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{{Infobox royalty | {{Infobox royalty | ||
|name | | name = Asmat Begum | ||
|title | | title = | ||
|image | | image = | ||
|caption | | caption = | ||
|succession | | succession = | ||
|birth_name | | birth_name = | ||
|birth_date | | birth_date = | ||
|birth_place = | | birth_place = | ||
|death_date | | death_date = 10 October 1621 | ||
|death_place = [[Agra]], [[India]] | | death_place = [[Agra]], [[India]] | ||
|consort | | consort = yes | ||
|spouse | | spouse = [[Mirza Ghias Beg]] | ||
|issue | | issue = Muhammad Sharif<br>Shapur Itiqad Khan<br>[[Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan]]<br>[[Nur Jahan]]<br>Manija Begum<br>Khadija Begum | ||
|house | | house = | ||
|father | | father = Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla | ||
|mother | | mother = | ||
|religion | | religion = [[Shia Islam]] | ||
|image_size | | image_size = 250px | ||
| | | burial_place = [[Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah]], Agra | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Asmat Begum''' (died 1621) was the wife of [[Mirza | '''Asmat Begum''' (died 1621) was the wife of [[Mirza Ghiyas Beg]], the Prime minister of the Mughal emperor [[Jahangir]], and the mother of Mughal empress [[Nur Jahan]], the power behind the emperor.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Thackeray |editor-first1=Frank W. |editor-last2=Findling |editor-first2=John E. |title=Events that formed the modern world : from the European Renaissance through the War on Terror |date=2012 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |isbn=9781598849011 |page=254}}</ref> Asmat Begum was also the paternal grandmother of Empress [[Mumtaz Mahal]], for whom the [[Taj Mahal]] was built. | ||
==Family== | ==Family== | ||
Asmat Begum was the daughter of Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shujauddin|first1=Mohammad|last2=Shujauddin|first2=Razia|title=The Life and Times of Noor Jahan|date=1967|publisher=Caravan Book House|page=1|language=en}}</ref> and a member of the illustrious Aqa Mulla clan.<ref name=FindlyP9>{{harvnb| | Asmat Begum was the daughter of Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shujauddin|first1=Mohammad|last2=Shujauddin|first2=Razia|title=The Life and Times of Noor Jahan|date=1967|publisher=Caravan Book House|page=1|language=en}}</ref> and a member of the illustrious Aqa Mulla clan.<ref name=FindlyP9>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=9}}</ref> She was a wise, well-educated, accomplished and highly cultured lady.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nath|first1=Renuka|title=Notable Mughal and Hindu women in the 16th and 17th centuries A.D.|date=1990|publisher=Inter-India Publ.|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788121002417|page=66|edition=1. publ. in India.}}</ref> She had a brother, [[Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang]], who served as the governor of [[Bengal]] during Emperor Jahangir's reign.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=180}}</ref> | ||
==Marriage== | ==Marriage== | ||
Asmat Begum was married to the Persian noble, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the youngest son of [[Khvajeh Mohammad-Sharif]], a Persian noble of [[Tehran]] and a [[vizier]] to the governor of [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nadiem|first1=Ihsan H.|title=Gardens of Mughal Lahore|date=2005|publisher=Sang-e-Meel Publications|page=71|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Latif|first1=Syad Muhammad|title=Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities: With an Account of Its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, Their Trade, Customs, &c|date=1892|publisher=Printed at the New Imperial Press|page=104|language=en}}</ref> The couple had seven children together: | Asmat Begum was married to the Persian noble, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the youngest son of [[Khvajeh Mohammad-Sharif]], a Persian noble of [[Tehran]] and a [[vizier]] to the governor of [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Nadiem|first1=Ihsan H.