RAABTA

1628, Agra. The festivities of the coronation ceremony had reached Akbarabad, as Shah Jahan happily reunited with his sons, Dara and Aurangzeb and gifted them new Jagirs and positions as Shehzaade. He sat beside Mumtaj Mahal at the Diwan e Khas as he bestowed upon his daughters Shehzaadi Jahanara and Shehzaadi Roshanara some of their grandmother’s inheritance. Perhez Banu got Salima Begum’s shares. The chiefs who had helped Padshah Shah Jahan rise to the throne were honoured with titles and posts. Rao Raja Ratan Singh, Mahabat Khan, and Asaf Khan gifted the emperor with elephants and horses.  Mumtaj Mahal had already chosen a bride for Dara Shikoh. His strange inclinations toward spirituality, religion and the life of sages and saints often disturbed her. So she decided a wife could do him some good. Nadira Banu, the late Pervez Mirza’s daughter, was a perfect choice. She was almost Dara’s age and well-read too. Mumtaj Mahal arranged for their engagement paying very little heed to her