Mughal Empress Nur Jahan (Wife of Jahangir)
Muhaal Empress Nur Jahan ( Noor Jahan) was the wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (Salim). Nur Jahan played a very important role during the reign of her husband, Jahangir. The term Nur Jahan means ‘Light of the Worldâ€.
Empress Nur jahan was extremely beautiful and was endowed with extraordinary talents and a forceful personality. Nur Jahan acquired an unbounded influence over her husband and became a real power behind the throne. A new coinage was struck in her name. Her father became the virtual Prime-minister and her brother held a very exalted position in the rank of high official of the state.
Her niece was married to Khuram, the third and the ablest among the sons of Jahangir. From 1611 till 1627, Nur Jahan remained the most dominating personality in the imperial court.
Towards the close of Jahangir’s reign, however, Nur Jahan’s influence began to decline. Nur Jahan’s party which had been governing the empire since 1612 began to show signs of disruption towards the end of 1621. Jahangir had wrecked his strong constitution by dissipation and indulgence in wine and opium and his health began to fail. Nur Jahan grew alarmed. Ambitious and dominating, she felt that in the event of the emperor’s death and Shah Jahan’s succession, she would be deprived not only of the controlling authority, but even influence in the management of affairs. She was too well acquainted with Shah Jahan’s ability, energy, ambition and pride to be deceived into the thought that he would suffer her to retain any kind of authority in matters of State.
Realizing that there was no room in the empire for two masterful personalities like herself and Shah Jahan, she decided to back up Shahryar who was the youngest surviving son of Jahangir. She married her daughter by Sher Afghan to Shahriyar and began to push her son-in-law’s claim to the throne as Jahangir’s heir. This brought her into conflict with Khuram (Shah Jahan).
But Nur Jahan failed to prevent Khuram ( Shahjahan) from succeeding to the throne on the death of Jahangir. Nur Jahan’s mother died in 1621 and her father Itimad-ud-daula died in January 1622. These two deaths led to the breakÂup of the Nur Jahan Janta.
