Jalal's Wives - Page 2

Originally posted by: poppy2009

Akbar had 7 main wives (the Queens, whom he had formally married through Nikah Ceremony) and around 500 concubines and mistresses. His Harem size was around 5000, but it comprised of his aunts, step-mothers, cousins, nieces, etc. etc.

Although, he always considered Ruqaiyya Begum to be his chief queen consort, it was actually his hindu wife (who was referred to as Mariam and is incorrectly known as Jodha Bai) who was acknowledged by the court and the general public as the King's principal wife...because she was the mother of the crown prince, Jahangir!

Akbar had three sons...the elder one Jahangir from his hindu wife and another one Murad, from Bairam Khan's widow, whom he married later on. Another one was Daniyal, whose mother's ancestry is unknown...though it is rumored that he was the son of Anarkali...the same woman who was also mistress to Jahangir! (Not uncommon in those days for Father and Son to share the same woman!)

Ruquaiyya Begum remained childless and was eventually given the responsibility of raising Jahangir's third son from his hindu wife...who would later on go to become Shahjahan.

Though he let his hindu wife practice her own religion inside the palace...in fact, her palace is still intact in Fathehpur Sikri, including a temple dedicated to Lord Krishna...and you can see all the hindu motifs inside it...she was actually converted to Islam and when she died, she was buried as per Islamic traditions and not hindu rites.