Was Akbar the First Muslim King to Marry a Hindu Princess?

Mughal Emperor Akbar was born in the house of a Rajput chief in Umerkot, where his parents Humayun and Hamida Banu Begum were taking refuge after Humayun's defeat in the battle of Kannauj by Sher Shah Suri.

Contrary to popular belief, Akbar (r: 1556-1605) was not the first Muslim ruler to marry a Hindu princess. In fact, many Muslim rulers had previously married Hindu princesses. However, Akbar was the first to grant complete religious freedom to his Hindu wives.

Was Raja Bharmal the First Rajput to Marry His Daughter to a Muslim?

Raja Bharmal of Amer (r: 1548-1574) was the first Rajput ruler to forge a matrimonial alliance with a Mughal emperor. In 1562, Bharmal arranged the marriage of his eldest daughter, Heera Kunwari, to Akbar. Prior to this, Bharmal had married his daughter Kisanawati to Haji Khan Sur, a commander of Sher Shah Suri, to dissuade him from attacking his State.

Before the Mughal era, Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji (r: 1296-1316) married Kamla Devi, the  former wife of Rai Karan of Gujarat, who was captured after the Rai's defeat. Ala-ud-din Khilji's eldest son Khizr Khan, married Dewal Devi, the daughter of Rai Karan and Kamla Devi. Ala-ud-din also married the daughter of Ramadeva, the king of Devagiri.



Sultan Firoz Shah of Tughlaq dynasty (r: 1351-1388) was the son of Sipah Salar Rajab, who was the brother of Sultan Tughlaq, and Bibi Naila, the daughter of Rana Mal Bhatti of Abohar. Firoz Shah is said to have married a Hindu princess of the Gujari tribe, for whom he built the Gujari Mahal at Hisar.

Sultan Muzaffar Shah, the founder of the Gujarat Sultanate (r: 1396), was the son of Saharan, a Hindu converted Muslim. Saharan was the brother of Firoz Shah Tughlaq's beloved Gujari girl.

Sultan Firuz Shah of Bahmani Sultanate (r: 1397-1422) achieved a significant victory over Devaraya I of Vijayanagar (r: 1406-1412). Following this triumph, Firuz Shah demanded the hand of Raya's daughter in marriage, which was celebrated in great pomp. Firuz Shah married the daughter of the Gond Raja Narsingh Rai of Kherla also.


When Sultan Muhammad Shah of Gujarat (r: 1441-1451) attacked the Raja of Idar, the Raja chose to submit and sent his daughter to the Sultan as a gesture of peace. The Sultan was captivated by her beauty and, under her influence, restored the country of Idar to her father.

Sultan Alau'd-din Ahmad Shah II (r: 1436-1458) of Bahmani Sultanate sent his minister Dilawar Khan to conquer the region of Konkan. Dilawar Khan defeated the Raja of Sangameshwar and took his daughter to the Sultan. Alau'd-din Ahmad Shah was enchanted by the beauty, grace, and musical talents of the Raja's daughter, bestowing upon her the title of Perichehra.


Sultan Bahlol Lodi (r: 1451-1489), the founder of the Lodi dynasty of Delhi, fell in love with Bibi Ambha, a Hindu goldsmith's daughter, who later gave birth to Sultan Sikandar Lodi (r: 1489-1517).

Sultan Yusuf Adil Shah (r: 1490-1510) was the founder of the Adil Shahi Dynasty of Bijapur. During the first year of his reign, Mukund Rao, a Maratha chief, and his brother revolted against Yusuf Adil Shah. However, Yusuf Adil Shah defeated them, and their families fell into his hands. Among those captured was Punji, the sister of Mukund Rao, whom Yusuf later married, and gave her the title of Bubuji Khanum. From this marriage, he had his son Ismail Adil Shah (r: 1510-1534).

Kasim Barid (r: 1492-1504), the founder of Barid Shahi Dynasty of Bidar, achieved a significant victory over the Maratha chief Sabaji Maratha and married the daughter of Sabaji to his son Amir Barid (r: 1504-1542).

Sultan Muzaffar Shah II of Gujarat (r: 1511-1526) was born to Rani Harbai, the daughter of Tah Rana, a Rajput zamindar of Mahindri. Sultan Bahadur Shah (r: 1526-1537) was the son of Sultan Muzaffar Shah II and Lakham Bai, the daughter of a Gohil Rajput. Muzaffar Shah also married Raj Bai, the sister of Mahipat Rana.


