Celebrating 250 years of Lucknow’s legacy: The begums who left their mark On Awadh

They were feisty, talented & resilient. the over-a-century-long rule of awadh is incomplete without their untold storyBranching out from the Mughals, the Nawabs ruled over the heartland of India nestled in Awadh for over 125 years (1732-1857).

The dynastic history begins with the appointment of Mir Muhammad Amin Saadat Khan Bahadur Buhran-ul-Mulk as the governor of Awadh in 1722 AD.A sneered taunt by his Begum is what led to it all. Piqued by the “taunt of his proud and rich wife”, Saadat Khan – the 23rd descendent of the respected Prophet Musa Qazim (the seventh imam) – left his native home in Nishapur Khorasan sometime in the first decade of the 1700s.To carve an individual identity, he reached the Mughal court where Bahadur Shah (1707-12) reigned.

Having proved his worth in the royal court, he was made the Governor of Awadh and Faujdar of Gorakhpur in 1722.But the house of Awadh is incomplete without its begums even though writings on them are both rare and scarce. Begum Hazrat Mahal, the wife of last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, dominates the realm of common readings and knowledge, but her predecessors, too, were no less epitomes of courage and grit, love and commitment.

Sadr-i-Jahan: The leading light of three NawabsIf Nawab Saadat Khan Burhan-ul-Mulk is credited to be the founder of the house of Awadh, his eldest daughter Sadr-i-Jahan is the bedrock of this foundation.Just like her name which means ‘chief of the world’, she was admired for her courage and charisma, revered for her piety and deeply respected for her sense of justice up and down the line.She held influence across three generations of Nawabs starting from Safdar Jung (her husband), Shuja-ud-Daulah (her son) and Asaf-ud-Daulah (her grandson).Her marriage to her cousin (paternal aunt’s son) Safdar Jung made him a claimant and successor to Burhan-ul-Mulk who also desired the same. But on the death of Saadat Khan in 1739, his elder brother’s son Nisar Muhammad Khan Sher Jung claimed his priority on the position before the Mughal emperor who recognized the claim in lieu of Rs 2 crore.The dispute also gave Safdar Jung’s enemies a chance to lobby against him and rage a war.

The primarily timid-natured Safdar Jung was taken aback by the circumstances despite having under his charge a superior Mughal army.When the chief started questioning his authority, Sadr-i-Jahan took the matters into her hand. She persuaded Safdar Jung of the necessity of a quick, bold and decisive action against the rebels. Spurred by his wife’s encouragement, Safdar Jung marched his army out and quelled the rebellion.Then on another occasion, after Safdar Jung had a close shave with death in an encounter with Pathans and eventually lost the battle, the Mughal ruler was instigated to take away his Wizarat and make way for someone else.Here too, Begum rescued her husband as she had raised an army of some 10,000 soldiers. She directed her son Shuja-ud-Daulah and other loyals to repel force by force to curb the aspirations of the opponents.It was also known later that she had given all her treasures to the servants who brought her injured husband back home.Dismayed from the loss of self-esteem and money, Safdar Jung went into isolation. The queen offered Rs 1.10 lakh and 4,000 asharfis to her husband so that he can obtain assistance from his Jat and Maratha friends.She personally served and cared for her husband in the last days of his life. When her son Shuja-ud-Daula took over the reign of Awadh, she continued to help him manage Awadh, advising him from time to time.Begum’s supremacy reduced after the death of her son, Shuja-ud-Daula and subsequent transfer of power to her grandson, Asaf-ud-Daula who never got a free hand till she was alive. By this time, Sadr-i-Jahan had entered into a tug of war with her influential daughter-in-law.Malika Kishwar Taj Ara: A mother whose love endured allMore than being remembered as the chief consort of Nawab Amjad Ali Shah, Begum Malika Kishwar is remembered as the undaunting mother of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah who took a leap of faith to bring justice to her son.In their quest to conquer Lucknow, the British resident alleged that the Awadh was being misgoverned and banished its ruler Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta for the rest of his life. This was in stark contrast to the general public sentiment of Shah being a peace-loving ruler of varied interests and refined tastes truly loved by his people.The banishment order left war with the British as an expected counter from the Nawab.

But instead of putting his beloved subjects in the adversities of war, he chose to leave for Calcutta, with the intention of travelling to London and convincing Queen Victoria to reverse the annexation of Awadh. The Nawab’s mother Jenab Aliya Begum Malika Kishwar, known for her feisty persona accompanied him. Upon reaching Calcutta, Wajid Ali Shah fell seriously sick and taking advantage of the situation, the Company imprisoned him at Fort William.

