Who was Mariam-uz-Zamani and what was her birth name?
Mariam-uz-Zamani was the Rajput daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer born in 1542. Her actual birth name remains unknown to history though genealogies suggest names like Harkha Bai or Jiya Rani.
Questions about Mariam-uz-Zamani
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Akbar marry Mariam-uz-Zamani and where did the ceremony take place?
The union between Akbar and the young princess took place on the 6th of February 1562 at an imperial military camp in Sambhar, Rajasthan. This political alliance provided her family with powerful support throughout the reign after her father submitted to the Emperor.
Why is the name Jodha Bai incorrect for Mariam-uz-Zamani?
Modern popular culture often misidentifies her as Jodha Bai a name first applied by James Tod in his early 19th-century colonial history book Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan. Historical evidence suggests Jodha Bai actually refers to Jagat Gosain the wife of Jahangir and daughter of Raja Udai Singh of Jodhpur.
What were the trading achievements of Mariam-uz-Zamani during Jahangir's reign?
Mariam-uz-Zamani was the most prodigious woman trader of Mughal Empire who commissioned ships like the Ganj-I-Sawai carrying sixty-two guns and over four hundred musket men. She sent agents to Bayana to purchase indigo for shipment to Mocha despite Portuguese seizures of her flagship Rahimi ship in September 1613.
When did Mariam-uz-Zamani die and where is her tomb located?
Mariam-uz-Zamani died early summer of 1623 in Agra and her tomb was built between 1623 and 1627 on Tantpur Road in Jyoti Nagar next to Akbar's mausoleum. Only a kilometer separates their graves making hers the only wife buried close to Akbar.