Calm, caring and royal in her mannerisms. This is how those who knew Princess Saleha Sultan, the titular queen of Bhopal who passed away in Hyderabad and whose last rites were performed in the Madhya Pradesh city on Monday, described her.
Born in 1940, Sultan passed away on Sunday of a brain haemorrhage. Her mortal remains were taken to Bhopal on Monday where the funeral took place at the Saifia Masjid where her family members and ancestors are also buried.
She is survived by four sons Amer Bin Jung, Saad Bin Jung, Omer Bin Jung and Faiz Bin Jung. Her husband Paigah Nawab Bashir Yar Jung, whose father Nawab Sir Viqar-ul-Umra constructed the Falaknuma Palace, passed away in 2019.
Mohammed Safiullah, a historian said, “I had known her for at least 30 years. She was very calm, caring and carried herself really well. She made others feel comfortable around her and was full of grace.” Safiullah, who was informed of the tragic news by the Princess’ sons, said, “The last time I met her was on November 4, when her husband Bashir Yar Jung passed away. She was extremely heartbroken.”
Sultan and Jung were married in December 1957 at the Hyderabad House, New Delhi. The function was held under the patronage of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
“As the eldest child of Nawab Ifteqar Ali Khan Pataudi and Begum Sajida Sultan of the princely State of Bhopal, she was the titular Begum of Bhopal. She was older to her brother Nawab Mansoor (Tiger) Ali Khan Pataudi, the cricket legend,” Safiullah said.
Although she was the eldest, she was never recognised as the head of the erstwhile Bhopal State, despite Bhopal being a matriarchal kingdom. After her mother Sajida Sultan’s death, the title of Nawab passed on to Tiger Patadui.
Sultan and her sons have been embroiled in a court case with Tiger’s son, Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan to procure a share of the ancestral property in Bhopal. In contention is over 6,000 acre of property worth thousands of crores of rupees, including the Bhopal Jama Masjid that is estimated to be worth Rs 1,000 crore.
Another historian Vedakumar Manikonda expressing his condolences said, “For some time in early 90s, we were neighbours. We used to meet now and then.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Hyderabad / by The New Indian Express Online Archive / January 21st, 2020
Rubina Rashid Ali with artisans (Source: Instagram)
Phool Patti embroidery or applique work has been the forte of women of Aligarh and Rampur regions of Uttar Pradesh since the Mughal period.
Rubina Rashid Ali from Aligarh told Awaz-the Voice that after she realised that women who are preserving this art were not getting due remuneration, she took up the cause of popularising this art form.
Rubina Rashid Ali works in the administrative department of Aligarh Muslim University. She lives on the AMU campus with her three children and husband. She did her Masters in Advertising and Communication from the National Institute of Advertising, Delhi.
Rubina Rashid Ali told Awaz-The Voice that she has been interested in ‘Phool-patti’ work and embroidery since 2003. However, only after becoming stable in her studies, job, and family life, did she dedicate her time and energy to promote it in 2019. She got connected to women who are into applique style. Now they take orders online and deliver them with their team on a contract basis.
Rubina Rashid Ali told Awaz-The Voice that women are mainly engaged in making articles with embroidery, while men take orders. This drained the earnings as a big part of the profit went to the middlemen.
“This craft suffers from a lack of design intervention and diversification and has to catch up with the contemporary aesthetics,” she said.
Rubina Rashid Ali said that the book Phool-Patti Ka Kaam is the first publication on this unique embroidery form. Phool-Patti Ka Kaam is the story of embroidery told through glimpses of Saleha Khan’s work with artisan women and girls during the 1970s and 1980s.
A beautifully illustrated book, it traces its background and scope. it takes us through the array of different floral patterns, designs, and materials. It covers experiments with ornamentation and innovations, including its use on various garments and home décor. And most importantly, it provides a glimpse of the artisans of Aligarh
This book is for art connoisseurs and those who appreciate, learn, promote, explore, and experiment with this unique applique style.
Apart from being a useful resource for craft lovers, the book aims to generate interest among designers, entrepreneurs, and policy planners to further the scope, popularity, and prospects of Phool-Patti, while ensuring a fair share of economic benefits and recognition for its artisans.
Rubina Rashid Ali told Awaz-the Voice that the suitable combination of flower leaf work with other crafts like Chinkara, Gota Patti work, hand-painting, tie and dye, Mukesh work, etc. needs to be widely explored in different colour palettes.
Product diversification not only in clothing and fashion accessories but also in home decor, lifestyle-based products, corporate gifts, souvenirs, etc. ensures its wide reach and penetration in various segments.
In the era of easy availability of fabrics, many people are interested in spending extra money for handmade applique work.
Rubina Rashid said that the original cotton, cambric cotton, Kota cotton, etc. are used for embroidery. However, these days it is also being done on Chanderi silk which is a unique silk from Madhya Pradesh. To promote the flower-leaf embroidery, she does new experiments every day in which sometimes she does the flower-leaf work using crochet, and sometimes other types of embroidery so that she can make that piece even better.
Rubina Rashid Ali and her artisans make articles like ladies’ kurtas, saree, dupatta, etc. for sale. She says this work involves designing it on fine fabric, cutting and skilfully folding these before shaping each piece into small petals and leaves by embroidering on the cloth.
This special applique work finds limited mention in the collection of Indian and global embroidery forms.
