Queens of Jahangir

Out of the 800 concubines of Jahangir in his Harem we know much better about three ladies.

1. One was Manbhawati Bai, daughter of Bhagwan Das of Amber. She gave birth to the rebellious prince Khusrau Mirza. The mother had poisoned herself to death amid the turmoil in the family.
2. Another was Princess Manmati (Taj Bibi, Bilqis Makani) who was daughter of a raja of Jodhpur (Marwar) . She gave birth to Khurram, the prince who later succeeded Jahangir as Shah Jahan.
3. The third wife was Nur Jahan or Mehr-un-Nisa, whose number in Jahangir’s wives was 20th. She was a widow of an Afghan named Sher Afghan Quli Khan, who was killed in amiss by the Mughals.

Jahangir married Nur Jahan in 1611. She is known as the actual ruler when her husband was suffering from the curses of his own habit of drinking too much and using opium. Coins were also struck in her name. After Jahangir died in 1628, she was confined in her palace for rest of her life.