|title=Gardens of Mughal Lahore|date=2005|publisher=Sang-e-Meel Publications|page=71|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Latif|first1=Syad Muhammad|title=Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities: With an Account of Its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, Their Trade, Customs, &c|date=1892|author-link=Syad Muhammad Latif|publisher=Printed at the New Imperial Press|page=104|language=en}}</ref> The couple had seven children together: Muhammad Sharif, Shapur Itiqad Khan, [[Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan]], Manija Begum (wife of Mir Qasim known as [[Qasim Khan Juvayni]]), Khadija Begum (wife of Hakim Beg later Hakim Khan), Mihr-un-Nissa Begum (later Empress [[Nur Jahan]]), and another daughter married to Sadiq Khan.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Riverside Mansions and Tombs of Agra: New Evidence from a Panoramic Scroll Recently Acquired by The British Library|url= https://www.bl.uk/eblj/2017articles/pdf/ebljarticle92017.pdf|last1=Koch|first1=Ebba|last2=Losty|first2=JP}}</ref>{{sfn|Banks Findley|1993|pp=9, 44–45}} | ||
For unknown reasons, Ghias Beg and his family had suffered a reversal in fortune in 1576 and soon found circumstances intolerable in their homeland of [[Persia]]. Drawn to the favourable climate of Emperor [[Akbar]]'s court in [[Agra]], the family decided to migrate to [[India]].<ref name=FindlyP9/> Ghias Beg became a trusted minister under both Akbar and his son Jahangir and was awarded the title of 'I'timad-ud-Daulah' ("Pillar of the State") for his services.<ref>{{harvnb| | For unknown reasons, Ghias Beg and his family had suffered a reversal in fortune in 1576 and soon found circumstances intolerable in their homeland of [[Persia]]. Drawn to the favourable climate of Emperor [[Akbar]]'s court in [[Agra]], the family decided to migrate to [[India]].<ref name=FindlyP9/> Ghias Beg became a trusted minister under both Akbar and his son Jahangir and was awarded the title of 'I'timad-ud-Daulah' ("Pillar of the State") for his services.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=24}}</ref> | ||
However, while serving as the ''diwan'' to an ''amir-ul-umara'' in 1607, Ghias Beg was charged with embezzling Rs. 50,000, which led to a decrease in his rank and status at court.<ref>{{harvnb| | However, while serving as the ''diwan'' to an ''amir-ul-umara'' in 1607, Ghias Beg was charged with embezzling Rs. 50,000, which led to a decrease in his rank and status at court.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=32}}</ref> In 1611, Asmat Begum's second daughter, Mehr-un-Nissa, caught the eye of the reigning emperor Jahangir at the palace ''[[Meena Bazaar]]''. The emperor proposed immediately and they were married within the same year.<ref name=FindlyP3>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=3}}</ref> This marriage again led to a dramatic rise in the fortunes of Asmat Begum and Ghias Beg's family. Ghias Beg was given a substantial increase in ''[[Mansabdar|mansab]]'' and made ''[[Vizier|wazir]]'' of the whole dominion in 1611. Likewise, their sons Asaf Khan and Itiqad Khan were also given high positions and ''mansab''s in the empire.<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=44}}</ref> | ||
==Political role at the Mughal court== | ==Political role at the Mughal court== | ||
Mehr-un-Nissa (titled 'Nur Jahan' after her marriage) became Jahangir's most beloved and influential wife and soon became the real [[power behind the throne]] after their marriage. Nur Jahan formed a faction known as the ''junta'' which comprised her family members and her step-son, Prince Khurram (the future emperor [[Shah Jahan]]).<ref>{{harvnb| | Mehr-un-Nissa (titled 'Nur Jahan' after her marriage) became Jahangir's most beloved and influential wife and soon became the real [[power behind the throne]] after their marriage. Nur Jahan formed a faction known as the ''junta'' which comprised her family members and her step-son, Prince Khurram (the future emperor [[Shah Jahan]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=48}}</ref> This faction, led by Nur Jahan, took control of the government as Jahangir became increasingly addicted to [[opium]] and alcohol.<ref name=FindlyP3/> | ||
