On the first part of this blog post, we tarried our way through the origins of the Mughal Empire until Emperor Akbar had married his first three wives. He’s now poised to make his fourth marriage with a Hindu princess—a first of many firsts, you’ll see why.
This empress, later given the title of Maryam Muzzamani, and bestowed with a tomb that we are going to visit, would give birth to the first of Akbar’s surviving sons—finally, an heir for Akbar’s empire.
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(Part 1 of 3)
On the night before we leave for Agra, I mention to our driver that we’d like to stop at the town prominent in the Mughal Empire, Sikandra.
Deepak gazes at me long and in silence.
I explain. You know, it’s on the road into Agra. Akbar ka rauza aur Maryam ka rauza. Gesticulating. Lamba chauda. Road se dikhega. Vo thai Padshah, aur Maryam unki bibi. (For those of you who don’t understand my, er, abbreviated Hindi: Akbar’s and Maryam’s tombs, imposing monument, can be seen from the road. He was emperor, and Maryam was his wife).
His expression does not change. But, I’m not disheartened. Deepak’s a man of few words.
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Inside the Khas Mahal and the harem apartments at Agra Fort
In a time when women were hidden away, faceless, and for the most part, voiceless, two women rose to become formidable players in the courts of the Mughal Empire. The bestselling author of the Taj Trilogy, Indu Sundaresan, presents an intimate view into the politics, religions, hierarchy, and structure of the Mughal harem.
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