| Shah Begum | |
|---|---|
| Rajkumari of Amer | |
 French Engraving of Shah Begum at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata | |
| Born | Manbhawati Bai c. 1570 Amber, Amber Kingdom, Mughal Empire (modern-day Rajasthan, India) |
| Died | 5 May 1605 (aged 34–35) Allahabad, Awadh Subah, Mughal Empire (modern-day Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Kachhwaha (by birth) Timurid (by marriage) |
| Father | Raja Bhagwant Das |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Shah Begum (lit. 'Royal Begum'; c. 1570[citation needed] – 5 May 1605) was the first wife and chief consort of Prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir). She was known as Zan-i-Kalan being the first wife of Salim.[citation needed] She was a Rajput princess by birth and committed suicide shortly before the succession of her husband to the royal throne. She was the mother of the eldest daughter and son of Prince Salim, Sultan-un-Nissa Begum and Khusrau Mirza.
Manbhawati Bai[citation needed], known popularly as Maan Bai,[1] was the daughter of Raja Bhagwant Das, the ruler of Amer.[2] She was the granddaughter of Raja Bharmal and sister of Raja Man Singh and Raja Madho Singh. Furthermore, she was also a niece of Mariam-uz-Zamani who eventually became her mother-in-law as well.[3] This would make her a maternal cousin of her husband, Prince Salim. Her marriage to Prince Salim was arranged by her aunt and mother-in-law, Mariam-uz-Zamani.
At age fifteen, Salim was betrothed to his cousin, Rajkumari Man Bai. This marriage was fixed by the mother of Prince Salim, Mariam-uz-Zamani.[4][5] Akbarnaama quotes, "Rajah Bhagwan Das Kacchwaha, who held high office and who had lofty lineage and abilities, had a daughter whose purity adorned her high extraction and who was endowed with beauty and graces, and that it was the wish of her family that she should be united to the prince."[6] Akbar readily agreed to this match expressing that the bride belonged to the family having a "fine genetic pool". She was widely known for her beauty, high ideals, and principles.
The marriage settlement was fixed at two crore tankas. Akbar himself, accompanied by all his nobles numerous and diverse golden vessels set with precious stones, utensils of gold and silver, and all sorts of riches, the quantity of which is beyond all computation. The imperial nobles were presented with Persian, Turkish, and Arabian horses, with golden saddles. Along with the bride, were given several male and female slaves, of Indian, Abyssinian, and Circassian origin.[7] As the Imperial procession returned along highways covered with rare and choice cloth, the Emperor scattered over the bridal litter, gold, and jewels in careless profusion. To honour her household which was the abode of the highest-ranking nobles of the Mughal court and was the native household of the chief consort of Akbar and mother of Prince Salim, Mariam-uz-Zamani, Akbar and Salim themselves carried the palanquin of the bride on their shoulders for some distance.[8] The gifts given by Mariam Zamani to the bride and bride-groom were valued at twelve lakh rupees.[9]
Nizamuddin remarks that she was considered to be the best and most suitable princess as the first wife of Prince Salim.[10] Abul Fazl in Akbarnama illustrates her as a jewel of chastity and describes her as an extremely beautiful woman whose purity adorned her high extraction and was endowed with remarkable beauty and graces.[11]
The couple's first child was a daughter named Sultan-un-Nissa Begum, who was born on 25 April 1586 and died on 5 September 1646.[12] She lived for sixty years. The couple's second child was a son named Khusrau Mirza, who was born on 16 August 1587. At his birth, Man Bai was bestowed the prestigious title of "Shah Begum" meaning "The royal lady".[13][14]
With her fidelity and sincere devotion to Jahangir, she won a special place in his heart. Jahangir was extremely fond of her and had her designated as his chief consort in his princely days. Jahangir while referring to her death in his biography records his attachment and affection for her.[15]
Shah Begum constantly advised Khusrau to be loyal to his father. When she saw that it was of no use, she decided to take her own life finding no way to reconcile father and son which was the token of her fidelity towards her husband, Salim.[16]
Shah Begum died on 5 May 1605.[17] She was incapable of tolerating the misconduct of her son, and brother, Madho Singh towards Jahangir, which despaired her life in a circumstantial trauma.[18] The constant complaints of Salim to Akbar about Khusrau had put her mind at the stage of confusion and filled her heart with melancholy. Further, gaining no success in pursuing Khusrao to be loving and loyal toward his father, she became overwhelmed with grief and this failure added to her woes. One day when Salim had gone on hunting, she stole away from her maids, consumed excess opium, and committed suicide.[15] Jahangir was devastated over the news of her death and much to his grief didn't consume meals for four days. He was eventually pacified by his mother, Mariam-uz-Zamani.[19]
Jahangir in his biography says,
What shall I write of her goodness and excellence? She had a mind to perfection and she was so loyal to me that she would have sacrificed a thousand sons and brothers for one hair on my head. She constantly wrote advice to Khusrau and tried to reason with him to be loving and loyal to me. When she saw it was of no use and there was no telling where it would end, she decided to take her own life out of zeal which is an integral part of the Rajput culture. While I was away on a hunt, on the twenty-sixth of Dhu'l-Hijja 1013 (May 5, 1605), with her mind in a state of imbalance she ate a lot of opium and died soon thereafter. Since she was incapable of tolerating the misconduct of her son and brother towards me, she despaired of her life in a fit of madness and delivered herself of all this pain and grief. With her death, given the attachment I had to her, I passed my days without deriving pleasure in any way from life or living. For four nights and days, I was so upset that I took no food or drink.
— Jahangir, Emperor of India, Tūzuk-i-Jahangīrī, Volume I p. 51
When Akbar was informed of Salim's state, he wrote him a letter of condolence so loving and compassionately and sent him a robe of honor and his turban that he at that moment was wearing to pacify his son. Akbar grieved the death of his daughter-in-law as he was very fond of her son, Khusrau Mirza.[20]
Jahangir in her honor ordered the construction of her tomb and entrusted it to Aqa Reza, the principal artist at Allahabad court. Shah Begum's tomb is located in Khusrau Bagh, Allahabad. It was completed in 1606-07.[21]
With Jahangir, Shah Begum had at least two children: