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Anara Begum

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Anara Begum
Consort ofGaj Singh I
IssueSugdha (daughter)
ReligionIslam[1]

Anara Begum (Marwari: अनारा बेगम) was the concubine of Gaj Singh I, the Rathore ruler of the Kingdom of Marwar from 1619 until his death in 1638. Described as the "red hot favourite concubine of Gaj Singh", she played an instrumental role in the selection of Jaswant Singh as heir over his elder brother Amar Singh Rathore.[2]

Biography

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According to Jodhpur-ri-khyat, a historical chronicle of Marwar region, Anara Begum was originally the wife of a Muslim Nawab of Delhi, who was subsequently abducted by Gaj Singh and taken into his household as a khawas (concubine).[3][4] She is mentioned to be of Turkish descent.[5] The identity of her husband remains uncertain.[6] Alternative narratives suggest Anara herself had requested Gaj Singh to orchestrate her abduction following their meeting at the Mughal court. The Nawab came to accept his wife's "elopement on the pretext of the love the Maharaja and his concubine exhibited".[7]

Despite her status as a khawas, Anara gradually assumed a significant role in the royal household.[8][9] However, her presence in the ranivas was unwelcome among the Rajput wives of Gaj Singh. Tensions emerged between Anara and Gaj's elder son Amar Singh Rathore, as well as his mother, Mansukh Chauhanji Deiji,[2] leading to Anara's eventual confinement in a Jaipur palace.[7]

Anara had a daughter named Sugdha with Gaj Singh.[5] A pair of pearl-encrusted shoes, believed to have belonged to Anara Begum, are preserved in the Rang Mahal of Jaipur.[10][11]

Role in Jaswant Singh's succession

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Following the death of Gaj Singh in 1638, Anara played a pivotal role in the selection of second-born Jaswant Singh as heir over Gaj Singh's elder son, Amar Singh Rathore.[12][1] Amar Singh was granted the territory of Nagore as a form of compensation. This succession arrangement received the approval of the contemporary Mughal Empire, which favored weakened Rajput unity.[13][14]

A 19th-century British account by Kaviraj Shyamaldas suggests that Amar Singh resented Anara due to her lower status, whereas Jaswant Singh showed her respect.[2] This influenced Anara to advocate for Jaswant's nomination as successor. She also justified the decision by suggesting that Amar Singh, being young, could establish his own domain independently in Nagore. Anara maintained her position within the courts of both Gaj Singh and Jaswant Singh, and either of the two is credited with excavating a locally famous baori in Jodhpur in her honor.[3][15][16]

Death

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In the Jodhpur khyat, Anara is mentioned to have been killed along with her daughter during a battle between Rajputs and Mughals.[5]

