Udaipuri Mahal

Last updated

Udaipuri Mahal
DiedJuly 1707
Gwalior, Mughal Empire
Burial
Shrine of Qutb-al Aqtab, Delhi
Spouse Aurangzeb
Issue Muhammad Kam Bakhsh
Religion Islam

Udaipuri Mahal (died July 1707) was one of the concubines of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. [1]

Life

Described as 'the darling of Aurangzeb's old age', [2] Udaipuri Mahal had been a slave girl in the harem of Prince Dara Shikoh, [3] and before entering his harem, she had been a dancing girl. [4]

She was either from Kashmir, or from nearby Udaipur, or a Christian from Georgia, [5] or Armenia, [6] or Circassia [7] (see the Crimean slave trade). Ever since from the reign of Emperor Akbar, it had been ordained that the names of the women of the imperial Mughal harem should not be mentioned in public, they should be designated by some epithet, derived either from the place of their birth or the city or country where they had entered the imperial harem. [8]

She was a lovely woman with magnificent red hair. She truly captivated Aurangzeb, and loved him deeply. [5] This made Aurangzeb's other wives jealous of her. She gave birth to their son Prince Muhammad Kam Bakhsh on 24 February 1667. [9] She was an alcoholic. [6]

In 1678, she accompanied Aurangzeb to a war against the Rana of Chittor and the Raja of Marwar. [10] In 1686, she was in Aurangabad or Ahmadnagar with Aurangzeb in his camp. [11]

Udaipuri Mahal was an influential woman. [12] She continued to influence Aurangzeb till his death and it was the result of her influence that he pardoned many faults of his son Kam Bakhsh. [13] Following the transfer of most of Aurangzeb's sons and grandsons, she continued to cultivate ties to Khidmatgar Khan, his successor Khwaja Ambar (who was also titled Khidmatgar Khan after 1704), and other imperial eunuchs. [14]

In a letter written by Aurangzeb in 1707 on his death-bed to Kam Bakhsh, he says "Udaipuri, your mother, who has been with me during my illness, wishes to accompany [me in death]." [15] When Aurangzeb died, she grieved deeply, and died within four months [5] at Gwalior, [4] in July 1707. Bahadur Shah I carried out her dying wishes with regard to her household and forwarded her remains for burial in a grave close to the shrine of Qutb-al Aqtab, Delhi. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Mehta, Jl (1986). Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 480. ISBN   9788120710153.
  2. ↑ Muhammad Tariq Awan (1994). History of India and Pakistan: pt. 1. Great Mughals. Ferozsons. p. 461.
  3. ↑ Satish Chandra (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 274. ISBN   9788124110669.
  4. 1 2 3 William Irvine (1971). Later Mughal. Atlantic Publishers & Distri. pp. 54, 58.
  5. 1 2 3 Bilkees I. Latif (2010). Forgotten. Penguin Books India. p. 34. ISBN   978-0-14-306454-1.
  6. 1 2 Annie Krieger-Krynicki (2005). Captive Princess: Zebunissa, Daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb. Oxford University Press. pp. 103, 175. ISBN   978-0-19-579837-1.
  7. ↑ Sarkar, J. (1912). Anecdotes of Aurangzib: Translated Into English with Notes and Historical Essays. M.C. Sarkar & Sons. p. 26.
  8. ↑ Eraly, Abraham (1 January 2007). The Mughal World: Life in India's Last Golden Age. Penguin Book India. p. 126. ISBN   978-0-143-10262-5.
  9. ↑ Sir Jadunath Sarkar (1912). Sir Jadunath Sarkar (ed.). Anecdotes of Aurangzib: Translated Into English with Notes and Historical Essays. M.C. Sarkar & Sons. p. 79.
  10. ↑ Zinat Kausar (1992). Muslim Women in Medieval India. Janaki Prakashan. p. 201. ISBN   9788185078748.
  11. ↑ C. M. Agrawal, ed. (2001). Indian Woman, Volume 1. Indian Publishers Distributors. p. 244. ISBN   9788173412127.
  12. ↑ Journal of Historical Research, Volume 39, Issue 1. Department of History, Ranchi University. 2001. p. 63.
  13. ↑ M. P. Srivastava (1978). Social Life Under the Great Mughals, 1526-1700 A.D. Chugh Publications. p. 101.
  14. ↑ Munis D. Faruqui (27 August 2012). The Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504–1719. Cambridge University Press. p. 240. ISBN   978-1-139-53675-2.
  15. ↑ Sudha Sharma (21 March 2016). The Status of Muslim Women in Medieval India. SAGE Publications India. p. 69. ISBN   9789351505679.
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