Rubina Rashid Ali prepares all her designs and also takes full care of the welfare of the artisans working with her. Rubina Rashid Ali told Awaz-The Voice that she exhibited her works at Delhi Haat, Kolkata Bazaar, Bangalore, Rajasthan, Kota, etc. She found people appreciated her work.
Rubina Rashid Ali told Awaz-The Voice that over time, crafts have become an integral part of the socio-cultural aspect of the country. Unfortunately, in the last few years, many crafts have reached the verge of extinction as fast fashion brands are dominating the market with their easily available cheap clothing options.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Onika Maheshwari, New Delhi / January 12th 2025
Muslim Mirror, in collaboration with the Minority Media Foundation, has released its highly anticipated list of the“100 Most Influential Indian Muslims of 2024.” This initiative, celebrated as a benchmark of excellence, acknowledges the remarkable contributions of Indian Muslims across various fields, showcasing their leadership and societal impact on a national scale.
A Mission to Shift Narratives
The project aims to counter the negative portrayal of Muslims often propagated by corporate-funded media serving political agendas. By curating this list, Muslim Mirror presents a positive narrative, celebrating the vibrant and diverse contributions of Indian Muslims to the nation’s development and society.
Comprehensive and Inclusive Representation
The selection process emphasizes inclusivity and diversity, representing achievers from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Assam to Gujarat. The list spans a wide array of sectors, including politics, religion, activism, literature, entrepreneurship, academia, sports, and entertainment.
In an effort to reflect the broad spectrum of the Muslim community, individuals from all sects—Barelvis, Deobandis, Ahle Hadith, Shias, Bohras, and others—have been recognized. The selection underscores the community’s rich cultural and social diversity.
Spotlighting Leadership and Impact
The list features leaders from prominent Muslim organizations and unsung heroes who have made unparalleled contributions in their respective domains. Special attention was given to young achievers, whose recognition aims to inspire future generations of leaders.
Notably, the initiative also includes individuals facing legal challenges and imprisonment, underscoring the principle that they are accused, not convicted. This approach highlights their contributions despite the adversities they face, reaffirming the importance of justice and fairness.
A Rigorous and Ethical Selection Process
Selecting 100 individuals from a community of over 200 million posed significant challenges. Extensive consultations with grassroots representatives across India informed the process. A team of experts finalized the list, which is presented in alphabetical order due to the absence of a ranking mechanism.
While the team strived for accuracy and fairness, they acknowledged the possibility of unintentional exclusions. Readers and stakeholders are encouraged to provide suggestions for deserving individuals to be included in the 2025 list. To maintain ethical standards, members of the Muslim Mirror team and the Minority Media Foundation were not considered for the list.
The Muslim Mirror 100 serves as a testament to the exceptional contributions of Indian Muslims in shaping the nation. By shining a light on their achievements, the initiative not only celebrates their successes but also fosters a sense of pride and inspiration within the community.
As the list continues to evolve, it stands as a powerful reminder of the resilience, talent, and leadership within the Indian Muslim community, setting the stage for even greater accomplishments in the years to come.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Big Story> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Muslim Mirror / January 03rd, 2025
In 2023, Riyadh was bustling with activity, its skyline shimmering with ambition and progress. It was here, amidst the city’s dynamic rhythm, that an unexpected journey began for me.
A gentleman added me to a WhatsApp group organised by RIFAH – a platform fostering entrepreneurship and collaboration. The group consisted of a team of businessmen travelling from India to attend the prestigious BIG5 Construct event in Saudi Arabia. My role? To guide and assist the team during their time in Riyadh, ensuring their experience was seamless and fruitful.
The days leading up to their arrival were filled with online discussions, meticulous planning, and an exchange of ideas. The more we interacted, the more my curiosity grew about meeting this group of Indian entrepreneurs in person. Among them, one name stood out – Dr. Mohd Aslam, the founder and CEO of Bakka Bags. His story, I had heard, was extraordinary: a Madrasa student turned BUMS doctor, now a thriving businessman.
When the team finally arrived in Riyadh, I eagerly met each member, but Dr. Aslam was nowhere to be found. I learned that, upon landing, he had immediately travelled to Dammam to visit relatives. The anticipation of meeting him only grew stronger.
The following day, our paths finally crossed. Dr. Aslam’s demeanour was calm yet commanding, his presence exuding both humility and confidence. In our brief but memorable meeting, I began to see glimpses of the journey that had brought him here – a journey of resilience, transformation, and boundless ambition. Little did I know that this encounter would inspire me to delve deeper into his incredible story, one that began in a small Madrasa and led to the bustling streets of Riyadh as a visionary entrepreneur.
Dr. Aslam was unlike any other businessman I had met. Down-to-earth and remarkably humble, he exuded simplicity in both his demeanour and approach. Despite not being a typical “Alig,” he proudly added “Alig” to his name, reflecting his deep connection to Aligarh Muslim University. Within a short span of time, our interactions grew meaningful, and we delved into discussions about his professional journey and his contributions to the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) during his days at Chaukonia, Aligarh, and AMU.
What struck me most about Dr. Aslam was his genuine passion for balancing his professional success with community service. As I was preparing to re-start my writing journey focusing on young entrepreneurs, I knew his story had to be the first chapter. Our initial conversations laid the groundwork, but it wasn’t until a year later, in 2024, when I returned to India, that we explored his inspiring journey in greater detail.
