Mughal Queens of Hindustan

From their empire’s foundation in the early sixteenth century, the Mughals saw themselves as the last great Mongol Empire and emulated their Genghisid forebears by integrating women into the decision-making elite. Aisan Daulat Begum, herself a direct descendant of Genghis Khan and grandmother of the empire’s founder, Emperor Babur, opened the door to the emergence of women to prominent positions and was followed by her granddaughter Khanzada and a series of powerful wives and sisters. Hamida Begum, wife of the second emperor, Humayun, played a crucial role in reconquering the empire after it almost collapsed in the early 1540s. Female rule reached its apex during Nur Jahan’s reign at the turn of the sixteenth century. Nur Jahan shared sovereignty with her husband, Padshah Jahangir, issued decrees, and minted coins in her own name. Female rule came to an end in the Mughal Empire two generations later, with the construction of the Taj Mahal as a memorial for Emperor Nur Jahan’s beloved wife and the short efflorescence of female influence on the court under her daughter Jahanara.