60 Facts About Mariam-uz-Zamani

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the longest-serving Hindu empress of the Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty-three years.

Mariam-uz-Zamani is widely regarded in modern Indian historiography as exemplifying both Akbar's tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies within an expanding multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was said to possess uncommon beauty and was widely known for both her grace and intellect.

Mariam-uz-Zamani occupied an important place in Akbar's harem and was senior-ranking of Akbar who in the words of Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, commanded a high rank in the imperial harem.

Mariam-uz-Zamani is described as an intellectual, amiable, kind and auspicious woman who held many privileges during her time as Empress and Queen mother of Mughal Empire.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the favourite and an influential consort of Akbar who had substantial personal wealth and was regarded as one of the wealthiest women of her time.

Mariam-uz-Zamani is regarded as the most prodigious woman trader of the Mughal empire who helped chart the role of Mughal women in the newly expanding business of foreign trade.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the mother of Akbar's eldest surviving son and eventual successor, Jahangir, and the grandmother of Shah Jahan.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was born in 1542 as a concubine's daughter to Raja Bharmal of Amer and not by his wife Rani Champavati, daughter of Rao Ganga Solanki.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was born to some low caste concubine of Raja Bharmal.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's claimed paternal grandparents were Raja Prithviraj Singh I and Apurva Devi, a daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's marriage was the result of a conflict between her father and Akbar's brother-in-law, Sharif-ud-din Mirza, the Hakim of Mewat.

Mariam-uz-Zamani had a surfeit of intelligence, wit and female magnetism that charmed Akbar.

Mariam-uz-Zamani took Man Singh, the youthful son of Bhagwant Das into the royal service.

Mariam-uz-Zamani came to exercise profound impact on the socio-cultural environment of the entire royal household and changed the lifestyle of Akbar.

Not only was the princess of Amber to become a highly respected Qadasi Arkani Mariam-uz-Zamani, the queen mother of Akbar's firstborn son and later successor: this marriage sealed the mighty Rajput-Mughal alliance that would become the backbone of Akbar's military power and the very foundation of Mughal Empire.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's relatives were not treated as mere vassals, but as true allies, friends, and family members, in every respect, equal or superior to the leading Muslim amirs.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's family became some of the highest-ranking nobles in Akbar's court.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's family was held in high esteem by Akbar for their unmatchable courage, devotion, and loyalty all of which greatly endeared to the Emperor.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was a devotee of Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna.

Mariam-uz-Zamani is illustrated to wear heavy, swinging, and gathered ghagra which would stop well above her ankle and a tightly fitting choli, tied at back with tasselled strings.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's roots were deeply embedded in the Rajput culture and style which was exhibited in her colourful and elaborated odhani or embroidered lehengas.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was honoured with the name of 'Wali Nimat Begum' by Akbar after giving birth to her twins.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was given the high honour of being titled 'Mariam-uz-Zamani'.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was referred as Queen of the country during her husband's reign and Queen Mother during the reign of her son.

Mariam-uz-Zamani is described as a charismatic and adventurous woman having a high-spirited disposition and a taste for the unusual.

Mariam-uz-Zamani commanded unreserved respect from all communities not only for her distinguished virtues of tolerance but for her wide-ranging munificence and solicitude for the poor.

Mariam-uz-Zamani is often considered, in tradition, as a major driving force and prime inspiration for Akbar's promotion of secularism.

Mariam-uz-Zamani had an amazing life and went on to become a very influential, powerful, and wealthy woman.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's life was not a typical Mughal life of a queen that we imagine, of putting on ittar and perfume and changing clothes every hour.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's palace was decorated with paintings of Lord Krishna and in its time is reported to be studded with gems and frescoes.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the patron of several towns during her reign and held many jagirs.

Mariam-uz-Zamani had numerous agents, middlemen, and financial advisers, "mirroring in miniature the Emperor's finance ministry".

Mariam-uz-Zamani had her vakils to advise her and maintain her various properties.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was one of the four senior-most figures in the Mughal court and the only woman to hold the highest military rank which was at par with the rank of the emperor itself, 12,000 cavalry units.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was known to receive a jewel from every nobleman "according to his estate" each year on the occasion of the New Year's festival, an honour bestowed upon no other Mughal Empress.

Mariam-uz-Zamani had made sincere efforts to spread education among the common people.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the senior-most woman in the imperial harem and held a high rank since the reign of her Emperor husband.

Mariam-uz-Zamani had the right to issue official documents and edicts in her name, called Farman.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was greatly interested in trade and commerce and is the earliest recorded woman who consistently engaged in inland and overseas trade.

Mariam-uz-Zamani often had long discussions about her business with her.

Mariam-uz-Zamani stands out as an adviser who maintained that without a strong navy, the Mughal Empire would be overtaken by foreign armies.

Nur Jahan and Jahanara Begum carried on the legacy of Mariam-uz-Zamani by engaging in overseas trade and commerce.

In late 1610 or early 1611, when Mariam-uz-Zamani's ship was being loaded for Mocha, she sent one of her agents to buy indigo in Bayana to be put aboard the ship for sale in Mocha.

Mariam-uz-Zamani offered a little more than she would have given, got the indigo, and made off with it.

When Mariam-uz-Zamani heard that she had been outbid by an Englishman and had to suffer a great loss as the ship was set to sail, she was furious and complained to her son, the emperor, who made the English representative at the court, William Hawkins, suffer for a long time after that, mentioning that he had no choice but to curry favour with the jesuits to obtain safe conduct that would allow him and his wife to travel to Goa, from where they would embark for Europe.

Mariam-uz-Zamani informed Hawkins that he planned to sell the indigo in Aleppo, a Syrian city, and then travel back to England.

William Finch's hasty decision to outbid the charismatic Mariam-uz-Zamani had catastrophic consequences for the immediate future of the East India Company at Jahangir's court.

Mariam-uz-Zamani paid obeisance to his mother by touching her feet and records these instances with a sense of pride in his memoirs.

When Mariam-uz-Zamani reached Akbar's court safely, many people, with gifts in their hands, went forth from the city to welcome her.

Mariam-uz-Zamani hosted several events and royal functions at her palace, like Jahangir's solar and lunar weighings, all his birthday celebrations, Jahangir's marriage to the Amer princess, daughter of Kunwar Jagat Singh, Shahzada Parviz's wedding to the daughter of Sultan Murad Mirza and the henna ceremony of Ladli Begum, daughter of Nur Jahan and Shahryar Mirza.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was one of the great female patrons of art and architecture of her time.

Mariam-uz-Zamani constructed one of the earliest built mosques in Lahore, Pakistan, as per Mughal architecture, known as the Begum Shahi Mosque.

Mariam-uz-Zamani sponsored a remarkable public work, a baoli along with a garden near the old district at Brahambad, Bayana.

Mariam-uz-Zamani laid a large garden around the tomb of her deceased Emperor husband, Akbar and was later buried there.

Mariam-uz-Zamani commissioned the entrance to the Lahore fort, known as Masjidi Darwaza, now corrupted into Masti Darwaja.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's tomb, built between 1623 and 1627, is on Tantpur Road in Jyoti Nagar, next to the tomb of Akbar.

Mariam-uz-Zamani's tomb resembles her husband's mausoleum in one important aspect, the upper storey of both is open to the sun and rain, and its upper corners are embellished by beautiful pavilions surmounted by lovely domes.

Mughal Emperor Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum are confirmed to have at least three children:.

Mariam-uz-Zamani was the foster mother of two of her stepchildren:.