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84-496: Christian missionaries were able to gain access to these Indian girls and women through the zenana missions ; female missionaries who had been trained as doctors and nurses were able to provide them with health care and also evangelise them in their own homes. Physically, the zenana of the Mughal court consisted of exceptionally luxurious conditions, particularly for princesses and women associated with high-ranking figures. Because of

168-591: A British ambassador to the Mughal court, Thomas Roe . Thomas Roe describes how petitioners could use the chain of justice to attract the emperor's attention if his decision was not to their satisfaction during Darshana . The Darshana tradition was adopted by the Mughal Emperors from Hindu religio-political rituals. As a royal envoy to the Agra court of Jahangir. Roe resided at Agra for three years, until 1619. At

252-566: A big feast was thrown by the Emperor to ceremonially initiate his son into education. His first tutor was Qutubuddin Koka. Many other tutors were appointed to teach Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Hindi, Arithmetic, History, Geography, and Sciences. Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan , one of the versatile geniuses, was an important tutor of him. His maternal uncle, Bhagwant Das the Kachhwaha ruler of Amer ,

336-557: A brief conflict in the region around Kandahar. Khan Alam soon returned with valuable gifts and groups of masters of the hunt ([میر شکار] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |3= ( help ) ) from both Safavid Iran and the Khanates of Central Asia . On March, Jahangir ordered Mahabat Khan , one of Jahangir's most loyal high generals, to crush Khurram's rebellion in the Deccan . After a series of victories by Mahabat Khan over Khurram,

420-452: A commentary on the verses from Bible. Bible women wore white saris and carried cloth covered Bibles, representative of their virtuous identity. They stopped wearing jewellery and deprived themselves of all forms of vanity. Bible women took up various roles in the zenana missions. They taught in girls' schools, which were attended by all classes. Bible women visited the zenana, taught women and girls there, preached religious values and worked for

504-449: A courtesan were the primary patrons of 19 major structures in the city. Owing to the cultural precedent set by their Timurid ancestors, it was comparatively more acceptable for Mughal women to perform civic charity in the form of building projects and even engage in leisure activities outside the zenana like hunting, polo and pilgrimage, than it would have been for their Safavid contemporaries. Nur Jahan seems to be unique in that she had

588-548: A cousin of Zain Khan Koka. In 1587, he married a Bhati Rajput princess (name not known) entitled Malika Jahan Begum daughter of Rawal Bhim Singh of the Kingdom of Jaisalmer . He also married the daughter of Raja Darya Malbhas. In October 1590, Jahangir married Zohra Begum daughter of Mirza Sanjar Hazara. He married a third Rathore Rajput princess Kunwari Karamsi Deiji daughter of Rao Keshav Das of Merta linked with

672-492: A daughter of Sultan Ali Khan Faruqi of the Khandesh Sultanate . He also married a daughter of Abdullah Khan Baluch of Sind . In 1594, Jahangir was dispatched by his father Akbar alongside Asaf Khan also known as Mirza Jafar Beg and Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak to defeat the renegade Raja Vir Singh Deo Bundela and to capture the city of Orchha which was considered the centre of the revolt. Jahangir arrived with

756-508: A farman banning Jain seorahs (monks) due to alleged scandalous behavior. However, the ban was quickly rescinded but Jahangir neglected to mention that in his memoirs. There is a wide variety of evidence that Jahangir had good relations with Jains and Jain sources themselves extol him. According to Ali, Jahangir wrote his memoirs with his intended audience of Persian-speaking Muslims in mind and sought to portray himself as an anti-idolatry sultan and thus "modified" facts. Jahangir's memoirs also omit

840-469: A force of 12,000 after many ferocious encounters and finally subdued the Bundela and ordered Vir Singh Deo to surrender. After tremendous casualties and the start of negotiations between the two, Vir Singh Deo handed over 5000 Bundela infantry and 1000 cavalry and submitted to the command of Jahangir along with taking up imperial services at the court later. The victorious Jahangir, at 26 years of age, ordered

924-577: A particular affinity for hunting, and was able to gain permission to accompany her husband Jahangir on several outings, even once killing four tigers easily with her excellent marksmanship. Despite the social freedom that came with being a member of the royal household, Mughal women did not go about unveiled and were not seen by outsiders or men other than their families. Instead, when they traveled they covered their heads and faces in white veils, and they were transported in howdahs , chaudoles, carriages and palanquins while covering on all sides, to maintain