From Madrasa to University
Dr. Aslam’s educational journey began with home-schooling and continued at Jamia Misbahul Uloom Chaukonia (Siddharth Nagar) branch of Jamiatul Falah, a renowned madrasa in Uttar Pradesh. Here, he gained a strong foundation in Islamic education, actively participated in extracurricular activities, and demonstrated his leadership skills as the editor of the madrasa’s students magazine.
In 2005, he took a significant step forward by enrolling in the Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) programme at AMU. The transition from a traditional madrasa to the dynamic environment of AMU marked a transformative phase in his life. At AMU, he not only pursued academic excellence but also deepened his commitment to creating opportunities for others, laying the groundwork for his future entrepreneurial ventures.
This seamless blend of traditional and modern education shaped Dr. Aslam’s vision and resilience, qualities that would later define his remarkable journey as an entrepreneur and leader.
From AMU to Entrepreneurship
During his time at AMU, Dr. Aslam ventured into student politics, participating in the union election. Though he lost the battle, the experience enriched his understanding of leadership and resilience. Balancing academics and a budding entrepreneurial spirit, Dr. Aslam avoided asking his parents for financial support. Instead, he ventured into selling locks, mobile phones, and other small items. While his lack of business experience led to some losses, these early challenges became valuable lessons in perseverance and adaptability.
Despite the demands of running a side business, Dr. Aslam remained committed to his education. Balancing the two was a challenging feat, but his determination saw him through. In 2011, he completed his BUMS degree and began a six-month internship at a district hospital in Lucknow. It was during this phase of his life that he got married, a significant milestone that brought new responsibilities. For the remaining six months of his internship, he returned to AMU Hospital in Aligarh, continuing to hone his medical skills.
By the end of his internship, Dr. Aslam made a pivotal decision – to forgo higher education in medicine and explore new opportunities. This decision took him on a journey to Mumbai and eventually to Pune, where he enrolled at Symbiosis International University for a one-year postgraduate diploma in Emergency Medical Services (PGDEMS).
This period of his life marked a transition, where he began to blend his medical knowledge with his growing interest in entrepreneurship. The challenges he faced and the decisions he made during these formative years laid the foundation for his future as a successful businessman. Dr. Aslam’s journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and the courage to carve one’s path, even in the face of uncertainty.
Breaking Boundaries – The Unconventional Path
After completing his education and internship, Dr. Aslam, along with his wife – also a BUMS graduate – took the bold step of starting a clinic in Mumbai. For six months, they worked tirelessly to serve their patients, but the experience brought ethical dilemmas. Dr. Aslam and his wife were adamant about avoiding malpractices that had seeped into the profession, such as commissions and unethical practices. Staying true to their values, they decided to close the clinic.
However, the closure wasn’t just about ethics. During his time at AMU, Dr. Aslam had developed a strong desire to create employment opportunities for youth, especially in Uttar Pradesh, where unemployment remained a persistent issue. While a clinic could eventually provide such opportunities by growing into a hospital, the process would take years, and the impact would be limited. Driven by this vision of empowering deserving young people through meaningful work, Dr. Aslam made the bold decision to pivot entirely.
He chose to venture into business – a field neither related to his medical education nor rooted in his family’s legacy. It was an uncharted territory, and many saw it as an odd choice. While his wife and brother supported his decision, his father was deeply disappointed. For his father, leaving the noble profession of medicine for business seemed like a step backward, even a betrayal of the path Dr. Aslam had worked so hard to achieve.
Despite this opposition, Dr. Aslam stood firm. His conviction to create a larger social impact through business outweighed the personal and societal expectations tied to his identity as a doctor. This marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey, one that would see him transition from a healer of individuals to a creator of opportunities, taking bold risks to transform lives on a larger scale.
Building Dreams from Scratch
Dr. Aslam’s journey into entrepreneurship began with a bold and unconventional decision: venturing into the manufacturing of trolley bag shells. With no prior experience in business and a dream to create employment opportunities, he poured his heart, soul, and resources into setting up a factory. But reality struck hard. The business suffered massive losses, leaving him burdened with debts and no easy way to turn back.
There were moments of doubt when the thought of returning to the medical profession crossed his mind. Yet, the passion to create jobs and uplift others anchored his resolve. Instead of giving up, Dr. Aslam embarked on a relentless quest for self-improvement. He spent four months scrutinising every mistake, analysing every decision, and making necessary corrections. It was a period of sleepless nights, unyielding effort, and an unshakable belief that his vision could become a reality.
The tide eventually turned. Slowly but surely, the business began to generate profits, marking the start of his success story. The first tangible milestone came 1.5 years later when he purchased his first scooter – a modest yet deeply symbolic achievement. Those who had once criticised his decision to leave medicine and venture into business began to change their opinions, acknowledging the fruits of his perseverance.
From that point, there was no looking back. As the business grew, so did its footprint. From a small 720-square-foot facility, the operation expanded to a 1200-square-foot space in Mumbai East. The journey didn’t stop there; it scaled further to 2400 square feet and eventually to a 3600-square-foot factory. Each expansion was a testament to Dr. Aslam’s determination, resilience, and unwavering commitment to his mission.
