
Mariam-uz-Zamani (1542-19 May 1623), born Harkha Bai and also known as Jodha Bai, was Empress consort of the Mughal Empire as the wife of Akbar (1562-1605).
Biography[]

Harkha Bai as a girl
Harkha Bai was born in Amer, Kingdom of Amber in 1542, the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amer and Padmavati, the sister of Bhagwant Das, and the cousin of Sujamal. From a young age, she was betrothed to the Rajput prince Ratan Singh, and she trained in swordsmanship with the help of her cousin Sujamal, while also being raised to be a devout Hindu. In 1562, her father broke her betrothal to Ratan Singh in order to marry her off to the Mughal emperor Akbar, as he needed his support against Sujamal's planned uprising to reclaim the throne of the Kingdom of Amber for himself. Harkha Bai was initially reluctant to be married off to a Muslim and to be used as a political pawn, and she wrote a letter to Sujamal and entreated him to come rescue her from the marriage, though she ultimately did not send it.

Harkha Bai in Rajput clothing
Harkha Bai ultimately agreed to marry Akbar in exchange for him letting her keep her Hindu faith and building a temple for her; Akbar agreed, and Harkha Bai, who assumed the name "Mariam-uz-Zamani", gradually fell in love with him. Mariam-uz-Zamani was treated with kindness by Akbar's mother Hamida Banu Begum, although she was disliked by Akbar's nurse Maham Anga. Later in 1562, Sujamal, who had allied himself with Akbar's treacherous half-brother Sharifuddin Hussain, Ratan Singh, and Rana Udai Singh II, marched on Delhi as part of an anti-Mughal army, intent on seizing the throne of Amber for himself. However, he grew remorseful after hearing Sharifuddin plotting a silent attack on the emperor and decided to send a man to warn him. The messenger was intercepted and killed by Sharifuddin, forcing Sujamal to flee to deliver the message himself; he was mortally wounded with arrows, but succeeded in warning the emperor. Akbar defeated Sharifuddin in hand-to-hand combat and spared his life for the sake of his half-sister Bakhshi Banu Begum, after which he ruled over a peaceful and prosperous Hindustan while tolerating its many religions. Mariam-uz-Zamani's influence on Akbar was felt in his abolition of the pilgrimage tax for Hindus, as well as his religious toleration. She gave birth to Akbar's eldest surviving son and successor Jahangir, and she died at Agra in 1623.