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1008-466: A reputed khawaja (religious leader) who lived at Fatehpur Sikri . Akbar confided in Salim Chisti, who assured him that he would be soon delivered of three sons who would live up to a ripe old age. A few years before the birth of Prince Salim, Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani went on a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif Dargah to pray for a son. When Akbar was informed of the news that his chief Hindu wife

1092-533: A result, the Zenana missions helped break down the male bias against colonial medicine in India to a small extent. In the 1930s, the Zenana missions expanded further into healthcare. The Elizabeth Newman Hospital was opened by Beatrice Marian Smyth . This sixty bed hospital assisted with blood transfusions, child births, and anaemia cases among men, women, children, and people from all over Kashmir, India. The work of

1176-462: A royal falcon delivered to his court from the ruler of Iran: "What can I write of the beauty of this bird's colour? It had black markings, and every feather on its wings, back, and sides was extremely beautiful," and then recorded his command that Ustad Mansur paint a portrait of it after it perished. " Nadiri " was a type of exclusive clothing designed by Jahangir, reserved for his personal use and esteemed courtiers. Jahangir bound and displayed much of

1260-660: A shroud and led blindly to the lady by a eunuch escort. Zenana missions The zenana missions were outreach programmes established in British India with the aim of converting women to Christianity . From the mid 19th century, they sent female missionaries into the homes of Indian women , including the private areas of houses - known as zenana - that male visitors were not allowed to see. Gradually these missions expanded from purely evangelical work to providing medical and education services. Hospitals and schools established by these missions are still active, making

1344-430: Is brought before me, either of deceased artists or of those of the present day, without the names being told me, I say on the spur of the moment that is the work of such and such a man. And if there is a picture containing many portraits and each face is the work of a different master, I can discover which face is the work of each of them. If any other person has put in the eye and eyebrow of a face, I can perceive whose work

1428-453: Is clear from Jahangir's own memoirs that he disliked Guru Arjan before then: "many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam." Guru Arjan's successor Guru Hargobind was imprisoned for sometime but released soon. He developed friendly relations with Jahangir and accompanied him on his journey to Kashmir just before the latter's death. According to Jahangir's memoirs, he issued

1512-524: Is noted by historians that this influence has been significantly recorded during the conquest of Kangra under Jahangir, that at the presence of Ahmad Sirhindi who observed the campaign, the Mughal forces had the Idols broken, a cow slaughtered, Khutbah sermon read, and other Islamic rituals performed. Further mark of Jahangir departure from Akbar secular policy were recorded Terry, a traveller, who came and observed India region between 1616-1619, where he found

1596-483: Is unclear whether Jahangir even understood what a Sikh was, referring to Guru Arjan as a Hindu, who had "captured many of the simple-hearted of the Hindus and even of the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners... for three or four generations (of spiritual successors) they had kept this shop warm." The trigger for Guru Arjan's execution was his support for Jahangir's rebel son Khusrau Mirza , yet it

1680-640: The Chaitanya sect for their temples in Vrindavan , but also made negative comments about their temples. He, like his father, dissaproved of reincarnation and idol worship and ordered the boar image to be removed from Rana Shankar's temple at Pushkar . Most notorious was the execution of the Sikh Guru Arjan Dev on Jahangir's orders. His lands were confiscated and his sons imprisoned as Jahangir suspected him of helping Khusrau's rebellion. It

1764-525: The daroghas , who often acted as an intelligence source from the zenana directly to the emperor. The royal anaga s (the Turki-language word used at the Mughal court for wetnurses ) were elevated to positions of rank, though their purpose was not strictly administrative. It was because male members of Mughal society did not closely define the concept of purdah as a reflection of their own honor that wives, daughters, and particularly unmarried women in

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1848-619: The zenana missions an important part of the history of Christianity in India . Women in India at this time were segregated under the purdah system, being confined to women's quarters known as a zenana , which men unrelated to them were forbidden to enter. The zenana missions were made up of female missionaries who could visit Indian women in their own homes with the aim of converting them to Christianity. The purdah system made it impossible for many Indian women, especially high status women, to access health care , and many were needlessly dying and suffering. By training as doctors and nurses,

