Daughters of the Empire

Yastika sahrawat
Aug 19
7 min read

CASE STUDY ON PRINCESS JAHANARA AND ZEB-UN-NISSA

Lost behind the veil. All we know is that they existed, in time, in history. Photography: Omar Tapia

For many centuries women of Mughal court and space of Zenana has been neglected by scholars despite their recorded authority to issue edicts, patron art, science, books and architecture. These intelligent and articulate women were valued for their diplomacy, taste, and administration. Surrounded by competition they still withheld their warmth, companionship, complicity in midst of patriarchal society. Of many women who have been lost in stories of the empires, buried with

so many contributions yet no one to remember them, my paper will mostly talk about the daughters who magnificently left an impact in the Mughal era. The legacy that we appreciate and cherish even today, women who were able to shed their prominence from behind the veil. I in no manner intend to generalize the lives of princesses but it is mostly an attempt to understand two women in particular- Princess Zeb-un-Nissa, daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb, Princess Jahanara, daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan and their life stories and legacies.

Zeb-un-Nissa, daughter of Aurangzeb and Dilrus Banu begum was a child prodigy. She was Hafiz from the age of seven, a secret poet, politically opinionated, and a creative designer. The story of ‘concealed one’ has been lost along with many stories of women who stepped beyond their palaces and comfort to wander in the world of learning and writing. She began her education under the shadow of Hafiza Maryam, who taught her how to recite the Quran. Zeb-un-

Nissa’s quest for learning deepened with her further interactions with other courtiers like Mohammad Saeed Ashraf Mazandarani, Shah Rustum Ghazi who intrigued her in literature too. She learned Mathematics, philosophy, calligraphy Persian, Urdu and because of her understanding of the law, she was consulted on many administrative matters as well. Aurangzeb himself, who cared too less about poetry had forbidden many of the poems to be read by boys and women of the harem but he made an exception for her. She sat and shared a poets circle with

Nasir Ali, Sayab, Shamash Wali Ullah, Behraaz, and Brahamin. She enjoyed a great deal of autonomy in her palace which indicates the kind of liberty she had

over her decisions.

This I would illustrate with the instance of how she declined to marry Mirza

Farukh, son of Shah Abbas II of Iran. She was betrothed by Shah Jahan originally to Suleiman Shikoh son of Dara Shikoh but was poisoned by Aurangzeb due to personal rivalry with Dara. Her refusal to marry Mirza Farukh who despite his social standing was based on the fact that he failed to please her as a person. She was one of the closest to Dara Shikoh and had many enlightening dialogues with him despite the friction between her father and his brother. She was also present many times in court to assist her father though, from under the veil. In a generation where politics was mostly limited to men, she was a woman who considered it to be an equal play area.

Despite Aurangzeb’s orthodoxy towards Sufism, she was deeply moved by it. She didn’t let his thinking in any way, narrow down her outlook or thoughts nonetheless she might have mellowed down in front of him. She was also known as a skillful mediator in sectarian disputes amongst Sunnis and Shias. One of the famous settlements made by her were even sent to Iran and Turan. She often collected money and sponsored trips to Mecca and Medina, donated to orphanages and widows. After an unfortunate series of events, she was imprisoned by Aurangzeb who mistrusted her to be in alliance with Akbar, a revolting figure to the crown or her sympathies to Shivaji.

After she was released from jail, she lived unaccompanied in Delhi. Filled with betrayal and loneliness she wrote many poems. She died in 1689. She was buried at a tomb in Lahore as per her instructions. Today, the tomb lies dull and dusty it still holds a faint memory of the charismatic princess and her buried misplaced legacy. Her writings were collected and combined under the name diwan-i-Makhfi which translates to ‘book of the hidden one’. It pertains many similarities to the writings of the Sufi sect and other ghazals, translated into Persian and many

languages. Other written contributions made by her are manis-ul-roh, Zeb-ul monsha’at, Zueb- ul-tafasir.

