bai Fatehyawar Jang

(Disputed)

unknown Hyderabad 12 March 1660 1692 mother of Emperor Jahandar Shah.
Sayyid-un-Nissa Begum Mirza Rustam Safavi Safavi unknown 30 August 1684 27 February 1712

spouse's accession

11 January 1713

spouse's deposed

unknown Jahandar Shah
Imtiaz Mahal Khasusiyat Khan Lal Kunwar unknown unknown unknown [33]
Gauhar-Un-Nissa Begum Mir Muhammad Taqi Persian unknown unknown 11 January 1713

spouse's accession

28 February 1719

spouse's deposition and death

unknown Farrukhsiyar
Indira Kanwar Ajit Singh of Marwar Jodho Rathore Jodhpur 27 September 1715

marriage to the monarch

1763 [34]
Bhup Devi Bakhtiyar Khan, Raja of Kishtwar Kishtwar 3 July 1717

marriage to the monarch

unknown
Badshah Begum Farrukhsiyar and Gauhar-un-Nissa Begum unknown Timurid Agra 1721

marriage to the monarch

26 April 1748

spouse's death

1786 Padshah Begum. Fostered Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur. [35] Muhammad Shah
Sahiba Mahal Sayid Salabat Khan and Safa Begum unknown Turkish unknown 1722

marriage to the monarch

[36]
Qudsia Begum unknown Udham Bai unknown unknown unknown on marriage to the monarch mother of Ahmad Shah Bahadur. [37]
Zeenat Mahal unknown unknown unknown unknown 19 November 1840

