Known most popularly as Jodh Bai, the Jodhpur princess Jagat Gosain belonged to the Rathore clan of Rajputs and was a daughter of Raja Udai Singh, the ruler of Marwar. Udai Singh was popularly known by the sobriquet Mota Raja. Her mother was Manrang Devi, daughter of Raja Askaran of Narwar, who was also briefly Raja of Amber before being ousted in favour of his uncle, Bharmal. Her paternal grandfather was Maldeo Rathore, under whose rule Marwar turned into a strong Rajput Kingdom that resisted foreign rule and challenged the invaders for northern supremacy. Maldeo Rathore refused to ally with either the Sur Empire or the Mughal Empire after Humayun regained control of North India in 1555. This policy was continued by his son and successor Chandrasen Rathore. After the death of Maldeo Rathore in 1562, a fratricidal war for succession started and Chandrasen crowned himself in the capital Jodhpur. But his reign was short lived as Emperor Akbar's army occupied Merta in the same year and the capital Jodhpur in 1563. After the death of Rao Chandrasen in January 1581, Marwar was brought under direct Mughal administration. In August 1583, Akbar restored the throne of Marwar to Udai Singh, who, unlike his predecessors, submitted to the Mughals and subsequently joined the Mughal service.
Marriage to Jahangir
After submitting to the Mughals, Udai Singh decided to give his daughter Jagat Gosain in marriage to Akbar's eldest son, Prince Salim. According to historian Norman P. Ziegler, some Rajput nobles did not like the idea of their kings marrying their daughters to the Mughal emperor, as they considered it a sign of humiliation and degradation. The discontent amongst the nobles gave rise to a rebellion led by Kalyandas Rathore. The rebellion was soon put to an end by Raja Udai Singh after a siege of the Siwana fort and the death of Kalyandas Rathore. Jagat Gosain married the 16 year-old Prince Salim on 26 June 1586. Although the marriage was a political one, Jagat was known not only for her beauty and charm but for her wit, courage, and spontaneity of response - all of which greatly endeared her to her husband during the early years of their marriage. In 1590, she gave birth to her first child, a daughter, named Begum Sultan, who died at the age of one. On 5 January 1592, she gave birth to Salim's third son, who was named 'Khurram' by his grandfather, the Emperor Akbar. The prince, who was to become the future emperor Shah Jahan, was Akbar's favourite grandson and in the words of Jahangir "was more attentive to my father than all children... He recognized him as his own child." After the birth of Shah Jahan, she was given the title Taj Bibi, meaning 'crown wife'. Just prior to Khurram's birth, a soothsayer had reportedly predicted to the childless Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum that the still unborn child was destined for imperial greatness. So, when Khurram was only six days old, Akbar ordered that the prince be taken away from Jagat Gosaini and handed him over to Ruqaiya so that he could grow up under her care and Akbar could fulfill his wife's wish, to raise a Mughal emperor. Jagat was consoled with a magnificent gift of rubies and pearls. Ruqaiya assumed the primary responsibility for Khurram's upbringing and he grew up under her care. The two shared a close relationship with each other as Jahangir noted in his memoirs, that Ruqaiya had loved his son, Khurram, "a thousand times more than if he had been her own ." Khurram remained with her until he had turned almost 14. After Akbar's death in 1605, the young prince was allowed to return to his father's household, and thus, became closer to his biological mother. In the intervening years, Jagat had given birth to her third child in 1597, a daughter, Izzat-un-nissa, who died in infancy. Jagat Gosain seems to have lost her husband's favour quite early on in their marriage, more so after the arrival of her arch-rival in the imperial harem, Nur Jahaṇ, of whom Jagat was scornful. Jahangir had married her in 1611 and from the time of their marriage until his death, Nur Jahan was indisputably his most favourite wife. Even prior to his marriage with Nur Jahan, Jahangir's chief consort and Padshah Begum was his wife, Saliha Banu Begum, who held this position from the time of his accession in 1605 till her death in 1620, after which these honorable titles were passed on to Nur Jahan.
Death
Jagat Gosain died on 19 April 1619 at Agra. Jahangir noted the death briefly, saying simply that she had "attained the mercy of God." After her death, Jahangir ordered that she be called Bilqis Makani in all of the official documents. She was buried in Suhagpura, Agra. Her tomb consisted of a high dome, gateways, towers and a garden situated in the cantonment area. All of this was blown up in 1832 with gunpowder, for the sake of its site and material, stone and brick, which the British needed.
In popular culture
Jagat Gosain is a principal character in Indu Sundaresan's award-winning historical novelThe Twentieth Wife as well as in its sequel The Feast of Roses.
Nayani Dixit portrayed Jagat Gosain in EPIC channel's critically acclaimed historical drama Siyaasat.
