Jana Begum was a Mughal Indian noblewoman and scholar, noted for being one of the first women to write a commentary (Arabic:
tafsir) on the
Qur'an in the 17th century. She was the daughter of
Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, a scholar and general under
Mughal Emperor
Akbar.[1] Her grandfather was
Bairam Khan, another general under Mughal Emperors Humayun and Akbar. Bairam Khan had also served as Regent to Akbar. Jana Begum later went on to marry
Daniyal Mirza, a son of Akbar making her the Mughal Emperor's daughter-in-law. Akbar had also married Bairam Khan's widow
Salima Sultan Begum hence Salima not only was step-grandmother to Jana, but also step-mother-in-law.
References
^Yoginder Sikand. Bastions of Believers: Madrasas and Islamic Education in India. (Delhi: Penguin Books), 2005, p. 35