Asmat Begum, who was a wise and patient counsel in her own right, must certainly have been the nurturing hub of the ''junta'' in its heyday.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Colby Library Quarterly|date=1989|volume=25|page=143|publisher=Colby College | Asmat Begum, who was a wise and patient counsel in her own right, must certainly have been the nurturing hub of the ''junta'' in its heyday.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ellison Banks Findly |title=Religious Resources for Secular Power: The Case of Nur Jahan |journal=The Colby Library Quarterly |date=1989 |volume=25 |issue=3 |page=143 |url=https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/cq/vol25/iss3/3 |publisher=Colby College}}</ref> She is also known to have taken a politically active role in the affairs of the court and served as a mother-figure to Jahangir and a counselor to Nur Jahan.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hansen|first1=Waldemar|title=The peacock throne : the drama of Mogul India.|date=1972|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi|isbn=9788120802254|page=44|edition=1. Indian ed., repr.}}</ref> However, Asmat Begum is perhaps best known for having invented the famous rose perfume called ''Jahangiri-itr'', which was described by Jahangir as the discovery of his reign.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bashir|first1=Hassan|last2=Gray|first2=Phillip W.|title=Deconstructing Global Citizenship: Political, Cultural, and Ethical Perspectives|date=2015|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=9781498502597|page=244|language=en}}</ref> | ||
==Death== | ==Death== | ||
[[File:Agra-Itmad ud Daulah mausoleum-Cenotaph of Asmat Begum and Mirza Ghiyas-20131019.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Cenotaph of Asmat Begum alongside that of her husband Mirza Ghias Beg.]] | [[File:Agra-Itmad ud Daulah mausoleum-Cenotaph of Asmat Begum and Mirza Ghiyas-20131019.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Cenotaph of Asmat Begum alongside that of her husband Mirza Ghias Beg.]] | ||
Asmat Begum died in October 1621 in [[Agra]].<ref>{{harvnb| | Asmat Begum died in October 1621 in [[Agra]].<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=291}}</ref> Upon her death, her son-in-law Jahangir, who was extremely fond of her, wrote: "Without exaggeration, in purity of disposition and in wisdom and the excellencies that are the ornament of women no Mother of the Age was ever born equal to her, and I did not value her less than my own mother."<ref>{{harvnb|Banks Findley|1993|p=165}}</ref> | ||
Asmat Begum's death was a great blow to her family. Heartbroken over his wife's death, Ghias Beg also died a few months later in January 1622. Asmat Begum | Asmat Begum's death was a great blow to her family. Heartbroken over his wife's death, Ghias Beg also died a few months later in January 1622. Asmat Begum and her husband were buried in the same mausoleum, the [[Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah]] in Agra, which was commissioned by her daughter Nur Jahan, for both of her parents.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ruggles|first1=D. Fairchild |author1-link=D. Fairchild Ruggles|title=Islamic gardens and landscapes|url=https://archive.org/details/islamicgardensla0000rugg|url-access=registration|date=2008|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|location=Philadelphia|isbn=9780812207286|page=[https://archive.org/details/islamicgardensla0000rugg/page/100 100]}}</ref> Nur Jahan, who was extremely devoted to her parents, spent large sums on its construction.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Asher|first1=[by] Catherine B.|title=The new Cambridge history of India.|date=1992|publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780521267281|page=130|edition=Repr.}}</ref> | ||
==In popular culture== | ==In popular culture== | ||
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
*Asmat Begum is a principal character in [[Indu Sundaresan]]'s award-winning historical novel ''The Twentieth Wife'' (2002) as well as in its sequel ''The Feast of Roses'' (2003). | *Asmat Begum is a principal character in [[Indu Sundaresan]]'s award-winning historical novel ''The Twentieth Wife'' (2002) as well as in its sequel ''The Feast of Roses'' (2003). | ||
*Asmat Begum is a pivotal character in Tanushree Podder's historical novel ''Nur Jahan's Daughter'' (2005). | *Asmat Begum is a pivotal character in Tanushree Podder's historical novel ''Nur Jahan's Daughter'' (2005). | ||
*[[Suparna Marwah]] portrayed Asmat Begum in [[EPIC (TV channel)|EPIC]] | *[[Suparna Marwah]] portrayed Asmat Begum in [[EPIC (TV channel)|EPIC]] drama ''[[Siyaasat]]'' | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| Line 53: | Line 53: | ||
==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
