Mehrunisa was the daughter of Persian immigrants who lived in the Delhi Sultanate from 1290-1319. Her father Hassan was the Vizier to the Sultan and her mother served as Valide in the Harem. Mehrunisa was trained in various arts; Her mentor was prince Al al Din Khiliji's mother, the Sultana who trained both the prince (Shah) and Mehrunisa; she taught them Persian in Medieval India as it was the language used in the high court. Mehrunisa learned other arts such as Persian archery, Sufi poetry and an Medieval Arabian dance form. As she grew older, Al al Din Khilji lusted for her beauty and desired Mehrunisa to be his lawful wife. Mehrunisa wedded the Shah in 1307.For eighteen years, she was educated in Islamic culture and religion because of her Persian and Turkic ancestors who cultivated the culture in the Delhi Fort. On Prince Al al Din Khilji's twentieth birthday, there was a celebration for the Shah and an advisor of the Sultan gifted a Hindu slave princess from the kingdom of Mewar for the Shah. Mehrunnisa befriended the Hindu slave girl, Ashanti, and through their friendship, Mehrunisa learned about the Hindu religion of the Indian subcontinent. Although she lived in Delhi, the Indian Capital of the Sultanate, she was forbidden to travel outside the Royal Forts and into the local Bazaras. Ashanti taught Mehrunisa the language of the inhabitants of the India, Sanskrit.Through this exchange, several years passed and Mehrunnisa and Ashanti became lovers. Since Mehrunnisa was Al al Din Khilji's consort wife and Ashanti became a harem girl, their love was illicit and a taboo under the Sharia law governing the Delhi Sultanate. In order to communicate and keep their affair private, Mehrunisa and Ashanti crafted a language combining Sanskrit/ Hindi and Persian which in later years became the foundation of Urdu.
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