But his fearless mother decided to go on to England alone which was a daunting task in those days and unthinkable for women.Her bold move was also against the norm that especially prohibited Royal family’s women from taking journeys of the sea. Besides, it was heavily frowned upon and judged. But setting aside all the criticism and hoping that Victoria, ruling queen of England, would hear her out as a mother against the company and restore her family’s right, she sailed on June 18, 1856.But Queen Mother’s hopes were shattered as Queen Victoria refused all her initial requests for an audience. In due course, Kishwar understood that Victoria had little to offer to her as real power lay with the British Parliament. So, she turned to them only to be disappointed all over again.Adding to her misery, the Parliament told her that if she wished to travel, she would have to declare herself a “British subject” to get the required passports which she refused.Meanwhile, the Indian royals combined their forces to oust the East India Company in 1857 even as in a fresh try, a despaired Kishwar decided to return to India via France. Exhausted by now, Mallika Kishwar took seriously ill and on January 24 breathed her last in Paris.Her simple but stately funeral was attended by representatives of the Turkish sultans, and a marble cenotaph was constructed over her tomb at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

Lying next to Marcel Proust and in the vicinity of the likes of Irish poet Oscar Wilde, American singer and rockstar Jim Morrison, polish composer and pianist Frederich Chopin besides others, she is remembered as an epitome of grit and valour.British officer William Sleeman has noted that Malika Kishwar regularly counselled her son Wajid Ali Shah for appointments on important positions in the court; she also ran a parallel court to address the problem of the ladies in Awadh who used to turn up in large numbers for justice.Much is not known about the early life of Malika Kishwar, but it is said that she belonged to the family of Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khanan, poet and one of the nine gems of the Mughal emperor Akbar.Begum Hazrat Mahal – the pride of every womanOne of the principal wives of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Begum Hazrat Mahal was a contemporary of Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi, and as brave as her if not more. True to her name – Iftekhar-ul-Nisa – she was truly “a pride of women”, and many incidents of her life prove this.First and foremost was that instead of choosing to migrate with the exiled King, she stayed back to defend his kingdom despite opposition from other members of the Royal family.Displaying extraordinary courage, she had given the British their toughest time in India which can be understood from the fact that the siege of residency lasted for about 180 days.In fact, three British generals pooled in their minds and resources to purge the revolt led by her.

Through the war, she was threatened with capture by the British and well-wishers advised her to move to safe haven but she resolutely remained in the palace, lest her flight might cause demoralisation in the nationalist forces.Also, a telegraphic message from the commander-in-chief to Governor General of India, dated Feb 25, 1858, suggests that she led from the front in the field from the back of an elephant.Certain incidents connected with the revolt prove that the queen had the qualities of a military leader to make the city of Lucknow safe from advancing forces of the British from Kanpur.

She lost no time in making a grant of Rs 5,00,000 to get a protective wall built around the city.Then, she made her endeavour to win over Rana Jung Bahadur of Nepal to Awadh’s side by promising him, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Chhapra Varanasi to counter British deal of alluring Nepal by promising some control over Gorakhpur. The move was seen as a diplomatic trump card.One of the key challenges before her was to maintain law and order in the city – a problem which had become acute as a result of the British authority disappearing suddenly.

To address the issue, she constituted a court of administration which met three times a week to settle various matters.Failing to pip her in war, the British tried to allure her of honours fitting her rank and promised independent pensions. But the queen thought it was dishonourable to accept these overtures. She preferred to spend her days in suffering in a foreign land than to accept a pension from the British and thereby tactically renounce the right of her son to the Awadh kingdom.Even the enemy British called her a forceful personality and upholder of the dignity of womanhood. Her stand on British prisoners in Kaiserbagh Palaces is cited as an example. The (Indian) revolutionaries -- fired with the feelings of revenge, requested the queen to handover the captives to them. She allowed them to take the menfolk away, but the noble queen declined to make over any of the women and children.Such exemplary conduct is a rarity even in present times and was rarer in those days especially for a woman who hailed from a poor family of Faizabad.

It is known that she was brought to the court of Wajid Ali Shah with the idea of being trained as a dancing girl. In those days, it was customary to take girls as a female attendant in the King’s Harem. Later, if her talents in dance and music could attract the attention of the King, she could be promoted to the rank of a Pari.

