Those Who Stood Behind the "Great Mughals": Challenging the Narratives about the Women in the Mughal Empire

Abstract: The history of India will always be synonymous with the greatness of the Mughals. Whilst a plethora of research has been done on the lives of the Great Mughal Emperors, little is known about the women behind them and their role in the political dynamic. Perhaps the only two known women of the Empire are Mumtaz Mahal, the Begum for whom “the Taj Mahal was built” and the “shrewd” “overambitious” Nur Jahan.

Using primary sources like the ‘Tūzuk-i Bābrī’, ‘Aḥvāl-i Humāyūn Pādshāh’, ‘Akbarnameh’ and ‘Tūzuk-i Jahangiri’—this research paper strives to not only examine the stories of other significant albeit veiled princesses (viz. Khanzada Begum, Gulbadan Banu Begum and Zinat un-nisa Begum) but revisit the narratives of these famous Begums. Beyond the princesses, the significance of non-royal inmates of the harem—the milk mothers, has also been highlighted.

Attempts have been made to understand why the Mughal harem has become synonymous with promiscuity in popular thought. Arguments have also been presented to ‘demythicise’ the term and analyse how women subtly exercised their political ambition within the veil of the harem.

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