Today, his factory stands not only as a symbol of his entrepreneurial success but also as a beacon of hope and opportunity for others – a dream fulfilled through sheer grit and a passion to make a difference. Dr. Aslam’s journey from a struggling start to a thriving business is a story of perseverance, vision, and the courage to defy the odds.
From Businessman to Author then to Mentor
In 2018, while managing his trolley bag manufacturing business, Dr. Aslam ventured into another entrepreneurial endeavour. This second business, which he later handed over to his younger brother, marked another milestone in his journey. Around this time, Dr. Aslam’s association with RIFAH began, a decision that would profoundly shape his trajectory.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he joined RIFAH, a platform for business networking and mentorship. Post-pandemic, he became more active in the organisation and eventually rose to the position of President for Maharashtra state. Under his leadership, RIFAH became a powerful catalyst for his personal and professional growth. Dr. Aslam began exploring international markets, travelling to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and China to expand and diversify his business ventures.
One of the most pivotal pieces of advice he received during this phase came from experienced business leaders: to hire a consultant to streamline and enhance his operations. Initially, he signed a 12-month contract with a business consultant. Seeing the significant improvements, it brought to his business, he extended the contract for another year. During these two years, Dr. Aslam not only improved his business acumen but also learned strategies and insights that transformed the way he approached entrepreneurship.
Recognising the value of these lessons, Dr. Aslam felt a deep urge to share them with others. “What I’ve learned,” he thought, “should be accessible to every businessman and entrepreneur.” This realisation led him to channel his experiences and knowledge into writing. The result was 30 Business Hacks, a practical guide filled with key strategies and lessons from his journey. The book, written in both English and Hindi, became a testament to his mission of empowering others through knowledge.
Dr. Aslam’s evolution from a struggling entrepreneur to a successful businessman and mentor highlights his unrelenting drive to not only build his own ventures but also inspire and uplift others in the entrepreneurial community. His journey stands as an example of how resilience, learning, and the willingness to share can create ripples of positive change.
BAKKA: A Brand Born of Vision and Persistence
For years, Dr. Mohd Aslam focused on manufacturing raw materials for the luggage industry, quietly building his expertise in the sector. But he wasn’t content to remain behind the scenes. A bold vision began to take shape: creating his own brand of luggage. With this in mind, he registered the name “BAKKA” and launched his very own line of bags.
The journey didn’t stop there. Recognising the potential for growth, Dr. Aslam expanded his operations to include the manufacturing of other accessories used in the luggage industry. This diversification not only brought stability to the business but also ensured its sustainability. Within a short span of time, BAKKA became synonymous with quality and reliability, steadily carving its niche in a competitive market.
To support this growth, Dr. Aslam established a dedicated manufacturing unit in Lucknow for bag production. His two younger brothers took charge of managing the unit, embodying the values of trust and collaboration that he held dear. Dr. Aslam didn’t just involve his immediate family; he became a source of inspiration for his cousins, friends, and even the local youth. Through his own story, he demonstrated that entrepreneurship begins with small steps and can lead to extraordinary achievements.
What started as a one-man operation with a single employee has now grown into a thriving team of 20 dedicated individuals. For Dr. Aslam, this team isn’t just a workforce; they’re family. Together, they’ve built a business rooted in shared goals, mutual respect, and a collective drive for excellence.
Dr. Aslam’s journey with BAKKA is more than a business success story; it’s a movement. From motivating his relatives to guiding general youth, he’s on a mission to show that with determination, resilience, and the right mindset, anyone can transform a small idea into something remarkable. As BAKKA continues to grow, so does Dr. Aslam’s dream of empowering others to embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys and achieve greatness.
This remarkable blend of intellect, humility, and dedication to community welfare makes Dr. Aslam’s story one of inspiration – a journey that began in the quiet corridors of a Madrasa and led to the world of entrepreneurship, where he now stands as the founder and CEO of Bakka Bags.
Dr. Aslam’s journey began as a solitary endeavour, driven by a vision that extended far beyond personal success. With unwavering determination and a commitment to ethical principles, he laid the foundation for a small empire that would stand as a testament to his resilience and purpose. However, his journey was never just about his own achievements; it was equally about empowering others to realise their potential.
One such story reflects his profound impact. Dr. Aslam guided an aspiring entrepreneur to launch a business, which today provides employment to over 16 individuals. This is just one of many lives he has touched. Through mentorship and support, he has been instrumental in nurturing numerous start-ups and young entrepreneurs, enabling them to transform their dreams into reality. His legacy is not merely in the empire he built but, in the lives, he uplifted and the ripple effect of opportunity he created for generations to come.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Entrepreneurship> Features> Focus / by Syed Azharuddin, Radiance News Bureau / January 01st, 2025
To retain talented expatriates working in the Kinddom, Saudi Arabi has granted citizenship to two Indians – Dr Shamim Ahmad Butt and Faraz Khalid. The two are in the first batch of outsiders who have been given this privilege. Others include young professionals from France, Singapore and Lebanon.
This comes in the wake of a royal decree issued on July 4 that aims to grant Saudi citizenship to individuals with exceptional talents in various fields and is also in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 which aims to foster an environment that attracts, invests in, and retains exceptional creative minds, the local media reported.
Dr Shamim Ahmad Butt is the Deputy Head of the Emergency Department at King Saud Medical City, Riyadh.