The begum – when she rose from the rank of an attendant – was called Mahak Pari. Further, if the king was fascinated by her beauty and mannerism, she was taken into concubinage where she was called Begum.

Then, if she bore a child with the King, she was elevated to the rank of Mahal – an ambition cherished by all the inmates of the harem.References are that Wajid Ali Shah was overjoyed on learning that Mehak Pari was soon to bear him a child. He immediately conferred on her, the title of Iftekhar-ul-Nisa (pride of women). In fact, 11 guns were fired on the birth of a son – named Mirza Birjis Qadr -- who was fourth in the line to the throne.The Magnanimous Bahu Begum w/o Shuja-ud-DaulahBorn as Umat-ul-Zohra Begum, Bahu Begum was the daughter of Aurangzeb’s diwan-e-khas. Her marriage was negotiated by the Mughal emperor himself who also declared her to be his foster-child. The pompous marriage – which cost about Rs 46 lakh – added immensely to the esteem of Awadh. At the time of the debacle in Buxar, Shuja-ud-Daulah was at the mercy of the English for restoration of his position.

He urged his family members, friends and officials for help with cash, jewels and other precious articles.

While most evaded full compliance, Bahu Begum magnanimously gave away everything she possessed including her nose ring with its string of pearls which no married woman would ordinarily part under the direst circumstances. The benevolence was probably inherited by her son Asaf-ud-Daulah who became an epitome of charity later.The fiery Badshah Begum w/o Ghazi-ud-din HaiderNamed Mariam-us-Asmat Bilkis-us-Sitwat Mahal-i-Khas, Badshah Begum got her title because of her husband who was the first Nawab independent of the Mughal rule who had significant influence in the court. On one occasion minister Agha Mir relegated her son Nasir-ud-Din, the heir apparent, which it didn't go down well with her. She got him replaced by Mirza Haji who later became instrumental in arranging another wife for Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar.

The fiery Badshah Begum tactfully got Haji removed and got Agha Mir back. Her power grew further when her son Nasir became the King. But their relation grew sour when she did not mourn her daughter-in-law Qudsia Begum’s death the way Haider expected her. The bitterness grew so much so that Haider engaged in an armed attempt to dislodge her. But Badshah Begum prevailed. However, in 1837, she finally left but only after raising her own army and battery of bodyguards.

After Nasir-ud-Din’s death, she tried to pass the throne to her grandson Munna Jaan, but the British foiled her plan and imprisoned her in the Chunar Fort where she died in 1846.Malika-e-Zamania: babysitter who turned queen w/o Nasir-ud-Din HaiderMalika-e-Zamania entered the harem of Nasir-ud-Din Haider as a nurse to care for his wife Afzal Mahal who had given birth to Munna Jaan. The Nawab was so smitten by her charms that he not only married her but also declared her son from previous marriage Qaiwan Jah as the heir apparent.

Describing her influence in the royal court, a contemporary author wrote – “she is… the person of most political consequence and she has great power over her royal husband.

” Over time, Haider turned to other ladies including Qudsia Mahal who went on to become his favourite. Malika-e-Zamani’s jealousy after losing control and influence on her grew so much so that she took to witchcraft to ensure that Qudsia doesn’t bear a son, it is rumoured.

In her early life she was born as Dulari to a penniless family in Varanasi. Her mother gave away her daughter to Fateh Murad in lieu of the money that was due to him. Murad’s sister raised Dulari as her own child and renamed her Hussaini.Muqaddara Alia – the rags to riches begum w/o Nasir-ud-Din HaiderShe was one of the daughters of one George Hopkins Walters who worked in the British regiments who died soon. His wife – referred to as Mrs Walters – took the girls to Kanpur.

The family subsisted by embroidering saddle clothes for the horses of rich families. On the advice of a coachman, Mrs Walters returned to Lucknow to marry them off. The girls were shown to Nasir-ud-Din Haider who chose one of the two daughters. He married her in 1827 as per Muslim traditions and named her Begum Muqqadara Alia.

Well versed in Persian and Hindustani languages, she tried to teach English to her husband. She was given the Jagirs of Rasulabad, Miyaganj and Unnao which yielded a revenue of Rs 6 lakh along with a pension of Rs 6,000 per month. After her husband’s death, she started living with her mother in Residency. It is reported that she became pregnant. In a desperate attempt to avoid a public scandal (and probably terminate the pregnancy) she consumed some local medicine which made her very sick and eventually claimed her life.