Gulchehra Begum – A Mughal Princess and daughter of Babur

Gulchehra Begum

The meaning of Gulchehra Begum in Persian language is ‘A Face like Flowers’. She was also known as Gulshara. Gulchehra Begum was the daughter of the founder of the Mughal Empire  Babur and the sister of the second Mughal Emperor Humayun. And the great emperor  Akbar was her nephew. She was a  descendant of the high nobility, Timur through Miran Shah and Genghis Khan. Dildar Begum was her mother who was the sister of Hindal Mirza and Gulbadan Begum.

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Gulchehra Begum
  • Born: 1515
  • Died: 1557
  • Religion: Sunni Islam
  • Dynasty: Timurid
  • Spouse: Sultan Tukhta-bugha Khan
  • Father: Babur
  • Mother: Dildar Begum
  • Famous as:  Shahzadi of the Mughal Empire

Early life

During the birth of the princess Gulbadan, her father the Emperor Babur was ruling in Kabul. He also ruled in Kunduz, Badakhshan, Bajaur and Swat. He was also held in Qandahar for a year. Babur was known to be the “padshah” during these years because of his headship in the house of Timur and his independent supremacy. Later, he started out his last journey to defeat the Indian Empire.

Marriage

Gulchehra married his father Babur’s first cousin, Sultan Tukhta-bugha Khan who was also a son of the brother of Babur’s mother. She was just fourteen years old during her marriage. The marriage took place in the end of 1530 which was arranged by Babur.

Unfortunately, Gulchehra lost her husband in 1533. She later then married to  Abbas Sultan Uzbeg in 1549 just before when Humayun set out for his journey on Balkh. Though there is not much information available until she remarried in 1549 that how she spent her widow life for so many years.

Death

Gulchehra returned to India along with Gulbadan Begum and Hamida Banu Begum in 1557 and died in the same year.