Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in law of last Mughal emperor
Jahane Rumi is grateful to Shivnath Jha for this contribution..
Stiching words together to restore glory to the lives lost in oblivion may not be an easy task.
But eminent journalist Shivnath Jha and wife Neena have successfully launched the ‘Andolan Ek Pustak Se’ movement in 2007 to help those who did the country proud in the past.
”We wanted to publish a book each year to honour and help those who brought laurels to the country,” said Shivnath Jha while addressing a press conference here yesterday.
”Our sole aim is to rehabilitate Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in law of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and her family. The proceeds from the sale of ‘Prime Ministers of India: Bharat Bhagya Vidhata,’ a coffee table book will go to rehabilitate Sultana Begum, who currently ekes out a living by selling tea in neigbouring Howrah district,” Mr Jha said.
”I am really proud that Mr Jha has successfully launched a movement to identify, rescue and rehabilitate such great souls from the sale proceeds of a book,” said Mr Vijay J Darda who owns Lokmat Group of Newspapers and is also a member of the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, while handing over a draft of Rs 200,000 to Sultana Begum, for the marriage of her daughter.
The book provides a veritable mine of information on the achievements of the the leaders starting from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Earlier, Mr Jha used the proceeds from the book on Bismillah Khan to rehabilitate Vinayak Rao Tope, the great grandson of the Tantiya Tope, a revered leader of the 1857 Sepoy mutiny. (UNI)
Impoverished Mughal royal descendant gets a helping hand
Kolkata, May 2 (IANS) 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.
All My Posts, History, India, India-Pakistan History, Mughal
I hope that Mrs. and Mr. Jha will be able to carry on with the good work.
We are doing nothing extra. It is our destiny so it will be carried out by us to face the Allah or God when we die.
Instead of Charasi and Ayaashi Zafar’s progeny ancestor’s of whom caled Abadli to attack Marathas why not search for relatives of Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajguru, Sukhadev, Jagdish Bose, CV Raman, Vishwasharaya, Mahatma Phule and Vinoba Bhave and so many who tried to make positive change.
I dont know you, but your post claims to be truthseeker. whatever names you have suggested, i appreciate your feeling, and if i am not wrong, you – in the age group of 28-35- are a frustrated soul. I personally suggest you please read the history book then make any comment.
Dear Friends!
Let me share my thought with you all after studying the Indian history during my Graduation and PG in History honors…. I strongly believe that Mughla Emperors were true Indians and deserve a great respect in Indian History… reason 1st family came to India and never went back…. And the rest of the hierarchy were born and died in India; they way Dravidains migrated to India.
The Akbar the great is the one who united India what we live in today… or else India would have being in different bits and pieces with different country name and there would have being great possibility of still Monarchy would have being in existence or British would have being still ruling those small countries.
Also, Bahadur Shah Zafar the last emperor was against British that were the reasons he was exiled from India and was sent to Burma.
If you review the current situation of small kingdoms of Rajasthan etc… still the heirs of those kings enjoy the royal life in big Mahals with all the facilities. And the owner of Taj, Red fort, Agra fort…list is endless ….sells tea on Howrah bridge….don’t know what expression should I give to this situation.
With due respect, I agree the name which you have put (Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajguru, Sukhadev, Jagdish Bose, CV Raman, Vishwasharaya, Mahatma Phule and Vinoba Bhave…) were great freedom fighters and their heirs deserve all the respect & support from us…but we should see the heirs of Bahadur Shah zafar from same eye….
Dont won’t to name …. But if you know India and you would agree that there were few great Indian orators at the time of Freedom fight … who delivered great speeches and had no action from them & their family members … and now they are white colored Kings of free India and as well of Pakistan… they don’t have any Business/profession but virtually they are the Royal families and rules India/Pak. Who intentionally do not want to focus on the real hero as they would loose the charm…. now you can dig on the reality.
Mr. Jha … it’s a great initiative from you as an individual… but they deserve many more support/benefits from Indian government….and at least a well deserved house in Delhi… one among the MP’s enjoy in the Big bungalows on the great streets of New Delhi… as Sultana Begum leaves in 65 sq.ft in the slum of Calcutta and one of her cousin leaves in 1 BHK flat in mira road in Mumbai…. these are the childresn of emperors who have built one of the 7 wonders of the world “Taj Mahal”, Agra forst, Red Fort …. And government earns millions of rupees from the visitors…
Reality checks….
