Padshah Begum
| Padshah Begum of the Mughal Empire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | Her Imperial Majesty |
| Residence | Agra Fort |
| Appointer | Mughal Emperors |
| Precursor | |
| Formation | 21 April 1526 |
| First holder | Maham Begum |
| Final holder | Zeenat Mahal |
| Abolished | 14 September 1857 |
Padshah Begum (Persian: پادشاه بیگم) was a superlative imperial title conferred upon the empress consort of the Mughal Empire and was considered to be the most important title in the Mughal harem or zenana.[1] This title is generally equivalent to "Empress" or "First Lady" and signifies that its holder was entrusted with a portion of the emperor's authority and status.[2]
List of Padshah Begum
| Padshah Begum | Tenure | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Until | ||
| Maham Begum | 1526 | 1530 |
|
| Khanzada Begum | 1530 | 1531 |
|
| Bega Begum | 1531 | 1540 |
|
| Hamida Banu Begum | 1555 | 1556 | |
| Mariam-uz-Zamani | 1569 | 1605 |
|
| Saliha Banu Begum | 1608 | 1620 |
|
| Nur Jahan | 1620 | 1627 | |
| Mumtaz Mahal | 1628 | 1631 |
|
| Jahanara Begum | 1631 | 1658 |
|
| 1669 | 1681 | ||
| Roshanara Begum | 1658 | 1669 | |
| Zinat-un-Nissa Begum | 1681 | 1721 |
|
| Badshah Begum | 1721 | 1789 |
|
| Zeenat Mahal | 1840 | 1857 |
|
Etymology
Padeshah, Padshah, Padishah, or Badishah is a superlative royal title, composed of the Persian pād (master) and shāh (king), which was adopted by several monarchs claiming the highest rank, equivalent to that of an ancient Persian notion of "The Great" or "Great King", and later adopted by post-Achaemenid and Christian Emperors. Its Arabized pronunciation as Badshah was used by Mughal emperors, and Bashah or Pasha was used by Ottoman Sultans.
Begum, begam, baigum or beygum is a female royal and aristocratic title from Central and South Asia. It is the feminine equivalent of the title baig or bey, which in Turkic languages means chief or commander. It usually refers to the wife or daughter of a beg.
Historical usage
The title of 'Padshah Begum' could only be bestowed upon the chief or principal wife, a sister, mother, or a favored daughter of the Mughal emperor[3] and could not be held by more than one lady simultaneously.[4] This was evidenced by the fact that Emperor Jahangir's wife, Nur Jahan, could only be given the title after his chief wife, Saliha Banu Begum (the Padshah Begum for most of his reign), had died in 1620.[1]
Where the consorts of the Mughal emperors were concerned, the title could only be bestowed upon the chief wife of the emperor. The title was first bestowed upon Maham Begum, who was the chief wife of Emperor Babur. Between 1530 and 1531, Humayun bestowed this title upon Khanzada Begum, his beloved paternal aunt. Then, in 1531, he granted the title of Padshah Begum to his powerful wife, Bega Begum, who held the title until 1540. During Humayun’s second reign, from 1555 to 1556, he bestowed this title upon another beloved wife, Hamida Banu Begum, the mother of his successor, Akbar.Akbar bestowed this title upon his most beloved and powerful wife, Mariam-uz-Zamani, who was the mother of Jahangir Shah, Akbar’s successor. She held this title until Akbar’s death in 1605 and became one of the most powerful Padshah Begums of the Mughal Empire.[5] Emperor Jahangir bestowed this title upon his chief wife, Saliha Banu Begum, and then to her successor (after her death), Nur Jahan. Emperor Shah Jahan bestowed this title upon his chief wife, Mumtaz Mahal but after she died, he bestowed it upon his daughter Jahanara Begum. Shahar Banu Begum was briefly called Padshah begum during the short reign of her husband Azam Shah, but it is unknown if the title was actually given to her.[6] Emperor Muhammad Shah bestowed this title upon his chief wife Badshah Begum.
The title was also bestowed upon the daughter of the emperor, such as Emperor Shah Jahan's daughter, Princess Jahanara Begum, and Emperor Aurangzeb's daughter, Princess Zinat-un-Nissa, both of whom bore the title throughout their lives.[7]
In some cases, the title was also bestowed upon the sister of the emperor. Aurangzeb bestowed the title on his sisters Roshanara Begum and Jahanara Begum. When a Timurid Shahzadi held the title it meant "Empress amongst princesses".[8]
In popular culture
- Badshah Begum, a 2022 Pakistani television drama based on the concept of Padshah Begum.[9]
See also
References
- 1 2 Findly, Ellison Banks (1993). Nur Jahan, empress of Mughal India. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 95, 125. ISBN 9780195360608.
- ↑ Findly, Ellison Banks (1993). Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India. Oxford University Press. p. 94.
Noblewomen who entered the zanana were often given new titles as a mark of honor or special privilege. Mihrunnisa, of course, is the most famous, receiving the name Nur Mahal, "Light of the Palace," upon her marriage in 1611 and Nur Jahan, "Light of the World," in 1616. Akbar gave his mother the title Maryam Makani, "Mary of the Two Worlds," and Jahangir's mother was known as Maryamuzzamani, "Mary of the Universe." Shah Jahan's mother was called Bilqis Makani, "Lady of the Pure Abode," after her death, and his wife, Arjumand Banu Begam, is best known as Mumtaz Mahal, "Exalted of the Palace," and Malika-i Jahan, "Queen of the World." After Arjumand Banu's death in 1631, Shah Jahan's favorite daughter, Jahanara, was given the place of honor in the harem as well as the title Sahibatuzzamani, "Mistress of the Age." The most important title in the zanana, however, was Padshah Begam, "Imperial Empress" or "First Lady" of the realm. Begam was a general title of honor given to high-ranking women.
- ↑ Aftab, Tahera (2008). Inscribing South Asian Muslim Women: an Annotated Bibliography & Research Guide ([Online-Ausg.] ed.). Brill. p. 66. ISBN 9789004158498.
- ↑ The Journal of the Numismatic Society of India, Volumes 20-21. Numismatic Society of India. 1958. p. 223.
- ↑ Badayuni, Abdul Qadir. Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh. Vol. III.
Begum Pädshāh, the mother of his Majesty, busied herself in the ladies' apartments of the palace in interceding for the Shaikh and said to the Emperor. My son, he has an aged and decrepit mother in Ajmer.
- ↑ Sharma, Sudha (21 March 2016). The Status of Muslim Women in Medieval India. SAGE Publications India. p. 82. ISBN 978-9-351-50567-9.
- ↑ Schimmel, Annemarie (2004). The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture. Reaktion Books. p. 152. ISBN 1861891857.
- ↑ Butenschön, Andrea (1931). The Life of a Mogul Princess: Jahānarā Begum, Daughter of Shāhjahān. Taylor & Francis. p. 221.
- ↑ Mohammad Kamran Jawaid (2022-02-16). "With no saas-bahu drama in sight, Badshah Begum wants to push the boundaries of television". DAWN Images. Retrieved 2022-02-25.