He was officially called the Prince of Hyderabad until 1971.
File photo
Hyderabad:
Nizam Mir Barkat Ali Khan Siddiqi Mukarram Jah, Asaf Jah VIII, the grandson of Hyderabad’s last Nizam Osman Ali Khan passed away last night at 10:30 pm in Istanbul, Turkey.
As per his desire of being laid to rest in his homeland, his children are scheduled to travel to Hyderabad with the mortal remains of the late Nizam on Tuesday.
On arrival, the body will be taken to The Chowmahalla Palace and after completing the required rituals the burial will take place at the Asaf Jahi family tombs.
Apart from the titular Nizam of Hyderabad since the death of his grandfather in 1967, he was the chairperson of Nizam’s Charitable Trust and Mukarram Jah Trust for Education & Learning (MJTEL).
Born to Azam Jah and Princess Duru Shehvar
He was born to Azam Jah, son of Mir Osman Ali Khan, and Princess Duru Shehvar, daughter of the last Sultan of Turkey (Ottoman Empire) Sultan Abdul Mejid II on October 6, 1933.
After completing his initial studies at the Doon School in Dehradun, he studied at Harrow and Peterhouse, Cambridge. He also studied at the London School of Economics and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Until the 1980s, he was the richest person in India.
Eighth Nizam of Hyderabad
On June 14, 1954, Mir Osman Ali Khan designated him as the successor designate. His succession was recognized in principle by the Government of India. He was officially called the Prince of Hyderabad until 1971 when the titles and the privy purses were abolished by the Indian Union.
Prince Mukarram Jah first married Princess Esra of Turkey with whom he has two children—Prince Azmat Ali Khan and Princess Shehkyar. He later married Ms Helen Simmons of Australia with whom he has one son Prince Alexander Azam Khan. He too is said to be living in London. Still later he married Manolya Onur with whom he has a daughter Niloufer. His fourth wife is Jamila Boularous. Their daughter is Zairin Unnisa Begum.
In Hyderabad, he has many properties including Falaknuma Palace, Khilwat Palace, King Koti and Chiran Palace.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Sameer Khan / January 15th, 2023
The celebrations will include a series of live performances.
The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat is evoking the memories of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of the Kingdom of Awadh and the man behind introducing the Urdu culture and the rich Awadhi cuisine in Kolkata. The great grandson of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Shahanshah Mirza in collaboration with The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, has curated a series of soiree and Awadhi cuisine on January 8, 2023, to celebrate the 200th birth anniversary of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
This is the only occasion in the world where Shaam-e-Awadh is being organised in honour of Wajid Ali Shah’s 200th birth anniversary. The celebration will commence with a series of live performances where guests can immerse in the diverse Urdu culture. The evening is set to begin with a Kathak performance by Nandini Sinha, an eminent Lucknowi Gharana-style Kathak exponent. The Kathak performance will be followed by Mehfil-e-Tarannum, also known as Dastangoi, a soulful poetry performance directed by Askari Naqvi. Adding to the celebration, Atif Ali Khan, the great grandson of the doyen of Indian Classical music, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, singer of Kasur Gharana, will enchant the audiences with his nostalgic Ghazal and Hindustani classical performance.
To mark the birth anniversary celebration, Awadhi Begum Sheeba Iqbal and Chef Shafiqun along with the culinary team of The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat will showcase the ambrosial spread of Awadhi cuisine with dishes include non-vegetarian classics like ‘Kakori Kebab’ and ‘Mutton Nihari’, ‘Seekh kebabs’, ‘Ghutwan kabab’, ‘Yakhni Pulao’ and vegetarian classic such as ‘Ulte Pulte’, ‘Sagpaita with Ghee Chawal’ ‘Qiwami Seewai’, ‘Tali gobhi ka salaan’ to name a few. Through the skills of Chef Sheeba Iqbal and Chef Shafiqun, the food festival will offer delicacies of not just Awadhi cuisine but also of the remnants of the Awadhi food of the royals.
Commenting on the event, Subhash Sinha, General Manager of The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat said, “We are honoured to celebrate the 200th Birth Anniversary of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh with his great grandson Shahanshah Mirza. It is a privilege to host a one-of-kind Shaam-e-Awadh evening with such great fervour and gusto. Guests will get to witness an evening filled with performances by eminent artists showcasing a varied rich culture from Lucknow through Kathak, Ghazal and Awadhi delicacies. It is a pleasure and an honour to host both Chef Sheeba Iqbal and Chef Shafiqun as we continue to exhibit and collaborate with culinary masters from across the country. Our aim at The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat has always been to provide guests with the opportunity to experience unique events and cuisines. We look forward to hosting more such soulful evenings in the City of Joy.”