1932-819: The Baptists inspired the formation of a British Anglican missionary society, the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society (founded 1880), which was involved in sending missionaries to mission stations in countries such as India (19th and 20th centuries) and late Qing dynasty China , beginning in 1884. Zenana missionaries had their establishments at Trivandrum , Palamcotta (Sarah Tucker College), Masulipatnam and Madras in South India, and Meerut , Jabalpur , Calcutta and Amritsar in North India. Educated Indian Christian women, who worked as assistants to

2016-558: The European imagination by Orientalism , the zenana functioned as the domain of female members of the household, ranging from wives to concubines to widows, unmarried sisters and cousins, and even further distant relations who were considered dependent kin. In addition to the women of rank, the zenana was populated by attendants of various skills and purposes to provide for the needs of the ladies residing within. All visiting friends, servants, and entertainers were invariably female, down to

2100-613: The Mughal Empire; he further confiscated churches that belonged to the Jesuits . This episode is considered to be an example of the struggle for wealth that would later ensue and lead to colonisation of the Indian sub-continent. Jahangir then gathered his forces under the command of Ali Kuli Khan and fought Raja Lakshmi Narayan Bhup of the Kingdom of Koch Bihar in the far eastern province of Bengal . Raja Lakshmi Narayan then accepted

2184-413: The Mughal court, Roe allegedly became a favourite of Jahangir and may have been his drinking partner; he arrived with gifts of "many crates of red wine" and explained to him what beer was and how it was made. The immediate result of the mission was to obtain permission and protection for an East India Company factory at Surat . While no major trading privileges were conceded by Jahangir, "Roe's mission

2268-521: The Mughals as his suzerains and was given the title Nazir , later establishing a garrison at Atharokotha. Jahangir was responsible for ending a century-long struggle with the Sisodia Rajput house of Mewar . The campaign against them was pushed so extensively that they were made to submit with great loss of life and property. In 1614, The East India Company persuaded King James I to send

2352-633: The Mughals tradition of being scrupulously secular in outlook. Stability, loyalty, and revenue were the main focus, not the religious change among their subjects. Jahangir was fascinated with art and architecture. In his autobiography, the Jahangirnama , Jahangir recorded events that occurred during his reign, descriptions of flora and fauna that he encountered, and other aspects of daily life, and commissioned court painters such as Ustad Mansur to paint detailed pieces that would accompany his vivid prose. For example, in 1619, he put pen to paper in awe of

2436-467: The Portuguese officially refused to return the ship and the passengers, the outcry at the Mughal court was unusually severe. The outrage was compounded by the fact that the owner and the patron of the ship was none other than the revered mother of the current emperor. Jahangir himself was outraged and ordered the seizure of the Portuguese town Daman . He ordered the apprehension of all Portuguese within

2520-510: The annual Hajj . The Rahimi was owned by Mariam-uz-Zamani , mother of Jahangir and Akbar's favourite consort. She was bestowed the title of 'Mallika-e-Hindustan' (Queen of Hindustan ) by Akbar and was subsequently referred to as same during Jahangir's reign. The Rahimi was the largest Indian ship sailing in the Red Sea and was known to the Europeans as the "great pilgrimage ship". When

2604-411: The art that he commissioned in elaborate albums of hundreds of images, sometimes organized around a theme such as zoology. Jahangir himself was far from modest in his autobiography when he stated his prowess at being able to determine the artist of any portrait by simply looking at a painting. As he said: ...my liking for painting and my practice in judging it have arrived at such point when any work

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2688-559: The bride's palanquin was carried by Akbar and Salim for some distance in her honor. The gifts given by Mariam-uz-Zamani to the bride and bride-groom were valued at twelve lakh rupees. She became his favorite wife and soon rose to the level of a consort rather than being a mere wife. Jahangir notes that he was extremely fond of her and designated her as his chief consort in the royal harem in his princely days. Jahangir also records his attachment and affection for her and makes notes of her unwavering devotion towards him. Jahangir honored her with

2772-770: The civil war finally ended in October 1625. In 1626, Jahangir began to contemplate an alliance between the Ottoman Empire , the Mughals, and the Khanate of Bukhara of the Uzbeks against the Safavids, who had defeated the Mughals at Kandahar . He even wrote a letter to the Ottoman Sultan , Murad IV . Jahangir's ambition did not materialise due to his death in 1627. A lifelong user of opium and wine, Jahangir

