Anara Begum

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Anara Begum was the concubine of Gaj Singh I, the Rathore ruler of Marwar, from 1619 until his death in 1638. She was known as Gaj Singh’s favorite and helped choose Jaswant Singh as heir over his elder brother Amar Singh Rathore.

Some stories say she was originally the wife of a Muslim Nawab of Delhi who was kidnapped by Gaj Singh and brought into his household as a concubine. She is described as being of Turkish descent, though the exact husband’s identity is uncertain. Some accounts even claim she told Gaj Singh to arrange her abduction after they met at the Mughal court, and the Nawab accepted her elopement.

Although a concubine, Anara gradually gained influence in the royal court, which upset the Rajput wives of Gaj Singh. Tensions with Amar Singh Rathore and his mother, Mansukh Chauhanji Deiji, led to Anara’s confinement in a Jaipur palace. She had a daughter named Sugdha.

A pair of pearl-encrusted shoes believed to belong to Anara Begum are kept in Rang Mahal, Jaipur. After Gaj Singh’s death in 1638, she played a key role in the nomination of Jaswant Singh as heir ahead of Amar Singh, who was given Nagore as compensation. The Mughal Empire approved this arrangement, which reinforced a weakened Rajput unity.

A 19th-century British-era account says Amar Singh resented Anara for her lower status, while Jaswant Singh respected her and supported his claim. Anara remained influential at the courts of both Gaj Singh and Jaswant Singh, and either is credited with building a famous baori (stepwell) in Jodhpur in her honor. In some records, she and her daughter are said to have died in a battle between Rajputs and Mughals.