Rahmat Banu Begum

Rahmat Banu Begum
Born Ramani Gabharu
c. 1656
Assam, India
Spouse Muhammad Azam Shah
House Ahom (by birth)
Timurid (by marriage)
Father Jayadhwaj Singha
Mother Pakhori Gabharu
Religion Islam (Hinduism, prior to marriage)

Rahmat Banu Begum (Persian: رحمت بانو بیگم‎; born c. 1656), was the first wife of titular Mughal Emperor Muhammad Azam Shah.

She was the only daughter of Swargadeo Jayadhwaj Singha, king of Ahom Dynasty and his wife Pakhori Gabharu, the daughter of Momai Tamuli Borbarua. She was the niece of Lachit Borphukan and Laluksola Borphukan. She famously resisted Laluksola Borphukan's plan to hand over Guwahati to her husband.

Early life

Rahmat Banu Begum was born as Ahom princess, and was the only daughter of Swargadeo Jayadhwaj Singha, king of Ahom Dynasty and his wife Pakhori Gabharu, the Tamuli Kuwari.[1] Her real name was Ramani Gabharu, and was also known as Nangchen Gabharu and Maina Gabharu.[2]

She was the maternal granddaughter of Momai Tamuli Borbarua, was an able administrator and the commander-in-chief of the army in the Ahom kingdom, and the niece of Lachit Borphukan and Laluksola Borphukan,[3] who are known for their participation in the Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ram Singh I to take back Kamrup.

Marriage

When Mir Jumla invaded Jayadhwaj's kingdom and defeated him in the war, he made a truce with Mir Jumla on a condition for which his daughter Ramani Gabharu had to be sent to the Mughal's imperial harem when she was only six, along with the princess of the Tipam King as ransom.[4] Her father delived her at Aurangzeb's court on 15 January 1663.[5] She was given the Muslim name of Rahmat Banu Begum after her conversion to Islam, and was brought up in the imperial harem.[6] Five years later, she was formally married to Aurangzeb's son Muhammad Azam Shah on Sunday, 13 May 1668, with a dowry of 1,80,000 rupees at Delhi.[7][8][9]

By the time, Guwahati was recovered from the Mughals by king Chakradhwaj Singha with the help of famous Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in the famous battle of Battle of Saraighat. Lachit Borphukan earned much fame by defeating famous Mughal general Ram Singha in this battle. Had there been no Lachit Bagphukanas the general of the Ahom Army, it would have been utterly impossible on the part of the Ahoms to win the battle. In that case Guwahati would have remained as the part of Mughal Empire as before. Even after being defeated in the hands of Lachit Bagphukanas, Ram Singh I spoke highly of the manifold qualities of the Ahom Soldiers.[10]

Then, after a period of some years, it was proposed that Guwahati should be given to the Mughals and in return Laluksola, the viceroy of Ahoms at Guwahati will be made the king. When Rahamt Banu came to know about it, she wrote a letter to her maternal uncle Laluksola Borphukan warning him not to do such an act of betrayal. However, Laluksola Borphukan did not listen to his noble niece.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Neog, Maheswar (1983). Lachit Barphukan: The Victor of the Battle of Saraighat. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 28.
  2. ↑ Pathak, Dayananda (2002). Pickings from the Cottonian. Cotton College Centenary Celebration Committee, Cotton College. p. 102.
  3. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Malaysankar; Anandagopal, Ghosh (1989). Studies in history and archaeology: a miscellany. Indian Institute of Oriental Studies and Research. p. 58.
  4. ↑ Sarma, Anjali (1990). Among the Luminaries in Assam: A Study of Assamese Biography. Mittal Publications. p. 188. ISBN 978-8-170-99207-3.
  5. ↑ Sarkar, Jadunath (1947). Maasir-i-Alamgiri: A History of Emperor Aurangzib-Alamgir (reign 1658-1707 AD) of Saqi Mustad Khan. Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta.
  6. ↑ Islamic Culture - Volumes 21-22. Islamic Culture Board. 1971. p. 112.
  7. ↑ Bhuyan, Suryya Kumar (1957). Atan Buragohain and His Times: A History of Assam, from the Invasion of Nawab Mir Jumla in 1662-63, to the Termination of Assam-Mogul Conflicts in 1682. Lawyer's Book stall. p. 31.
  8. ↑ Pathak, Dayananda (2002). Pickings from the Cottonian. Cotton College Centenary Celebration Committee, Cotton College. p. 102.
  9. ↑ Shashi, S. S. (1996). Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Anmol Publications. p. 2078. ISBN 978-8-170-41859-7.
  10. ↑ Pathak 2008, p. 12.
  11. ↑ Pathak 2008, p. 13.

Bibliography

  • Pathak, Guptajit (2008). Assamese Women in Indian Independence Movement: With a Special Emphasis on Kanaklata Barua. Mittal Publications. ISBN 978-8-183-24233-2.
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