The Teenage Diary of Nur Jahan {Mehr-Un-Nissa}

by Deepa Agarwal

‘Yesterday, by the grace of Allah, I, Mehr-un-nissa, daughter of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and Asmat Begum, completed thirteen years of existence on this earth… Thirteen years…I’m not sure how pleased I am to have reached this significant age.’

Long before she became Nur Jahan—Emperor Jahangir’s last wife and the most influential Mughal queen—she was Mehr-un-nissa. Born to Persian refugees who attained eminence at the Mughal court, Mehr-un-nissa grew up on the fringes of Emperor Akbar’s court in Agra, Kabul and Lahore.

In this fictional diary, Deepa Agarwal gives us a glimpse into the queen’s teenage years: how she grows into a strong and passionate young woman; her love for poetry and writing; and her interest in the larger world around her. Her diary also describes the Mughal world through the eyes of a young girl: the vibrant Meena Bazaars; the elaborate festival celebrations; and the intricacies of life in the zenana. But above all, her diary records her ambition to meet the love of her life and also to carve a place for herself in history.

A fascinating blend of history and fiction, The Teenage Diary of Nur Jahan brings alive a bygone age in a unique and captivating manner for young readers.

93 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2019

About the author

When I was a young girl, growing up in a town where there were only two streets, I never thought I'd become a writer. But I was an avid reader who kept winning prizes for writing. And the time came when I found that I had lots to write about. That my own life was as full of stories as those other people shared with me. Also, that writing was a kind of therapy that gave meaning to my existence.

Reviews

[Motivationaldailythoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title - Teenage Diary of Nur
Jahan
Author - Deepa Agarwal
Genre - Historical fiction
Pages -182
Format - Paperback
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This book is a fictional diary of a queen's (Nur Jahan fifth Mughal Empress). It deals with the teenage life and love of Nur Jahan, how she grow, her love for poetry and writing and her interest in the world. Read the book to know more about the life of empress' teenage.
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Review -
The cover is perfectly designed and the title is totally apt.
The plot of the story is interesting and is a perfect blend of history and fiction. The author has beautifully narrated the love and teenage life of Nur Jahan. It seems that she herself narrated her story sitting near to me. The author has described each and every thing in detail that readers can easily connect to the story. The book also talks about the politics,corruption,power and religion of that time very deeply. Language used is simple and flowing.
Characters are well developed and described by the author.
The flow of the book is fast paced which makes it an engaging read.
Hats off to the author for her research work.

Overall, an extraordinary story of an extraordinary queen.
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Rating - 4.7/5
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I recommend this book to all those who love reading historical fiction.

[Rutuja Ramteke · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍃The Teenage Diary Of Nur Jahan🍃

"It is not the ruby you wear on your robe, It is a drop of my blood that has seized you by the collar",

This book is a fictional diary of Mehr-un-nissa, daughter of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and Asmat Begum, later famously know as Nur Jahan, Emperor Jahangir’s last wife and the most influential Mughal queen.

I am in love with the concept that was put forward in this book, how cool it is to read and learn about Nur Jahan's teenage life and her years of growing from her perspective, the book totally transformed me back in 15th century in the palaces where Nur lived, I was totally surrounded by so much of glamour, historical places, their lifestyle which was just so addictive as well as well written.
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I love how the author blended history with fiction and I feel the book was brought out after pretty much efforts and research but Nur's personal life and family background and all that was truly visible in her writing, her writing in this book is so precious, I felt like Nur herself is sitting in infront of me and narrating her own story! I felt like even I was growing with her in her palace and that's such an amazing feeling. I think this is one of the most beautiful historical fiction I have ever read. It's just so gripping and truly entertaining.
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As the book ended it left me tears and it was so amazing to be able to know her story this way.