Dr Butt is accredited by the Saudi Commission as a resident of the Saudi Council of Emergency Medicine.
He is also the winner of the 2007-2008 Zonn Perkin Gold Medal for Emergency Research.
Faraz Khalid, CEO of Noon holds an MBA in entrepreneurial project management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
He serves as the CEO of Noon, co-founded Namshi, and has been instrumental in the creation, launch, and expansion of the e-commerce platform.
According to Saudi Gazette Newspaper as per a Royal decree, Saudi citizenship can be granted to scientists, medical doctors, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and distinguished talents with unique expertise and specializations.
The announcement aligns with the Kingdom’s initiative to attract experts and exceptional global talents in religious, medical, scientific, cultural, sports, and technological fields.
This move supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of creating an attractive environment that fosters retention and investment in exceptional creative minds.
This decree is an extension of the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to attract prominent talents whose expertise contributes significantly to economic development, health, culture, sports, and innovation.
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on several notable individuals who have been granted Saudi citizenship by the recent royal decree. Among them is Mehmood Khan, an American and the CEO of the Hevolution Foundation, recognized for his contributions to the health sciences.
Jackie Yi-Ru Ying, an American scientist of Singaporean origin, has also been granted Saudi citizenship. Ying was the founding Executive Director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore and currently leads the NanoBio Lab.
Lebanese scientist Niveen Khashab has been honored with Saudi citizenship for her advanced scientific expertise and contributions to bioengineering and nanomaterials. Khashab is a founding member of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and has been an Associate Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering there since 2009.
Noreddine Ghaffour, a French scientist, has been recognized for his expertise in environmental science and engineering, particularly in desalination technologies. Holding a PhD in membrane separation techniques from the University of Montpellier, Ghaffour is a Professor at KAUST.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / posted by Aasha Khosa, ATV / July 11th, 2024
Humayun’s Tomb introduced India to the Persian style of a domed mausoleum set in the centre of a landscaped char-bagh garden.
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi | Photo: Commons
Humayun’s first wife was a Persian from Khorasan and a daughter of Humayun’s maternal uncle. She was also called Haji Begum, probably because she had gone on the Haj to Mecca. During Humayun’s reign, she appears in history at the Battle of Chausa, where the harem was captured by Sher Khan. In all the chaos of battle, a boat carrying women capsized and her young daughter, Aqiqa Begum, was drowned. Bega Begum did not have any more children. Today she is remembered for the tomb of Humayun that she built in Delhi. After the death of her husband, when she decided to build the mausoleum, she was encouraged in her endeavour by her stepson Akbar, who was very fond of her.
Among all Humayun’s wives, Bega Begum lived a life of surprising independence. She went off to the Haj and came back with Arab craftsmen who worked at the tomb. This was much before Gulbadan Begum and Hamida Banu Begum went to Mecca during the reign of Akbar, their trip getting much more coverage in contemporary writing. Bega Begum did not join the harem in Agra but remained in Delhi, supervising the building work. An episode described by Gulbadan shows that she was a spirited woman who even spoke sharply to her husband when he did not visit her.
Among all Humayun’s wives, Bega Begum lived a life of surprising independence. She went off to the Haj and came back with Arab craftsmen who worked at the tomb. This was much before Gulbadan Begum and Hamida Banu Begum went to Mecca during the reign of Akbar, their trip getting much more coverage in contemporary writing. Bega Begum did not join the harem in Agra but remained in Delhi, supervising the building work. An episode described by Gulbadan shows that she was a spirited woman who even spoke sharply to her husband when he did not visit her.
Then Humayun replied, ‘It is a necessity laid on me to make them happy. Nevertheless, I am ashamed before them because I see them so rarely… I am an opium-eater. If there should be any delay in my comings and goings, do not be angry with me.’ However, Bega Begum was not reassured and said, ‘Your Majesty has carried matters to this point! What remedy have we? You are emperor. The excuse looked worse than the fault.’ Gulbadan ends her tale saying, ‘He made it up with her also.’
The contemporary historian Badauni writes that Akbar and Bega Begum were very close and he describes her as a ‘second mother to Akbar’. Once when the boy Akbar had a toothache, Bega Begum brought some medicine but Hamida was reluctant to give it to him. This was understandable since, in a harem that was often full of politics and jealousy, the mothers feared that their children could be poisoned. Abul Fazl quotes Akbar as saying, ‘As she knew what the state of feeling was, she [Bega Begum] in her love to me swallowed some of it without there being any order to that effect, and then rubbed the medicine on my teeth.’
Bega Begum would often travel to Agra to meet Akbar and she spent her allowance doing charity. The Jesuit Antoine de Monserrate wrote, with reluctant approval, of her good works, ‘Throughout her widowhood she devoted herself to prayer and to alms-giving. Indeed, she maintained five hundred poor people by her alms. Had she only been a Christian, hers would have been the life of a heroine.’
Bega Begum was the first of the Mughal women to become a builder, and many would follow to build mausoleums, mosques, madrasas, seminaries, bazaars and gardens. Humayun’s Tomb introduced India to the Persian style of a domed mausoleum set in the centre of a landscaped char-bagh garden, which would reach its peak with the Taj Mahal. Built near the dargah (mausoleum) of the Sufi saint Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya, the mausoleum complex became the graveyard for many members of the dynasty. Bega Begum is buried in the mausoleum near her husband, and somewhere nearby is the grave of one of the most unfortunate princes of the dynasty – Dara Shukoh.
