Sultana Begum

4Jul/0829

Sultana Begum – a surviving heir of Bahadur Shah Zafar

Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha have launched a nationed wide movement to protect musicians, artists, academicians and others who have brought laurels and pride to India through book - Andolan Ek Pustak Se.

In the midst of pompous celebrations over the 150th year of India’s First War of Indepedence, a fact that rankles is that the heirs of the Mughal’s last emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Sultana Begum, continue to languish in squalour and anonymity.
The story of middle-aged Sultana Begum brings tears to one’s eyes. She runs a tea-stall in Howrah to earn a living for her family. Bahadur Shah Zafar’s heirs are struggling to take out a bare survival. Due to the poverty, daughters in the family were deprived of higher education.
But, Union Minister for Railway Lalu Prasad and Minister for Corporate Affairs Prem Chand Gupta have hailed the efforts initiated by a Delhi-based couple Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha - who met Sulata Begum as a part of their ongoing movement “Andolan Ek Pustak Se” and assured the couple that they would protect Sultana Begum economically, her daughters educationally and fulfill their all desires in view of the 150 year of 1857 Uprising.
During their six months efforts, the Jha couple has collected all historical official documents about Sultana Begum.
Living in a 8?x8? room at Cowies Ghat’s slum located near Foreshao Road in Howrah district of West Bengal, Sultana Begam, the direct descendants of the last Mughal emperor has narrated her miserable conditions and governments both centre and state apathy.
She expressed her willingness to settle in Chandini Chawk in the National Capital to view the Red Fort, the last residence of Mughal emperor before he was exiled to Rangoon.
Sultana Begum, 55, said: “Before I take my last breath, my lifetime desire is to marry my daughter Zinat Mahal, impart education to her only son Kamal Bakht and settle in Chandni Chowk to have glimpses of the Red Fort.”
On couple’s initiatives, on July 4 last year, Lalu Prasad and Prem Gupta had rehabilitated Vinayak Rao Tope, the third generation of the front line leader of 1857 Uprising Tatya Tope. Besides financial assistance worth Rs.5 lakh, Lalu Prasad also granted employment to Pragati and Tripti, the two daughters of Vinayak Rao Tope in the Container Corporation of India.
During the life time of the grate Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, the couple had launched a nationwide movement “Andolan Ek Pustak Se” through a book on the life and art of the Ustad – Monograph on Ustad Bismillah Khan - to protect all such people and their families who brought laurels and pride to the nation.
Sultana Begum gets a pension of Rs 400 a month from the Centre and lives in a pathetic condition in a Howrah’s slum. Bedar Bakht, Sultana Begum’s husband died in 1980.
“After the death of my husband, I approached the West Bengal Government to provide an accommodation for my family. I got it at Trolly Gunj area. But, due to harassment by some local criminals and local politicians, I was forced to vacate the flat. Since them I am living here with my young daughters,” Sultana with tear in her eyes said the couple.
Sultana Begum is Howrad line of descent. From Howrah line, Sultana Begum is wife of late Muhammad Bedar Bakht, son of Jamshid Bakht and grandson of Jawan Bakht.
According to official records, there are three lines of descent from Bahadir Shah Zafar. From Delhi line, Bahadur Sha Zafarâ€™s son was Mirza Fathul Mulk Bahadur alias Mirza Fakhru had one son Mirza Farkhunda Jamal, who had a son late Hamid Shah and late Begum Qamar Sultan, who married a commoner.
While from Hyderabad line, Bahadur Shah’s son was Mirza Quaish, who had one son Mirza Abdullah who had one son Mirza Pyare who married with Habib Begum. Bahadur Shah’s great-great-granddaughter was Begum Laila Ummahani who married married with Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy.
There are also descendants of other Mughal kings beside Bahadur Shah-II Most of them used to have or inherited governor’s or courtier’s positions; some were viziers or worked in the court of the Shah.
When the 1857 Mutiny came most of them fled the capital and changed their family name from Mirza, Mughal, Beg, etc. to something more common. Some escaped to distant principalities and held courtier’s positions there. Examples include Jalaluddin Mirza’s line of Bengal zamindari under the Maharaja of Dighapatia and the Toluqari family, which claims to be Baron Gardner’s descendants as well.

