![]() ![]() “It was one moment when you saw a lot of activity,” says Haider. For instance, the symmetry-obsessed Shah Jahan may be famous for his monument-sized heartbreak, but he had a competitive streak, too. (There was an incident when an English agent, William Finch, outbid the cargo reserved for her. She had ships that travelled from Surat to the Red Sea, carrying cargo as well as ferrying passengers for hajj. Findley describes her as “adventurous a trader’’ as no other. A shrewd businesswoman, Nur Jahan made deals with foreign traders such as the Portuguese.īut perhaps the pioneer of the ship trade in the harem was Maryam-uz-Zamani, Akbar’s wife. Nur Jahan, one of Jahangir’s wives, also had ships her choice of export was indigo and embroidered cloth. Jahanara was not the only lady Mughal to embark on naval pursuits. More than just a trading port, Surat was also the gateway to Mecca. The custodians of Mecca and Medina were often sent money-not bullion, but trade goods. According to author Shireen Moosvi, Jahanara ordered that “…every year fifty koni (about 150 pounds) of rice be sent by the ship for distribution among the destitute and needy of Mecca”. Sahibi, one of her ships, made its first voyage on October 29, 1643, to Mecca and Medina. But, beyond receiving revenue from Surat, she also contributed to its prosperity. The seas also added to the wealth of the royal women, Jahanara being one of them. The Mughals’ revenue from Surat, a prosperous town, was an estimated 07.5 lakh a year. While 80 per cent of the revenue of the Mughal state came from agriculture, overseas trade, too, brought in taxes. The sea did have an impact on the royal treasury. He is also said to have enjoyed a round of drinks with the briny sea air.īut the royal jaunt apart, the revenue figures indicate that trade was lucrative. Akbar adventurously boarded “fast-moving boat(s) and ordered an assembly of pleasure and enjoyment,” says author Ira Mukhoty in Akbar: The Great Mughal. Though the sea did not loom large on the Mughal horizon, each emperor did travel to see the sea at least once. “Jahanara was given the jagir (land grant) of Surat and she took a lot of interest ,” says Najaf Haider, a professor of medieval history at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Though not quite Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships, Begum was an Indian princess who commanded Surat, one of the busiest ports of the Mughal Empire. In the corner of the courtyard, socially distanced behind a latticed wall, lies Jahanara Begum. There, you will see the cold, black-flecked white floor dotted with masked devotees waiting for redemption early in the morning. If it was the Yellow Brick Road that led Dorothy to Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, it is the sweet scent of crimson roses mixed with smoky incense that will lead you to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s dargah (mausoleum).
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