2856-640: The completion of the Jahangir Mahal a famous Mughal citadel in Orchha to commemorate and honour his victory. From the very beginning of Jahangir reign as emperor, he witnessed the internal rivalry of the bundela chiefs for control. Jahangir appointed his favourite Vir Singh, as the ruler of Orchha by removing his elder brother Raja Ram Shah. This greatly hampered the interest of Ram Shah's house. Thus, Ram Shah along with his family members Bharat Shah, Indrajit, Rao Bhupal, Angad, Prema, and Devi (the wife of

2940-416: The creation of this chain for his subjects to appeal to the emperor if they were denied justice at any level. Jahangir also took interest in public health and medicine. After his accession, he passed twelve orders, of which at least two were related to this area. The fifth order forbade the manufacturing and sale of rice spirit and any kind of intoxicating drugs, and the tenth order was instrumental in laying

3024-461: The deposed king) raised their arms in rebellion. However, Ram Shah was defeated by his brother Vir Singh with the help of imperial army under Abdullah Khan. Then the deposed Bundela chief escaped and continued to fight the Mughals for two years until he was finally arrested in 1607 and put in prison at Gwalior only later to be given the territory of Chanderi as his patrimony. On 28 June 1596, he married Khas Mahal Begum daughter of Zain Khan Koka

3108-465: The elimination of Abu'l Fazl, his father's chief minister and the architect of his eclectic religious stance, a powerful group of orthodox noblemen had gained increased power in the Mughal court. This included nobles especially like Shaykh Farid , Jahangir's trusted Mir Bakhshi , who held firmly the citadel of orthodoxy in Muslim India. Another influence for Jahangir changed his religious policies

3192-503: The extreme restrictions placed on access to the women's quarters, very few reliable descriptions are available. Still, modern scholars evaluating court records and travelogues contemporary with the Mughal period detail the women's lodgings as offering courtyards, ponds, fountains and gardens. The palaces themselves were decorated with mirrors, paintings and marble. Mariam-uz-Zamani had her own palace in Fatehpur Sikri's harem, which

3276-417: The fact that three of his nephews at one point converted to Christianity with his permission, although they would later reverse their decision. He issued 'Jahangiri coins' which had his own portrait. He even issued the zodiac series of gold and silver coins which had images of zodiac symbols alongside the radiating sun in the background, due to his faith in astrology. The sign of the zodiac was substituted for

3360-400: The foundation of free hospitals and appointment of physicians in all the cities of his empire. According to M. Athar Ali , Jahangir generally continued the religious policy of Akbar and had a major interest in pantheism . At the start of his regime, many staunch Sunnis were hopeful, because he seemed less tolerant of other faiths than his father had been. At the time of his accession and

3444-552: The fourth Mughal Emperor . Born as Prince Salim, he was the third and only surviving son of Emperor Akbar and his chief empress, Mariam-uz-Zamani . Akbar's quest for a successor took him to visit the Hazrat Ishaan and Salim Chishti , Sufi saints who prophesied the birth of three sons. Jahangir's birth in Fatehpur Sikri was seen as a fulfillment of Chishti's blessings, and he was named after him. His early life

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3528-464: The future emperor Shah Jahan , who was Jahangir's successor to the throne. On 26 June, Jahangir married a second Rathore Rajput princess Kunwari Sujas Deiji daughter of Raja Rai Singh of Bikaner an offshoot of Jodhpur . In July, he married Malika Shikar Begum daughter of Abu Sa'id Khan Chagatai. Also in 1586, he married Sahib-i-Jamal Begum daughter of Khwaja Hasan of Herat in Afghanistan

3612-552: The general good of the women. They also visited native women in hospitals and homes, providing healthcare services and facilities. Jahangir Nur-ud-din Muhammad Salim (31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627), known by his imperial name Jahangir ( Persian pronunciation: [d͡ʒa.hɑːn.ˈɡiːɾ] ; lit.   ' Conqueror of the World ' ), was Emperor of Hindustan from 1605 until his death in 1627, and