Tagged as: Andolan Ek Pustak Se, Bahadur Shah Zafar, books, Campaign, Howrah, India, Mughal, Sultana Begum Leave a comment

Comments (29) Trackbacks (2) ( subscribe to comments on this post )

Shivnath Jha & Neena Jha
July 6th, 2008 - 10:46

We are grateful for publishing it on your blog. We appeal all sensitive people to joon our movement for a noble cause. Once again thanks.
AJ
July 7th, 2008 - 10:46

So this is what happened of the descendants of the great Mughals, it’s a shame they have to live like this.
Dastagir
July 9th, 2008 - 05:49

ZAHER KHAA`NE KAA MAQAAM HAI. (Its a matter of great shame). Calcutta is a cosmopolitan city… with the CPI(M) in power. Prakash Karat is an educated man. Brinda Karat is a compassionate woman… Why did they not address the issue of this family. They are India’s Foremost Freedom Fighters. I can write for hours… on 1857.. and what really happened then. It is a very ugly story and i rather remain silent. How and WHO strengthened the British against the uprising… The role fundamentalists played… etc. It is a wide canvas.. Suffice to say, that India’s first and foremost freedom fighters were Students of MADRASAS (Factories of terrorism… according to pogrom-director Mr. Advani) ! Maulana Mahmood Ul Hasan… The Red Scarf (Reshmi-Rumaal) Movement.. Maulana Hasrat Mohani… and a log list… those who were arrested and sent to Kala Pani (Andaman and Nicobar).. and Malta.. etc. etc. etc. It is these Muslim Terrorists., who started the movement for India’s Freedom Struggle ! Bahadur Shah Zafar’s Family : in Calcutta (Sultana Begum) and in Saroor-Nagar, Hyderabad (Umm Hani Begum)… someone must take this issue up… at the highest levels. This must ROAR in Parliament… but who cares ? Democracy is not functioning well in India. A country with a 1 bn.+ population… 10% growth is for 10% population only. The rest are left to God (Allah / Eashwar / God / Local Diety).
Dastagir
July 10th, 2008 - 07:53

Shivnath Jha + Neena Jha… you are Karma-Yogis. You helped the Hoskote Family members.. getting them jobs in railways. Great work done. God bless you for that.

As regards rehabilitating Bahadur Shah Zafar’s descendents… in this case you will be facing total lack of empathy and compassion. Government (Central and State) will NOT do anything for these families (even during an election year). Thru private efforts, please organise a ticketed-concert.. invite a few film stars… and from the money collected therefrom assist these 2 families. That is the only way that comes to mind. Do this to please God / Allah / Eashwar. Do this to please the SOUL of India., cuz Bahadur Shah Zafar… and his struggle.. and his trials and tribulations… cannot be simply wished away.

Bahadur Shah Zafar’s remains must be brought back to India and he must be re-buried in the Red Fort Delhi. Media can play a great role. I am very very grateful to Dalrymple cuz he made the book. There should be a serial on Zafar. Usually he is portrayed as an old man with young women around.. a thin old man.. Truth is something different. Whole generations have come up fed up on wrong and FRAUDULENT history. Corrupting History (injecting hatred and stereotypes into it), is like injecting cyanide into a city’s water supply. The Govt. has failed. Democracy is displaying fatigue in India. Look at the MLAs and MPs… How someone with 2 acre dry land becomes a multi-billionaire (Chandrababu Naidu)… how some goons in Mumbai… advocating Marathi Pride… became multi-billionaires… The public is seeing / observing all of this. MLAs and MPs of today are RICHER and enjoying a higher standard of life than the Rajas and Nawabs of yester-years. Its a fact.

