Maham Anga
Maham Anga | |
|---|---|
 Being seated just below Akbar himself denotes Maham Anga's position in the imperial court | |
| Died | 25 June 1562[1] Agra, India |
| Burial place | Adham Khan's Tomb, Delhi |
| Spouse | Nadim Khan[citation needed] |
| Children | Adham Khan Quli Khan |
Maham Anga (died 1562) was the foster mother and chief wet nurse of the Mughal emperor Akbar. She was the political adviser of the teenage emperor and the de facto regent of the Mughal Empire from 1560 to 1562.[2]
Biography
[edit]Maham Anga was Akbar's chief nurse prior to his enthronement at age of thirteen as Mughal emperor in 1556. Her own son, Adham Khan,[3] as Akbar's foster brother, was almost regarded as one of the imperial family. Akbar respected and honored her with all affection to the extent that he called her "mother", and kissed her hands and head in the presence of his courtiers and family members, and when he met her, he seated her in his place and welcomed her with respect.
Maham Anga, to be shrewd and ambitious, and very much in charge of the household and harem, she took over the management of this complex institution, from social life to the planning of parties, ceremonies, kitchen, including the management of the large sums of money that come in. She sought to advance her own authority and that of her son. In 1560, the two tricked Akbar into coming to India without his regent and guardian Bairam Khan and were able to convince Akbar that now that he was seventeen, he did not need Bairam. Akbar dismissed his regent and sent him on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Months later, Bairam was murdered by an Afghan, and much of the former's power passed on to Maham Anga. Akbar trusted her most of all and consulted her in every matter, whether it was government or family, especially in appointing and dismissing in the court, and then he made decisions.
Death
[edit]Adham Khan's violent execution for the murder of Shams-ud-Din Ataga Khan, Akbar's favourite general, at the hands of the young Emperor himself no less, in May 1562, profoundly affected her. She famously commented You have done well to Akbar when he broke the news to her and died shortly afterwards.
Her tomb and that of her son, known as Adham Khan's Tomb, was built by Akbar, and popularly named Bhul-bulaiyan, owing to the labyrinth in its structure, lies north of the Qutub Minar in Mehrauli.
Khairul Manazil
[edit]She also built a mosque, Khairul Manazil, in 1561 CE along the lines of Mughal architecture. It later served as a Madrasah, and now stands opposite Purana Qila, Delhi on Mathura Road, south east to Sher Shah Gate.[4][5]
It was her slave that tried to assassinate Akbar, after his return from hunting and moving towards Nizamuddin Dargah, but the arrow hit a soldier in his entourage instead, who was hurt, not a lot, and he did not suffer heavy wounds.[6]
In popular culture
[edit]- Ila Arun portrayed as fictionalized Maham Anga in the Bollywood film Jodhaa Akbar (2008).[7]
- A fictionalized Maham Anga was portrayed by Ashwini Kalsekar in Zee TV's fictional drama Jodha Akbar.[8]
- Tiya Gandwani portrayed Maham Anga in BIG Magic's 2015 sitcom, Hazir Jawab Birbal.
- Jaya Bhattacharya portrayed Maham Anga in Sony TV's historical drama Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap.[9]
- Hetal Yadav portrayed Maham Anga in Akbar Rakht Se Takht Ka Safar in 2017 Indian drama television series tracing Akbar's journey to the Mughal throne.
References
[edit]- ^ Ma'asir al-umara by Samsam ud Daula, vol. 1, pg. 158, Urdu Science Board, Lahore (2004)
- ^ Jackson, Guida M. (1999). Women rulers throughout the ages : an illustrated guide ([2nd rev., expanded and updated ed.]. ed.). Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. p. 237. ISBN 9781576070918.
- ^ Bonnie C. Wade (20 July 1998). Imaging Sound: An Ethnomusicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture in Mughal India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 95–. ISBN 978-0-226-86840-0.
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- ^ Sher Shah Gate Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine IGNCA website.
- ^ "Driving past Khairul Manzil". Indian Express. 26 April 2009.
- ^ Masjid Khairul Manazil By Ahmad Rahmani milligazette. .
- ^ "Who's who in Jodhaa Akbar". rediff.com. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Coutinho, Natasha (24 September 2014). "It isn't easy to let go: Ashwini Kalsekar". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
- ^ Maheshwri, Neha (1 October 2013). "Ashwini Kalsekar, Jaya Bhattacharya on playing Maham Anga". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
Further reading
[edit]- Mughal Architecture of Delhi : A Study of Mosques and Tombs (1556-1627 A.D.), by Praduman K. Sharma, Sundeep, 2001, ISBN 81-7574-094-9. Chapter 4.
- B.V. Bhavan 'The Mughal Empire' (Bombay 1974) The Cambridge History of India v.4 Abdul Fazl 'Akbarnama' Badauni.