Several medieval historical chronicles which were written during the reign of Emperor Akbar namely 'Tarikh-I-Farishta' and 'Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh' written by Adbul Qadir Badayuni, a courtier in Akbar's court, Mariam uz Zamani is stated to be the favorite and most loved wife of Akbar. She was the mother of Akbar's eldest surviving son and eventual successor, Jahangir and the grandmother of Shah Jahan. She is known to be the first and last love of Emperor Akbar. She was also an intelligent, a very amiable, courageous and secular woman. The Empress is recorded to be an extremely beautiful woman with uncommon beauty. She was held in high esteem by her husband throughout her life. She is widely regarded in modern Indian historiography as exemplifying both Akbar's and the Mughals' tolerance of religious differences and their inclusive policies within an expanding multi-ethnic and multi-religious empire. During Akbar's reign, she held a high influence in the Mughal court.
Her marriage to Akbar led to a gradual shift in the latter's religious and social policies. The wedding, held in Sambhar, was a political one. īorn a Hindu Rajput princess in 1542, Mariam-uz-Zamani was offered in marriage to Akbar by her father, Raja Bharmal of Amber. She was the longest serving Hindu empress of Mughal Empire with a tenure of forty-three years (1562–1605). In subsequent centuries, she has been referred to with several other names, including Jodha Bai, Heer Kunwari, and Harkha Bai. 1542 – ) was one of the three chief consorts of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. Mariam-uz-Zamani ( Persian: مریم الزمانی, lit.' Mary of the Age' c.