3696-639: The highly trained corps of armed women – guards known as urdubegis – assigned to escort and protect the women in the zenana. According to Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak , author of the Akbarnama , the zenana of Akbar the Great at Fatehpur Sikri was home to more than five thousand women, who had each been given her own suite of rooms. The size of the zenana meant that it was a community unto itself, and it thus required systematic administration to maintain; all of these administrators were female. Abu'l Fazl describes

3780-613: The house of Marwar . On 11 January 1592, he married Kanwal Rani daughter of Ali Sher Khan by his wife Gul Khatun. In October 1592, he married a daughter of Sultan Husain Chak of the Kashmir Sultanate . In January/March 1593, he married Nur un-Nisa Begum daughter of a Safavid Persian prince Ibrahim Husain Mirza by his wife Gulrukh Begum a daughter of Kamran Mirza brother of Mughal Emperor Humayun . In September 1593, he married

3864-530: The imperial Subadar of Kabul and Lahore . This marriage was initially opposed by Akbar as he did not approve of the marriage of cousins to the same man however seeing the melancholy of Salim being refused to marry her, Akbar approved of this union. She became one of his chief consorts after her marriage. In 1608, he married Saliha Banu Begum , daughter of Qasim Khan a senior member of the Imperial Household. She became one of his chief consorts and

3948-401: The modesty and seclusion required of purdah. When entering or exiting the zenana itself, female pallbearers carried their palanquins, and they were only transferred to male servants and eunuchs outside the walls of the zenana. Should outsiders be required to enter the zenana, as in the case of an illness where the lady could not be moved for her health, the visitor was covered from head to foot in

4032-472: The month in which the coin was minted. All of this was considered haram by the ulema due to which his successor Shahjahan ordered all those coins melted, accounting for their extreme rarity now. According to Richard M Eaton , Emperor Jahangir issued many edicts admonishing his nobles not to convert the religion of anybody by force, but the issuance of such orders also suggests that such conversions must have occurred during his rule in some measure. He continued

4116-636: The mosques full of worshippers, the exaltation of Quran and Hadith practical teaching, and the complete observance of Fasting during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Jahangir issued bans on cowslaugher and animal slaughter on certain days of the week in continuance of his father's policy. According to the Dabistan-i Mazahib he appointed Srikant of Kashmir to be qazi of the Hindus so that they would have their own judicial representative. He also continued his father's policy of patronizing Brahmins and temples. Notably he issued several grants to

4200-546: The most efficient zenana workers in India, and won the title of "the Apostle of the Zenanas." In 1856, Mrs. Mullens set up a small school at Bhawanipur, with twenty three students aged between eight and twenty. The Calcutta Normal school was established in the same year, to train native women for zenana work. By the 1880s, the zenana missions had expanded their ministry, opening schools to provide education for girls, including

4284-514: The original face is and who has painted the eye and eyebrow. Jahangir took his connoisseurship of art very seriously. He also preserved paintings from Emperor Akbar's period. An excellent example of this is the painting done by Ustad Mansur of Musician Naubat Khan , son-in-law of legendary Tansen . In addition to their aesthetic qualities, paintings created under his reign were closely catalogued, dated and even signed, providing scholars with fairly accurate ideas as to when and in what context many of

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4368-521: The policies of Akbar of tolerating Hindus in Mughal court. Yohanan Friedmann has noted that according to many modern historians and thinkers, the puritanical though of Ahmad Sirhindi has inspired the religious orthodoxy of emperor Aurangzeb . This was noted by how Ahmad Sirhindi manage to influence the successor of emperor Akbar, starting from Jahangir, into reversing Akbar policies such as lifting marriage age limits, mosque abolishments, and Hijra methodology revival which abandoned by his father. It

4452-595: The principles of the Christian faith. This programme also included home visits, the establishment women's hospitals and the opening of segregated women's wards in general hospitals. One society, the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission , was involved in recruiting female doctors, both by persuading female doctors in Europe to come to India and by encouraging Indian women to study medicine in their pursuit of conversion. As

4536-559: The province of Gujarat . A large number of the Koli chiefs were slaughtered and the rest hunted to their mountains and deserts. 169 heads of such Koli chiefs killed in battle by Nur-ul-llah Ibrahim, commander of 'Bollodo'. In the same year later, the Portuguese seized the Mughal ship Rahimi , which had set out from Surat on its way with a large cargo of 100,000 rupees and Pilgrims, who were on their way to Mecca and Medina to attend

