Asmat Begam
| Asmat Begam | |
|---|---|
| Died | 10 October 1621 Agra, India |
| Burial | Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah, Agra |
| Spouse | Mirza Ghias Beg |
| Issue | Mohammad Sharif Ebrahim Khan Fath Jang Itiqad Khan Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan Nur Jahan |
| Father | Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla |
| Religion | Shia Islam |
Asmat Begam (d. 1621) was the wife of Mirza Ghias Beg, the Prime minister of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, and the mother of Mughal empress Nur Jahan, the power behind the emperor. Asmat Begam was also the paternal grandmother of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, for whom the Taj Mahal was built.
Asmat Begam was the daughter of Mirza Ala-ud-Daula Aqa Mulla and a member of the illustrious Aqa Mulla clan. She was a wise, well-educated, accomplished and highly cultured lady. She had a brother, Ibrahim Khan, who served as the governor of Bengal during Emperor Jahangir's reign.
Asmat Begam was married to the Persian noble, Mirza Ghias Beg, the youngest son of Khvajeh Mohammad-Sharif, an Uzbek Tartar noble of Tehran and the governor of Khorasan. The couple had four children together: Mohammad Sharif, Asaf Khan, Sahlia and Mehr-un-Nissa (later Empress Nur Jahan).
For unknown reasons, Ghias Beg and his family had suffered a reversal in fortune in 1576 and soon found circumstances intolerable in their homeland of Persia. Drawn to the favourable climate of Emperor Akbar's court in Agra, the family decided to migrate to India. Ghias Beg became a trusted minister under both Akbar and his son Jahangir and was awarded the title of 'I'timad-ud-Daulah' ("Pillar of the State") for his services.
However, while serving as the diwan to an amir-ul-umara in 1607, Ghias Beg was charged with embezzling Rs. 50,000, which led to a decrease in his rank and status at court. In 1611, Asmat Begam's second daughter, Mehr-un-Nissa, caught the eye of the reigning emperor Jahangir at the palace Meena Bazaar. The emperor proposed immediately and they were married within the same year. This marriage again led to a dramatic rise in the fortunes of Asmat Begam and Ghias Beg's family. Ghias Beg was given a substantial increase in mansab and made wazir of the whole dominion in 1611. Likewise, their sons Asaf Khan and Itiqad Khan were also given high positions and mansabs in the empire.
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