Jhas : Organise a concert… to help Zafar’s family. (Both the off-shoots.. the calcutta + the hyderabad branch)…. if it is possible for you. The politicians will NOT do anything. They only think about themselves.. How to make billions in the shortest possible time. … aur bas.
shehla.masood
July 13th, 2008 - 16:00

Every time I read your blog I learn incredible, fresh and significant matters. They are always evoking and well informed

Being an Indian I am ashamed. I have no words to express the pain.

Thanks allot for enlightenment….
Parbant Singh Maihari
October 26th, 2008 - 13:13

Dear Readers,
Sultana Begum may be contacted on her phone number : 98319-32545, address : 103/12/C, Foreshore Road, Shibpur, Howrah-711 102 (West Bengal) India, e-mail : moghulbegum@yahoo.co.in
She speaks Hindi, Urdu and Bengali.
Thank you,
Parbant Singh Maihari
e-mail : parbantsinghmaihari@yahoo.co.in
moblie : 98315-81924 (India)
Shivnath Jha
January 6th, 2009 - 13:57

Don’t worry HUZUR, Mein Hun Naa…. Ek roti kha kar bhi Sultana Begum ke chehrey pad hanshi dunga, unki beti ki shadi karaunga aur grand daughter jab tak padhna chahegi tab tak padhaunga. Aaap sabhi apni apni samvedna ghar par baith kar den
Le Mystique
January 6th, 2009 - 20:34

Apologies if I sound disrespectful, but I just wonder as to why on earth should we be concerned about the surviving heir of a king (who did not had the courage to defend his country like a man but who reportedly did like to dance like a woman) more than the so many other impoverished people of South Asia? Are we not equal? Do the descendants of a king have more rights than the descendants of Kallu Kumhar’s, Qasim Qasai, Tanu Taangay Wala?

There were 22 sons and at least 32 daughters of Bahadur Shah Zafar. I wonder how many of his descendants from these 50-plus offspring are alive today and how many of them should we provide with a life-time royal welcome?

May be my knowledge of South Asian history is making me jump to conclusions, but I guess (and I am not sure really but just opining hereby) that among all the kings, princes, rulers, mahrajas, nawabs, if I might be a little bit (i repeat: ‘a little bit’) concerned about the plight of any one’s heir’s survival, it would be the descendants of someone like Tipu Sultan.

Nothing against Bahadar Shah Zafar or his heirs…
Parbant Singh Maiahri
February 12th, 2009 - 15:51

All Dear ones,
Report of Pakistan Defence Forum may be true. All the Turks, who are in majority in Moradabad district, specially in Sambhal area of the disrtrict of Uttar Pradesh are moblilising themselves for an independent identity. Negligency towards Sultana Begum by the central government has compelled them to re-charge their organisation. They have declared Sultana Begum as her head / chairperson. It is clear that the apathy of the goverment gives chance to new movements. It will be no wonder, if these Turks, will seek support from Turks settled in Pakistan and Bangladesh too to raise a demand to creat Moghlistan.
Thank you,
Parbant Singh Maihari, Journalist & PA to Sultana Begum
098315-81924
Parbant Singh Maiahri
February 12th, 2009 - 15:53

PS. My e-mail address is parbantsinghmaihari@yahoo.co.in
Thank you.
Dastagir
February 15th, 2009 - 11:27

Bahadur Shah Zafar – India’s Premier Freedom fighter – branded as an old man chasing young girls ! (The old RSS trick of blackening fair faces). Hudson killed 8 of Zafar’s sons (the Princes) at Khooni Darwaza (Bloody Gates) in Delhi circa 1857… How many were slaughtered ? What happened in Delhi… which community BORE the brunt of the 1st War of Independence ?

Ideally Zafar should be re-buried with honour at Red Fort, Delhi, but RSS would never want Zafar buried in India… cuz the moment Zafar is re-buried in Delhi.. the RSS eddifice of HATE (nurtured with great care in the past 84 years) will begin to crack.

Congress, the “B” Team of RSS i.e. does not want Zafar re-buried in India either, out of fear based on “Hate-Bank” Politics.

There must be a movement to bring Zafar’s remains to Delhi. That will be the first step, in writing history of the freedom struggle based on truth.

