Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/372

 318 THE MEMOIKS OF JAHANGIR keeping of his own royal mother. There she remained some time without notice. Since, however, Fate had decreed that she should be the Queen of the World and the Princess of the Time, it happened that on the cele- bration of New Year's Day in the sixth year of the emperor's reign her appearance caught the king's far- seeing eye and so captivated him that he included her among the inmates of his select harem. Day by day her influence and dignity increased. First of all she received the title of Nur Mahal, " Light of the Harem," but was afterwards distinguished by that of Nur Jalidn ] Begam, " Light of the World." All her relatives and kinsfolk were raised to honour and wealth, nor was any grant of lands conferred upon any woman except under her seal. In addition to giving her the titles that other kings bestow, the emperor granted Nur Jahan the rights of sovereignty and government. Sometimes she would sit in the balcony of her palace, while the nobles would present themselves and listen to her dictates. Coin was struck in her name with this superscription: " By order of the King Jahangir, gold has a hundred splendours added to it by receiving the impression of the name of Nur Jahan, the Queen," while all firmans which received the imperial signature also bore the name of " Nur Jahan, the Queen " [which was one of the great- est compliments possible to be paid to her]. At last her authority reached such a pass that the king was ruler only in name. Repeatedly he gave out that he had bestowed the sovereignty on Nur Jahan Begam, and