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the-south-asian.com April 2004 |
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April 2004 Wildlife
Paragpur
- India's 1st
Corporate Talk
Books Lehngas - a limited collection Books Between
Heaven and Hell
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The Begums of Bhopal: A Dynasty of Women Rulers in Raj India. By Shayraryar M. Khan [Publishers I.B. Taurus, London, New York, Oct 2000, ISBN: 1 86064 528 3 p.p.276] Cover: sketch of Sikandar Begum – the Amazon of Bhopal. Reviewed by: Salman S. Minhas, Information Engineers (Pvt.) Ltd., Lahore, Pakistan.
Overview: French Romance, Pathan Vikings, and Hindu Rajputs: There is also the most exotic-romantic link between the French Bourbon family and the Mishti-Khel clan of Orakzai Pathans of Tirah valley [Sixty km. east of Tora Bora lies Tirah Valley, in the tribal areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan; this is a valley lying between Parachinar [west] near the Afghan border, Kohat[south], and Peshawar –Warsak[ northeast] – for a map see the site http://www.khyber.org/maps.shtml ]. who joined Dost Mohammed in seeking their fortunes in Bhopal during the last days of the Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb after around 1704. See pages 60- 65 for a detailed account of how Jean-Philipe de Bourbon de Navarre [close relative of Henri IV] fled from France after a duel. He eventually made it to India and entered Emperor Akbar army as artillery advisor & Nawab and then his family continued to live in Bhopal. Later on Dost Mohammed’s son- Yar Mohammed Khan married Mamola Bai [ 1744-95] and ruled Bhopal from behind the veil /purdah on behalf of Yar’s ineffective sons. Author: Shaharyar M. Khan a direct descendant of the Bhopal ruling family, born in India before 1947. A Career diplomat in the Pakistan Foreign Service [having served as Ambassador to Jordan [1976-82], UK [1987-90], France [2000] Foreign Secretary [1990-94], United Nations Special Representative in Rwanda [1994-96], Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. He wrote a book on this country’s genocide "Shallow Graves of Rwanda"] and currently Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board [he was a second XI player at Cambridge]. A class fellow with K. Natwar Singh [ Foreign Secretary India] at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Natwar Singh’s wife's grandfather, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and Shaharyar's grandfather, the Nawab of Bhopal, were friends and rivals in the Chamber of Princes in the 1920s and 1930s. This is a deeply researched book and the work of one of the finest aristocratic and professional minds of South Asia, who was himself closely related [the last in line] linked to the Bhopal Royal Family. Pakistan eminent Foreign Service and Ambassador to many countries. It covers the story of the powerful French-Bourbon Prime Minister support to Qudisa, the first Begum. She was succeeded in 1844 by Sikandar, her only daughter, who was also followed by her only daughter, the highly controversial Shahjehan. The story ends with the last Begum, Sultan Jehan, and her abdication in favor of her son, the first male ruler (Nawab) of Bhopal in five generations. This book offers the first balanced, tremendously insightful history and account of the state administration. It is a book worth reading by all, as it teaches us how statesmanship can be practically out. Indeed it is a primer, a book of lessons in statecraft which needs to be read and practiced by our present day un-rulers of the South Asian countries. Qudsia Begum [1819-37]: strong character, courageous, wise, Spartan in habits verging on puritanical, pioneer of public works, hired a British Engineer David Cook to construct a water pipeline, via a trust she created, negotiated a railway in Bhopal, made available houses in Mecca & Medina, for Bhopal’s hajj Pilgrims, the Moti Masjid [Pearl Mosque] is imposing mosque architecturally similar to Delhi’s Jamia Masjid, would tour the town in disguise, held open-house meetings, met her daily household expenses from a small cottage industry she started, observed purdah but discarded it in 1832 [ she knew the Quran translation by heart ], a consummate diplomat , but is known to have sharply slapped the British Political agent Wilkinson in full public in her court for touching her diamond earring saying "Wilkinson sahib , don’t you know that it is an insult to touch a Muslim woman?". Sikander Begum [1844-1868]: survived an assassination attempt by her own husband Jahangir, egged on by his family. Jahangir was later to die of excessive drinking. Sikandar begum was a woman of Amazonian power and a 19th century modernist, a woman who turned Bhopal into a center of excellence. Charismatic, aggressive, dynamic, she understood that to live in man’s world, she had to be better, stronger and more accomplished than all the males around her. She shunned pomp and show, she was an awesome personality, played polo, went tiger-hunting, a crack-shot, archer and lancer, a hands-on manager, personally inspected the courts, army, administrative offices, pushed agrarian reform, was a devout muslim but rejected the purdah. She also practiced random walks incognito and once was stopped by the sentry on palace duty who stopped her. She later rewarded the sentry with a bonus. I must stop now that I have your attention. Go out and buy this tremendous book now .It is a gold mine and a tribute to the women rulers of South Asia. The Begums of Bhopal puts to shame all the current day female leaders of South Asia. In the history of South Asia, the only other name that is on par with the Muslim Begums of Bhopal was Sultana Razia, daughter of Altamash 1236, who ruled from Delhi throne. But that is another fascinating tale, to be narrated later. *****
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