*{{cite book|last=Banks Findley|first=Ellison|date=11 February 1993|title=Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India|location=Oxford, UK|publisher=Nur Jahan : Empress of Mughal India|isbn=9780195074888 | *{{cite book|last=Banks Findley|first=Ellison|date=11 February 1993|title=Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India|location=Oxford, UK|publisher=Nur Jahan : Empress of Mughal India|isbn=9780195074888}} | ||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Asmat}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Asmat}} | ||
[[Category:1621 deaths]] | [[Category:1621 deaths]] | ||
[[Category:16th-century births]] | [[Category:16th-century births]] | ||
[[Category:17th-century Iranian | [[Category:17th-century Iranian politicians]] | ||
[[Category:Iranian emigrants to the Mughal Empire]] | [[Category:Iranian emigrants to the Mughal Empire]] | ||
[[Category:16th-century Iranian politicians]] | |||
[[Category:17th-century Iranian women]] | |||
[[Category:16th-century Iranian women]] | |||
[[Category:16th-century Iranian people]] | [[Category:16th-century Iranian people]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:05, 25 February 2026
| Asmat Begum | |
|---|---|
| Died | 10 October 1621 Agra, India |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Mirza Ghias Beg |
| Issue | Muhammad Sharif Shapur Itiqad Khan Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan Nur Jahan Manija Begum Khadija Begum |
| Father | Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
Asmat Begum (died 1621) was the wife of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the Prime minister of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, and the mother of Mughal empress Nur Jahan, the power behind the emperor.[1] Asmat Begum was also the paternal grandmother of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the Taj Mahal was built.
Family[edit | edit source]
Asmat Begum was the daughter of Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla[2] and a member of the illustrious Aqa Mulla clan.[3] She was a wise, well-educated, accomplished and highly cultured lady.[4] She had a brother, Ibrahim Khan Fath-i-Jang, who served as the governor of Bengal during Emperor Jahangir's reign.[5]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Asmat Begum was married to the Persian noble, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the youngest son of Khvajeh Mohammad-Sharif, a Persian noble of Tehran and a vizier to the governor of Khorasan.[6][7] The couple had seven children together: Muhammad Sharif, Shapur Itiqad Khan, Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan, Manija Begum (wife of Mir Qasim known as Qasim Khan Juvayni), Khadija Begum (wife of Hakim Beg later Hakim Khan), Mihr-un-Nissa Begum (later Empress Nur Jahan), and another daughter married to Sadiq Khan.[8][9]
For unknown reasons, Ghias Beg and his family had suffered a reversal in fortune in 1576 and soon found circumstances intolerable in their homeland of Persia. Drawn to the favourable climate of Emperor Akbar's court in Agra, the family decided to migrate to India.[3] Ghias Beg became a trusted minister under both Akbar and his son Jahangir and was awarded the title of 'I'timad-ud-Daulah' ("Pillar of the State") for his services.[10]
However, while serving as the diwan to an amir-ul-umara in 1607, Ghias Beg was charged with embezzling Rs. 50,000, which led to a decrease in his rank and status at court.[11] In 1611, Asmat Begum's second daughter, Mehr-un-Nissa, caught the eye of the reigning emperor Jahangir at the palace Meena Bazaar. The emperor proposed immediately and they were married within the same year.[12] This marriage again led to a dramatic rise in the fortunes of Asmat Begum and Ghias Beg's family. Ghias Beg was given a substantial increase in mansab and made wazir of the whole dominion in 1611. Likewise, their sons Asaf Khan and Itiqad Khan were also given high positions and mansabs in the empire.[13]
Political role at the Mughal court[edit | edit source]
Mehr-un-Nissa (titled 'Nur Jahan' after her marriage) became Jahangir's most beloved and influential wife and soon became the real power behind the throne after their marriage. Nur Jahan formed a faction known as the junta which comprised her family members and her step-son, Prince Khurram (the future emperor Shah Jahan).[14] This faction, led by Nur Jahan, took control of the government as Jahangir became increasingly addicted to opium and alcohol.[12]