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This excerpt from Mahal: Power and Pageantry in the Mughal Harem by Subhadra Sen Gupta has been published with permission from Hachette India. Hardback Rs 599.
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source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Page Turner> Book Excerpts / by Subhadra Sen Gupta / November 30th, 2019
Asar-us-Sanadid was published in 1847. Yet, Syed Ahmad Khan distresses over the ‘recent’ increase in Delhi’s population.
Ruins of Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi | Commons
Delhi is introduced, interpreted, and celebrated all the time through walks, performances, talks and articles. But not many realise that the person who began telling the stories of Delhi was a young man in his 20s named Syed Ahmad Khan. Two centuries after he was born, his work Asar-us-Sanadid can now enjoy a wider readership because of its translation into English by Rana Safvi in 2018.
Syed Ahmad Khan was not the first writer to describe Delhi, but when he compiled his notes on the ‘remains of the great’ (asar-us-sanadid) into a book, he chose to write not in Farsi but in the accessible Urdu — making him a pioneer. Another first was that it appeared as a book rather than as a manuscript because his brother had just installed a new Urdu printing press in Delhi. Khan’s qualifications to write were not that of a narrow specialist. In those happy days, when education was not one fixed menu, he had studied science, mathematics, Farsi and Urdu. In his 20s, living in his family home in Shahjahanabad (present-day Old Delhi), Khan was a junior official in the East India Company, helping his brother publish an Urdu newspaper, and translating Farsi manuscripts.
Asar-us-Sanadid was published in 1847, and had a quality of eagerness explained by Khan learning the subject as he went along. Khan went to great lengths to transcribe inscriptions (‘He is climbing up with such enthusiasm/That people think he has some work in the sky’ was an affectionate comment about his swinging round the Qutub Minar in an improvised basket-and-poles contraption to read the inscriptions on the higher storeys). The artists’ drawings for the book were based on his own sketches.
There are very few extant copies of the original edition. The better-known second edition, published in 1854, bears the blue pencil marks of the Collector A.A. Roberts, who did a hatchet-job, reducing it by a half, adhering to chronology, giving British scientists a role in the Jantar Mantar project, removing all the poets and artists, and making it an altogether dull book.
Sights, sounds and silences
To Khan, historic architecture was not just patrons, materials, form and function. It was part of a continuous culture, nourished by new infusions. Political history, the overlapping cities and forts, the increasingly sophisticated elements in architecture – these became four-dimensional by reading mosques, dargahs and mazhars as sacred spaces, calm with the presence of mystics and scholars long departed. They were to be experienced in silence, reading the inscriptions, not listening to the patter of a guide. He delineates the complementarity of a vibrant urban culture —music, poetry, dance — and animated bazaars, the tranquil atmosphere of the countryside, fields and hills dotted with ruins. “The charm of the Delhi scene,” as historian Percival Spear would describe it a century later.
In a sentence that sounds startlingly contemporary, Syed Ahmad Khan is distressed by the “recent” increase in the city’s population, making it — and also the bracing hills of Mehrauli — unpleasantly congested. But he insists that “in spite of all these factors, the climate of Delhi is still a thousand times better than that of other cities.” The magnificent Mughal fort (remember that he was writing well before 1857) is described in the second chapter; Shahjahanabad in the third; the artists, poets and musicians in the fourth (the section captioned, charmingly, ‘The nightingale-like sweetly-singing people of Shahjahanabad on the outskirts of Paradise’).
Shining light on Delhi for other historians
It was a challenging task. Delhi’s landscape was not easy to read in the complete absence of any older accounts or images. There was overlap, modification (particularly in the Qutub Minar area), vandalism (of poet Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana’s tomb by the ruler of Awadh). As a teenager, Syed Ahmad Khan was interested in astronomy, so his distress over the neglect of Jantar Mantar is understandable. He would have liked to spend more time studying it: “I will need a separate book to describe the workmanship, use and effectiveness of these instruments.”
Mirza Ghalib, in the ‘Foreword’, describes his friend’s book as one that would “numb the hands of other writers.” Khan’s meticulous account of buildings, even those in ruins, became the template for later books in English. “He who undertakes to write the archaeology of Delhi must constantly seek for light in the pages of Syed Ahmed Khan’s interesting work on that subject,” wrote Carr Stephen in The Archaeology and Monumental Remains of Delhi (1876).
More than 20 years lapsed between Asar-us-Sanadid’s second edition and Stephen’s book. A world separated the two publications. Khan, posted in Bijnor (in present-day Uttar Pradesh), was not caught in the trauma of 1857 (the Great Revolt). Some of the poets he had listed in Asar-us-Sanadid — like Ghalib — sought relief by writing laments to their ravaged city. His own reaction was different. With a sense of grief at seeing an efficient machine derailed, Khan would write Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (The Causes of the Indian Rebellion) to understand what had gone wrong. His bond with Delhi was severed. He went on to become a distinguished public figure in north India, remembered today for the institution he founded, the Aligarh Muslim University.
Hopefully, reading Asar-us-Sanadid now will return the young Syed Ahmad Khan to us. The past is in many ways a foreign country, and to walk with a guide through towns of the past is an invigorating exercise.