Regards,
Indian
The efforts made by Shivnath Jha to help the great grand daughter in law of late emperor, Bahadur Shah Jaffer is appreciable. I am a Sikh, and the Sikhs perform huge charitable work in India and abroad, because BABA NANAK message of help the needy is carried forward literally by the entire global Sikh Community. However, I want to remind the people about the atrocities committed by her ancestor rulers, the so called Mughals against all the Indians. Hindus were treated worst than slaves, and pressure was put on them to convert to Islam for their survival or they were slaughtered en-masse. The Sikhs had the most suffering at the hands of Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb, and their governors at Lahore, and Sirhind, Punjab.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the 5th Guru, who built the Harimander, the Golden Temple, Amritsar,and compiled Adi Granth, after worst torture for three days in Lahore in June, 1606. Aurangzeb issued a Shahi Farman in 1672 to convert all Hindus to Islam or execute them en-mass. Guru Teg Bahadur, the 9th Guru, who took a stand against this blood-shed was beheaded in Delhi’s Chandni-chauk in 1675 (Gurdwara Sis-ganj). His followers, Mati Das sawed from head to toe, Bhai Dayala boiled in hot water, Sati Das wrapped in cotton wool and set on fire. Two sons aged 7 and 9 years of Guru Gobind Singh bricked alive in a wall at Sirhind, and
and the older sons aged 14, and 16 killed in a battle at Fatehgarh.
Bhai Taru Singh’s scalp was removed because he refused to cut hair, Bhai Mani Singh cut limb by limb, Banda Bahadur and 3000 sikhs executed enmass at Delhi because they refused to accept Islam. If the Sikhs hadn’t taken the stand which cost them huge blood-shed, India would have none other religion except Islam. Yesterday’s mughal rulers and their heir do no deserve any sympathy from any Indian. Sultana Begum came to seek apology from the Sikh community a few years ago, but the large hearted Sikh community didn’t believe her links with Bahadur Shah Jaffer as being genuine, and they didn’t accept her apology because it seemed meaningless. It is hard for any one to believe the authenticity of her links.
S. Mohinder Singh
I think they need to know SIKH History in detail.
For you, who studied Indian History during History Honrs.— You only study the one side of the picture,just try to see the other side of the pictures of cruel Mughal rulers
To jha
You belong to Mughal rulers
Do something for needy and poor people and create jobs.
DO NOT Do what those CRUEL rulers did for public-TORTURE!!!!!
Shame on them
AND they are your ancestors—-
The pros and cons of Mughal rule are a different thing and it’s an altogether different fact that the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar paid the ultimate price for taking on the British might.
His sons’ heads were cut and brought to him in his court by the British. He was exiled and died in Rangoon. This was done to hurt the self-respect of this nation.
Any Indian who has slight self-respect for the country and its freedom fighters would at least remain mum, if he can’t support Sultana Begum.
Those who show their cheap mentality and love to hate the Mughals should pause for a moment and think what Zafar had undergone.
Mr Jha has done a great work. Kudos to him and his wife.
Mr and Ms Jha has done a great work. I have read about the great grand daughter of Moghals long before, when ever i come through any information about Taj or moghals i remember the poor condition of they heir (Sultana Begam). I dont understand why government is not giving any help to the owners of the great constructions like taj, redfort, etc… Mr and Ms. Jha thanks for u great work… and also try to help other great people’s heir….May god bless u.
We are indians and we are having a quality of helping it is a genune habit of indians. We will help friends as well as enemies without any difference. Yes i agree with the fact that the mughals were cruel, but it was past. What i am saying is the matter of humanity. As human beings we are suppose to forgive and it is in our blood. So past is past. Help every one (God also likes this )god will help us.
Mr. and Ms. Jha Carry on with ur good work may god bless u…….
As we all know there was no single political entity as India before British imperial rule. And of course there was no ‘Hindu’ religion, only varied faiths, rituals, customs and beliefs. There existed numerous tiny kingdoms (with exceptions here and there) who were always on the throat of each other for supremacy. In the age of emperors and kings the only thing that matter was power. Those who had power exercised it to expand their imperial ambitions during which people got massacred, migrated; empires and kingdoms; cultures and civilizations were changed, vanished or new ones built. Same story happened in the land that lies on the banks of Indus river as everywhere else in the globe.
Centuries had passed, time brought many irreversible changes to the world stage. Old systems of empires and kingdoms gave way to new social orders and democratic republic systems. It is un-wise to dwell in the past and hold the poor innocent descendants responsible for the actions committed centuries ago. Mr and Ms Jha are doing commendable work that should make every Indian proud. And I am proud. Thank you Mr and Ms Jha.
Its realy a great move that has to be taken from the goverment of india , but now i feel happy to say that still people are there in india to keep the love to help such a higness …All the heartfull wishes to the team ,I also wish to help them if need
American Says:
July 9th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
To jha
You belong to Mughal rulers
Do something for needy and poor people and create jobs.
DO NOT Do what those CRUEL rulers did for public-TORTURE!!!!!
Shame on them
AND they are your ancestors—-
reply for his cmnt
I dont know why this bldy i feel shame to use this word but he simply deserve it .. American what this idot think abt him bldy yankee ,what he know abt india and culture .
Mohinder Singh Bains and Satnam Kaur,
A repenter or a peron, who seeks undemanded apology, and that too for othres, does not need certificate from the society. Sultana Begum went directly to Harmander Saheb and bowed down infront of holy Granth Saheb and uttered whatever was in her heart. Later, media persons took her to Akal Takht to make their story vivid. Instead of producing proof of her descendeny and submitting a written aology to get it registered, she simple heartedly directly went to Harmander Saheb with tears in her eyes. she did not do it to get her name mentioned Sikh hostory. She did it, because she really felt sorry for the atrocities of her Moghul ancestors.
