Ruqaiya Sultan Begum

Uncommon card · No. 147257

Ruqaiya Sultan Begum (alternatively spelled Ruqayya or Ruqayyah; c. 1542 – January 1626) was the first and chief wife of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. She was one of the longest-serving Mughal empress consorts for nearly fifty years. However, she never held the title of Padshah Begum. During Akbar's reign, the title was instead held by his mother, Hamida Banu Begum (titled Mariam Makani), until her death in 1604. Ruqaiya was a first cousin of her husband and was a Mughal princess by birth. Her father, Hindal Mirza, was the youngest brother of Akbar's father, Humayun. She was betrothed to Akbar at the age of nine and married him at 14, but remained childless throughout her marriage. In later years, she raised Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani’s grandson, Khurram (the future emperor Shah Jahan).

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