4620-768: The reign of Akbar . Consequently, a siege was laid and the fort was taken in 1620, which "resulted in the submission of the Raja of Chamba who was the greatest of all the rajas in the region." The district of Kishtwar , in the vast province of Kashmir , was also conquered the same year. In October 1616, Jahangir sent Prince Khurram to fight against the combined forces of three rebel kingdoms of Ahmednagar , Bijapur and Golconda . Jahangir considered his third son, Khurram (regnal name Shah Jahan ) as his favourite son. In 1621 of February, However, when Nur Jahan married her daughter, Mihr-un-nissa Begum , to Jahangir's youngest son, Shahryar Mirza , Khurram suspected that his stepmother

4704-415: The stability of his rule. His poor health, caused by a lifetime of opium and alcohol use, led to his death in 1627, precipitating a brief succession crisis before the throne passed to his son, Shah Jahan . Jahangir's legacy lives on through his contributions to Mughal art and architecture, his memoirs, and the policies he implemented, which continued to influence the empire after his demise. Prince Salim

4788-641: The state caused the displeasure of both his courtiers and foreigners. In 1608, Jahangir posted Islam Khan I to subdue the rebel Musa Khan , the Masnad-e-Ala of the Baro-Bhuyan confederacy in Bengal , who was able to imprison him. In 1613, Jahangir issued a sanguinary order for the extirpation of the race of the Kolis who were notorious robbers and plunders living in the most inaccessible parts of

4872-558: The throne with the imperial grand title of Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir Badshah Ghazi and thus began his 22-year reign at the age of 36. Soon after, Jahangir had to fend off his son Khusrau Mirza when he attempted to claim the throne based on Akbar's will. Khusrau Mirza was defeated in the year 1606 with the support of the Barha and Bukhari sāda and confined in the fort of Agra . As punishment, Khusrau Mirza

4956-787: The throne. This period saw the empire's further entrenchment into the Indian subcontinent , including efforts to subdue the Rajput Kingdoms and extend Mughal authority into the Deccan . Jahangir's foreign policy included interactions with the Safavids of Persia and the Ottoman Empire , as well as with the English East India Company , marking the beginning of European influence in Indian politics and commerce. Despite his achievements, Jahangir's reign had challenges, including revolts led by his sons, which threatened

5040-661: The throne. To counter Nur Jahan, Abu'l Hassan put Dawar Bakhsh as the puppet ruler and confined Nur Jahan in the Shahdara. Upon his arrival in Agra in February 1628, Prince Khurram executed both Shahryar and Dawar and took the regnal name Shah Jahan (Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram). Jahangir was famous for his "Chain of Justice". In contemporary paintings, it has been shown as a golden chain with golden bells. In his memoir Tuzk-e-Jahangiri , he wrote that he ordered

5124-603: The title " Shah Begum" after she gave birth to Prince Khusrau Mirza , the eldest son of Jahangir. On 11 January 1586, Jahangir married one of his early favorite wives, a Rathore Rajput princess Kunwari Manawati Deiji, daughter of Mota Raja Udai Singh of the Kingdom of Marwar , at the bride's residence, i.e., Jodhpur After her death, Jahangir honored her with the title of "Bilqis Makani" ( lit.   ' Lady if Pure Abode ' ). She gave birth to two daughters of Salim, both of whom died during childhood and Prince Khurram ,

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5208-526: The upper-echelons of the empire were able to extend their influence beyond the physical structures of the zenana. That less-constrictive interpretation of purdah allowed the ladies of the Mughal court to indirectly participate in public life, most notably in civic building projects. Jahanara herself was responsible for the major alteration of Shahjahanabad , by constructing the now famous Chandni Chowk market in Old Delhi. Altogether, wives, daughters, and even

5292-409: The women of the zenana missions could be accepted by the women of India in a way that men would not have been. The Baptist Missionary Society inaugurated zenana missions in India in the mid 19th century. The first zenana mission resulted from a proposal by Thomas Smith in 1840, with the mission beginning in 1854, under the supervision of John Fordyce . Hana Catherine Mullens is known as one of

