Salima Sultan Begum

The couple, who had a considerable age difference of approximately forty years, were married in 1557 after Akbar had succeeded Humayun as the third Mughal emperor. However, this brief union, which did not produce any children, lasted for only three years before Bairam Khan was assassinated by a band of Afghans in 1561. After his death, Salima was married to her first cousin, Akbar. She remained childless in both her marriages, but she raised the second son of Akbar, Murad Mirza, for the first few years. Salima was a senior-ranking wife of Akbar and had much influence over her husband and his son, Jahangir. She wielded major political influence in the Mughal court during her husband's reign as well as during his successor's (Jahangir) reign. Her name, however, appears in the histories as a reader and poet who wrote under the pseudonym of Makhfi (Hidden One) and as pleading with Akbar for Jahangir's forgiveness.

Salima Sultan Begum was the daughter of Mughal princess Gulrukh Begum and her husband, the Viceroy of Kannauj, Nuruddin Muhammad Mirza.[4] Her father was the grandson of Khwaja Hasan Naqshbandi and was a scion of the illustrious Naqshbandi Khwajas,[5] who were held in great esteem and were related to Sultan Abu Sa'id Mirza of the Timurid Empire through his son, Sultan Mahmud Mirza.[6] Salima's mother, Gulrukh Begum, was the daughter of the first Mughal emperor Babur. The identity of the mother of Gulrukh Begum is disputed. In some sources her mother's name is mentioned as Saliha Sultan Begum. However, this name is not mentioned in the Baburnama written by Babur himself or the Humayun-Nama written by Gulbadan Begum, and therefore the existence of such a woman is questionable. She may also have been the daughter of Dildar Begum, who may have been the same woman as Saliha Sultan Begum.[7][8] Gulrukh was thus a half-sister of the second Mughal emperor Humayun, and if she was Dildar's daughter, a full-sister of Humayun's youngest brother, Hindal Mirza. Salima was, therefore, a half-cousin of Emperor Akbar. Gulrukh Begum, who was known for her beauty and accomplishments in the imperial household, died four months after giving birth to her daughter.[9]

Salima was a highly educated and accomplished woman,[10][11] has often been described as extremely talented,[12] and was tactful. Proficient in Persian,[13] she was a gifted writer and a renowned poet of her time. She wrote under the pseudonym of Makhfi, a pseudonym later adopted by her equally talented step great-great-granddaughter, the gifted poetess, Princess Zeb-un-Nissa.[14] Salima was also a passionate lover of books and was very fond of reading.[15] She not only maintained a great library of her own but freely used Akbar's library as well. Abdus Hayy, the author of Ma'asir al-umara, quotes one of her famous couplets: In my passion I called thy lock the 'thread of life' I was wild and so uttered such an expression[16] Akbar's court historian, Bada'uni, in his book Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, gives one passage which throws light on Salima's love for books. The passage runs thus: "On account of the book Khirad-afza, which had disappeared from the library and concerning Salima Sultan Begum's study of which the Emperor [Akbar] reminded me, an order was issued that my allowance should be stopped and that they should demand the book of me." He adds that Abu'l Fazl did not lay his refutation before the Emperor, and he does not clear up the awkward doubt as to what he had done with Salima's desired book.[17]

• Illustration — Bairam Khan is assassinated by an Afghan at Patan, 1561 At the age of 18, Salima Begum was married to the considerably older Bairam Khan (who was in his fifties)[18] on 7 December 1557 in Jalandhar, Punjab.[19] Bairam was the commander-in-chief of the Mughal army and a powerful statesman at the Mughal court, who was acting as Akbar's regent at the time. Salima's maternal uncle, Humayun, had promised Bairam that he would give his niece in marriage to him as soon as India was conquered (which was accomplished in Akbar's reign). The bride was probably a reward for the surpassing services done by Bairam for Humayun. The marriage enhanced his prestige among the Mughal nobles, as it made him a member of the imperial family.[20] It is said that the marriage excited great interest at court. It united two streams of descent from Ali Shukr Beg: that is, the Blacksheep Turkomans from Bairam Khan's side and Timur from Salima's side, as Salima was a Timurid through her maternal grandfather, Emperor Babur, and through Mahmud, one of her great-grandfathers.[21] Salima became Bairam's second wife,[22] after the daughter of Jamal Khan of Mewat, who was his first wife and the mother of his son, Abdul Rahim. Salima and Bairam Khan's short-lived marriage did not produce any children. Shortly before he died in 1561, Bairam Khan lost his prestigious position in the Empire as he was provoked into rebelling against Akbar by conspirators who wanted to ruin him. Khan's rebellion was twice put down by Akbar, and he submitted to him. As punishment for his rebellions, Bairam was stripped of all his privileges and Akbar gave him three options: of a handsome jagir in the sarkar of Kalpi and Chanderi, the post of the emperor's confidential advisor, and a journey to Mecca. Bairam Khan chose the last option.[23]

