Mumtaz Mahal Son: The Untold Story of Her and Her Sons

 Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is best known for inspiring the construction of the Taj Mahal. However, her life and legacy extend far beyond this iconic monument. Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan had 14 children together, including four sons who played important roles in Mughal history. Let's delve into the untold story of Mumtaz Mahal and her sons.

What is the taj mahal famous for?

Mumtaz Mahal's first son, Dara Shikoh, was born in 1615. He was known for his intellectual pursuits and patronage of the arts, particularly Sufi poetry and music. Dara Shikoh commissioned translations of Hindu texts into Persian and sought to reconcile the Hindu and Muslim traditions. However, his liberal views made him a controversial figure in the Mughal court, and he was ultimately executed by his own brother, Aurangzeb.

Shah Shuja, Mumtaz Mahal's second son, was born in 1616. He served as governor of Bengal and Orissa under his father but later rebelled against Aurangzeb and was killed in battle.

Aurangzeb, Mumtaz Mahal's third son, was born in 1618 and became one of the most powerful rulers in Mughal history. He expanded the empire's territory through conquests but also implemented stricter Islamic law and faced several uprisings and rebellions during his reign.

Mumtaz Mahal's fourth son, Murad Baksh, was born in 1624 and played a minor role in Mughal politics. He was executed by Aurangzeb for his involvement in a rebellion.

Aurangzeb ultimately emerged victorious in a bloody war of succession against his brothers and became the next Mughal Emperor. His reign lasted nearly 50 years and was marked by both achievements and controversies.

Despite the tragic ends of some of Mumtaz Mahal's sons, their legacies have had a lasting impact on Indian history and culture. Dara Shikoh's efforts to bridge the divide between Hinduism and Islam are celebrated as a symbol of the Mughal Empire's pluralistic and inclusive culture. Aurangzeb's reign, while controversial, saw the expansion of the Mughal Empire's territory and the construction of several notable monuments.

Overall, Mumtaz Mahal and her sons played important roles in shaping the history and culture of the Mughal Empire and India as a whole. Their stories are a reminder of the complex political and personal rivalries that defined the Mughal court during this period. Read Full Artical 

Nur Mahal - Serai was erected by Nur Jahan Begam

 The Mughal Age was an age of development in almost every field including the economy. The growing importance of trade and commerce and politics led to the construction of a network of roads that connected places of commercial and political interests. Along the sides of these roads, shady trees were planted, wells dug out and resting places for travelers called serais were constructed.

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The serai was constructed on the orders of Noor Jahan under the supervision of Zakariya Khan in 1618AD, then Governor of the Doab. Nurmahal got its name from Noor Jahan, who is said to have been brought up here.

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Over the entrance to the gateway is an inscription. The inscription written in four rhyming verses reads as follows :

1. During the just rule of Jahangir Shah, son of Akbar Shah, whose neither heaven nor earth remembers.

2. The Nur Saray was founded in the district of Phalor by the command of that angel, Nur Jahan Begam.

3. The poet happily discovered the date of its foundation: this Saray was founded by Nur Jahan Begam in 1028.

4. Knowledge of the date of its completion was found in the words: "This Serai was erected by Nur Jahan Begam"

There were plenty of rooms, the Emperor's quarters, a well, and a mosque inside the serai area. Jahangir mentions this serai in his memoirs when he says:

“...I took up my quarters in Nur-Saray. At this spot, the Vakils of Nur Jahan Begam had built a lofty house and made a royal garden. It was now completed. On this account the Begam, having begged for entertainment, prepared a grand feast, and by the way of offering, with great pains produced all kinds of delicate and rare things. In order to please her I took what I approved. I halted two days at this place.”

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The Shah Burj block of Lahore Fort - Sheesh Mahal

This palace which spellbinds the viewer is located within the Shah Burj block of Lahore Fort. It was constructed under the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and later some additional work was done by Ranjit Singh too. The ornate white marble pavilion is inlaid with pietra dura and complex mirror-work of the finest quality. 

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The hall was reserved for personal use by the imperial family and close aides.

Popular legend has it that Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved queen of Shah Jahan, had a dream one night that she was floating in the air so high that she could touch the stars. Upon awakening, she expressed wistfulness for the ecstasy she had felt in the dream. The answer to that longing was the construction of Sheesh Mahal, within Jehangir’s Quadrangle -- the courtyard which houses opulent structures such as the Pari Mahal and Naulakha Pavilion.