Traitors who sided with the British : The Scindias : Hold Billions in wealth (Vijaye Raje Scindia, RSS financier for decades.. her daughter Vasundhra Raje was made Chief Minister of Rajasthan out of gratitude by RSS). Traitor Scindias have power… and position… while Zafar’s descendents are left to beg on the streets !

Their only fault is their name… and their religion. But it is honourable to live in economic poverty… yet never give up one’s ideals. RSS is doing lot of ZULM (injustice) against Indian Muslims 24×7.

RSS – the world’s largest terrorist factory must be exposed in French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.. Yeah.
Parbant Singh Maiahri
February 16th, 2009 - 15:41

Dear Dastagir Saheb,
You are very right. Shri Ram Sena, Bajrangdal & RSS are now over acting in the name of saving Hindu culture. If any one asks any one of their lathi waving workers to recite a few shlokas from any Ved and explaian meaning, they will look here and there.
Congress too has only used Muslims as its vote bank. God save our country and our people from their cluthes.
mirza saleem baig
May 2nd, 2009 - 12:47

well people she deserve better then the life she has right now
remember mughals gave us a beautiful culture and colours of life
and british gave us slavery and poverty which have not been able to overcome even in this modern world accept for handfull of people so to the small minded people dont waste your important time with your hateful coments .in 16th century we had had the world 25% off economy .now 40 million of low cast human are waiting for miracle to happen
SHIVNATH JHA & NEENA JHA
May 9th, 2009 - 02:57

Impoverished Mughal royal descendant gets a helping hand :::::::::KOLKATA: The great granddaughter-in-law of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar Sultana Begum, who now lives in a slum in West Bengal, is a little relieved. She now has the funds to perform get her daughter married, thanks to two journalists.
‘Andolan Ek Pustak Se’ – a movement kicked off by Delhi-based scribe Shivnath Jha and his wife Neena – was aimed at helping the erstwhile royal whose daughter Madhu will get married in June this year.
‘We’ve arranged to give her (Sultana Begum) a draft of Rs.200,000 for performing the marriage of her daughter,’ Jha told IANS.
Begum said: ‘I am very happy today to get this fund. It will help me to live my life properly as I don’t have any decent source of income.’
She lives in a 66-sq ft dingy room at a Howrah slum and runs a roadside tea stall there, about 14 km from here.
‘Despite serious penury, I was never reduced to being a beggar. I always held my head high in tough financial situations and lived with dignity,’ she said, thanking the Bismillah: The Beginning Foundation run by the Jhas.
Sultana’s husband, late Mirza Mohd Bedar Bukht, was a direct descendant of Bahadur Shah Zafar and crown queen Zeenat Mehal.
Jha told reporters here Saturday: ‘I decided to write a book, ‘Prime Ministers of India: Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’, and decided to rehabilitate the family of Sultana Begam from the proceeds of the book.’
The 534-page hard bound and illustrated book, scheduled to be released after the general elections, will contain details of India’s prime ministers, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh.
It is the fourth book in the ‘Andolan Ek Pustak Se’ movement, which was launched by the duo in 2007 and aims to publish one book a year to honour and help those who have made India proud.
nasiha
June 11th, 2009 - 07:14

it is sad to hear about the life of a King who was not celebrated in his life or after his death.

“the loss of Zafar the King was the gain of Zafar the poet” said K C Kanda in his book titled – Bahadur Shah Zafar and his contemporaries, a book of fine urdu poetry.

wishing the Royal Family all the best.
Usman Shaukat
June 14th, 2009 - 18:17

The Mughals (Gukhans) greatly contributed in subcontinent’s history, art, architecture, literature and language. Even the “enlightened and democratic” British have a figurehead monarchy, because it signifies tradition and continuation of history, why can’t the people of subcontinent atleast pay some respect to their heritage?

To degrade Bahadur shah is is immature, he inherited a dysfunctional empire that he possilby couldn’t have rescued.

