Similarly, even Razia Sultan’s great reign of Delhi is spoken about. However, in Bhopal, there was a great dynasty governed by women for 107 years that went unrecognized. The four Begums who ruled Bhopal during a time when women were considered weak and vulnerable to male chauvinist norms are discussed in this article.
Start of new Era
From the year it was founded the princely state of Bhopal was ruled by Muslim rulers called the Nawabs of Bhopal. Despite the presence of a few women in the kingdom, the rulers would have been men if a young Nawab Nazar Muhammad had not died.
After his death, his 18- year-old wife took over the throne. From then on for around 107 years it was women who ruled the state of Bhopal.
Qudsia Begum (1819-37)
Qudsia Begum’s reign started when she addressed the people gathered standing in front of the huge crowd gathered for the post-death rituals of her husband. She also announced that Sikander, her 15-month-old daughter, would be the heir to the kingdom.
She was the first to remove the veil, which was regarded as a sinful act. She was extremely astute, and she took precautions to ensure that she remained in power to the end. Begum made deals with the rivals, got support from the British, and stayed in power.
Qudsia was the first Muslim woman to formally declare her right to be the governor of a province. She remained in the forefront during battles and also commanded the army.
Sikandar Begum(1847-68)
For the initial thirteen years, Sikander's rule was to just stand in for her nine-year-old daughter. But her actual reign started when her husband Nawab Jahangir Muhammad Khan Bahadur died after ruling the state for 6 years. And Sikander was able to bring back the country under the rule of women.
Prior to her leadership, she had suffered at the hands of men when her husband devised a conspiracy to assassinate her.
Sikandar wanted to show that women are capable of ruling the kingdom and are on par with men. She was a polo player, a hunter, and a frequent visitor to the town who interacted with the general populace.
Like her mother, she also commanded the army and would inspect every part of the kingdom and its reforms to make sure that everything was moving smoothly. She also founded the Victoria School for Girls to provide them with good technical education and the necessary information.
Shahjehan Begum(1868-1901)
Shahjehan succeeded her mother Sikandar Begum as the next Begum of Bhopal after her mother's death. And her ten-year-old daughter Sultan Jahan became the heir. This was a surprising move to everyone as she could still produce male heirs.
She did not follow life as a fighter or hunter, unlike her mother and grandmother, preferring instead to seek a career as a poetess. She supported the development of the arts in Bhopal. She aided the development of female poets by assigning male poets the responsibility of compiling a collection of poetry by female poets.
She was a powerful leader who implemented additional reforms for the welfare of the people. She constructed numerous monuments, mosques, and palaces, as well as making contributions to health, infrastructure, technology, and women's empowerment.
Though she married Syed Siddiq Hassan led Shahjehan in her decisions but she made her contributions to the state.
Sultan Jahan Begum(1901-26)
Sultan Jahan Begum is one of Bhopal's oldest Begums. During her time as the heir, she had to face a lot of difficulties due to tension between herself and her mother. Despite these challenges, she was able to build a fantastic and strong administration.
Sultan, like her mother and grandmother, was a reformer who established numerous educational institutions. She was Aligarh Muslim University's first and only female chancellor. Sultan was elected President of the All-India Muslim Ladies Association as well.
She was a very smart negotiator and made many negotiations with the British to stay in power without any problems.
This powerful rule of Bhopal by the Begum’s came to an end when her son took over the dynasty. However, during their reign, they instituted a slew of new changes that aided women's and society's progress.
These women stand as an example of bravery and courage. Though most of our history books cover Razia Sultan’s reign of Delhi, these Begums of Bhopal also need to be talked about.
Written by – Krishaa Radhakrishnan
Edited by – Krishaa Radhakrishnan
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