5376-532: The year 1620, she was designated the title of "Padshah Begum" and held it until the death of Jahangir in 1627. Her abilities are said to range from fashion and jewellery designing, perfumery, hunting to building architectural monuments and more. The ancestral lineage of Jahangir were traced from the House of Babur Jahangir's sons were: Jahangir's daughters were: He succeeded the throne on Thursday, 3 November 1605, eight days after his father's death. Salim ascended

5460-401: The zenana as being divided into sections, with daroghas appointed to tend to the financial and organizational needs of the residents. Other administrative positions included the tehwildar , or accounts officer, responsible for the salaries and financial requests of the inhabitants. Then there were the mahaldars , the female servant of the highest authority chosen from within the ranks of

5544-541: The zenana missionaries were known as Bible women . They came from notable families and worked among poor women in villages, towns, hospitals, schools, etc. The Bible women, helped bridge the vast cultural differences between the English missionaries and the village folk. The Bible women used indigenous ideas to teach and preach their ideals of a Christian God to the women of the subcontinent. They used music to reach out to its wide audience - to attract more women and to provide

5628-524: Was both a commercial center at the border of the Mughal Empire and the burial place of Babur , the founder of the Mughal Empire, Jahangir dispatched Prince Shahryar to repel the Safavids. However, due to Shahryar's inexperience and harsh Afghan winter, Kandahar fell to the Safavids . In 1623, Emperor Jahangir sent his tehsildar , Khan Alam, to Safavid Persia , accompanied by 800 sepoys, scribes and scholars, along with ten howdahs well decorated in gold and silver, to negotiate peace with Emperor Abbas after

5712-400: Was designated the honorary title of " Padshah Begum " and for most of the reign of Jahangir retained this title. After her death, this title was passed to Nur Jahan. On 17 June 1608, he married a second Kachwaha Rajput princess Kunwari Koka Kumari eldest daughter of Jagat Singh, the deceased heir apparent or "Yuvraj" of Amber and grandaughter of Mirza Raja Man Singh I . This marriage

5796-452: Was due to the action of Ahmad Sirhindi , who routinely attend the court debates to counteract some religious beliefs and doctrines which prevalent in the court. In the process, it is recorded from these correspondence which compiled in 1617, that Farid Murtaza Khan took Ahmad Sirhindi advices regarding this matter. His efforts influenced Abul Fazl , protegee of emperor Akbar, to support Ahmad Sirhindi in effort to convince Jahangir to reverse

5880-534: Was expecting a child, an order was passed for the establishment of a royal palace in Fatehpur Sikri near the lodgings of Salim Chishti, where the Empress could enjoy the repose in the vicinity of the saint. Mariam was shifted to the palace established there and during her pregnancy, Akbar himself used to travel to Sikri and used to spend half of his time in Sikri and another half in Agra. One day, while Mariam-uz-Zamani

5964-483: Was frequently ill in the 1620s. Jahangir was trying to restore his health by visiting Kashmir and Kabul. He went from Kabul to Kashmir but decided to return to Lahore because of a severe cold. In 1627 on 29 October, during the journey from Kashmir to Lahore, Jahangir died near Bhimber . To embalm and preserve his body, the entrails were removed; these were buried inside Baghsar Fort near Bhimber in Kashmir. The body

6048-467: Was handed over to his younger brother and was partially blinded. From the time of his marriage with Mehr-un-Nissa, later known as Empress Nur Jahan , Jahangir left the reins of government in her hands and appointed her family and relatives to high positions. Nur Jahan had complete freedom of speech near Jahangir without any reprimand. On the contrary, she could nag and fight with him on the smallest issue. Thus, her unprecedented freedom of action to control

6132-511: Was held at the palace of Jahangir's mother Mariam-uz-Zamani in Agra. On 11 January 1610, he accepted the hand of the daughter of Raja Ram Shah Bundela of Orchha in marriage to mark a formal end to the hostilities between them. At some point, he had also married Kabuli Begum daughter of Mirza Muhammad Hakim son of Emperor Humayun . She was also one of the later chief consorts of Jahangir. Jahangir married Mehr-un-Nisa (better known by her subsequent title of Nur Jahan ) on 25 May 1611. She

