'Women are the most creative creatures to exist.'
We have a history of influential women, who have led from the front when their people needed.
For leadership, doesn't differentiate between gender.
When a queen takes charge, the calamity is bound...
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NAWAB BAI
Time, the most vicious existence, the wheel that leaves nothing but trodden remains, squashing everything coming in the way.
Winners take all and the losers are left with nothing but humiliation and an existence left to be forgotten, perhaps even an unmarked, pachydermous grave. One such existence is Rahmat-un-Nissa also known as Nawab Bai. Taken away from her family this queen was raised according to persian standards; Nawab Bai had a shimmering future ahead of her, boundless wealth and married to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb himself she could have attained heights never seen before but currently in this time period hardly much is known about her only because of one reason, she sided with her son like any mother would do.
Her story begins when in the year 1638 she was born in a muslim rajput family of Jarral lineage, a tribe that currently resides in parts of Punjab belonging to Pakistan. While some historians claim her to be daughter of Raja Tajuddin Khan of the Rajauri State in Kashmir, and belonged to the Jarral clan, others claim her to be the granddaughter of Raja of Rajauri and some of her ties linked with saint Abdul-Quadir Gilani, who was a Hanbali Sunni Muslim preacher and founder of the Qadiriyya tariqa of Sufism famously known as Sufi order.
Regardless of her origin one thing was set in stone was her marriage with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. On her arrival in Mughal harem she was taught various arts and mannerisms of Harem. She was also governed in persian and other prominent languages prevailing at that time. When she was completely well versed with these topics she was finally married as a secondary wife of Aurangzeb receiving a name, Rahmat-un-Nissa.
In the years coming she gave birth to Aurangzeb's first son Prince Muhammad Sultan Mirza in year 1639 but that was not enough for her to secure the Empress's seat which was occupied by Aurangzeb's then favorite, Dilras Banu Begum. She gave birth to two more children, a prince and a princess namely Prince Muhammad Muazzam Mirza who later became future Emperor Bahadur Shah I and the memorizer of the Quran, Princess Badr-un-Nissa Begum.
Her early life was comparatively going with 3 children of her own but the sons she cherished soon created a set of trouble for her with their rambunctious actions. Both of her sons involved themselves in treason with his eldest son jailed on the offence of colluding with his uncle. Her second son was no better and failed in his excursion purposely. When Aurangzeb contracted an illness he was one of the few people who raised her voice against the misdeeds of his sister Roshanara Begum who tried to become Reagent to the throne. Though her trial was brutally suppressed, her dedication for the empire became extensively clear.
Her dedication was proven not just once but several other times when she tried to make amends with her son in order to bring back stability to the court. On command of Aurangzeb she spent the other half of her life traveling in the Deccan region to pacify her son. Her goodwill was swept aside by her son Muzzam which led to his imprisonment in the year 1687.
The year 1691 marks the death of this strong woman with her will breaking after every passing day of her son. Her grief of being separated from her children finally broke her and she departed with an anguish laden heart. Apart from parenting history's notable figures like Emperor Bahadur Shah and scholar princess Badr-un-Nissa Begum, who was known for learning the Quran and marvelous character traits, Nawab Bai helped the traders of the kingdom by donating to build serais for them in Faridpur and founded a city named Baijapur, currently located in suburbs of Aurangabad. Lost in the pages of history her contribution or name are now subdued because she was mother of a losing Sultan.
