The Princess who built delhi : Jahanara

In the Mughal palace of Agra, a young lady named Jahanara dreams of designing a city with water. Her mother entrusts her upbringing to a lady-in-waiting who teaches her various skills. After her mother's death, Jahanara becomes a pillar of support for her father, Emperor Shah Jahan. She is given the responsibility of designing the new city of Shah Jahanabad, which includes a water channel called Faiz Nehr and a moonlit square called Chandni Chowk. Despite a tragic incident that leaves her severely burned, Jahanara recovers and is rewarded by her father with precious stones and the port of Surat. She becomes a powerful figure in the Mughal Empire. In the Mughal palace of Agra, a young lady overlooks the slow meandering river Yamuna shining under the sun. The construction of Taj Mahal Roza-e-Munawara, a dream project of her father, has started. Nobody knows if such a building is truly possible. Slabs and slabs of marble are being brought from Makrana, as the dust of white has made the area white heaven. But the girl has something else in mind, an itch she can't scratch. She too wants to design the city, not with marble, but with water. Begum Sahiba, teeche se awaaz aati hai. A maid servant waits for her to put a seal on the firman. The princess finally breaks away from her reverie and looks back. Princess Jahanara remembers she has an imperial household to rule and no time to daydream. Kahani shuru hoti hai 1614 mein, in the dusty military camps, a baby cries and a dye wipes the brow of Mumtaz Mahal. After hours and hours of labour, a child is born. It is not particularly a sad event. Shah Jahan and Mumtaz has already birthed a son and after all, it will not be the last. From God's grace, Mumtaz is as fertile as the Gangetic plain. Emperor Jahangir names the eldest daughter and the second child of Shah Jahan, Jahanara. However, she is lovingly known as Begum Sahiba, by the entire retinue of servants and entourage of the king. Already, she is the apple of the eye of her Abba, but her mother, Mumtaz Mahal, has something else planned for her daughter. Mumtaz ne thaan li thi, to entrust the duty of upbringing her eldest daughter to Sati Al Nisa Khanam, the lady-in-waiting. Sati bohot well-versed thi Persian mein and her knowledge of Quran was unparalleled. She will make sure ki Jahanara is well-trained in housekeeping, managing domestic affairs, courtly etiquette and knowledge of medicine. Emperor Shah Jahan too felt Jahanara, along with her brother Dara, can learn about international trade, governance, policies and how to mediate between the emperor and foreign ambassador. Every day, the carefree girl, who just wanted to hunt, play chess and play polo, was made to sit down and study. She was not too keen on this subject, but she knows her father is someone important. Woh har roz dekhti thi Mumtaz ko, artfully conducting herself, counsel her father Shah Jahan and manage day-to-day domestic affairs. Jahanara sapne mein sochti thi one day, she too will grow up and manage her own palace. Din beed gaye saalon mein, and once again, a cry of a baby was heard in the palace chambers. A dai jaan wiped the brow of Mumtaz, but this time Mumtaz seems lifeless. She is pale, malnourished and her body is exhaustive after giving birth to the thirteenth child of Shah Jahan, Gohara Begum. The physicians and midwives are worried the royal lady will not make it through this time. Shah Jahan paces anxiously outside the chamber. A servant maid finally comes out of the chamber after hours of labour. She is petrified to deliver the devastating news, Mumtaz Mahal nahi rahi. Shah Jahan, the Badshah of Hindustan, collapses on the floor and the thirteen children anxiously look at the future of Mughal Empire. The only other time jab Shah Jahan itne weak or discouraged dikenge will be a decade later when Jahanara fights for her life on her thirtieth birthday, but that is yet to come in the wheel of time. For now, Jahanara anxiously looks at a crumbling household and thaan leti hain to take charge of the Mughal Empire from henceforth. Ek hafte baad when Shah Jahan attends the court, the courtiers are shocked. The emperor has overnight aged or his hair has turned white and he now wears a specs made of jade. Shah Jahan also declares a very unusual never-heard proclamation. The Badshah Begum of Zanana would not be one of his wives, but his eldest daughter Jahanara Begum. Shah Jahan ko Jahanara mein Mumtaz ki jalak dikhti hai. She is patient, resilient, has piety, determination, sense of service and duty. He knows she alone can bring the entire royal household together after Mumtaz's shocking death. He also decides that Mumtaz's staggering wealth should be divided into two parts. The first half was given to Jahanara Begum and the other half was divided between twelve children. No one could speak against this decision, not even the kids. They respected Jahanara too much to say anything against their sister who was now like their Ammi. The rumour mill starts in the city and the gossip goes there is an illicit relationship between Jahanara and her father Shah Jahan itself. Magar shayad gossip gossip ki rehni chahiye itihas nahi. Mumtaz ke ek saari guzar jaane ke baad, a decision was made Dara Shikoh, the eldest and the most beloved son of the royal couple should be married to Nadira Begum. Shah Jahan Jahanara ko royal chamber mein bulate hain and entrust her with the duty of preparation. He says, make it so grand that everyone knows Mughal Empire is out of mourning. Jahanara and Sati-ul-Nisar set to work. Crores of money was spent and the wedding becomes the most expensive wedding of the Mughal Empire. Royal paintings commission kari gayi which depicts the Sehra ceremony, the Heena ceremony of Nadira and precious stones given away to the bride, koniyon ke daam par. For Jahanara, this was also an opportunity to establish herself as the Badshah Begum, worthy of her name. Mumtaz mehel ke jaane ke baad, Shah Jahan was always restless. He spent all his wealth in construction. In 1631, he decided to commission a mausoleum built fully of the expensive marble