Khanum Sultan Begum

Khanum Sultan Begum
Shahzadi of the Mughal Empire
Born	November 1569 Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, India
Died	c. 1603
Burial	Sikandra, Agra
Spouse	Mirza Muzaffar Husain
House	Timurid (by birth) Safavid (by marriage)
Father	Akbar
Mother	Bibi Salima
Religion	Islam

Khanum Sultan Begum (1569 – 1603) was a Mughal princess and the eldest daughter of Emperor Akbar. She was also the younger half-sister of Emperor Jahangir. In the Akbarnama, she is variously mentioned as Khanam, Khanim Sultan and Shahzada Khanam. However, she is most popularly known as Shahzada Khanum.

Khanum Sultan Begum was born three months after the birth of her older brother, Prince Salim (the future emperor Jahangir), in November 1569. According to the Jahangirnama, her mother was a royal concubine called Bibi Salima (not to be confused with Akbar's wife Salima Sultan Begum).

Akbar handed over the charge of the baby girl to his mother Hamida Banu Begum, who brought her up. Jahangir's remarks about Khanum Sultan is worth noting: "Among all my sisters, in integrity, truth and zeal for my welfare, she is without her equal; but her time is principally devoted to the worship of her Creator."

Khanum Sultan was married at the age of 25 to Safavid prince Mirza Muzaffar Husain Safavi sometime in September 1594. Muzaffar was the son of Ibrahim Husain, who was a descendant of Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Persia. Muzaffar was at one time the governor of Gujarat. His sister, Nur-un-nissa Begum, later married Khanum's older half-brother, Jahangir. In 1609, Khanum Sultan's step-daughter, Kandahari Begum, married her nephew, Prince Khurram (the future emperor Shah Jahan), and became his first wife.

Khanum Sultan Begum died in 1603 and was buried in her father's mausoleum at Sikandra, Agra.

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