Please let me know if there is a way in which I can contribute to the educational fund of the begum’s daughters and son.
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July 5th, 2009 - 21:32

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Badar uz Zaman Shah
July 8th, 2009 - 07:14

A.O.A

My name is Badar uz Zaman. I live in Lahore – Pakistan. My family also belogs to the great empror Bahadur Shah Zafar. 5th generation of Bahadur Shah Zafar’s family. It is my desire to meet Sultan Begum. She is our relaetave and our gneration.

Pl. convey my message and addres to her.

Thanks

Badar

My postal address:

Badar uz Zaman
H. 3,
St. 18,
Muhallah Muhammadi Park,
Sanda Khurd,
Lahore – Pakistan
Mob: 0092 3009442080
Badar uz Zaman Shah
July 8th, 2009 - 07:18

A.O.A

My name is Badar uz Zaman. I live in Lahore – Pakistan. My family also belogs to the great empror Bahadur Shah Zafar. 5th generation of Bahadur Shah Zafar’s family. It is my desire to meet Sultan Begum. She is our relaetave and our generation.

Pl. convey my message and address to her.

Thanks

Badar

My postal address:

Badar uz Zaman
H. 3,
St. 18,
Muhallah Muhammadi Park,
Sanda Khurd,
Lahore – Pakistan
Mob: 0092 3009442080
JOÃO ALBERTO NOGUEIRA DE CASTRO
July 13th, 2009 - 17:47

Minhas Saudações Cordiais a Senhora Sultana Begun.
Lamento que esta mui nobre mulher não tenha conseguido para sua família no amparo que bem merecia.
A dominação britânica desmantelou a disnastia a que pertence, usupou o seu trono, exilou seus antepassos… e nada pagou por isso.
Sua Alteza vive hoje em condições impróprias a qualquer ser humano, mas em seu semblante ainda permanece uma centelha dos antigos fogaréus de uma antiga monarquia.
Mulher nobre, eu vos parabenizo e muito gostaria de manter contato com Vossa Alteza, através de e-mail.
JOÃO ALBERTO NOGUEIRA DE CASTRO
July 13th, 2009 - 20:02

My Greetings CORDIALS Mrs Sultana Begun.
I regret that many noble women have not been able to support his family in that well-deserved.
The British dismantled the disnastia domination to which it belongs, usupou his throne, exile … and anything their ancestors paid for it.
His Highness live today in conditions unfit for any human being, but in your face is still a spark of the old Bonfires of an ancient monarchy.
Peeress, I congratulate you and many would stay in touch with your Highness, by email.

excuse me my English
Nivarthi Amarnath
October 28th, 2009 - 08:21

Sultana Begum got too little too late.
I can see there is a lot of willingness as well as unwillingness to help the descendants of the greatest dynasty of this nation. This divided opinion is due to various reasons.

Instead of analysing history, let us come to the point. Whether the moghuls were good or bad, competent or not, progressive or not, fanatics or not, able or not; the fact of the matter is that they ruled this nation for almost two hundred years. This was not an easy job even if it was bad administration. Ruling such a big country with no modern technology was not an easy task. It was great responsibility. We should atleast consider the fact that they had shouldered the highest responsibility.

An ordinary civil servant gets pension today. Therefore, it is a matter of shame that even ruling a nation is not considered a noble job in this nation.

We get a lot of foreign exchange through tourism. Why cant we share a small portion of it by helping the descendants of those rulers. We should atleast show some gratitude if not respect for them.

Taking into consideration all sorts of arguments, I feel it a shame on our part that whatever the contribution to the society, there is nothing called gratitude which one can expect in our society.
AMJAD Iqbal
October 28th, 2009 - 14:33

My regrets and shared feelings are with Sultana Begum and Umme Hahi Family of Hydrabad, descendants of Mughals. Yesterday the Kings and Queens, now the dingy and dirty life livers. Yes this is fate and wheel of fate; yet we should not forget that the nations that forget their history and do not pay proper honour and respect to even-once-thier lords who were not bad to them, also get wiped away unnoticed.
we can just imagine if it had been the continued era of the mughals and these people should have been the princes, princess, nawabs; our history would have been full of colours,culture and priding halls. We in the sub-continent have common cultural, territorial,regional,king-subject relation to the Mughals without any religion,race or country.
If we place them in their at least any ONE of the Forts, like Lal Qila, we can bring history alive. they can be allowed to live their but not to take part in politics or administrative tasks like Britain.

