Mughal Princess Jahanara: The Uncrowned Ruler of Bengal

Before the British East India Company, before the Nawabs, Bengal was the richest province of the Mughal Empire. But its prosperity wasn't just managed by emperors and governors. This episode explores the extraordinary story of Jahanara Begum, the eldest daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, who effectively ruled Bengal for two decades as the empire's de facto financial administrator. We dive into her management of the port of Hooghly, her role in stabilizing trade after the Portuguese were expelled, her patronage of the Bengali textile industry, and her controversial relationship with her brother Aurangzeb. We also examine the Jama Masjid of Dhaka and the Shahi Eidgah built during her tenure, and question how much of Bengal's 'golden age' under Shaista Khan was actually engineered by Jahanara from behind the scenes in Agra and Delhi. This episode sheds light on a figure history has often reduced to a footnote, but who was arguably one of the most powerful women in Mughal Bengal.

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