Question

Answer the following questions.

1. Who are being depicted in the painting?
2. Why is the lady important?
3. She married her niece to the heir of the Mughal empire. Who was her niece, and whom did she marry?

Answer 1

1. Emperor Jahangir and his wife Nur Jahan.
2. The lady is Nur Jahan, who was very powerful and influential at the Mughal court. Nur Jahan was talented and, because Jahangir trusted her, she controlled many state appointments, had her relatives given important posts, and even had her name on some royal coins so she effectively shared power and became the “virtual ruler” for a time.
3. Her niece was Arjumand Banu Begum (better known as Mumtaz Mahal), and Nur Jahan married her to Prince Khurram, who later became Emperor Shah Jahan. Nur Jahan arranged the marriage of her niece Mumtaz Mahal to Jahangir’s favourite son, Prince Khurram; Khurram later took the throne as Shah Jahan.