Asmat Begum, who was a wise and patient counsel in her own right, must certainly have been the nurturing hub of the junta in its heyday.[15] She is also known to have taken a politically active role in the affairs of the court and served as a mother-figure to Jahangir and a counselor to Nur Jahan.[16] However, Asmat Begum is perhaps best known for having invented the famous rose perfume called Jahangiri-itr, which was described by Jahangir as the discovery of his reign.[17]
Death[edit | edit source]

Asmat Begum died in October 1621 in Agra.[18] Upon her death, her son-in-law Jahangir, who was extremely fond of her, wrote: "Without exaggeration, in purity of disposition and in wisdom and the excellencies that are the ornament of women no Mother of the Age was ever born equal to her, and I did not value her less than my own mother."[19]
Asmat Begum's death was a great blow to her family. Heartbroken over his wife's death, Ghias Beg also died a few months later in January 1622. Asmat Begum and her husband were buried in the same mausoleum, the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah in Agra, which was commissioned by her daughter Nur Jahan, for both of her parents.[20] Nur Jahan, who was extremely devoted to her parents, spent large sums on its construction.[21]
In popular culture[edit | edit source]
- Asmat Begum is a character in Usha John's novel The Unknown Lover and Other Short Stories (1961).
- Asmat Begum is a principal character in Indu Sundaresan's award-winning historical novel The Twentieth Wife (2002) as well as in its sequel The Feast of Roses (2003).
- Asmat Begum is a pivotal character in Tanushree Podder's historical novel Nur Jahan's Daughter (2005).
- Suparna Marwah portrayed Asmat Begum in EPIC drama Siyaasat
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Thackeray, Frank W.; Findling, John E., eds. (2012). Events that formed the modern world : from the European Renaissance through the War on Terror. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 254. ISBN 9781598849011.
- ↑ Shujauddin, Mohammad; Shujauddin, Razia (1967). The Life and Times of Noor Jahan. Caravan Book House. p. 1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Banks Findley 1993, p. 9
- ↑ Nath, Renuka (1990). Notable Mughal and Hindu women in the 16th and 17th centuries A.D. (1. publ. in India. ed.). New Delhi: Inter-India Publ. p. 66. ISBN 9788121002417.
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 180
- ↑ Nadiem, Ihsan H. (2005). Gardens of Mughal Lahore. Sang-e-Meel Publications. p. 71.
- ↑ Latif, Syad Muhammad (1892). Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities: With an Account of Its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, Their Trade, Customs, &c. Printed at the New Imperial Press. p. 104.
- ↑ Koch, Ebba; Losty, JP. "The Riverside Mansions and Tombs of Agra: New Evidence from a Panoramic Scroll Recently Acquired by The British Library" (PDF).
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, pp. 9, 44–45.
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 24
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 32
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Banks Findley 1993, p. 3
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 44
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 48
- ↑ Ellison Banks Findly (1989). "Religious Resources for Secular Power: The Case of Nur Jahan". The Colby Library Quarterly. 25 (3). Colby College: 143.
- ↑ Hansen, Waldemar (1972). The peacock throne : the drama of Mogul India (1. Indian ed., repr. ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 44. ISBN 9788120802254.
- ↑ Bashir, Hassan; Gray, Phillip W. (2015). Deconstructing Global Citizenship: Political, Cultural, and Ethical Perspectives. Lexington Books. p. 244. ISBN 9781498502597.
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 291
- ↑ Banks Findley 1993, p. 165
- ↑ Ruggles, D. Fairchild (2008). Islamic gardens and landscapes. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780812207286.
- ↑ Asher, [by] Catherine B. (1992). The new Cambridge history of India (Repr. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780521267281.
Bibliography[edit | edit source]
- Banks Findley, Ellison (11 February 1993). Nur Jahan: Empress of Mughal India. Oxford, UK: Nur Jahan : Empress of Mughal India. ISBN 9780195074888.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)