Khanzada Begum
Khanzada Begum (c. 1478 – 1545) was a Timurid princess and the eldest daughter of Umar Shaikh Mirza II, the amir of Ferghana. She was also the elder sister of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. She and her brother remained deeply attached to each other all their lives, a period during which the family progressed from ruling a tiny and obscure principality in Central Asia to ruling a large portion of the Indian subcontinent. Babur conferred on his sister, the honorable title of Padshah Begum and she was really the first lady of his Empire after his death.
| Khanzada Begum | |
|---|---|
| Timurid princess Padshah Begum | |
Painting depicting the reunion of Khanzada Begum and Babur in Kunduz, Afghanistan, c. 1511 AD, Baburnama | |
| Empress consort of the Shaybanid Empire | |
| Tenure | 1501 – 1510 |
| Born | c. 1478 Andizhan, Ferghana, Uzbekistan |
| Died | September 1545 (aged 66–67) Qandahar, Afghanistan |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Shaybani Khan Sayyid Hada Mahdi Khwaja |
| Issue | Khurram Shah |
| House | House of Timur (by birth) |
| Father | Umar Sheikh Mirza |
| Mother | Qutlugh Nigar Khanum |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Khanzada Begum is frequently mentioned in the Baburnama, her brother's memoirs, and always with affection and respect. She is also frequently mentioned in the Humayun-nama by her niece Gulbadan Begum, who calls her aunt 'Dearest Lady' (aka janam). Many occasions are described where she intervened during political difficulties between her relatives and more specifically her nephews.