Mehrunissa
| Nur Jahan نورجہاں |
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Idealized portrait of the Mughal empress Nur Jahan
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| Born | Mehr-un-Nissa 31 May 1577 Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| Died | 17 December 1645 (aged 68) Lahore, Pakistan |
| Burial | Tomb of Nur Jahan, Lahore |
| Spouse |
Sher Afgan Khan (m.1594–1607) Jahangir (m.1611–1627) |
| Issue | Ladli Begum |
| House | Timurid (by marriage) |
| Father | Mirza Ghiyas Beg |
| Mother | Asmat Begam |
| Religion | Islam |
Nur Jahan (born Mehr-un-Nissa) (31 May 1577 – 17 December 1645) was the twentieth (and last) wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir.
Nur Jahan was born Mehr-un-Nissa, the daughter of a Grand Vizier (Minister) who served under Akbar. Nur Jahan, meaning 'Light of the World', was married at age 17 to a Persian soldier Sher Afgan, governor of Bihar, an important Mughal province. She was a married woman when Prince Salim (the future Emperor Jahangir), Akbar's eldest son, fell in love with her. Two years after Akbar died and Salim became Emperor, Sher Afgan met his death. However, three more years were to pass before a grieving Nur Jahan consented to marry the Emperor Jahangir. Although Jahangir was deeply in love with Nur Jahan, their actual story bears no resemblance to the entirely fictional legend of Anarkali, a low-born dancing girl who, according to popular folklore and film-lore, had a tragic and doomed love affair with Jahangir. In fact, the relationship between Jahangir and Nur Jahan was even more scandalous in its time than the legend of Anarkali, for Nur Jahan was a widow woman when the Emperor fell in love with her. A school of historians still believe, though without credible evidences, that Jahangir (then Salim) was already in love with Nur Jahan (then Mehrunissa) when she was initially married to Sher Afghan. Thwarted by Akbar in his attempts to marry her then, Jahangir plotted to get Sher Afghan killed on the pretext of treachery to finally marry Nur Jahan. However this theory lacks sound evidences and seems farfetched.
After her wedding to emperor Jahangir, Nur Jahan’s rise to power was swift. A strong, charismatic and well-educated woman Who enjoyed the absolute confidence of her husband, Nur Jahan was the most powerful and influential woman at court during a period when the Mughal Empire was at the peak of its power and glory. More decisive and pro-active than her husband, she is considered by historians to have been the real power behind the throne for more than fifteen years. Nur Jahan was granted certain honours and privileges which were never enjoyed by any Mughal empress before or afterwards.
She was the only Mughal empress to have coinage struck in her name. She was often present when the Emperor held court, and even held court independently when the Emperor was unwell. She was given charge of his imperial seal, implying that her perusal and consent were necessary before any document or order received legal validity. The Emperor sought her views on most matters before issuing orders. The only other Mughal empress to command such devotion from her husband was Nur Jahan's niece Mumtaz Mahal, for whom Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum. However, she took no interest in affairs of state and Nur Jahan is therefore unique in the annals of the Mughal Empire for the political influence she wielded.
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Wikipedia