6216-627: Was marked by a combination of artistic achievement and political intrigue, set against the backdrop of the Mughal Empire 's considerable expansion and consolidation. Jahangir's rule is distinguished by his commitment to justice and his interest in the arts, particularly painting and architecture, which flourished during his reign. Jahangir's reign was characterized by a complex relationship with his nobility and family, notably reflected in his marriage to Mehar-un-Nisa (later known as Empress Nur Jahan ), who wielded significant political influence behind

6300-413: Was marked by personal tragedy, including the death of his twin brothers in infancy, which led to a sense of grief in his family. His early education was comprehensive, covering various subjects including Persian , Hindustani , and military tactics . Jahangir's upbringing was heavily influenced by the cultural and spiritual heritage of his family, setting the stage for his later rule as emperor. His reign

6384-416: Was near her confinement, she was shifted to the humble dwelling of Salim by Akbar where she gave birth to Salim. He was named after Salim, given the faith of Akbar in the efficacy of the prayers of the holy man. Jahangir's foster mother was the daughter of Salim Chishti, and his foster brother was Qutubuddin Koka , the grandson of Chishti. Jahangir began his education at the age of five. On this occasion,

6468-483: Was pregnant with Salim, the baby stopped kicking in the womb abruptly. Akbar was at that time hunting cheetahs when this matter was reported to him. Thinking if he could have done anything more for the safety of his unborn child, he vowed that from that day he would never hunt cheetahs on Fridays and Salim notes in his autobiography that Akbar kept his vow throughout his life. Salim, too, in reverence for his father's vow, never hunted cheetahs on Friday. When Mariam-uz-Zamani

6552-615: Was supposedly one of his tutors on the subject of warfare tactics. During this time, Jahangir grew up fluent in Persian and premodern Urdu , with a "respectable" knowledge of Persianified courtly Chaghatai ("Turki"), the Mughal ancestral language. On 24 February 1585, Jahangir married the Kachwaha Rajput princess of Amber Kunwari Manbhawat Deiji in her native town Amber . A lavish ceremony took place in Amber Fort and

6636-451: Was the beginning of a Mughal-Company relationship that would develop into something approaching a partnership and see the "EIC" gradually drawn into the Mughal nexus". While Roe's detailed journals are a valuable source of information on Jahangir's reign, the Emperor did not return the favour, with no mention of Roe in his voluminous diaries. In 1615, Jahangir captured Kangra Fort , whose Katoch rulers came under Mughal vassalship during

6720-451: Was the masterpiece fusion of Rajasthani and Persian elements and was the biggest residential palace of the fort. Jahanara , daughter of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal , famously lived in her own apartment decorated with valuable carpets, and murals of flying angels. Other amenities depicted in illustrations of court life include running water and meticulous gardens. Rather than being the prison-like space of licentious activity popularized for

6804-419: Was the third son born to Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani in the capital city of Fatehpur Sikri on 31 August 1569. He had two elder twin brothers, Hassan and Hussain Mirza , born in 1564, both of whom died in infancy. Grief-struck, Akbar took Mariam-uz-Zamani along with him after their sons' demise as he set out for a war campaign, and, during his return to Agra , he sought the blessings of Salim Chishti,

6888-457: Was the widow of a high-ranking Persian nobleman Sher Afgan . Mehr-un-Nisa became his utmost favorite wife after their marriage and was the last of his chief consorts. She was witty, intelligent, and beautiful, which attracted Jahangir to her. Before being awarded the title of Nur Jahan ('Light of the World'), she was called Nur Mahal ('Light of the Palace'). After the death of Saliha Bano Begum in

6972-489: Was then conveyed by palanquin to Lahore and was buried in Shahdara Bagh , a suburb of that city. His son, Shah Jahan, commissioned his tomb and is today a popular tourist attraction site. Jahangir's death launched a minor succession crisis. While Nur Jahan desired her son-in-law, Shahryar Mirza, to take the throne, her brother Abu'l-Hassan Asaf Khan was corresponding with his son-in-law, Prince Khurram to take over

7056-537: Was trying to maneuver Shahryar as the successor to Jahangir. Using the rugged terrain of Deccan to his advantage, Khurram launched a rebellion against Jahangir in 1622. This precipitated a political crisis in Jahangir's court. Khurram murdered his blind older brother, Khusrau Mirza, to smooth his path to the throne. Simultaneously, the Safavid emperor Abbas the Great attacked Kandahar in the winter of 1622. Since it

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