Shah Begum (wife of Jahangir)
| Shah Begum | |
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Tomb of Shah Begum
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| Born | Man Bai c. 1570 |
| Died | 16 May 1604 (aged 33–34) Allahabad, Mughal Empire |
| Burial | Khusrau Bagh, Allahabad |
| Spouse | Jahangir |
| Issue | Sultan-un-Nissa Begum Khusrau Mirza |
| Father | Raja Bhagwant Das |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Shah Begum (Persian: شاہ بیگم; c. 1570 - 16 May 1604) meaning 'The Royal Lady', was the first wife of Prince Salim Mirza future Emperor Jahangir.
Born as Man Bai, Shah Begum was the daughter of Raja Bhagwant Das, the ruler of Amer. She was the granddaughter of Raja Bihari Mal, whose daughter Mariam-uz-Zamani had been married to Akbar in 1562, and by him was the mother of Jahangir.
At the age of fifteen, Salim was betrothed to his cousin, Man Bai. The marriage settlement was fixed at two crores of tankas. Akbar himself, accompanied by all his nobles, went to the Raja's mansion and on 13 February 1585, celebrated the wedding in the presence of Muslim qazis, but with certain characteristic Hindu ceremonies.
The dowry bestowed by Bhagwan Das included a hundred elephants, several strings of horses, jewels, numerous and diverse golden vessels set with precious stones, utensils of gold and silver, and all sorts of stuffs, the quantity of which is beyond all computation. The Imperial nobles were presented with Persian, Turkish, and Arabian horses, with golden saddles. Along with the bride were given a number of male and female slaves, of Indian, Abyssinian and Circassian origin. As the Imperial procession returned along highways covered with rare and choice cloth, the Emperor scattered over the bridal litter gold and jewels in careless profusion.
The couple's first child was a daughter named Sultan-un-Nissa Begum, who was born on 26 April 1586. She lived for sixty years but played no part in history. The couple's second child was a son named Khusrau Mirza, was born on 6 August 1587. On his birth, Man Bai was given the title of "Shah Begum" meaning "The royal lady".
She was described to be a very beautiful woman. With her fidelity and sincere devotion to Jahangir, she won for a special place in his heart. She was a neurotic woman, quick to take offence over imagined insults, for which there was plenty of scope for the Rajput princess in Jahangir's polygamous and predominantly Muslim household. "The lady [Shah Begum] was ever ambitious of an ascendancy over the other inmates of the harem, and grew violent at the slightest opposition of her will" said Inayatullah. "From time to time her mind wandered, and her father and brothers all agreed in telling me she was insane," writes Jahangir.
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Wikipedia