Evening star., 1904-03-18
SOME MOGUL QUEENS
ReStin the Wonderful Palaces
of Northern India.
CAREER OF MUIR JEHAN
DAUGHTER OF AN OBSCURE PER-
SIAN SCHOLAR.
Equal of Elizabeth in Intellect and
Mary Stuart in Physical
Attractions.
CAREER OF MUIR JEHAN
BY WILLIAM Z. CURTIS.

thing about the women who lived in the
wonderful palaces and are buried in the
beautiful tombs have been writing about
for two or three days. They had their
rcmances and their tragedies, and although
the Mohammedan custom kept them closely
imprisoned in the zenanas, as the Hindus
call their harems, they nevertheless ex-
erted a powerful influence and made them
selves felt In arranging the destinies of the
n.ogul empire. The most notable Of these
women, and one who would have taken a
prominent part in affairs in whatever coun-
try or in whatever generation 1t had pleased
tho Almighty to place her, was Nur Jehan,
sultana of the Mogul Jehanghfr She lived
in the marble palace at Agra from 1855 to
1905. She was q woman of extraordinary
force of character, the equal of Queen
Elizabeth In intellect and of Mary Stuart
In physical attractions, and her life was
mixture of romance and tragedy.
Her father, Mira Gheas Bey, or Itimad-
I'd Daula. as he was afterward known, was
grand vizier Of the mogul empire during
the latter part of the reign of Akbar the
Great. An obscure but ambitious Persian
scholar. hearing of the generous patronage
extended to students by Emperor Akbar. In
India, he started from Teheran to Delhi
overland, q distance of several thousand
miles. He had means enough to buy
donkey for his wife to ride, and trudged
along Win q caravan on 1OOt DcSlQo tne
animal to protect her and the panniers
which contained all their earthly posses
sions. The morning after the caravan
reached kandahar, Turkestan, a daughter
was born to the wife of Mirza and was,
naturally, great source of anxiety and
embarrassment to him. but the principal
merchant of the caravan, struck with the
beauty of the child and with sympathy for
the mother, provided for their immediate
needs took them with him to Agra and
there used his good offices with the en-
peror for the father, who was given en-
ployment under the government. His abil-
fty and fidelity were recognized. He was
promoted rapidly, and finally reached the
highest office In the gift of the mogul-that
of prime minister of the empire-which he
filled with conspicuous ability, wisdom and
prudence for many years. AS his daughter
grew to girlhoOd she attracted the atten-
tlon of Prince Jehanghir, who became vio-
lently in love with her, and, to prevent
complications, the emperor caused her to
be married to Shir Afghan Kahn, a young
Persian of excellent family. who made
viceroy of Bengal and took his wife with
him to Calcutta.
Several years later when Jehanghir as
cended the throne. he had not forgotten the
beautiful Persian. and sent emissaries to
Calcutta to arrange with her husband for
divorce so that he might take her into his
own harem. Shir Afghan refused, and the
king ordered his assassination. Nur Jehan
undoubtedly loved her husband. and sim
cerely mourned him. She repelled the ad-
dresses OF the emperor. ana Tor several
years earned her living by embroidery and
painting silks. One day the emperor sur
prised her in her apartment He was the
only man in India who had the right to In
trude upon his lady subjects. but seems to
have used ii with rare discretion. When she
recognized her visitor she bowed her head
to the floor nine times in accordance with
the custom of the country; and. although
she wearing the simplest of garments,
she had lost none of her beauty or graces,
and treated the mogui with becoming mod
esty and dignity. When he reproached her
for her plain attire she replied:
tThoSe born to servitude must dress as it
shall please them whom they serve. Those
women around me are my servants, and l
tighten their bondage by every indulgence
in my power: and l. who am your slave.
Emperor of the World, am willing to
dress according to your pleasure and not
my own.
This innocent hint pleased his majesty
immensely. and. with the facilities that
were afforded emperors in those days. he
had her sent at once to the imperial harem,
where she was provided with every possible
comfort and luxury, and was promoted rap
idly over the other women.
Theme of the Poets.
She received the title Nur Jehan Began
Q4ight of the World). The emperor granted
her the right of sovereignty in her own
name; her portrait was placed upon the
coin of the country; and after several years
her power became so great that the officials
would not obey any important order from his
majesty unless it bore her Endorsement He
willingly submitted to her judgment and
counsel She repressed his passions ca
prices and tyranny. and when any matter
of serious Importance arose in the admins
tration of affairs it was submitted to her
before action was taken. Her beauty and
her graces were the theme of all the poets
of India, and her goodness, the kindness of
her heart and her unbounded generosity are
faN- trrrrI % fr.al he
was the godmother of all orphan girls, and
provided their dowers when they were mar
ried and it is said that during her reign
she procured good husbands for thousands
of friendlesS girls who otherwise must have
spent their lives in slavery. Thus the child
of the desert became the most powerful in
fuence in the east. for in those days the
authority of the mogul extended from the
Ganges to the Bosphorus and the Baltic sea.
Nur Jehan took good care of her own
family. Her father continued to occupy
the Office of grand viZier until his death,
and her brother. ASaf Khan. became high
treasurer of the empire. Other relatives
were placed in remunerative and influential
positions. But, at last, she made blunder,
and failed to secure the crown for her son.
Sheriar. who. being a younger member OF
the family. was not entitled to 1t, and Shah
Jehan. the oldest son OF the mogul by an
other wife, succeeded him to the throne.
Shah Jehan promptly murdered his am
bilious brother. as was the BILE custom
of those days. but treated his fathers
famous widow with great respect and gen.
erosity. He sent her into retirement gave
her an allowance of 81 250000 a year and
accepted her pledge that she would inter-
fere no longer in politics. but give him her
loyal support She lived nineteen years
and devoted considerable portion of that
time and several millions of dollars to the
construction Of tomb to the memory OF
her father.
Tomb of Her Father.
1t still stands as one of the finest of the
group of architectural wonders of Agra. IL
IS situated in walled garden on the bank
OF the River Jumna, about mile and a
half from the hotels. and is constructed
entirely of white marble. The sides are of
the most beautiful perforated work. ana
the towers are OF exquisite design Much
OF the walls are covered with the Floren-
tine mosaic work. similar to that which
distinguishes the Tai Mahal
Shah Jehan. the greatest of all the mo-
g,Ils. had many wives, and three in par
ticular. One of them was a Hindu. OF
whom we know very little; another was q
Mohammedan the daughter of Asaf Khan
high treasurer of the empire and the niece
of Nur Jehan. She is the woman who
sleeps in the Tai Mahal. the most beautiful
OF all human structures. of which 1 wrote
the other day. The third of the great mo-