This article is the first of an eight-part series on Reading A City with Saha Sutra on www.sahapedia.org, an open online resource on the arts, cultures and heritage of India. Read the series here.
Dr Narayani Gupta writes on urban history, particularly that of Delhi. Views are personal.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Opinion> Sahapedia / by Narayani Gupta / December 01st, 2019
Today’s B-towns can become culture-towns, if they don’t lose their way in malls and flyovers. The Lucknow described by Abdul Halim was one such city.
Lucknow | File photo | Wikimedia commons
The essays of Abdul Halim ‘Sharar’, published 100 years ago, gave readers a sense of the culture of Lucknow, along with its short history. They don’t write like that anymore. For many people, his writings helped the spirit of guzishta (old) Lucknow survive through Partition, and Mayawati-fication.
The poetry, the conversations, music and dance, fragrances—there was a whole culture to imbibe in Lucknow, but for most people today there is only chikan and kakori kebabs.
Lost in translation
Translated as Lucknow: The Last Phase of an Oriental Culture by Fakhir Hussain and E.S. Harcourt (in 1975 and then reprinted in 1989), from the Urdu Guzishta Lucknow, the modification of Sharar’s title in translation was itself a concession to ‘orientalism’.
Much is lost irreparably when the original present tense is translated as past tense. Lucknow’s culture, creativity, cultivated language and civility are never conveyed in textbooks, and children will never know what went on in the beautiful buildings now presented to them as ‘monuments’, hollowed-out inside.
How do they make sense of cities less than 300-years old, but which have changed irrevocably? What will the lovely line ‘Subah-e-Banaras, Sham-e-Awadh, Shab-e-Malwa (Dawn in Benaras, twilight in Awadh/Lucknow, night in Malwa/Bhopal)’ mean to them? Will they realise that Awadh translates as Lucknow and Malwa as Bhopal? At dusk, will the visitor hear the magic of the notes of music and tinkle of anklets that a Bengali visitor, a contemporary of Sharar, recorded in his diary? All now drowned out in the cacophony of car horns and police sirens.
A whole culture—of poetry and calligraphy, music, sports, cuisine, fashions in costumes, festivals and processions—is described in leisurely fashion by Abdul Halim. His remarks on whether these skills have been honed over time or have lost their vitality show a fine sense of history. There is obvious distress at the way the British caricature arts and ceremonies, which they do not try to understand. Two chapters in his book on the art of making paan and serving it might appear excessive, but think of the detail attached to the Japanese tea ceremony.
Culture towns and smaller havens
Lucknow-lore enjoyed a renaissance from the 1970s. Premchand’s Shatranj ke Khiladi (The Chess Players), transformed into Satyajit Ray’s film, recreated the gentle atmosphere of the city in 1856, its people free of any premonition of what was to come.
It took historians such as Veena Oldenburg to rescue the courtesans of Lucknow from obscurity; Rosie Llewellyn-Jones to bring alive an earlier cosmopolis of Frenchmen, the Nawab and the taluqdars (landed gentry), poets and musicians; Michael Fisher and John Pemble to untangle the connections between the Nawabs and the East India Company; and the Alkazi Collection to publish the spectacular photographs of the City of Illusion (2006).
The Revolt of 1857–58 was most protracted in Lucknow. But that did not snuff out its court culture, as it happened in Delhi. Because by then, a little twin was being nurtured in the unlikely environment of British Calcutta.
Matia Burj was the Bengal suburb to which Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and his family moved after the East India Company annexed his kingdom in 1856. From here, Shah planned to send representatives to petition Queen Victoria for the return of his kingdom. This was put paid to by the accident of the Revolt. Sharar describes the fantasy-city that the Nawab created in Matia Burj, which declined after his death in 1887 (but we know from the research of Brinsley Samaroo that Lucknow’s Kathak and music travelled to a third home, in the West Indies, carried by the Matia Burj inhabitants who migrated from Diamond Harbour as indentured labourers).
Sharar lived in Matia Burj till he was 20. Like Syed Ahmad Khan earlier, he started his career as a journalist in his teens, as the Matia Mahal correspondent of Avadh Akhbar. He then moved to Lucknow, which he recognised from Matia Mahal, rather than the other way around. It was in middle-age that he wrote the articles that were published in Dil Gudaz, a literary journal, between 1910 and 1920. The Last Mushaira of Delhi, by a fellow writer Farhatullah Baig, also appeared first in the form of a print series, in 1927.
When political structures decay, culture flowers in smaller havens. Like the German Renaissance towns, the successor-states of the Mughal Empire left in their wake India’s culture-towns—Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bhopal, Tonk, Rampur. There must have been similar sequels earlier, to empires like that of the Cholas and of Vijayanagara.
What are today called ‘B-towns’ or Tier-2 cities have the potential to become culture-towns, if they don’t lose their way building malls and flyovers. SMART cities will be sterile places if their efficiency ignores the spaces and activities that nourish the mind and create camaraderie.
This article is the second of an eight-part series on Reading A City by Saha Sutra on www.sahapedia.org, an open online resource on the arts, cultures and heritage of India. Dr Narayani Gupta writes on urban history, particularly that of Delhi.
source: http://www.theprint.in / The Print / Home> Opinion> Sahapedia / by Narayani Gupta / December 08th, 2019
Mirza Ismail, who was born to Persian parents, wrought a civic revolution in four Indian cities during the 1940s.