In literature

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  • Anara is a character in Bholashankar Vyas' historical fiction novel Samudra Sangam (2004).[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Singh, Sabita (27 May 2019). The Politics of Marriage in India: Gender and Alliance in Rajasthan. Oxford University Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-19-909828-6. "Another example is that of Anara Begum, a Muslim lady who was the khawas of Gaj Singh. It was because of her intervention that Gaj Singh nominated his younger son as successor ignoring the elder son, Amar Singh."
  2. ^ a b c Singh, Rajvi Amar (1992). Mediaeval History of Rajasthan: Western Rajasthan. Rajvi Amar Singh. p. 1380. "Prior to this, the relations of Mansukh De Songiri, the mother of Amar Singh, with Anara, the red hot favourite concubine of Gaj Singh, were strained. Besides, Amar Singh also used to rebuke Anara."
  3. ^ a b Singh, Raghuveer (1988). Jodhpur Rajya Ki Khyat (in Marwari) (1st ed.). Delhi: Panchsheel Prakashan. pp. 182–188.
  4. ^ Khan, Yaqub Ali (12 November 2024). Regional History of Medieval India: Society, Culture and Economy. Boydell & Brewer. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-83765-136-8. "...Begum Anara, who was abducted by Maharajah Gajsingh and later on became his concubine."
  5. ^ a b c Singh, Raghuveer (1988). Jodhpur Rajya Ki Khyat (in Marwari) (1st ed.). Delhi: Panchsheel Prakashan. p. 201.
  6. ^ Jodhapura Rājya kī khyāta (in Hindi). Bhāratīya Itihāsa Anusandhāna Parishad, evaṃ Pañcaśīla Prakāśana, Jayapura. 1988. p. 19. "From all accounts it is certain that Anara, khawas of Maharaja Gaj Singh, was by no means a fictitious character, but it is impossible to identify in any way her spouse, referred to as 'Nawab' in the Khyat."
  7. ^ a b Khanna, Priyanka (2011). "Embodying Royal Concubinage: Some Aspects of Concubinage in Royal Rajput Household of Marwar, (western Rajasthan) C. 16 Th -18 Th Centuries". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 72: 337–345. ISSN 2249-1937. JSTOR 44146726. "Anara, the Muslim concubine of Maharaja Gaj Singh (1619-1638 A.D.) was one such concubine. Anara was the wife of a Nawab who appeared extremely attractive to Gaj Singh once he saw her. The attraction was mutual here as the sources attest that it was Anara who persuaded Gaj Singh to abduct her despite knowing that her status would transform from the wife of a Nawab to the concubine of this Rajput chieftain. The source emphasises that the Nawab accepted his wife's elopement on the pretext of the love that the Maharaja and the concubine exhibited. However, Anara was confined to a mahal in Chandpol (Jaipur) due to the resistance against her by the wives in the Rajput zenana."
  8. ^ Devaṛā, Śarada (1971). Marudhar Mahima (in Hindi). Aṇimā Prakāśana. pp. 337–338.
  9. ^ Mishra, Ratanlal (2007). राजा-महाराजा और उनकी पासवानें (in Hindi). Anu Prakāśana. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-81-88099-76-4.
  10. ^ Guides, Insight (1 June 2017). Insight Guides Rajasthan (Travel Guide eBook). Rough Guides UK. p. 452. ISBN 978-1-78671-713-9.
  11. ^ Bhati, N. S. (1979). Studies in Marwar History. Rajasthani Shodh Sansthan. p. 32.
  12. ^ Hooja, Rima (2006). A History of Rajasthan. Rupa & Company. p. 589. ISBN 978-81-291-0890-6. "In keeping with the declared wishes of Gaj Singh, which are said to have been influenced by his concubine, Anara Begum, after his death the succession of Marwar passed over his elder son, Prince Amar Singh, in favour of Gaj Singh's younger son, Jaswant Singh."
  13. ^ Śarmā, Yādavendra (1998). Maru-Kesari (in Hindi). Vani Prakashan. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-81-7055-607-7.
  14. ^ Joshi, Varsha (1995). Polygamy and Purdah: Women and Society Among Rajputs. Rawat Publications. p. 70. ISBN 978-81-7033-275-6. "Maharana Gaj Singh, under influence of Anara Begum, one of his concubines, appointed Jaswant Singh as the successor and gave Nagore in jagir to his eldest son Amar Singh. In both these cases, because of the support of the Mughal emperors, the succession was not contested."
  15. ^ Chatterjee, Indrani; Eaton, Richard M. (12 October 2006). Slavery and South Asian History. Indiana University Press. pp. 145–146. ISBN 978-0-253-11671-0. "According to [Kaviraj] Shyamaldas's later reconstruction, the Jodhpur chronicles are said to have ascribed the passing over of the elder son Amar Singh to the influence of the patar Anara, Gaj Singh's concubine (khavas). Amar Singh is said to have hated her (nafrat) for her inferior status (kam darja). So once, when Jaswant Singh placed her slippers before her, she praised him before the king, and on her urging, Gaj Singh nominated his younger son as his heir. [...] Independent testimony of Anara's influence is provided by the Anasagar lake in the environs of Jodhpur, believed to have been excavated by a grateful Gaj Singh or Jaswant Singh."
  16. ^ Rathore, L. S. (2006). A New History of Ballu Chanpawat Rathore of Harsolaw-Marwar (A.D. 1591-1644). Books Treasure. pp. 91–93.
  17. ^ Vyas, Bholashankar (2004). Samudra saṅgama (in Hindi). Bhāratīya Jñanapīṭha. ISBN 978-81-263-1084-5.
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