The rulers of the Mughal empire (1526-1858) used their connection to Timur (d.1405) and the Timurids to legitimize their rule over India and had always considered patronage of royal women a common practice. Timur himself claimed lineage with Genghis Khan through his wife, a relative of the Mongolian ruler, to legitimize his own rule. Because of this, female members of the Timurid and Mughal royal families were encouraged to contribute to the empire through the commissioning of charitable and non-charitable institutions. It was this convention that aided Nur Jahan, wife of Jahangir (r. 1605-1627), in her patronage of many of the architectural works commissioned during this time. Jahangir's disinterest in many of his courtly duties left an opening for Nur Jahan and her family to control the empire for most of their marriage. This, along with the interest, both positive and negative, of contemporary and modern historians, has made Nur Jahan one of the more well-known Mughal queens. This paper will consider the style of her architecture and its influence on later works in relation to her unique situation as the main ruler of the empire.
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