New
New
Lesson 10 of 12
  • Year 2

The birth of Nūr Jahān, 'sun among women'

I can describe some of the features of Mehr al-Nesā's early life.

Lesson 10 of 12
New
New
  • Year 2

The birth of Nūr Jahān, 'sun among women'

I can describe some of the features of Mehr al-Nesā's early life.

These resources were made for remote use during the pandemic, not classroom teaching.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Mehr al-Nesā was born in Kandahar, part of the mighty Mughal Empire in what is now Afghanistan.
  2. Her name meant 'sun among women', but she would later have a new name, Nūr Jahān.
  3. Her parents were running away from another country where they had been treated badly.
  4. A story is told about Mehr al-Nesā during this time; that on their journey her parents abandoned her in the desert.
  5. Feeling awful about what they had done, they returned to find their daughter sitting calmly next to a dangerous snake.

Keywords

  • Mughal Empire - the Mughal Empire was a Muslim empire that ruled most of India

  • Legend - a legend is a traditional story that might not always be true

Common misconception

Pupils may think Mehr al-Nesā sitting next to a snake is completely true.

Explain to the pupils that Mehr al-Nesā's early life is still unknown. There are only legends about her story. A legend is a traditional story that might not always be true.


To help you plan your year 2 history lesson on: The birth of Nūr Jahān, 'sun among women', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Look at a modern map to explore the extent of the Mughal Empire.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of nudity

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Place these kings and queens in the order they ruled, starting with the earliest.

1 - King Henry VIII
2 - King Edward
3 - Queen Mary
4 - Queen Elizabeth I

Q2.
Elizabeth's reign as queen was easy.

true
Correct answer: false

Q3.
Elizabeth I was Protestant.

Correct answer: true
false

Q4.
Elizabeth's government tried to convince her to someone.

Correct Answer: marry

Q5.
Elizabeth was focused on solving England's...

Correct Answer: problems, issues

Q6.
Queen Elizabeth I ruled England alone for 25 years.

Correct answer: true
false

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
When was Mehr al-Nesā born?

40 years ago
Correct answer: 450 years ago
1000 years ago

Q2.
Kandahar was part of the ...

British Empire
Correct answer: Mughal Empire
Roman Empire

Q3.
The Mughal Empire lasted for __________ years.

100 years
Correct answer: 200 years
300 years

Q4.
Mehr al-Nesā's name meant ....

moon among women
stars among women
Correct answer: sun among women

Q5.
Her family were halfway along their journey.

Correct Answer: robbed

Q6.
Not much is known about Mehr al-Nesā’s early life.

Correct answer: true
false