# Padshah Begum > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Padshah_Begum > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Padshah_Begum.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padshah_Begum > Source revision: 1321113585 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Mughal Empire title Padshah Begum of the Mughal Empire Mughal princess Jahanara, Padshah Begum during the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb Style Her Imperial Majesty Residence Agra Fort Appointer Mughal Emperors Formation 21 April 1526 First holder Maham Begum Final holder Zeenat Mahal Abolished 14 September 1857 **Padshah Begum** ([Persian](/source/Persian_language): پادشاه بیگم) was a superlative [imperial](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Imperial) [title](/source/Title) conferred upon the empress consort of the [Mughal Empire](/source/Mughal_Empire) and was considered to be the most important title in the [Mughal harem](/source/Mughal_Harem) or *[zenana](/source/Zenana)*.[1] This title can be equivalent with "empress" in English, but in only approximate terms in the Mughal context. ## List of Padshah Begum Padshah Begum Tenure Notes From Until Maham Begum 1526 1530 Wife of Babur Bega Begum 1530 1540 Wife of Humayun 1555 1556 Hamida Banu Begum 1556 1604 Mother of Akbar Saliha Banu Begum 1608 1620 Wife of Jahangir Nur Jahan 1620 1627 Wife of Jahangir Mumtaz Mahal 1628 1631 Wife of Shah Jahan Jahanara Begum 1631 1658 Daughter of Shah Jahan Sister of Aurangzeb 1669 1681 Roshanara Begum 1658 1669 Zinat-un-Nissa Begum 1681 1721 Daughter of Aurangzeb Badshah Begum 1721 1789 Daughter of Farrukhsiyar Wife of Muhammad Shah Zeenat Mahal 1840 1857 Wife of Bahadur Shah Zafar ## Etymology **[Padeshah](/source/Padishah)**, **Padshah**, **Padishah**, or **Badishah** is a superlative royal title, composed of the Persian *pād* (master) and *shāh* (king), which was adopted by several monarchs claiming the highest rank, equivalent to that of an ancient Persian notion of "The Great" or "Great King", and later adopted by post-Achaemenid and Christian Emperors. Its Arabized pronunciation as Badshah was used by Mughal emperors, and Bashah or Pasha was used by Ottoman Sultans. **[Begum](/source/Begum)**, **begam**, **baigum** or **beygum** is a female royal and aristocratic title from Central and South Asia. It is the feminine equivalent of the title *[baig](/source/Baig)* or *[bey](/source/Bey)*, which in Turkic languages means *chief* or *commander*. It usually refers to the wife or daughter of a *beg*. ## Historical usage The title of 'Padshah Begum' could only be bestowed upon the chief or principal wife, a sister, mother, or a favored daughter of the Mughal emperor[2] and could not be held by more than one lady simultaneously.[3] This was evidenced by the fact that Emperor [Jahangir](/source/Jahangir)'s wife, [Nur Jahan](/source/Nur_Jahan), could only be given the title after his chief wife, [Saliha Banu Begum](/source/Saliha_Banu_Begum) (the Padshah Begum for most of his reign), had died in 1620.[1] Where the consorts of the Mughal emperors were concerned, the title could only be bestowed upon the chief wife of the emperor. The title was first bestowed upon [Maham Begum](/source/Maham_Begum), who was the chief wife of Emperor [Babur](/source/Babur). It was held by [Bega Begum](/source/Bega_Begum) during the reign of [Humayun](/source/Humayun). Akbar, bestowed this title over his mother, [Hamida Banu Begum](/source/Hamida_Banu_Begum) who bore it until her death 1604.[4] Emperor Jahangir bestowed this title upon his chief wife, Saliha Banu Begum, and then to her successor (after her death), Nur Jahan. Emperor [Shah Jahan](/source/Shah_Jahan) bestowed this title upon his chief wife, [Mumtaz Mahal](/source/Mumtaz_Mahal) but after she died, he bestowed it upon his daughter [Jahanara Begum](/source/Jahanara_Begum). [Shahar Banu Begum](/source/Shahar_Banu_Begum) was briefly called Padshah begum during the short reign of her husband [Azam Shah](/source/Muhammad_Azam_Shah), but it is unknown if the title was actually given to her.[5] Emperor [Muhammad Shah](/source/Muhammad_Shah) bestowed this title upon his chief wife [Badshah Begum](/source/Badshah_Begum). The title was also bestowed upon the daughter of the emperor, such as Emperor Shah Jahan's daughter, Princess Jahanara Begum, and Emperor [Aurangzeb](/source/Aurangzeb)'s daughter, Princess [Zinat-un-Nissa](/source/Zinat-un-Nissa), both of whom bore the title throughout their lives.[6] In some cases, the title was also bestowed upon the sister of the emperor. Aurangzeb bestowed the title on his sisters [Roshanara Begum](/source/Roshanara_Begum) and Jahanara Begum. When a Timurid Shahzadi held the title it meant "Empress amongst princesses".[7] ## In popular culture - *[Badshah Begum](/source/Badshah_Begum_(TV_series))*, a 2022 Pakistani television drama based on the concept of Padshah Begum.[8] ## See also - [Padshah](/source/Padshah) - [Begum](/source/Begum) - [Mughal Empire](/source/Mughal_Empire) - [List of Mughal empresses](/source/List_of_Mughal_empresses) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Findly_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Findly_1-1) Findly, Ellison Banks (1993). [*Nur Jahan, empress of Mughal India*](https://archive.org/details/nurjahanempressm00find). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. [95](https://archive.org/details/nurjahanempressm00find/page/n107), 125. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780195360608](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780195360608). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Aftab, Tahera (2008). *Inscribing South Asian Muslim Women: an Annotated Bibliography & Research Guide* ([Online-Ausg.] ed.). Brill. p. 66. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9789004158498](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789004158498). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *The Journal of the Numismatic Society of India, Volumes 20-21*. Numismatic Society of India. 1958. p. 223. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Badayuni, Abdul Qadir. *Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh*. Vol. III. Begum Pädshāh, the mother of his Majesty, busied herself in the ladies' apartments of the palace in interceding for the Shaikh and said to the Emperor. My son, he has an aged and decrepit mother in Ajmer. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Sharma, Sudha (21 March 2016). *The Status of Muslim Women in Medieval India*. SAGE Publications India. p. 82. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-9-351-50567-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-9-351-50567-9). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Schimmel, Annemarie (2004). [*The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture*](https://archive.org/details/empireofgreatmug00anne/page/152). Reaktion Books. p. [152](https://archive.org/details/empireofgreatmug00anne/page/152). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1861891857](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1861891857). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Butenschön, Andrea (1931). *The Life of a Mogul Princess: Jahānarā Begum, Daughter of Shāhjahān*. Taylor & Francis. p. 221. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Mohammad Kamran Jawaid (2022-02-16). ["With no saas-bahu drama in sight, Badshah Begum wants to push the boundaries of television"](https://images.dawn.com/news/1189518/with-no-saas-bahu-drama-in-sight-badshah-begum-wants-to-push-the-boundaries-of-television). *DAWN Images*. Retrieved 2022-02-25. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Padshah Begum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padshah_Begum) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padshah_Begum?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.