to bury his wife. Yet, unki pyaas nahi bujhi to construct more buildings. Eight years later, he decided to shift the capital of his grandfather and father from Agra to Delhi. Unhone pandit aur maulziyon ko bulaya and the first stone of Red Fort was laid on the banks of river Yamuna. Shah Jahan ke saare bethe were already posted elsewhere in the Mughal Empire. Surrounding him were his daughters. Pichle 9 saalo me Princess Jahanara had become an emotional crutch to her father. One day, a 26-year-old Jahanara approached her father. She was visibly hesitant. Shah Jahan knew well how to face. What's the matter, my beloved daughter? he asked gently. Begum Sahiba hitch ki chai aur boli, I want to design the new city of Shah Jahanabad. Shah Jahan paused. I am not sure if Jahanara can take such a big project. It is true she commissioned Jama Masjid of Agra, but an entire city seems too big a responsibility. Yet, he did not have a heart to refuse her request. You may do as you wish, and he smiled. Chhabbis kaal ki Jahanara was delirious with this new opportunity. She had not thought even in her wildest fantasies that she will be allowed to design Shah Jahanabad. Unhone Ali Wardi Khan ko apne chamber mein bolaya aur bola, Manipulate the water of river Yamuna in such a way that a channel flows in the middle of the city. Ali Wardi Khan iss request se kaafi bahot chakke rahe. A stream in the middle of city was never seen in the Mughal Empire. It is true Akbar had tried something like this in Fatehpuri Sikri, but the water had soon dried up. Magar Jahanara ne thaan li thi that a water channel should flow in the middle of broad street with tall trees on both sides. Unhone iss water channel ko naam diya Faiz Nehr, victorious stream. Jahanara ne kabhi Venice toh nahi dekha tha, magar Shah Jahanabad ab Venice jaise dikhne laga. As she overlooked the construction of the street, she decided to build an octagonal chowk in the centre of the street. Fill it with water, Ali Wardi Khan. Months later, when in the evening she was invited to see the progress of the construction, she was shocked. The water reflected the moonlight, turning the entire city silver. She decided to call the chowk Chandni Chowk, a moonlit square. Jahanara also commissioned a marble hammam in the centre of this chowk and a serai attached to the hammam. Chandni Chowk already had Hazar Se Raza shops in 1650, which sold the most exquisite items in the world. She knew traders, travellers, pilgrims from around the world would come to meet her father, the Badshah of Hindustan, and see her famous Chandni Chowk. The mutasar khana will provide a safe space for these tourists to stay and the public hammam will be used to rest and rejuvenate. Serai ke bilkul piche, she commissioned a huge bagh which had river Yamuna flowing in the middle and pavilions overlooking each other. Women from across the class were invited in this bagh. This bagh became a space where only women were allowed. When Shah Jahan was invited by Jahanara to pay respect to the mutasar khana and the bagh, he was surprised and both pleased with his daughter. She, of all the children, carried on his legacy of art and architecture. Magar ye khushi kuchhi time ke liye thi. As Jahanara turned 30, a mishappening happened which almost took away her life. Ek din Jahanara shaam ko kile ke andar ghoom rahi thi when her heavily perfumed clothes caught fire. She screamed and yelled in the pain as servants tried to put out the fire. The burns on her body were 90%. They were so severe she collapsed into coma. Shah Jahan ab toot chuke the. He called best physicians and haqeens from all over the world. He did charity and declared unimaginable gift for the physicians who can cure his daughter. Shah Jahan ke saare bete which were positioned everywhere in the Mughal empire came rushing back to the Agra fort. Persia se ek hakeem aaye which put an ointment on Jahanara which improved her health for several months before it declined again. Door door tak koi hope nahi nazara rahi thi. Ultimately, it was Arif Chela that made an ointment that finally saved Jahanara's life. Much like her great-grandfather Akbar, Jahanara made a pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif and Allah ko unhone dhanyawad diya for improving her health in 1645. As a reward for her recovery, Shah Jahan not only gave Jahanara rarest of precious stones but also gave her the most fertile and profitable port, Surat. Jahanara now commanded a huge ship on the Red Sea called Sahibi. Mughal women from the time of Mariam uz-Zamani were known for their international trade and Jahanara followed the footsteps of her grandmother and Noor Jahan. Jahanara was also a very religious woman. She issued a firman that her ship Sahibi will make a stop at Mecca and Medina and five koni of rice would be distributed to the needy at Mecca and Medina every year. In fact, she made sea fare free for women who wanted to travel to Hajj every year. In fact, she made sea fare free for women who wanted to travel to Hajj. Princess Jahanara ne kabhi shaadi nahin kari and neither did any of the daughters of Shah Jahan. Whether it was to keep the empire safe or a personal choice of the daughters, one would never know. Jahanara, however, had a series of lovers who visited her palace built outside the Agra Fort. 1650 mein jab Aurangzeb ne Shah Jahan ko forceful exile kar diya Agra Fort ke andar, she decided to stay with her father and take care of him. Aurangzeb ne bohot baar plead and request kara Jahanara ko to leave this forceful exile but Jahanara was stubborn. Shah Jahan ke guzar jaane ke baad she finally came back to Delhi. Aurangzeb welcomed her with open arms and once again declared her Patsha Begum of Lal Qila until her death. Jahanara ne apna barrier khud banaya Nizamuddin Dargah ke andar. A simple votive marble sarcophagus jo sirf ghaas se covered hai. Unlike her mother and father who are buried in a grand mausoleum, Jahanara decided to be buried in a very simple shrine. Hazaro devotees visit the area yet no one suspects here lies one of the richest women in the world who once commanded sea and built cities.