NOOR JEHAN. 
93 
Sweet maid, if thou wouldst charm my sight, 
And bid these arms thy neck infold ; 
That rosy cheek, that lily hand, 
Would give thy lover more delight 
Than all Bocara’s vaunted gold — 
Than all the gems of Sarmacand.* 
He was dazzled by the perfection of her form., the 
dignity of her mien, and the transcendent loveliness 
of her features. Advancing to where she stood in 
the plenitude of her beauty, he took her hand, de- 
clared his resolution to make her his empress, and 
immediately a proclamation was issued for the cele- 
bration of the royal nuptials with the lovely relict of 
the late Shere Afkun. 
The name of Mher-ul-Nissa was exchanged for 
that of Noor Mahil — f<r the light of the harem.” 
From this moment she became the favourite wife of 
the sovereign of the Moguls. In the climax of her 
exaltation her name was again changed to Noor Jehan, 
or, “ the light of the world.” As a distinguishing 
mark of her pre-eminence in the emperor's affections, 
she was allowed to assume the title of Shahe, or em- 
press. The current coin was stamped with her name 
as well as with the sovereign’s. Her family was held 
next in rank to the princes of the blood, and advanced 
to places of the highest trust. Its members were ad- 
mitted to privileges which had never before been 
enjoyed by subjects under the Mogul domination. 
Her influence exceeded that of any person in the 
empire, not even excepting the emperor ; and perhaps 
under the rigid scrupulosity of Mogul policy with 
* Hafiz, translated by Sir Wm. Jones. 