At the end, i would request Badar Ur zaman Shah to write more if he has the linkage to the Royal family; and some proof ;
the address he gives is quite near my area, Gulshan Ravi.
I would also urge him to contact Mr.Javed Rao, a writer on history who is working enthusiastically on Mughals and has written two infornative booklets on Lahore Fort and Badshahi Masjid with valid authority, he would i think be more than happy to meet you.

Rgds,
AMJAD Iqbal
October 28th, 2009 - 14:42

My E-mail is you4david@yahoo.com
Parbant Singh Maihari
November 7th, 2009 - 21:13

Mr. Shivnath Jha is doing great job for historical destresseds. He has compliled a book on the prime ministeres of India. It is going to be published shortly. He has committed procedings from this book will go to Sultana Begum.
He may be contacted on his phone No. 919810246536.
Thank you.
Parbant Singh Maihari, Journalist & Writer
103/12/C, Foreshore Road,
PO-Shibpur, Howrah-711 102 (India)
098315-81924
hindblogger
November 14th, 2009 - 06:12

@ Nivarthi Amarnath

Wish to congratulate for such a human post. I find myself agreeing word by word with him.

And I do think that I wish to extend a hand for her- and will contact Mr. Jha through cell phone. I think we should by all means stand by him to help in our own tiny way , in this crusade. I think this is compassion which many of us are running out of the blood.

Moreover- I also wants to suggest here that besides Mrs. Sultana Begum, there are many sportsperson, writers who are living on the edge. Our nation , which boasts of democracy lefts a person die like street dog and does not forget to erect statues after they are gone.
DILIP NANAVATI
December 20th, 2009 - 21:39

IT IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE THE FAMILY TREE OF LATE BAHADUR SHAH JAFFER.THERE ARE CERTAIN PROPERTIES CONFISCATED BY BRITISHERS. WHO WERE ILLEGAL RULERS.BAHADUR SHAH JAFFER FAMILY MUST FILE SUIT IN LONDON COURT AND ASK FOR COMPENSATION FROM BRITISH GOVT.
Mhammed Athar
December 27th, 2009 - 20:59

Assala mu alaikum…
hum hindustaniyoun k lye bade fakhr ki baat hei k malika e hindustaan ab bhi hamare bij mojud hei,,,,
ar sabse bade sharm ki baat hei k hukumat unhe unke haq se mehroom rakhe huve hei,,,, sirf 400 rupay mahina pension diye hve hei…. jabke dusre ajput khandanoun ko her kism ki sahuliyaat se nawaza gaya hei,,,, is azim khandaan ki bahu malik e hindustaan sultana begum ek garib ki zindagi basar ker rahi he….
Allah Rakha
March 13th, 2010 - 03:47

While Bahadur Shah Zafar may have been a tolerant leader (maybe because he had limited powers due to the dying Mogul empire), the true question what made the strong Mogul empire so powerless that the British took over, which ultimately caused the Mogul decendents like Sultan Begum to be in this situation today.

If we are going to focus on history, why stop at Bahadur Shah Zafar. Let’s look at his forefather Aurangzeb, who single-handed ruined the powerful Mogul empire by alienation the locals (Hindus), destroying places of their worship, introducing Jizya (tax on non-muslims), killing Sikh Gurus and many more sufferings toward non-muslims.

Aurangzeb is the true destroyer of the mogul empire otherwise they may still be ruling Hindustan and Sultan Begum would be in modern politics of India. The current tax payers of India have nothing to do with the mistakes made by ruthless rulers of the yester-years. Frankly, I am glad even as a devoted muslim that I am under the protection of the Indian government (congress/BJP/RSS etc.) rather than the Pakistani government where suiside bombers attack mosques too.