The birth of Nūr Jahān, 'sun among women'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe some of the features of Mehr al-Nesā's early life.
Key learning points
- Mehr al-Nesā was born in Kandahar, part of the mighty Mughal Empire in what is now Afghanistan.
- Her name meant 'sun among women', but she would later have a new name, Nūr Jahān.
- Her parents were running away from another country where they had been treated badly.
- A story is told about Mehr al-Nesā during this time; that on their journey her parents abandoned her in the desert.
- 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.
Teacher tip
Look at a modern map to explore the extent of the Mughal Empire.
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
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Place these kings and queens in the order they ruled, starting with the earliest.
Q2.Elizabeth's reign as queen was easy.
Q3.Elizabeth I was Protestant.
Q4.Elizabeth's government tried to convince her to someone.
Q5.Elizabeth was focused on solving England's...
Q6.Queen Elizabeth I ruled England alone for 25 years.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When was Mehr al-Nesā born?
Q2.Kandahar was part of the ...
Q3.The Mughal Empire lasted for __________ years.
Q4.Mehr al-Nesā's name meant ....
Q5.Her family were halfway along their journey.
Q6.Not much is known about Mehr al-Nesā’s early life.
To help you plan your 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...
To help you plan your 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.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the Ruling and religion unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.