History / This princess from Sindh once rejected Mughal emperor’s marriage proposal, later made history

Bhubaneswar, Oct 31: What if I told you that Mughal emperor Humayun was once left-swiped by his future wife, Hamida Banu Begum?

Five centuries ago, when 'tinder' meant dry grass rather than a dating app and a 'left swipe' was not yet a symbol of rejection, a young woman from Sindh turned down a marriage proposal from the eldest son of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire.

Her refusal, however, was not the end of the story. It was the beginning of an unusual royal courtship, one that Gulbadan Begum, Humayun's own half-sister, would preserve in her remarkable account of the Mughal family.

According to Gulbadan's Humayun-Nama, Humayun expressed his desire to marry Hamida, the daughter of Shaikh Ali Akbar Jami. At the time, Hamida was around 14, while the emperor was approximately 33.

When Dildar Begum, Humayun's stepmother, tried to persuade the teenager, Hamida made her reluctance clear with a memorable response.

She said she would 'marry someone whose collar her hand could reach, rather than someone whose skirt it could not'. The remark has been interpreted as an expression of her preference for a husband she could reach or exercise influence over.

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Despite her initial resistance, the marriage negotiations continued for around 40 days. Humayun eventually married Hamida Banu Begum in 1541, during his exile in Sindh.

The marriage would go on to become an important chapter in Mughal history. Hamida later gave birth to Akbar, who succeeded Humayun and became one of the most influential rulers of the dynasty.

What makes this episode particularly fascinating is its source. The account comes not from later romantic legends or court gossip, but from Gulbadan Begum, a Mughal princess who documented the personal lives and experiences of her family.