Rukmavati Bai
| Rukmavati Bai | |
|---|---|
 Ladies of the harem engaging in celebration after the birth of Prince Murad, Rukmavati possibly among them c.1590 | |
| Born | Jodhpur, Kingdom of Marwar, Mughal Empire (modern-day Rajasthan, India) |
| Died | Agra, Mughal Empire |
| Spouse | Akbar |
| House | Rathore (by birth) Mughal/Timurid (by marriage) |
| Father | Maldeo Rathore |
| Mother | Tipu Gudi |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Life
By birth, Rukmavati was a princess of the Kingdom of Marwar and belonged to the Rathore clan. Rukamavati's father, Maldeo Rathore, was the Rao of Marwar. She was born to one of his concubines (patar) named Tipu Gudi, who was the daughter of Mano Guno of the Rohila community.[1] She had two brothers, Mahesdas and Dungarsi.[2] Rukmavati thus did not enjoy high status in the royal Marwar household as the daughters of the legal consorts were more favoured than those of the concubines.
Marriage to Akbar
She married Akbar as part of a dolo union as opposed to a formal marriage, serving as an expression of vassalage to an overlord in the tradition. The exact date of her marriage to Akbar is not recorded.[3][4] However, she was respected in the imperial harem as she had many powerful in-laws. Three of her sisters, Kankavati Bai, Lal Bai, and Ratnavati were the consorts of Sultan Mahmud Shah of Gujarat, Islam Sher Suri of the Sur Dynasty and Haji Khan Pathan of Mewat, respectively.[5]
References
- ↑ Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 113. ISBN 978-81-241-1066-9.
- ↑ The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto, Rajasthan: Select Translations Bearing on the History of a Rajput Family, 1462–1660, Volumes 1–2. University of Michigan Press. 2001. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-89148-085-3.
- ↑ "INDRANI CHATTERJEE and RICHARD M. EATON, editors. Slavery and South Asian History. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 2006. Pp. xxi, 344. Cloth $65.00, paper $24.95". The American Historical Review. 112 (4): 1293–1294. 2007-10-01. doi:10.1086/ahr.112.4.1293-c. ISSN 0002-8762.
- ↑ Chandra, Satish (1993). Mughal religious policies, the Rajputs & the Deccan. New Delhi: Vikas Pub. House. ISBN 978-0-7069-6385-4.
- ↑ Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 113. ISBN 978-81-241-1066-9.