Jahanra Begum | Rukhsan Iftkhar

This study attempts to present ent the contribution of Jahanara Begum, the eldest daughter of Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. It explores the filial love, political insight, preservice in diversity, reconciling mind and mystical tendencies of this Mughal princess. It shows the socio-political context and the intellectual traditions of the royal Mughal ladies where Jahanara emerged as the key figure of the Shahjahan harem. Jahanara brought the historiographical tradition of Gulbadan Begum, the daughter of Mughal Emperor Zaheer-ud-din Babur into a new apex. She also earned a good reputation as a biographer of her spiritual guide Khawja Moin-ud-din Chishti and showed a keen interest in prose and poetry. Jahanara was a seasoned politician, a selfless Sufi, a great counselor, healer of her father and mediator of her siblings, a good advisor and diplomat of her time. This research substantiates the excellence of Jahanara with authentic evidence and questions much poor evidence. It counters the follicles of the certain European travelers regarding the celibacy of Jahanara and stereotypical approaches to evaluate the royal Mughal ladies. This research also challenges the false charges and baseless rumors and refute them with better imperial sources. This study uses the most reliable accounts of Mughal Empire especially in the period of Emperor Shahjahan and Aurangzeb to explicate the moral character of Jahanara, Padshah Begum or Begum Saheb. This research is pertinent to study the role of women during the monarchy of Mughal India.