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Gazi Abbas Shahid
Starting as a ground reporter back in his home UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Gazi has been a part of the news industry for well over a decade. While he finds every type of news engrossing, politics, partic ... Read More
Amid the recent souring of India-Turkey relations, several stories showcasing Bharat’s long history with Turkiye, including conflicts and skirmishes, especially during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, have come to the limelight. One such interesting tale of courage is the story of Mughal princess Gulbadan Begum, the daughter of Mughal Emperor Babur, and the aunt of Emperor Akbar.
Gulbadan Begum is best known for penning the Humayun-Nama, an authoritative account of the life and times of her half-brother, Emperor Humayun, which she authored at the request of Emperor Akbar, the son and successor of Humayun.
While the Humayun Nama is a brilliant display of her impeccable penmanship, there is a little know tale about her single-handedly taking on the might of the Ottoman Empire– the powerful Caliphate which ruled Turkey vast swathes of land in Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and a large part of the Arabian Peninsula from 1517 AD till its collapse after the first World War in 1924.
As the story goes, Gulbadan Begum, the sister of Humayun and aunt of Emperor Akbar, was fond of travelling, and often a large caravan would accompany her on her travels within the Mughal Empire and other parts of the globe.
According to historical accounts, Gulbadan Begum set off for Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, and upon arriving in Islam’s holiest city, the Mughal Princess, who was known for her philanthropy, began distributing wealth among the needy and the downtrodden.
At that time, the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, was flourishing and had become a powerful military and economic force, that dwarfed the might of other mighty empires during the medieval.
However, Gulbadan Begum’s selfless act of charity drew the ire of the mighty Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Arabian peninsula at the time, as the Ottoman Caliph did not take it kindly that a foreign princess was distributing wealth among the Caliphate’s subjects.
Soon, the Ottoman Empire issued four decrees, one after the other, demanding Gulbadan Begum to depart from Arabia. But the courageous princess flouted each one, as she continued to freely roam around Mecca and parts of Arabia.
Ultimately, a fifth decree, filled with abusive language, was issued by the Ottoman Caliphate, which infuriated Emperor Akbar, who then requested his aunt, Gulbadan Begum, to return to India, as he could not bear the Ottomans using such filthy language against a Mughal princess.
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