Showing posts with the label shah jahan
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...
1 627, Shahdara Dara Shukoh and Aurangzeb, along with Shah Shuja, followed the empress’s instructions and followed her to Lahore. Dara showed his respect and offered his condolences to the widowed queen, whereas Aurangzeb went to look for Asaf Khan in the crowd of mourners. “Your father is on his way.” Asaf Khan reassured Aurangzeb’s queries. "He sent the empress his condolences.” “Why is the funeral happening without waiting for him in such a hurry, then?” Aurangzeb eyed Nur Jahan standing beside Shehzaade Shahryar in the front row as he spoke. Ladli Begum, with her daughter, stood in one of the back rows, and Dara went up to her to offer his condolences as well. Asaf Khan dragged the young boy by his hand away from the crowd. “Nur Jahan is going to declare Shahryar as a legitimate heir to the throne and crown him. He has already been ruling unofficially for the last few months, ever since the emperor passed away, and we all have been busy mourning. '' Aurangzeb's bro...
1626, Rajouri. The entourage was forced to camp midway through their journey due to the sudden deterioration in the health of the Padshah Jahangir. The Padshah wanted a drink of wine, but he could not swallow it. As he choked and coughed, Nur Jahan held her nerves and wiped him clean and made him lie down to rest. His forehead was burning with fever, and he was losing consciousness. Nur Jahan immediately sent a messenger to Lahore to let Shahryar know that the emperor wouldn’t survive the break of dawn. However, she decided to keep the news a secret till they reached Lahore, where he wished to be buried. She sat through the night beside the man she loved, holding his hand firmly in hers as he slowly started losing his grip. At dawn, he had stopped breathing. She sat at his bedside, for some moments in silence, as Asaf Khan entered, hearing the news and put his hand firmly on her shoulder. All the chiefs were awake all night, praying for his painless passing outside the royal tent....
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 and 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 Ja...
1621, Dakkan Jahangir sat in his chambers, in the darkness, sipping the last drop of wine from the cup. The fate of his brother Daniyal haunted him every time he saw Khusrau, overtaken by his opium addiction. He was slowly slipping away. Jahangir knew that. Somewhere, he cursed himself for Khusrau’s fate. In his fit of rage and insecurity for the throne, he had blinded his most competent son. There was no denying that he was a popular choice of heir, both for the late emperor and his people, unlike him. Jahangir firmly believed his own health deterioration was the cause of his misdeeds. Jahangir’s ill health had prompted Nur Jahan to plan yet another vacation for him to the mountains, hoping he would recover, but he refused to go. Something made him feel restless. Shehzade Shah Jahan was handed over the responsibility of taking over the expeditions of the south. However, his strange request to take care of Khusrau disturbed Jahangir. The brothers had never been close. He was aware of t...
1619, Agra Rukaiya Sultana Begum sat in her chambers, looking pale, when Shehzaade Shah Jahan walked in unnoticed. He cleared his throat, making her look up at him and sat down on the floor beside her couch. Rukaiya Begum sighed gently, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know how many more I have to live to see.” She whispered almost to herself with a slight gasp. “What...” Shehzade Shah Jahan spoke in a voice that trembled slightly. “What happened?” “The medicine man said she slipped away peacefully in her sleep. Her heart stopped.” Rukaiya Begum’s eyes shone “She was asking me to call you here just two days ago. I wish I had...” “Shah Ammi.” Shehzade Shah Jahan held her trembling hand in his “It’s not your fault. Jagat Gossain was ill.” “I know.” Rukaiya Begum sobbed, “But when will the time come for me? Have I not seen enough?” “Stop saying that, Shah Ammi.” Shehzade Shah Jahan frowned a little.”I have just lost a mother; I don’t want to lose another.” “She loved you so...
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Last updated: February 4, 2026.