Her epitaph reads: ‘On the grave of this poor stranger, let there be neither lamp nor rose. Let neither butterfly’s wing burn nor nightingale sing.’
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I will highly recommend it, it's just so adorable.
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Rating: 4.5🌟

[Sumedha]

The teenage Diary of Nur Jahan - a truly enchanting story. Its got this touch of magic. Deepa Agarwal takes you into an imaginary dream world, just like the story of Cinderella does. But this one is much more than Cinderella. It's a unique a story of Nur Jahans determination, uniquely questioning mind, independent thought processes and her quest for her love. Her truly creative and mathematical attributes combined with her beauty makes it inspirational. And to think of it the setting is in the 1500s. What’s also beautiful in this story is the lovely father daughter relationship where he respects and recognizes her capabilities. It makes a beautiful read for all ages.
Although fictional, it has been woven carefully using available facts of history I must say even for a student of history it creates the imagery of the geographic, contextual and cultural environment of Afghanistan and Moghul courts in those times. Highly recommended for all ages. A must read for a light enchanting and captivating experience
I feel due to its captivating and enchanting character, this book should be made into a movie just like Aladdin or Cinderella has

[Drficticity · Rating 4 out of 5]

He smiled, a little sadly, I think. ‘Mehru jaan, the land of my birth is in my blood. It will always be part of me. But Hind is the land of my destiny. Nostalgia is like opium. If you overindulge in it, it will deaden your brain.’ He became quite serious when he said this. ‘A man who strives to excel in this world must grasp its reality, not wander in a world of dreams.’

Excerpt From: "The Teenage Diary of Nur Jahan {Mehr-Un-Nissa}" by Deepa Agarwal.

Nostalgia is like opium! but how sweet it is to remember the beautiful days of your carefree childhood once you are old. I couldn't help but be nostalgic for my own childhood while reading this book, it's a fictional diary from the teenage years of Mehr-un-Nissa (titled 'Nur Jahan' after her marriage) who ultimately became Jahangir's most beloved and influential wife and later allegedly became the real power behind the throne.
This book imagines her childhood, her time with her siblings and parents while painting a beautiful picture of the Mughal Empire in its highest glory days.
I liked it a lot

[Keiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a historical fiction book and it is written as Nur Jahans personal diary in her teenage years.She talks about how she and her family were sent to Kabul by emperor Akbar.She also mentions the elaborate clothing she would wear,the lavish food which she would eat,the diverse festivals celebrated ,the Meena bazaars which were organized for women to shop etc.According to their custom when a girl was a certain age she had to wear a veil when she would go in public. She was very good in poetry and literature and went horseriding with her brother Abul.

[Wanderingg__soul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mughal rule in India has always been a topic of interest to me. So this year I planned to read as much as I can about them.

I know many people do not like them, but factually speaking India was the richest and most prosperous country in the world under their rule. The Mughal wealth and splendour, the hospitality of Indians, the blooming trade and agriculture attracted the Portuguese and the British who later looted India.

The Mughal women played an equally important role in building this prosperous Empire. One of such famous Mughal Queen who was also given the title of Padshah Begum during the rule of Jahangir was Empress Nur Jahan. Born as Mehr-un-Nissa, she was named as Nur Jahan (Light of the Palace) by Jahangir after marriage.

This book is a fictional work, where the author has written about the journey of Mehr-un-Nissa to Nur Jahan. The book is written in diary form, starting after her thirteenth birthday. The author has beautifully woven a story around the historical events and has tried to give us a glimpse into how Nur Jahan became a strong influence in the Mughal Empire. From a teenage girl, being in service of Ruqayya Begum, married to a common soldier in the Mughal army, being a widow, to then being the last Queen of Padshah Jahangir, Nur Jahan came a long way.

She was not a typical begum of the Mughal zenana who would spend time in womanly pursuits, she had a keen and intelligent mind. She was very interested in administration, hunting, military expeditions, architecture and charity.

And it is really fascinating to read about how her teenage years might have influenced her to be such a strong woman later. I loved everything about the book, the cover, the title, the writing style, the language. The author has put in lot of research woven a beautiful story.

I will definitely recommend this book to you if you love reading about Indian history, strong women or want to read more about Mughals.

Happy reading :)

[Savita Ramsumair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Being in love with the Mughal Empire, I enjoyed this novel. I have always viewed Nur Jahan negatively, but I now have a new found respect for her.