Although this was actually built by his predecessor Jahangir. The chamber was exclusively used for private council meetings as part of the daily routine of the emperor, whereas the whole block was only accessible to the imperial princes, the vizier, and selected courtiers. The extension work of private quarters by Shah Jahan continued between 1628 and 1634. The distinctive Shah Jahani architecture is reflected in the extensive use of white marble and hierarchical accents of the construction.

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THE JAHANGIR’S GOLDEN CHAIN OF JUSTICE

 The Muthamman Burj, an octagonal building made of white marble (built by Akbar’ son Jehangir) inside Agra fort is famous for Jehangir’s Chain of Justice (Adl-i-Zanjir). The chain was setup as a link between the people and Jehangir himself. Standing outside the castle of Agra anyone was free to pullthe chain with sixty bells and have a personal hearing from Jahangir himself.

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Mughal Emperor Jahangir was well known for his innovative policy of the ‘Chain of Justice’. According to legends, Jahangir had placed a long golden chain with bells on his palace wall in Agra. Anyone who had been subjected to injustice could come to the palace, pull the chain and make his or her complaint heard for redressal.

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The bell was real. When he became an emperor, the first thing he did was that he made a chain [with a Golden Bell] from the Agra Fort all the way to the Yamuna and it was huge. It was made of approximately 120 kilos of gold. The idea was that anybody who wants justice should ring it, and he will immediately get the attention of the emperor. If anybody ever rang it or not, I don’t know. There are contemporary travelers’ accounts that talk about how he [Jahangir] sits in his public darbar, which is where people come [for Justice] and that his decisions are swift and sometimes brutal.

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Emperor Jehangir is known all over India for his sense of justice, and loved by the public for that. Empress Noor Jehan goes on a hunt and accidentally shoots dead a washer man with her arrow. His widow, Rami Dhoban, comes to the palace and rings the bell of justice. When Jehangir learns that Rami demands his justice of "a life for a life", he puts himself forward to be killed by Rami. Eventually the episode is sorted out through his ministers, with Rami forgiving the Empress and her husband.

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Shivaji visited Aurangzeb's court at Agra

 “Shivaji visited Aurangzeb's court at Agra in May of 1666 ce. He offered the Mughal emperor gifts and bowed in submission", writes Audrey Truschke about Aurangzeb’s encounter with Shivaji.

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"As was expected for a recent foe-turned-noble", she adds.

"Many historians of the period narrated this encounter, the only recorded face-to-face meeting between Aurangzeb and Shivaji, but they spun different versions of the tale. Most agreed that Shivaji was upset at some perceived slight- perhaps not being acknowledged by the emperor or being asked to stand with lower-ranked nobles- and caused a ruckus at open court. One historian, Khafi Khan, noted that Shivaji fell to the ground howling 'like a wounded animal', and another, Bhimsen Saxena, reported that he 'started shouting meaningless and nonsensical things and posed as if he was under the attack of madness'. Aurangzeb didn’t tolerate such violations of protocol, so Shivaji was escorted out of court and placed under house arrest.

“Not long after his outburst, Shivaji fled from Agra along with his nine-year-old son, Sambhaji. Most likely Shivaji bribed their guards to let them out”

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Audrey Truschke, *Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth”, p. 61-62.

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Coin is symbolic of both the Power and the Precariousness

 This coin is symbolic of both the power and the precariousness of a queen’s role in an empire of men. Nur Jahan was the twentieth wife of Jahangir and especially favoured by the emperor. This placed her a unique position for a woman of her time and she used it to influence Mughal politics and administration.

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Travel accounts of the time state that during the waning years of Jahangir’s reign, NurJahan effectively ran the show. And issued coins like this silver rupee; she is the only Mughal queen to strike coins carrying her name and from no less than the seat of power, Agra. But Nur Jahan’s mandate was derived from her husband, and after Jahangir’s death in 1627, her position became shaky at first and then, downright dangerous. She did put up a fight by crowning her youngest stepson Shahryar Mirza, but another stepson far less sympathetic to her cause, ShahJahan, killed him and took the throne.

Nur Jahan was exiled and she drew her last breath in Lahore, far away from the scene of her glory. To drive home the point, after his ascension Shah Jahan made it a capital punishment to exchange coins struck by Nur Jahan. He ordered them to be returned to the mint and melted down; those that escaped the melting pot were deliberately disfigured removing references of the empress’s name. Making this coin from our collection quite rare.

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