She has also visited Harmander Saheb, Patna and Sisgunge a number of times. Her children attend Gupurbs. One of her daughter and a grand daugter read gurmukhi and sikh scriptures.
Recently (April, 2010) she was in Delhi for some days and visited Gudwara Sisgunge Sahab almost evey day.
She went to seek aplology, when she gone through the Sikh histoty.
Herby, humbly I want to state that I am a sikh by birth and maintaing a relationship with her of a dharam-bhai(God-brother)since 1980. I stood by her when she was broken after the death of her husband in 1980. I advised her to seek apology at Harmander Saheb and she agreed. I took her there along with her grand daugher.
People may contact her at
Sultana Begum
103/12/C, Foreshore Road, Shibpur,
Shibpur, Howrah-711 101 (W.B.) India
Mobile : 98319-32545
e-mail : moghulbegum@yahoo.co.in
NB. : I want to mention that she herself does not claim that she is a Moghul descendents daughter-in-law. India govt. recognises her and sanctioned a political pension on the same ground, though it is meagre on. Than you.
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It is a shame on Sultana Begum, when she begged for money to get her daughter married. She should the money like other Indians struggle to do. When she can’t afford to have a lavish wedding for her daughter, why can’t she marry her in a simple inexpensive way rather than squandering unearned money. It is foolish to give her that Rs.200,000 for the purpose of her daughter’s wedding. I didn’t spend that much on my wedding, and didn’t ask for any dowry from my wife’s family. Still I had post graduate degrees when my parents couldn’t afford any college education for me. I am still happily married with three children for the last thirty years. I still earn millions by dint of hard work. I WOULD RATHER DONATE THAT MUCH MONEY TO PINGALWARA, AMRITSAR, OR ELSEWHERE, WHO LOOK AFTER THE DISABLED, AND ORPHANS rather than giving a cent to free loaders. On Taj, Shah Jahan squandered the wealth of India when people were starving. Aurangjeb by his own admission according to his Will, left the treasury bankcrupt; he couldn’t even his Army.
The founder of the Mughal(Mongol)dynasty in India was BABUR, who defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in the battle of Panipat in 1526 AD. Babur invaded Emnabad (now in Pakistan) where he killed most of the Hindu and Muslim adult males, and imprisoned the remaining men, women, and children. Guru Nanak, who was staying with Bhai Lalo in Emnabad, wrote 4 hymns known as BABUR BABI which is the most horrendous eye-witness account of the bloodshed of the innocent civilians at the hands of Babur’s army. Babur came from Central Asia, after his father died, and he was chased out by other tribal war lords. He defeated Khorasan, and assembled his army in Afghanistan, and attacked India. Read those 4 hymns in the Sikh Scripture (Sri Guru Granth Sahib) from KHORASAN KHASMANA KIYA HINDUSTAN DRAYA….APAY DOSE NA DEHY KARTA JAM KAR MUGHAL CHARAHYA, AITY MAAR PAYE KURLANEY TEIN KEE DARD NA AYA…. There is no other vehement protest against the bloodshed casued by Babur than Guru Nanak`s bold eyewitness account. Their dynastical cruel rule over India continued for over 200 years, and finally the KHALSA created by Guru Gobind Singh(1699AD) challenged it, and the first Sikh rule was established by Baba Banda Singh Bahadur in 1710 by defeating Wazir Khan of Sirhind (Punjab). The Sikhs recently celebrated 300 anniversary of Baba Banda Singh`s victory over Sirhind at Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, where Wazir Khan had bricked alive two young, 7 and 9 year old Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh. I recently visited Fatehpur Sikri`s dilapidated Fort, where the Mughal successor beg for money from visitors. I also saw the fort of Agra, and Taj Mahal, built to please the frivolous extravagent pleasure pursuits of these Mughals, when the Indians were made to starve, and suffer. I cannot understand, what these cruel foreign invaders did for the people of India, except converting them by force to a their religion, Islam, and anyone opposing it was hacked and tortured to death.
its very great effort by Mr. jha . its very dirty thing a woman belongs to king’s family leaving in slums. we should ashamed on us for this.. now we have chance to give them good leaving standard. they are very precious for this country like indira gandhi , mahatma gandhi.. etc.
if we do so , King’s sole would be happy to see that.
please take the action immeidiate.
Sonu
who s this mohinder sing …………he never deserve to live n india …hey bldy … with all respect to my sikh brthrs ..fuck u bstrd………. u can rng if u hve guts……..09746125012
This is a really amazing gesture… its never too late …i too wish to help her in any way large or small what ever i can do .Please let me know ,hope i can make some difference in her life.
jhut bolta hai ye shivnathjha ke wo mughallon ki madad karraha hai dusron ke naam se apna pet bharaha hai kisi ko puchna hoo too wo mujse puche mera number hai8898232856
jhut bolta hai ye shivnathjha ke wo mughallon ki madad karraha hai dusron ke naam se apna pet bharaha hai kisi ko puchna hoo too wo mujse puche mera number hai8898232856