Prime Minister Sir Mirza Ismail (centre) of Hyderabad state, 1948 | Commons
Between 1926 and 1948, Mysore, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Jaipur enjoyed the attention of ‘serial Diwan’ Mirza Ismail. Born in 1883 to Persian parents, Ismail grew up in Bangalore, where he would return in his final years, passing away in 1959.
From the age of 43, Mirza Ismail was appointed as diwan successively by the Maharaja of Mysore (1926–41), the Nizam of Hyderabad (1942–46) and the Maharaja of Jaipur (1946–47). These rulers, like the Mughal badshahs, respected and honoured their engineers and townscapists. Mirza Ismail was to them what Ali Mardan Khan, the brilliant Persian engineer who laid out the plans for the Lahore and Delhi canals, had been to Shah Jahan.
In Jaipur, the ruler commemorated him by naming a road after him, just like architect Edwin Lutyens’ engineers Hugh Keeling and Alexander Rouse had two major roads in New Delhi to their names (later changed to Tolstoy Marg and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, respectively), even though Edwin Lutyens and architect Herbert Baker themselves were apportioned obscure lanes.
There were some princes, in whose states aesthetic values meshed with their eagerness to adopt innovations to improve urban and rural areas. But Mirza Ismail never felt it was enough. In My Public Life: Recollections and Reflections (published in 1954), he wrote: “Administrations in India, with hardly any exception, have taken little or no interest in the improvement of their cities and towns; the villages, of course, need hardly be mentioned. Look at the great open spaces in crowded London – or in Paris. How many cities in India can boast of such parks? The municipalities are apt to spend their income, not on sanitation and the necessary amenities of life, but on educational institutions which it is the duty of the States’ Governments to provide. Public parks and private gardens may not be the most important amenities, but they are necessary to a full and happy life. The beautification of our towns and cities must be a continuous process… Unfortunately, just as nature abhors a vacuum, so do our municipalities abhor open spaces. They are not satisfied until all are built upon…It is to my mind obligatory for the administration to provide for the recreation and enjoyment of the people, especially the poorer classes, and enable them to enjoy themselves without expense. I have tried to do this wherever I could — in Mysore, Jaipur and Hyderabad.”
Making Bangalore beautiful
If M. Visvesvaraya, as Diwan of Mysore (1912–19), made Bangalore (now Bengaluru) an industrial city, then Mirza Ismail made it a beautiful one, with the Lalbagh and the streets lit by chandelier lamp posts. An interesting story about him goes that he did not simply glance around to check if things were in good condition – he would lift the corner of a carpet to see if the floor had been swept. Mysore still proudly flaunts the label of ‘The Garden City of India’.
His brief spell in Jaipur wrought a civic revolution. An article in the New York Times in 1942 remarked that Jaipur had been a picture of neglect, but after two years of Mirza Ismail’s sojourn, it was “more thoroughly transformed and improved than New York after Robert Moses got through with it.’ (Robert Moses, a contemporary of Mirza Ismail, was himself compared to Baron Haussmann, who transformed Paris in the 1860s). “Reconstruction, new parks, new buildings, restorations and improvements of all kinds are now going on at an amazing pace for India. The city swarms with workers as busy as bees,” Ismail wrote in his book.
He continued, “Money is meant to be spent reproductively, not to be hoarded. If I had not constructed the new offices and new bungalows and made many other improvements in Jaipur, it would probably not have been chosen under the new dispensation as the capital of Rajasthan.”
The illustrious photographer Cecil Beaton, after visiting Jaipur, spoke highly of Ismail in his praise for the city: “Nowhere else in the world have I seen such brilliant and robust colours used to produce an effect so refined and subtle. Sir Mirza is the arch-enemy of corrugated iron sheets, brass bands (Indian) and of almost everything else that is crude and vulgar. The money he spends is put into circulation and is used as a means of getting rid of unhygienic conditions and sources of disease. Already the metamorphoses he has achieved in a short time are incredible, but his plans are as countless as his inspirations.”
But Mirza Ismail was too astute a person not to see the writing on the wall. “Governments in the East,” he reflected, “do not enjoy the confidence and respect of the public they serve. Our countries so easily become the paradise of the professional politician.”
This article is the sixth of aneight-part series on ‘Reading A City’ withSaha Sutra on www.sahapedia.org, an open online resource on the arts, cultures and heritage of India.
Dr Narayani Gupta writes on urban history, particularly that of Delhi. Views are personal.
May 28, 1940: Major Akbar Khan of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps marches at the head of 299 soldiers along the beach at Dunkirk—the only Indians in the BEF in France and the only ones at Dunkirk.
These men of the Indian Army, carrying their disabled imam, find their way to the East Mole and embark for England in the dead of night. On reaching Dover, they borrowed brass trays and started playing Punjabi folk music, upon which even “many British spectators joined in the dance.”
Where had they come from and why were they in France?
And what happened to them after that?
Ghee Bowman reveals in full, for the first time, the story of these soldiers, from their arrival in France on December 26, 1939 to their return at war’s end to an India on the verge of partition.
It is one of the war’s hidden stories that casts fresh light on Britain and its empire.
source: http;//www.goodreads.com / GoodReads / by Ghee Bowman / 1st published May 21st, 2020
