Portrait shows 19th-century Indian ruler, not 'Mughal emperor's wife'

"Mumtaz of Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal for her," reads the Bengali-language caption alongside the photo of a regal-looking woman published on Facebook here on February 20, 2024.

Arjumand Banu Begum -- who was bestowed the title of Mumtaz Mahal -- became the third wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1612. She died of postpartum haemorrhage in 1631 (archived link).

In her memory, the emperor commissioned the construction of Taj Mahal -- a mausoleum complex -- on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in 1632.

According to the Taj Mahal's official website, Mumtaz Mahal was eventually laid to rest there, as was Shah Jahan after he died in 1666 (archived link).

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Screenshot of the false post, taken on March 2, 2024

The portrait was shared alongside a similar false claim in Bangladesh on Facebook here and here; and on social media platform X here.

It was also shared alongside the same false claim in Hindi-language posts here and here on Facebook in neighbouring India.

Indian leader

A reverse image search on Google found the photo was published by the UK's Royal Collection Trust (archived link).

According to the caption, it shows Sultan Shahjahan Begum (1838-1901) who was the ruler of the then-Islamic principality of Bhopal in central India. 

It was taken between 1875-6 during a royal tour of the Indian subcontinent by the Prince of Wales -- Queen Victoria's eldest son -- when he visited parts of modern-day India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. 

The tour was intended to "strengthen diplomatic relations between the Indian rulers and the British Crown," according to the Royal Collection Trust's website.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the photo shared in a false post (left) and the portrait on the trust's website (right):

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Screenshot comparison of the photo shared in a false post (left) and the portrait found in the Royal Collection Trust’s website (right)

The same photo of the Indian ruler was published by Indian media organisations here and here; and by UK-based media outlet Alamy (archived links here, here and here).

Shahjahan Begum ruled Bhopal between 1868 and 1901, having served as head of state from 1844 to 1860 with her mother acting as regent (archived link).

She commissioned the construction of the Taj-ul-Masjid, one of the largest mosques in Asia, according to the official website for Bhopal district.

Ashar Kidwai, a professor of history at Bhopal's Saifia College, told AFP the photo shows Shahjahan Begum.

"Like the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, (Shahjahan Begum) was also very fond of architecture," he said. "She built many historical buildings in Bhopal which still exist today."