Rao Maldev of Jodhpur (r: 1532-1562) married his daughter Kanakavati Bai to Sultan Mahmud III of Gujarat (r: 1537-1554), while Lala Bai, to Salim Shah Suri (r: 1545-1554). Another daughter Ratnavati Bai was married to Haji Khan Sur.

Sultan Baz Bahadur of Mandu (r: 1555-1562) was a contemporary of Akbar. His love story with his Hindu wife Rupmati is a tale that has captivated many.

Legend has it that Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah of Golconda (r: 1581-1611) had a Hindu mistress named Bhagmati, though there is no proof of her existence.

While historical records document numerous instances of Hindu princesses marrying Muslim rulers, the reverse scenario is less common. One notable example is the love affair between Bajirao Peshwa and Mastani.

Comments

  1. Very nice information thanks for sharing

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  2. Most of the marriage was later turn into love
    For instance alauddin khilji fall in love wd kamala devi and gave her tittle of malika i Hindu
    Malik rajab wife bibi nahila too was rajab favourite queen

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    1. fully agree. such love and devotion of hindu women still exists in our heart for the muslims.

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    2. Anonymous03 May, 2017

      Hhh

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    3. Are you joking?? Your mother and you could marry a man and his son respectively? These invaders did such things. For them kafir women is maal- e - ghanimat. It means war booty. They used them in worst ways possible. You are reading histories that aur biography poetically written mainly. Every good thing you see is being exaggerated in it. Use your mind. There were marathas and sikhs who generally treated their captured Muslim women so well and never married anyone forcefully due to teachings of vedas and upnishads. That's why you see rarely any marathas or sikh marrying muslim women. Most of the marital alliance of marathas and sikhs out of religion were for their true love like mastani and bajirao peshwa both of whom fought in wars together.

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    4. Neha bansal is either doing satire on your joke or she's a Muslim in reality.

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  3. Muslim invader mewar ko nahi jeet sakhe aur nahi vivah kar sakhe unki daughter se.Kyukki mewar ka swabhiman bahut bada tha babba rawal ke samay se.jisne iran tak mewar ki patak fehrayi thi aur 200 dole muslim daughter ke apne saath laaye the. Mewar ke maharaja to bhagwan eklingnath hai. Rana to kewal diwan the to aise mein rana kyo jhukte muslim ke saame. Akbar na to great tha aur nahi hai aur nahi future mein rahegha.kyoki mahan to wo hote hai jo ranbhumi ladte hai. Maharana pratap ke kai baar bulane par bhi akbar haldighati ke yudh mein nahi aaya.kyoki usee dar tha ki mein yudh mein gaya to chahe jeet ho ya haar meri maut pakki hai. Kyoki mewari rajpoot bhughe shero ki tarah mujh par hamla karege.

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    1. Anonymous03 May, 2017

      Exactly.....arvind ji.....

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    2. Plz tell me you are joking Arvind... Akbar sent peace proposals but Pratap kept denying nicely. Had he challenged Akbar to war then, and if an angered Akbar proceeded to war, then Mewar and Pratap would have ceased to exist... After Haldighati, later that same year Akbar himself went to Mewar to attack it... But hearing of Akbar's arrival, Pratap fled (like usual)...

      You have a problem with Muslims bringing dolas of Hindu women to their capital, but no problem when Bappa Rawal (as you claim) did the same to Muslim women? What a hypocrite...

      As for Bappa Rawal... He did not bring Muslim women to Mewar. Instead, he moved west, converted to Islam and lived in the "Mleecha" lands after marrying these Muslim women. His progeny from these marriages formed the tribes of Naushahra Pathans...

      As for your Mewar rulings being Ekalingji... I can only laugh at you.

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  4. Nice insight to our past history.

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  5. Can you tell us the above painting are of which queen?

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  6. Shashank Sinha in his book 'Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri: Monuments, Cities and Connected Histories' says that there is no historical evidence of Jodha Bai. The Rajput princess who was Jahangir's mother was Hakku Bai also called Mariam Zamani

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  7. Yes, even today many of my muslim friends are dating hindu girls. They love each other truely 🥰. I think of we promote more of this kind of relations, our country will be more peaceful

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