Mariam-uz-Zamani was a wife of the Mughal emperor Akbar. She has also been referred to by several other names, including Hira Kunwari, Harkha Bai and Jodha Bai.
Born a Hindu-Rajput princess, in 1562, Mariam-uz-Zamani was offered in marriage to Akbar by her father, Raja Bharmal of Amber. The wedding, held in Sambhar, was a political one and was a sign of complete submission of her father to his imperial overlord. Her marriage to Akbar led to a gradual shift in his religious and social policy. She is widely regarded in modern Indian historiography as exemplifying Akbar’s and the Mughal’s tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies within an expanding multi-ethnic and multi-denominational empire.
Mariam-uz-Zamani was born in 1542, the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber by his wife Rani Champavati, daughter of Rao Ganga Solanki. Her paternal grandparents were Raja Prithviraj Singh I and Apurva Devi, a daughter of Rao Lunkaran of Bikaner.
Her birth name is unknown. ‘Mariam-uz-Zamani’ was in fact a title bestowed on her by Akbar on the occasion of their son Jahangir’s birth.
Picture Credit : Google