Empress Nur Jahan Part 2: There’s No Place Like the Throne | 76
Even The Royals
Wondery
4.4 • 844 Ratings
🗓️ 5 May 2025
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In part one, Nur Jahan charmed her way out of the harem and onto the throne by becoming the emperor’s favorite wife. When her husband’s health takes a sharp turn, she steps into an even bigger role: co-sovereign. But this kind of authority is a threat to noble men everywhere. Even her own flesh and blood.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Wonderie Plus subscribers can listen to Even the Royals early and ad-free right now. |
| 0:04.1 | Join Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. |
| 0:08.0 | A quick note about our show. |
| 0:09.8 | We do a lot of research for our stories, but we also aren't your high school history class, |
| 0:13.7 | so some details and scenes are dramatized. |
| 0:16.2 | And today's episode contains language fit for a pissed-off empress, so please be advised. |
| 0:28.6 | Thank you. This episode contains language fit for a pissed-off empress, so please be advised. It's February 1620 at the royal encampment outside a town in modern-day Pakistan. |
| 0:34.6 | The Mughal Court has been on the move again, this time traveling north for a little |
| 0:39.1 | R&R. But right now, 42-year-old Empress Nor Jahan is doing more business than relaxing. |
| 0:45.6 | She looks over the shoulder of her husband, Emperor Jahangir, as he reviews a royal order. |
| 0:51.1 | His hands shake so much that he's having trouble holding the paper still. |
| 0:55.5 | Jahangir's health keeps getting worse because of his excessive boozing and drug use. |
| 1:00.1 | Nor Jahan's gone from concerned to scared he won't live much longer. She loves her husband, |
| 1:06.0 | but she also loves her position as empress. It gives her power and freedom, and she's also damn good at being |
| 1:12.7 | a coal ruler. Without Jahangir, this will all go away, unless the next emperor keeps her in the |
| 1:18.8 | circle of trust. Jahangir hasn't officially named an heir, but it's probably going to be his |
| 1:23.6 | favorite son, Prince Karum. There was a time when Nor Jahan would have jumped for joy at this |
| 1:28.9 | choice. She helped Karum rise to prominence. But since then, he's made it clear that he will not |
| 1:34.4 | be keeping her in the inner circle when he becomes emperor. Wow. I know. And that's why |
| 1:39.9 | Nor Jahan is so anxious for Jahangir to stamp this order right now. It will send Karam away to fight |
| 1:46.1 | a new war in the South. And once he's gone, Norjaan plans to work one of her husband's other sons |
| 1:51.8 | into the line of succession. One option is the emperor's oldest son, Kusiru. He may not be the favorite, |
... |
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