Rahmat Banu Begum
| Rahmat Banu Begum | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ramani Gabharu c. 1656 Assam, India |
| Spouse | Muhammad Azam Shah |
| House |
Ahom (by birth) Timurid (by marriage) |
| Father | Jayadhwaj Singha |
| Mother | Pakhori Gabharu |
| Religion | Islam (Hinduism, prior to marriage) |
Rahmat Banu Begum (Persian: رحمت بانو بیگم; c. 1656 – ?), was the first wife of titular Mughal Emperor Muhammad Azam Shah.
She was the only daughter of Swargadeo Jayadhwaj Singha, king of Ahom Dynasty and his wife Pakhori Gabharu, the daughter of Momai Tamuli Borbarua. She was the niece of Lachit Borphukan and Laluksola Borphukan. She famously resisted Laluksola Borphukan's plan to hand over Guwahati to her husband.
Rahmat Banu Begum was born as Ahom princess, and was the only daughter of Swargadeo Jayadhwaj Singha, king of Ahom Dynasty and his wife Pakhori Gabharu, the Tamuli Kuwari. Her real name was Ramani Gabharu, and was also known as Nangchen Gabharu and Maina Gabharu.
She was the maternal granddaughter of Momai Tamuli Borbarua, was an able administrator and the commander-in-chief of the army in the Ahom kingdom, and the niece of Lachit Borphukan and Laluksola Borphukan, who are known for their participation in the Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ram Singh I to take back Kamrup.
When Mir Jumla invaded Jayadhwaj's kingdom and defeated him in the war, he made a truce with Mir Jumla on a condition for which his daughter Ramani Gabharu had to be sent to the Mughal's imperial harem when she was only six, along with the princess of the Tipam King as ransom. Her father delived her at Aurangzeb's court on 15 January 1663. She was given the Muslim name of Rahmat Banu Begum after her conversion to Islam, and was brought up in the imperial harem. Five years later, she was formally married to Aurangzeb's son Muhammad Azam Shah on Sunday, 13 May 1668, with a dowry of 1,80,000 rupees at Delhi.
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