Her maiden name was Hira Kunwari (or Heera Kunwari) alias Harkha Bai[1], which was changed to Maan Kunwari after marriage as was the custom in Rajasthan. For the purpose of marrying Akbar she was converted to Islam and was rechristened Mariam-uz-Zamani after marriage. The Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum in Lahore, Pakistan was built in her honour. She has been also referred to as “Jodha Bai” or “Jodhabai” in modern times, although she was never actually known as Jodha Bai during her lifetime. Inspite of her being converted to Islam she was allowed to maintain her Hindu rituals by her husband Akbar and was a devotee of Lord Krishna.

Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 The misnomer Jodha Bai
2.1 Protests against the film Jodha Akbar
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Biography
It is true that, Hira Kunwar, Akbar’s first Rajput wife was the eldest daughter of Raja Bhar Mal of Amer, India|Amer]].[2] She was also the sister of Bhagwandas, and the aunt of Man Singh I of Amber, who later on became one the nine jewels (Navaratnas) in the court of Akbar.[3]

Hira Kunwari (her maiden name) married Akbar on January 20, 1562 at Sambhar near Jaipur.[4] She was Akbar’s third wife and one of his three chief queens. She was 22 days elder than Akbar. Akbar’s first queen was the childless Ruqaiyya Begum, and his second wife was Salima Sultan, the widow of his most trusted general, Bairam Khan. After her marriage, Hira Kunwari was given the title Mariam-ul-Zamani (”Mary of the Age”).[5]

She is said to have been politically involved very much in the court until Nur Jahan became empress. According to Thomas Roe, she was involved in active sea trade and owned a ship named Ramiti which carried pilgrims to Mecca. Her quarters of the palace was decorated with pictures of Lord Krishna. She also kept cheese or paneer to offer to the lords in her room.

In 1586, she arranged a marriage of her son, Prince Salim (later Jahangir), to her neice Manbhawati Bai, who was the mother of Prince Khusro.

Hira Kunwari died in 1611. As per her last wishes, a vav or step well was constructed by Jahangir. Her tomb, built in 1611, is on the Delhi-Agra National Highway, near Fatehpur Sikri. She was buried according to Islamic custom and was not cremated according to Hindu religion.

[edit] The misnomer Jodha Bai
There is popular perception that Rajput wife of Akbar, mother of Jahangir, was known as “Jodha Bai”.[2]

In Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri she is referred as Mariam Zamani.[6] Neither the Akbarnama (a biography of Akbar commissioned by Akbar himself), nor any historical text from the period refer to her as Jodha Bai.[6] Tuzuk-e-Jahangiri, the autobiography of Jahangir, doesn’t mention Jodha Bai either.[2]

According to Professor Shirin Moosvi, a historian of Aligarh Muslim University, the name “Jodha Bai” was first used to refer to Akbar’s wife in the 18th and 19th centuries in historical writings.[6] According to the historian Imtiaz Ahmad, the director of the Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library in Patna, the name “Jodha” was used for Akbar’s wife for the first time by Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod, in his book Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan.[5]

According to N R Farooqi, Jodha Bai was not the name of Akbar’s Rajput queen; it was the name of Jahangir’s Rajput wife, whose real name was Jagat Gosain.[2]

[edit] Protests against the film Jodha Akbar
The controversy over the name “Jodha Bai” is a matter of historical debate in Rajasthan, with various Rajput organisations taking the field against the the director of the movie, Ashutosh Gowariker, for not portraying history correctly.

In 2008, a section of the Rajput community in Rajasthan protested against the Hindi film, Jodhaa akbar, released on 15th of February 2008, which is about Akbar and his wife Hira Kunwari/Mariam-uz-Zamani. The wife of Akbar has been referred to as “Jodha Bai” in the movie, which has led to much controversy as a similar sounding name “Jodh Bai” is addressed to Princess Manmati of Jodhpur, the wife of Jahangir (Akbar and Mariam-uz-Zamani’s son) and mother of emperor Shahjahan. It is to be noted that Mariam-uz-Zamani was mentioned by the same name “Jodha Bai” in the 1960 classic movie Mughal-e-Azam.

[edit] References
^ Christopher Buyers. The Rathor Dynasty: Genalogy. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
^ a b c d Atul Sethi. “‘Trade, not invasion brought Islam to India’”, The Times of India, 2007-06-24. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
^ Jaipur (Princely State). Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
^ Harsha Kumari Singh. “Royal support for Jodhaa Akbar”, NDTV, 2008-01-31. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
^ a b Syed Firdaus Ashraf (2008-02-05). Did Jodhabai really exist?. Rediff.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
^ a b c Ashley D’Mello. “Fact, myth blend in re-look at Akbar-Jodha Bai”, The Times of India, 2005-12-10. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.