Mariam uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba (Imperial Princess),
née Rajkumari (Princess) Hira Kunwari, alias
Harkha Bai (October 1, 1542 – 1622) was a
Rajput princess who became the
Mughal Empress, after her marriage to
Mughal Emperor Akbar. She was the eldest daughter of
Kachwaha Rajput, Raja
Bharmal of
Amber, the older name of the Rajput
State of
Jaipur.
Her notability arises from her marriage to the Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar. She was also the mother of emperor Nuruddin Salim Jahangir, her husband's heir.
Her name as recorded in Mughal chronicles was Mariam-uz-Zamani. This is why the mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum was constructed in Lahore, Pakistan, in her honour. She has been also referred to as Jodha Bai or Jodhabai .Hira Kunwar, Akbar's first Rajput wife, was the eldest daughter of Raja Bhar Mal of Amber. She was also the sister of Bhagwandas and the aunt of Man Singh I of Amber, who later became one the nine jewels (Navaratnas) in the court of Akbar.
The Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum was built by her son Nuruddin Salim Jahangir and is situated in the Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan, while Mariam's Tomb is situated one km away from Tomb of Akbar the Great, at Sikandra, near Agra.
Life
Rajkumari Hira Kunwari was married to
Akbar on January 20, 1562, at
Sambhar, near Jaipur. Jodha bai was actually known as aarushi bai who was from the city of kota from rajasthan, India. Aarushi bai was very beautifu She was Akbar's third wife and one of his three chief queens. Akbar's first queen was the childless
Ruqaiyya Begum, and his second wife was
Salima Sultan, the widow of his most trusted general,
Bairam Khan. After her marriage, Hira Kunwari was given the title
Mariam-uz-Zamani ("
Mary of the Age").
She is said to have been politically involved in the court until
Nur Jahan became empress.
Like few other women at the Mughal court, Maryam-uz-Zamani could issue official documents (singularly called farman), which was usually the exclusive privilege of the emperor. Maryam Zamani used her wealth and influence to build gardens, wells, and mosques around the country.
Maryam Zamani died in 1622. As per her last wishes, a vav or step well was constructed by Jahangir. Her tomb, built in 1611, is on the Tantpur road now known as in Jyoti Nagar. Her tomb is now known as "Jodhabai ki chhatri". She was buried according to Islamic custom.Her tomb is situated in a colony which reduced its chances of becoming a tourist place and this also increased the carelessness by the Government.But in the mid of year 2010 Historical department showed there interest for saving it when this news spread through media.Now Government is taking a good care of tomb and is guarded and much safe.
The misnomer Jodha Bai
There is popular perception that the Rajput wife of Akbar, mother of Jahangir, was known as "Jodha Bai". Neither the
Akbarnama (a biography of Akbar commissioned by Akbar himself), nor any historical text from the period refer to her as Jodha Bai.
, the autobiography of Jahangir, doesn't mention Jodha Bai either.
According to Professor Shirin Moosvi, a historian of Aligarh Muslim University, the name "Jodha Bai" was first used to refer to Akbar's wife in the 18th and 19th centuries in historical writings.
According to Professor N R Farooqi, a historian of Allahabad Central University, Jodha Bai was not the name of Akbar's Rajput queen; it was the name of Jahangir's Rajput wife Princess Manmati of Jodhpur, whose real name was Jagat Gosain.
Protests against the film Jodhaa Akbar
The controversy over the name "Jodha Bai" is a matter of historical debate in
Rajasthan, with various Rajput organisations taking the field against the director of the movie,
Ashutosh Gowariker, for not portraying history correctly.
In 2008, a section of the Rajput community in Rajasthan protested against the Hindi film, Jodhaa Akbar, released on 15 February 2008, which is about Akbar and his wife Hira Kunwari/Mariam-uz-Zamani. The wife of Akbar has been referred to as "Jodha Bai" in the movie, which has led to much controversy as a similar sounding name "Jodh Bai" is addressed to Princess Manmati of Jodhpur, the wife of Jahangir (Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani's son) and mother of emperor Shahjahan. Mariam-uz-Zamani was mentioned by the same name "Jodha Bai" in the 1960 movie Mughal-e-Azam.
References
External links
Bahadur Shah Zafar's great grandson confirms Mariam-uz-Zamani as Jodha Bai - Reuters
Category:Mughal Empire
Category:1542 births
Category:Mughal nobility
Category:1622 deaths
Category:Rajput people
Category:Queens