on marriage to the monarch

14 September 1857

spouse's deposition

[38] Bahadur Shah Zafar

References

  1. ^ Harold, Lamb (2010). Swords from the East. University of Nebraska Press. p. 364. ISBN 9780803229723.
  2. ^ Harbans Mukhia. The Mughals of India. John Wiley & Sons. p. 140. ISBN 9780470758151.
  3. ^ Mukhia 2004, p. 124.
  4. ^ Begum, Gulbadan (1902). The History of Humayun (Humayun-Nama). Royal Asiatic Society. p. 262.
  5. ^ Aftab, Tahera (2008). "Section Two. Muslim women in the history of South Asia". Inscribing South Asian Muslim women : an annotated bibliography & research guide (Online-Ausg. ed.). Leiden: Brill. p. 46. ISBN 9789004158498.
  6. ^ Annemarie Schimmel; Burzine K. Waghmar (2004). The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture. Reaktion Books. pp. 149.
  7. ^ The Humayun Nama: Gulbadan Begum's forgotten chronicle Yasmeen Murshed, The Daily Star, 27 June 2004.
  8. ^ Begum, Gulbadan (1902). The History of Humayun (Humayun-Nama). Royal Asiatic Society. p. 260.
  9. ^ Lal, Ruby (2005). Domesticity and power in the early Mughal world. Cambridge University Press. p. 205. ISBN 9780521850223.
  10. ^ Burke, S. M. (1989). Akbar: The Greatest Mogul. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 143.
  11. ^ Smith, Bonnie G., ed. (2008). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History. Vol. 4. Oxford University Press. p. 656. ISBN 9780195148909.
  12. ^ Hindu Shah, Muhammad Qasim (1590–1612). Gulshan-I-Ibrahimi. Vol. 2. p. 223.
  13. ^ Sujan Rai, Bhandari (1695). Khulasat-ut-Tawarikh. Zafar Hasan. p. 374.
  14. ^ Mehta, Jaswant Lal (1984). Advance Study in the history of Medieval India:Mughal Empire. Vol. II. Sterling Publisher Private Limited. p. 222. ISBN 978-81-207-1015-3. Bihari Mal gave rich dowry to his daughter and sent his son Bhagwan Das with a contingent of Rajput soldiers to escort his newly married sister to Agra as per Rajput custom. Akbar was deeply impressed by the highly dignified, sincere and princely conduct of his Rajput relations. He took Man Singh, the youthful son of Bhagwant Das into the royal service. Akbar was fascinated by the charm and accomplishments of his Rajput wife; he developed real love for her and raised her to the status of chief queen. She came to exercise profound impact on socio-cultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar. Salim (later Jahangir), heir to the throne, was born of this wedlock on 30th August, 1569.
  15. ^ Prasad 1930, p. 29.
  16. ^ Eraly, Abraham (2007). Emperors of the Peacock Throne, The Saga of the Great Mughals. Penguin Books India. p. 299. ISBN 0141001437.
  17. ^ Balabanlilar, Lisa. Imperial Identity in the Mughal Empire : Memory and Dynastic Politics in Early Modern South and Central Asia. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 10. ISBN 9781848857261.
  18. ^ Jahangir, Emperor; Thackston, Wheeler McIntosh (1999). The Jahangirnama : memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India. Washington, D. C.: Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 376.
  19. ^ Beveridge 1907, p. 969-970.
  20. ^ Findly, Ellison Banks (1993). Nur Jahan, empress of Mughal India. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 125. ISBN 9780195360608.
  21. ^ Banks Findly 1993, p. 4
  22. ^ Nicoll 2009, p. 118.
  23. ^ Nicoll 2009, p. 74.
  24. ^ Lach, Donald F.; Kley, Edwin J. Van (1998). Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume III: A Century of Advance. Book 2, South Asia. University of Chicago Press. p. 689. ISBN 9780226466972.
  25. ^ Blake, Stephen P. (2002). Shahjahanabad: the sovereign city in Mughal India, 1639-1739. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 63. ISBN 9780521522991.
  26. ^ Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1912). History of Aurangzib Vol. I (PDF). Calcutta: M.C. Sarkar & Sons. p. 61.
  27. ^ South Asia Papers - Volume 2. South Asian Institute, University of Punjab. 1978. p. 96.
  28. ^ Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1973). 1618-1659. Orient Longman. p. 34.
  29. ^ Bhuyan, Suryya Kumar (1957). Atan Buragohain and His Times: A History of Assam, from the Invasion of Nawab Mir Jumla in 1662-63, to the Termination of Assam-Mogul Conflicts in 1682. Lawyer's Book stall. p. 31.
  30. ^ Sarkar, Sir Jadunath (1933). Studies in Aurangzib's reign: (being Studies in Mughal India, first series). Orient Longman. p. 44.
  31. ^ Sharma, Sudha (March 21, 2016). The Status of Muslim Women in Medieval India. SAGE Publications India. p. 82. ISBN 978-9-351-50567-9.
  32. ^ Syed 1977, p. 343.
  33. ^ Irvine, William (1971). Later Mughals. New Delhi: Munishram Manoharlal. pp. 180, 192–197. OCLC 952981690.
  34. ^ R.K. Gupta; S.R. Bakshi (1 January 2008). Studies In Indian History: Rajasthan Through The Ages The Heritage Of Rajputs (Set Of 5 Vols.). Sarup & Sons. pp. 219. ISBN 978-8-176-25841-8.
  35. ^ Sarkar, Jadunath (1997). Fall of the Mughal Empire (4th ed.). Hyderabad: Orient Longman. p. 169. ISBN 9788125011491.
  36. ^ Beveridge H. (1952). "The Maathir-ul-umara – Volume 2". Internet Archive. p. 653. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  37. ^ Beveridge H. (1952). "The Maathir-ul-umara – Volume 2". Internet Archive. p. 653. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  38. ^ Smith, R. v. (16 October 2011). "The sad plight of Zeenat Mahal". The Hindu.

Sources

  • Banks Findly, Ellison (11 February 1993). Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India. Oxford, UK: Nur Jahan : Empress of Mughal India. ISBN 9780195074888.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  • Prasad, Beni (1930). History of Jahangir. Allahabad: The Indian Press.
  • Beveridge, Henry (1907). Akbarnama of Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak – Volume III. Asiatic Society, Calcutta.
  • Mukhia, Harbans (2004). The Mughals of India. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-631-18555-0.
  • Nicoll, Fergus (2009). Shah Jahan: The Rise and Fall of the Mughal Emperor. London: Haus. ISBN 978-1-906598-18-1.
  • Syed, Anees Jahan (1977). Aurangzeb in Muntakhab-al Lubab. Somaiya Publications.