1.
TWO QUEENS
ZUBAIDA: 8th-9th Century
NURJAHAN: 17th Century

2.
• Zubaidah bint Ja`far ibn Mansur died 26
Jumada I 216 AH / 10 July 831 AD) was the best
known of the Abbasid princesses, and the wife
and cousin of Harun ar-Rashid. She is
particularly remembered for the series of wells,
reservoirs and artificial pools that provided water
for Muslim pilgrims along the route
from Baghdad to Makka and Madina, which was
renamed the Darb Zubaidah in her honor.

3.
• Nurjahan ( Mehr-un-Nisa), the daughter of Mirza
Ghiyyath Baig, a Grand Vizier who served
under Akbar. Nurjahan was married at age 17 to
a Persian soldier Sher Afgan, governor of Bihar,
an important Mughal province. Before her
marriage Prince Salim (the future Emperor
Jahangir), Akbar's eldest son, fell in love with her.
Two years after Akbar died and Salim became
Emperor, Sher Afgan met his death by a
stratagem of Jahangir.

4.
Zubaidah bint Ja`far born 10 July
831 AD) wife of Harun al-Rashid.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nurjahan (born Mehr-un-Nissa, 31 May
1577 – 18 December 1645) was the
twentieth (and last) wife of the Mughal
emperor Jahangir.

5.
• Her actual name was Amatul Aziz. She was
daughter of Jaafer, brother of Caliph
Mahdi.

6.
• She was very brilliant, beautiful and fond of
learning. She learned the Holy Qur'an, Hadith
and Arabic literature with due interest. She also
showed great interest in literature and science
and allocated funds inviting tens of poets,
scientists and literary figures to Baghdad.

7.
It is said that her palace “sounded like a
beehive” as she employed one hundred
maids who recited the Holy Qur'an day
and night. Wherever she went in the
palace the verses of Holy Qur'an were
echoing.

8.
• She was married to Haroon al-Rashid in 165 AH
(781 AD), who was the fifth Abbasid Caliph and
ruled for 23 years (786-809). Queen Zubaida was
a very devout Muslim and never missed a prayer.
She also performed Hajj many times, often
making the 900-mile trip from Baghdad to
Makkah on foot with her husband.

9.
• Her biggest achievement was the planning and
execution of a road project from Baghdad to
Makkah and building numerous caravansara’is at
a distance of one day travel

10.
• . There was a path that existed before but
she saw the pilgrims dying with thirst and
losing the way because of desert and
sandstorms. To solve this problem,
Zubaida planned to build a well-
demarcated route with buildup walls and
shelters to protect the travelers from
shifting sands and harsh weather
conditions.

11.
A Fishpond on Darb-i Zubaida

12.
• Her engineers moved in the direction of Qibla
and drew a map of over 1200 km. The road
was divided into more than 40 stations for
shelter of huge caravans of pilgrims with
their animals.

13.
Naqra

14.
• Deep wells, water pools, guest houses,
mosques and police posts were erected to
provide comfort and security to the
pilgrims. High minarets were raised to
locate the place and in the night towers
were lit with fire to guide the caravans to
the right direction.

15.
• All these structures were so strong that
they remained intact for centuries. The
result was that Darb Zubaida served for
more than 1,000 years for million of
pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, Khorasan and
Kurdistan. Though about 1,300 years have
passed, some of the wells and pools of this
route can still be identified.

16.
• Darb Zubaida started
from Baghdad and
passing through Kufa,
Najaf, Qadsiya,
Mughiatha, Thalabia,
Feedh and Samera
reached Naqra where
it bifurcated for Madina
through Al-Akhakia
Naqra

17.
.

18.
• . This route remained active for six months
every year for Haj traffic and for the rest
period served the locals and traders. It is
said that Zubaida spent 1,700,000
mithqaal on this project which is equal to
5,950 kg of pure gold costing billions of
dollars today.

19.
Facilities provided gratis at
Caravansara’is:
1. Chambers, sleeping rooms
2. Verandas
3. Baths, toilets
4. Stables for animals and fodder
5. Mustashfas
6. Shops
7. Helpers, cooks, barbers, masseurs
8. Barid (Bareed) System

20.
Nurjahan was the twentieth wife of the Mughal
emperor Jahangir. She was born Mehr-un-Nisa’, the
daughter of a Grand Vizier who served under Akbar.
Nurjahan, meaning 'Light of the World', was
married at age 17 to a Persian soldier Sher Afgan
(Ali Quli Khan), governor of Bihar.

