Farida khanum mohabbat karne wale

By Johanna Strong

Pari Khan Khanum was born in 1548 to Shah Tahmasp and his consort Sultan-Agha Khanum. She was raised in a unique way for women at the time in what is now modern-day Iran, being well-educated in the Islamic sciences, such as law, jurisprudence, and poetry. Contemporary chronicles praised her superior intelligence and sharp insights, both of which, along with her birth and lineage, helped her to achieve a higher social status and political power.

At a young age, she was engaged to Prince Badi’al-Zaman, the appointed governor of Sistan, but the pair never married. Instead, Pari Khan Khanum took on a political role during her father’s reign, helping him to rule during his last years of illness. She persuaded him to undertake charitable acts and was herself known as a benefactor for the poor.

At Tahmasp’s death, his sons Haydar Mirza and Isma’il Mirza both had a claim to the throne, with Isma’il Mirza eventually succeeding. Pari Khan Khanum played a critical role in his rise to power, though her motivation remains uncertain, perhaps wanting to continue as the s

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