The History of Humāyūn (Gulbadan Begam) 78: LXXXV Hazara Begam

78

Princess of the tribe of the Hazara. This is a title, and not a personal name.
She was the daughter of a brother of Khizr Khan Hazara who was the chief of his tribe during the Isan-daulat is Babur’s maternal grandmother and a daughter of Mir Sher-ali Beg Jurghat (Arughat), chief of the Saghrichi tumans (10,000) of the Quchin Mughals.
She married Yunus Khan Chaghatai Mughal Khan. He was forty-one years old. He was born in 1415–16 (H. 819) so that the date of her marriage is, approximately, 1456. At this time Yunus was made Great Khan of the Mughals.
Isan-daulat bore three daughters, who were named Mihr-nigar, Qutluq-nigar, and Khub-nigar. She had many brothers, of whom three, Shir-am, Mazid, and 'Ali-dost, took leading parts in Babar’s affairs. Her chief co-wife was Shah Begam Badakhshi.
She shared the vicissitudes of her remarkable husband’s remarkable career for some thirty years, nursed him through two years of paralytic helplessness till his death in 892H. (1487) at the age of seventy-four, and survived him about eighteen years.
Four times at least she fell into the hands of an enemy.
(1) In Kashghar, cir. 860H. (1456-66), when Mihr-nigar was an infant at the breast and when she was returned in safety to her husband.
(2) In Tashkand in 877H. (1472-73), when Yūnas had gone to buy barley at a time of dearth in Mughalistan. It was then that there occurred the well-known episode which shows Isan-daulat’s high spirit and decision of character and which is briefly narrated in the Introduction (p. 68). She was returned with honour to her husband.
(3) In Andijan in 903H. (1497-98), when the town was taken from her grandson Babar by his kinsfolk. She was sent after him in safety to Khojand, and from there went on to the protection of her third daughter’s home in Kashghar.
(4) At Samarqand in 906H. (1500-1), when the town was taken by Shaibani. She remained behind when Babar left the place, and rejoined him in a few months with his ‘family, heavy baggage, and a few lean and hungry followers.’
In the eighth year of her widowhood (900H.) she was guiding Babar’s affairs with decision and sense in Andijan. He says that few women equalled her for sagacity, far-sight and good judgment, and that many important affairs were carried out by her counsel.
News of her death reached Babar in Kabul early in 911H. (June, 1505), during the forty days’ mourning for his mother.
Two slight records of her remain for mention.