Uncertainties

1622, Lahore

Shehzade Shahryar had walked into his chambers to see Ladli Begum talk in whispers to the baby Arzani Begum. She stopped to see his worried face, handed the baby to the wet nurse, and walked up to him.

“Shehzaade Shah Jahan has taken over Dholpur.” He said as worry swept across her face. He was now in a desperate attempt to reduce the power of his other brothers.

“Nur Jahan gifted the province to me, and it was flourishing.” Shehzade Shahryar clenched his jaw “He couldn’t take that!”

“Will you go... fight him?” She asked, scared. She knew in her heart that Shahryar was no match for Shah Jahan, nor was their army to his army.

“If your mother decides so. I am writing to her.” Shahryar spoke as Ladli Begum nodded.

At dawn, when the messenger was about to leave, Ladli Begum’s handmaid gave him a second letter addressed to the empress without the royal seal. Ladli held Arzani close to her heart as she saw some men arrive to see her husband with more news from Dholpur.

Nur Jahan sat worried, reading the unsealed letter twice. Ladli Begum had begged her for her happiness. It made Nur Jahan feel small and helpless. Jahangir paced the room. He was coughing occasionally. She looked up at him.

“What do you suggest?” Nur Jahan asked. Jahangir shook his head. 

“I have a suggestion, but I need approval for it.” She spoke.

“Who do you have in mind?” Jahangir asked, frowning. Mariam ur Zamani, who helped him with such situations, passed away recently. He missed her advice during these times. Nur Jahan walked away.

Rukaiya Begum sat up feebly on her bed as Hoshiyar Khan announced the arrival of the empress. Nur Jahan’s heart skipped a beat at her appearance. In a span of a few months, after Shah Jahan rebelled and Mariam ur Zamani passed away soon after, Rukaiya Begum seemed to have aged more than she had in the last five years.

“Nur Jahan...” Rukaiya Begum spoke feebly. She sat down beside the old lady. Since her parents’ death and her brother’s betrayal, Nur Jahan had felt even closer to Rukaiya Begum, perhaps even understanding her silent pain. She made sure she visited the lady, who often talked about her childhood now.

“How are you feeling?” Nur Jahan asked as she nodded. “I am here for something. Just tell me if I am right.” She said, a little tense.

“You are right.” Rukaiya Begum heaved a sigh and spoke as Nur Jahan finished, “The way to hurt anyone without a battle is to hurt them at their weakest point.” She agreed.

“By now, your army has reached Dholpur, and he must be realising that his escape is only momentary.” Rukaiya Begum spoke, “He can be helped by anyone like Rao Raja Ratan Singh or even the Rana of Mewar, but ultimately he needs to come here to claim his right. Do it!”

Mumtaj Mahal looked at the orders at hand and remembered her husband’s words, “I promise.” She felt weak in the knees. Her vision blurred. Jahanara was just in time to hold her mother in her arms as she fainted.

“What’s wrong?” Qandahari Begum looked worried “Dara, call for the medicine man!” She took the orders that had fallen in the dirt and brushed them to read. She then looked at Aurangzeb, who stood in front of her, waiting for her to speak. Just four, he was perhaps more mature than Dara was at his age. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Dara sat down as his mother wept, and Jahanara held her close. Qandahari Begum looked up at the faces of the scared children. 

“As you may know, your father had taken over Dholpur, which originally belonged to Nur Jahan and Shahryar Mirza. As a punishment for this move, the court has requested the custody of Shehzaade Dara and Shehzaade Aurangzeb under Empress Nur Jahan’s care till they can be reassured of your father’s loyalty.”

“When do we leave?” Dara asked rather plainly.

“Tomorrow morning.” Qandahari Begum said. 

“Why will I go and not Shuja?” Aurangzeb frowned as everyone looked at him.

“We don’t question the Padishah’s order, Aurangzeb!” Dara reminded him.

“Why don’t we? Why will I stay away from my mother because of something I didn’t do?” The room was silent. Aurangzeb was hoping for an answer, but they had none.

“Why am I being punished?” He asked again.

“You are not being punished.” Jahanara walked up to him and held his hand reassuringly “You will just have an education and upbringing fit for the throne under the care of the empress. Isn’t that right, Dara?” She asked as Dara looked away. Aurangzeb was not convinced.

“I have been taught our sins and virtues are ours.” He repeated, “ How are his virtues not mine, but sins are?”

“Aurangzeb, enough now.” Mumtaj Mahal scolded, “Do as you are told. And Dara, look after your brother.”

“I will,” Dara said, holding Aurangzeb’s hand by the wrist as he struggled to free it from his brother’s grip.

“Do it for your mother,” Jahanara said to both her brothers. “Let her rest now.”

Shah Jahan sat in his tent, writing a letter of surrender to his father. He could imagine what Mumtaj Mahal felt. He had to write her a letter of apology as well. He had acted in fear and haste. He had acted against his character. Suddenly, Shah Ammi’s memory filled his heart. He wanted to see her, hug her and apologise. He knew he had hurt her, too. 

In 1622, after Shah Jahan’s open rebellion against the emperor Jahangir and empress Nur Jahan, his sons Dara and Aurangzeb were taken under the empress’s guardianship as a sign of his promised loyalty. Dara and Aurangzeb continued to live in Agra for the next few years, while their family lived with Shah Jahan mainly at Burhanpur or Ajmer till they reunited with their parents in 1627 when Shah Jahan was crowned at Agra. The Rajput kings who had apparently helped Shah Jahan during his rebellion to escape from the army of Jahangir were his friend Rana Karan Singh of Mewar (He and his family let Shah Jahan stay with his family at the Udaipur Lake Palace of today for a few weeks in disguise) and Rao Raja Ratan Singh of Bundi. Although Rao Raja was a very loyal Hada chief to Jahangir, he shifted loyalty after capturing Shah Jahan. For this, he was given a high rank once Shah Jahan took the throne, and it was later passed on to his grandson, Rao Raja Chattrasal Singh Hada of Bundi. Mahabat Khan had openly attacked Burhanpur and traced Shah Jahan to the Dakkan on his quest to make Dawar Baksh a puppet emperor, when Nur Jahan intervened and seized his accounts and elephants after Shah Jahan won back his territories. The insult didn’t go down well with the general, who assembled his army against the emperor and waited for an opportunity.