Tajlu Khanum

Queen consort

She was the daughter of Mohammad Beg and came from the Turkmens of Mosul. Although she was only 15 or 16 years old, she married Shah Ismail I in 1503. The wedding ceremony was held with great splendor in Tabriz in the year 906 AH. As a legally wedded wife of Shah Ismail, she became the second queen consort of the Safavid court. This marriage resulted in four children: Tahmasp Mirza, Bahram Mirza, Pari Khan Khanum, and Mahin Banu Khanum.^[9][10]

She was considered an exceptionally beautiful, intelligent, brave, and perceptive woman. Shah Ismail loved her and composed poetry for her, and would bring her on horseback rides and practice archery with her. She received such favor and attention from Ismail I that she surpassed all the other ladies of the court. Ismail I made great efforts to gain her satisfaction and happiness, and her status and influence were so significant that whenever court nobles or other officials faced difficulties or incurred the Shah’s anger, they would seek refuge with her and, through her influence, have their problems resolved.^[15][16]

In the incident of Shah Ismail’s harsh treatment of Mirza Shah Hossein of Isfahan—when he had ordered the Qurchis not only to plunder his household but also to extract an additional one thousand tomans from him—Tajlu Begum intervened. It was then decided that Mirza should instead pay one hundred tomans to each of the Qurchis, and that they should not trouble him further. Thus, with great difficulty, Mirza gathered the required sum and paid it to the Qurchis.^[17]

She was an important advisor to her husband and later a powerful figure behind the throne of her son, Shah Tahmasp.^[18]

The author of Javāher al-Akhbār writes about her: She lived in a state of chastity and dignity until the end of the pious Shah’s life, and the appointment and dismissal of amirs and ministers were carried out according to her will.^[19]

Queen mother

In 1524, Shah Ismail died. With the assistance of Tajlu Begum, the nobles of the country and the Qizilbash leaders enthroned Tahmasp Mirza—who was then ten years old—as Shah Tahmasp I. Tajlu Begum became the queen mother and received the title Navab ‘Alayh. She also became the intermediary between the Shah and the courtiers, which is why Tahmasp called her Shah Begi Khanum, meaning the highest-ranking lady of the court. At the beginning of Shah Tahmasp’s reign, Tajlu Begum had considerable influence over the court and even intervened in foreign affairs. For example, in 941 AH, she sent Sayyid Abdullah Laleh to negotiate peace with Ibrahim Pasha, the governor of Baghdad. Shah Tahmasp also apparently accepted his mother’s regency.^[21]

During Shah Tahmasp’s reign, Tajlu Khanum continued to be a refuge for the nobles and a point of reference for court officials. For instance, in the tribal conflicts of 931 AH, when Montasha Sultan captured Qazi Jahan, plundered him, and intended to kill him, Qazi Jahan was saved through her support. Similarly, at the beginning of Shah Tahmasp’s reign, during disputes among the Teklu, Rumlu, and Ostajlu tribes, she served as the primary advisor and decision-maker for the leaders of these tribes. Later, when Chuhah Sultan gained independence in governmental affairs, he decided to eliminate Div Sultan Rumlu. Tajlu Khanum assisted him in this decision, and ultimately, Div Sultan was killed.^[22][23]

In 935 AH (approximately 1528–1529 AD^[24]), the fifth year of Shah Tahmasp’s reign, the Shah decided to march an army to Khorasan to punish Ubaid Khan Uzbek. After assembling the army, he moved from Qazvin toward Khorasan and sent Tajlu Khanum, along with the women of the harem and household belongings, to Qom. After achieving victory in this campaign, the Shah ordered his secretaries to draft a victory report and sent a messenger to Qom to inform Tajlu Begum of the news.^[25][26]

He had intended to diminish the Qizilbash’s power over state affairs, but they became aware of the queen mother’s plan. Fearing for their own power, they sought to create enmity between the Shah and his mother. By spreading the rumor that the queen mother intended to depose Shah Tahmasp and place Bahram Mirza on the throne, and that she wished to govern alone, they aroused the Shah’s suspicion toward his mother. Ultimately, Tahmasp exiled his mother to Shiraz, and her personal estates were confiscated^{[27][28][29][30]}. During the journey, Tajlu Khanum fell ill, and she died in 1540 AD, only a few months after arriving in Shiraz. She was buried with respect in the Bibi Dokhtaran section of Shah Cheragh in Shiraz.

Tomb

She was ultimately banished to Shiraz in 1540 because of treason by her son, Shah Tahmasp. She was buried at Ardabil close to her husband, where her tomb is marked at the feet of the tomb of Shayk Safi in the Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble.^[34]