21.
• She was a married woman when Prince Salim (the
future Emperor Jahangir), Akbar's eldest son, fell in
love with her. Two years after Akbar died and Salim
became Emperor, Sher Afgan met his death.

22.
• However, three more years were to pass
before a grieving Nurjahan consented to
marrying the Emperor Jahangir. Although
Jahangir was deeply in love with Nurjahan,
their actual story bears no resemblance to
the entirely fictional legend of Anarkali,

23.
Tomb of Sher
Afgan at
Baradaban,
Bengal.

24.
• Nur Jahan also ruled the emperor's vast
zanana which housed hundreds of people
including Jahangir's wives, ladies -in-waiting,
concubines, servants, slaves, female guards,
spies, entertainers, crafts people, visiting
relatives. eunuchs, and all the children
belonging to the women.

25.
• Mehr-un-Nisa’ became his indisputable chief
consort and favourite wife immediately after
their marriage. She was witty, intelligent and
beautiful, which was what attracted Jahangir
to her. Before being awarded the title of Nur
Jahan ('Light of the World'), she was called
Nur Mahal ('Light of the Palace'). She was
also given the title of Badshah Begum and
finally Sadarunnisa’

26.
• Noor Jahan was interested in architecture as
well. She took keen interest in the
construction of Jahangir’s mausoleum in
Lahore. She had her own tomb built during
her lifetime. It is also said that the design of
Taj Mahal was also inspired by one of her
own designs.
• Numerous buildings including caravansara’is
and gardens are credited to her.

27.
• According to the Dutch traveler Pelaert, her
patronage of architecture was extensive, as
he notes, “She erects very expensive
buildings in all directions. Sarais or halting
places for travelers and merchants, and
pleasure gardens and palaces such that no
one has seen before.”

28.
• Jahangir died on the journey from Kashmir to
Lahore, near Sarai Saadabad in Bhimber in
1627. To embalm and preserve his body, the
entrails were removed; these were buried
inside Baghsar Fort near Bhimber in Kashmir.
... Jahangir was succeeded by his third son,
Prince Khurram, who took the regnal
name Shah Jahan.

29.
• In the seventeenth century the Mughal
emperor Jahangir set his eyes on the valley of
Kashmir while living in a house-boat on the
mesmerizing Dal Lake and said, “Gar firdaus,
ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto,
hamin asto.” What Jahangir meant was that if
there is ever a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s
here, it’s here. And he certainly wasn’t
exaggerating.

30.
• Jahangir was trying to restore his health by visiting
Kashmir. Jahangir died on the journey from Kashmir
to Lahore, near Sara’i Saadabad in Bhimber in
1627. To embalm and preserve his body, the entrails
were removed; these were buried near Jalalpur
Jattan near Gujrat. The body was then conveyed by
palanquin to Lahore and was buried in Shahdara
Bagh, a suburb of that city. The elegant
mausoleum is today a popular tourist attraction
site.

31.
• Altogether more than 20 caravansara’is still stand
on Agra Lahore Mughal route a distance of nearly
400 miles. These were built during the reign of
Jahangir and Shahjahan. Among these caravasara’is
Doraha (Ludhiana district), Caravansara’i Nur
Mahal, Caravansara’i Dakhani ( Jallandhar district),
and Caravansara’i Amanat Khan (Amritsar district)
are in relevantly good shape.

32.
Nurjahan also built caravansar’is at Chiryawla
near Bhimbhir, Rajauri and a couple of more
on route to Kashmir and also at Attock on
route to Kabul. This sara’i is known as Begum
ki Sara’i.

33.
Dr. Shaukat Mahmood
MA. Fine Arts, Gold Medalist, Punjab University
MSc. Architectural Conservation, Heriot-Watt
University
PhD, Islamic Architecture, Edinburgh University
Academic Roll of Honour, Govt. College, Lahore
Gold Medal for research in Islamic Calligraphy
President Medal for Pride of Performance 2001
Sitara-i Imtiaz 2010
HEC Professor & Coordinator Research & Ph.D.
Programme
College of Art & Design, Punjab University, Lahore.
drshaukatmahmood@gmail/com
Mobile & WhatsApp: 0345 4038445