While on his way to Mecca, Bairam Khan was attacked in Patan, Gujarat on 31 January 1561 by a band of Afghans led by Mubarak Khan, whose father had been killed fighting against Bairam at the Battle of Machhiwara in 1555.[24] Bairam Khan's camp was also put to plunder and the newly widowed, Salima Begum, along with her step-son, Abdul Rahim (aged four), reached Ahmedabad after suffering many hardships. Akbar was shocked to hear the sad news of his former teacher and guardian's death. As per his orders, Salima and Abdul Rahim were brought under imperial escort to the Mughal court with great honour and respect. Akbar himself married her on 7 May 1561 as a regard for the astute services offered by her late husband to the Mughal Empire and acknowledging her exalted lineage.[25] She was about three and a half years older than him and became his third wife. The richly talented Salima was Akbar's only other wife apart from Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, who was of the most exalted lineage, being a granddaughter of Emperor Babur through her maternal line. Salima was, thus, a senior-ranking wife of Akbar and became one of the chief consorts.[26] Salima remained childless throughout her marriage. She was entrusted with parenting Akbar's son, who was born to one of the serving-girls (concubine), named Sultan Murad Mirza. He was entrusted for his first few years to Salima Sultan Begum for the upbringing and returned to his mother's care in 1575, as Salima left for Hajj.[27] Being an extensive reader, she kept accounts of her encounters with the Emperor and the state of affairs. Salima was therefore one of the most important ladies in the Mughal court. In 1575, Salima traveled to Mecca to perform the Hajj pilgrimage along with her aunt, Gulbadan Begum, and many other Timurid ladies. She was the only wife of Akbar who accompanied the pilgrims.[28] Akbar himself was dissuaded from traveling only by the pleas of Abu'l Fazl.[29] The high-ranking female party, under the fortunate auspices of Akbar, left Fatehpur Sikri on 15 October 1575 and after taking a year to get to the sea, set sail for Mecca on 17 October 1576. They were said to have spent three and a half years in Arabia and made the hajj four times, returning home to Agra in March 1582.[30]

Salima died in 1613 in Agra, after suffering from an illness. Her step-son, Jahangir, gives particulars of her birth and descent and her marriages. By his orders, her body was laid in Mandarkar Garden in Agra, which she had commissioned.[36] Jahangir praises Salima both for her natural qualities and her acquirements, saying "she was adorned with all good qualities. In women, this degree of skill and capacity is seldom found." She creates an impression of herself as a charming and cultivated woman.

• Salima Sultan Begum is a character in Indu Sundaresan's award-winning historical novel The Twentieth Wife (2002).[37] • Salima was portrayed by Manisha Yadav in Zee TV's fictional drama Jodha Akbar.[38][39] • Riya Deepsi portrayed Salima in Sony TV's historical drama Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap.[40] • Parvati Sehgal portrayed Salima in Colors TV's frictional drama Daastan-E-Mohabbat Salim Anarkali. • Zarina Wahab portrayed Salima in ZEE5's web series Taj: Divided by Blood

The authorities additionally record the heading Makhfi. Her recorded confession was Islam. She was the child of Gulrukh Begum. She married Bairam Khan and Akbar. One child is recorded: Murad Mirza of Hindustan.

• Begum, Gulbadan (1902). The History of Humayun (Humayun-Nama). Royal Asiatic Society..