Different on a lot of levels was the life of another Mughal princess Jahanara. She assumed the role of head of the harem upon the death of Mumtaz Mahal, though her responsibilities spread far beyond the harem. She was in charge of the imperial seals, commissioned many architectures, and had major responsibilities as the deputy head of the Sufi sect. Princess was held in high esteem by her father who not only admired her but supported her. Based on this, Jahanara was

able to cultivate so much authority which still reflects in her legacy. Munes-al arvah and Resala-ye sahebeya are two documents that talk about her involvement in the Qaderiya Sufi sect. This permitted the involvement of women in Islamic activities so much so that she linked the Chishti Sufi order to the Prophet Muhammad’s family. The association of the Sufi sect with empire also

led to the undeniable feeling of sacredness. Her surmounting status in Sufi order took place under the guidance of her pir, Molla shah Badakshi. There were many redefining moments in the life of Jahanara that declared her as an equal to her brothers.

One such moment was when she

commissioned the mosque of Agra, the seat of imperial authority. Sanctioning sacred places has always been related to high-ranking men and women were usually allowed to commission gardens or shrines etc. So this we can say, was an act of supremacy on part of the princess. Jahanara also commissioned Molla Shah Badakshi mosque in Kashmir. The mosque is known for its originality which indicated the Sufi persona of the princess more than her Islamic

ideology. She was praised by many scholars as open-minded and charitable. She contributed towards strengthening Shahjanabad by establishing trade and financial relations with the Dutch. Authority over Surat increased her income many folds and she erected many factories over it.

One of the most important contributions by her is Chandini chowk. Townhall in one of the busiest bazaar today was once Sarai built by the princess. Bazar stretched from Lahori gate to Fatehpuri Masjid. Canal formed an octagonal pool. Moonlight often reflected in this water which earned its name ‘Chandni chowk’- moonlight square. Many scholars like Chaturman Rai in his account Char Gulshan, Francois Bernier, and so on wrote about the caravanserai. It grew out of a Bazar to mark an integral historical place. Her overall income exceeded any other imperial women of her time. Much about her personal life is lost. But from what we can say is that Jahanara assumed many important roles after the passing away of her mother and the subsequent descend of Shah Jahan as an emperor. While Shah Jahan was deviated from the empire to build remembrance for his deceased wife, the crisis between Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb increased. Torn between two brothers she tried to heal internal fractures while looking after the empire that she so dearly loved.

Her chastity was always questioned by European travelers because of her close relations with her father Shah Jahan. She was also ridiculed for drinking wine, her explicit affairs, her unmarried status, and so on. Isn’t it ironic how every accomplishment of a woman boils down to her character and her contributions become an inferior part of the discussion. A trend we can surely witness even

today. But despite all of this, she captivated the eyes of many people and I for one, refuse to believe, that it was only for the above-mentioned reasons. She was a daughter, intelligent, charismatic, well versed in statecraft, and a maternal figure for her siblings. A woman who assumed the role of an emperor when she realized her father was too distracted to maintain it. But somehow, when we recall history we only read so profoundly of Shah Jahan and not this magnificent pillar of strength.

To conclude, both the princesses had great autonomy and supremacy at a certain time, yet both of them somehow lost their credit at hands of Aurangzeb. Still faintly remembered for their written words or architectural contributions both Zeb-un-Nissa and Jahanara are lost along with many pages of history. Their life is one example of how many women or some at least, tried to negotiate command and authority for themselves in a world dominated mostly by men. It took exceptional luck and talent for them to not get erased completely from history and to be

approached with sheer respect. Sure their life is not reflective of ordinary women of the time but it still points us towards a direction to unravel something about the past era.

Case study of both the princesses demonstrates how daughters of the emperors stepped in to take charge or understand the dynamics of Mughal India. My intention to talk about these two women specifically for my paper is to open a dialogue with readers on how political, spiritual, and economic decisions were taken by these princesses along with the responsibility of the family and personal relations. If one has to understand the totality of great empire it is important to

acknowledge grand initiatives taken by these women and other women of all walks of life as well otherwise, we will keep on targeting a single mark in history. They were often overshadowed by their male counterparts and never received their due credit. There is much to research about both their lives and the lives of ordinary women in Mughal India to get the entire picture.