The Twentieth Wife

In 1577, a girl named Mehrunnisa was born to nomadic parents in Afghanistan, while they were en route to the Mughal empire. Mehrunnisaƒ??s father procures a job in the Mughal court in Akbarƒ??s service, and she spends her early years in close proximity of the court. When she first laid eyes upon Jahangir at the age of eight, she vowed to herself that one day she would be his wife. Although she did not know it then, her words proved to be prophetic.

After her first husband, Sher Afghan, was murdered, Mehrunnisa was summoned to Jahangirƒ??s court to serve his step-mother, Akbarƒ??s chief wife. A few years later, when Jahangir laid eyes upon Mehrunnisa at a chance encounter, he was thoroughly smitten and he married her the very same year. To honour the latest and last addition to his harlem, Jahangir bestowed the title of Nur Jahan upon her, which means ƒ??Light of the worldƒ??.

Nur Jahan was well versed in art, literature, music and possessed remarkable courage and strenght. Artfully interspersing factual data with fiction, The Twentieth Wife is an engaging story that follows Mehrunnisaƒ??s journey from modest means, overcoming several obstacles, her foray into motherhood, losing a husband and finally being married to the Emperor, making her one of the most influential women in the Mughal empire by default. It delves into the lives of Jahangir and Nur Jahan, and the immense power of their love. Itƒ??s a beautiful and romantic work of fiction that is deeply rooted in historical facts and accuracy.