New
New
Year 2

The birth of Nūr Jahān, 'sun among women'

I can describe some of the features of Mehr al-Nesā's early life.

New
New
Year 2

The birth of Nūr Jahān, 'sun among women'

I can describe some of the features of Mehr al-Nesā's early life.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Mehr al-Nesā was born in Kandahar, part of the mighty Mughal Empire in what is now Afghanistan.
  2. Her name meant 'sun among women', but she would later have a new name, Nūr Jahān.
  3. Her parents were running away from another country where they had been treated badly.
  4. A story is told about Mehr al-Nesā during this time; that on their journey her parents abandoned her in the desert.
  5. Feeling awful about what they had done, they returned to find their daughter sitting calmly next to a dangerous snake.

Common misconception

Pupils may think Mehr al-Nesā sitting next to a snake is completely true.

Explain to the pupils that Mehr al-Nesā's early life is still unknown. There are only legends about her story. A legend is a traditional story that might not always be true.

Keywords

  • Mughal Empire - the Mughal Empire was a Muslim empire that ruled most of India

  • Legend - a legend is a traditional story that might not always be true

Look at a modern map to explore the extent of the Mughal Empire.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of nudity

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Place these kings and queens in the order they ruled, starting with the earliest.
1 - King Henry VIII
2 - King Edward
3 - Queen Mary
4 - Queen Elizabeth I
Q2.
Elizabeth's reign as queen was easy.
true
Correct answer: false
Q3.
Elizabeth I was Protestant.
Correct answer: true
false
Q4.
Elizabeth's government tried to convince her to someone.
Correct Answer: marry
Q5.
Elizabeth was focused on solving England's...
Correct Answer: problems, issues
Q6.
Queen Elizabeth I ruled England alone for 25 years.
Correct answer: true
false

6 Questions

Q1.
When was Mehr al-Nesā born?
40 years ago
Correct answer: 450 years ago
1000 years ago
Q2.
Kandahar was part of the ...
British Empire
Correct answer: Mughal Empire
Roman Empire
Q3.
The Mughal Empire lasted for __________ years.
100 years
Correct answer: 200 years
300 years
Q4.
Mehr al-Nesā's name meant ....
moon among women
stars among women
Correct answer: sun among women
Q5.
Her family were halfway along their journey.
Correct Answer: robbed
Q6.
Not much is known about Mehr al-Nesā’s early life.
Correct answer: true
false

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