The history of Mehr-un-Nissa, the future Empress Nur Jahan, twentieth and last wife of Emperor Jahangir, is marked by intrigue, bravery, and everything in between. It is no wonder that the seventeenth-century life of Nur Jahan has been subject of both feminist interpretations and mythical readings. We have seen her in movies; she is a stock figure either as conniving wife or a power hungry wannabe. Often in these narratives, Nur Jahan’s ingenuity as an administrator, her leadership, and charisma get forgotten or are completely erased. In this podcast, we discuss the history and myth of one of India’s real empresses, Nur Jahan.
show notes:
- Introduction to Nur Jahan (her life as Mehr un-Nissa)
- Marriage to Sher Afghan and Life in Bengal
- Life at the Harem and Marriage to Jahangir
- Myths about Nur Jahan
- Is Nur Jahan a Feminist?
- Relationship with Jahangir
- Nur Jahan as Empress
- Controversies and Politics of a Woman Empress
- 'Fitna' (Chaos) in the Dynasty
references:
Findly, Ellison Banks. 1993. Nur Jahan, empress of Mughal India. New York: Oxford University Press.
Jahangir, and Wheeler M. Thackston. 2016. The Jahangirnama memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India.
Kāmī Shīrāzī, and W. H. Siddiqi. 2003. Waqa-i-uz-zaman: fath nama-i Nur Jahan Begam : a contemporary account of Jahangir. Rampur: Rampur Raza Library.
Lal, Ruby. 2018. Empress: the astonishing reign of Nur Jahan. New York: W.W. Norton.