Commenting on the event, Shahanshah Mirza, the great grandson of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah said, “I am very grateful to The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, which is one of the finest five star hotels in this country, for organising this event. This is perhaps the only occasion in the world where Shaam-e-Awadh is being organised in honour of Wajid Ali Shah’s 200th birth anniversary. It will be an evening which will be memorable and an evening which people will remember for a very long time.”
source: http://www.bwhotelier.businessworld.in / BW Hotelier.com / Home / by BW Online Bureau / December 27th, 2022
When Nobles became non-entities, Princes became paupers and Begums were reduced to beggars…
Title: Tears of the Begums: Stories of Survivors of the Uprising of 1857 (Originally in Urdu as ‘Begumat Ke Aansoo’)
Author: Khwaja Hasan Nizami
Publisher: Hachette India
Year of Publication : 1922
Translator : Ms. Rana Safvi (2022)
Pages: 212+xii
Price: Rs. 499
The Sepoy Mutiny (or the First War of Independence as we call it) started in 1857, over the issue of the greasing of the cartridges used in the guns of Indian soldiers of the East India Company army. It was known by the Urdu word “Ghadar” meaning rebellion or revolt.
The rebellion spread rapidly in North India particularly around Lucknow and Delhi. The rebellious soldiers killed a large number of British officers, women and children. They adopted as their leader the surviving Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar without his consent. He was only a namesake Emperor who was on a generous pension given by the East India Company, and did not have any power beyond the precincts of the Red Fort, nor had the money to help the soldiers. He was reluctant to take on the British army but was helpless and had to go with the demands of rebellious soldiers.
Though initially the British had a setback, they quickly regrouped and took over Delhi. The Red Fort had about 3,000 royal families all of whom were descendants of the present and past emperors. The emperor’s court life was filled with pomp and grandeur, though he had no real authority.
Bahadur Shah himself was a refined and gentle soul and a poet. Delhi was ruled by the English Resident. The lives of the royals living in the “Lal Qila” was lavish with big mansions, large number of servants and slaves. Ghadar was a watershed moment in Indian history and the grand and elegant Mughal culture ended suddenly and dramatically.
Kulsum Zamani Begum was the beloved daughter of the last emperor Bahadur Shah. On the night he left the fort, he sent her and her family away entrusting them to the care of Khuda (God). Within a few days of leaving the Red Fort they were looted of all their money, jewels and even their expensive clothes. Finally on the way some villagers give them shelter in a thatched hut. The company soldiers were looking for the emperor’s descendants to arrest and punish. They escaped to Hyderabad, where they were given shelter by Nawab Lashkar Jung, who had given shelter to many Mughal royals who had escaped from Delhi.
In a few years the British had their way and the Princess was advised to leave Hyderabad. Some of the well-wishers of the Mughals arranged for her to travel to Mecca. One of the slaves she had freed while she was the Princess in Delhi had migrated to Mecca and had become an extremely wealthy merchant there. He looked after her very well and made her family stay comfortable.
The Ambassador of Turkey learnt that the Emperor’s daughter had taken refuge in Mecca and arranged a pension for her from the Sultan of Turkey. She lived comfortably in Mecca for a number of years. Ultimately she longed to return to her beloved Delhi. When she went back to Delhi, the English Governor out of compassion, arranged a pension for her family. The British who had taken away her dad’s empire, gave her in return a grand compensation of ten rupees a month.
Sakina Khanum was the daughter-in-law of Nawab Faulad Khan. Nawab died while fighting the company soldiers during the Ghadar. When his body was brought home by the soldiers, Sakina was writhing in severe labour pains. The Nawabs’ son had died four days earlier in the war, and his wife had passed away two years ago. Sakina delivered a boy with the help of the servants, while the corpse of the Nawab was lying in the front yard, without even a shroud. She had to run away from their mansion at midnight, taking a few jewels, some cash which was in the house and her new-born baby. The four maids who were in the house went with her.
After a few days, the maids stole all the money and jewels and deserted her. They even took away the new-born son of the Princess. She tried to eke out a living by working as a maid in households. Unfortunately for her, she had no skills needed for domestic help. After all she was the daughter-in-law of a Nawab and had lived in luxury with many servants and slaves at her command. She was frequently thrown out of many homes where she worked, as she could not work hard enough.
Finally, the Princess became a beggar for her living. After a few years, one afternoon she was begging in front of a wedding house. She was exhausted due to the hot summer sun. She had not eaten for many days and was extremely hungry. As she was begging, one young handsome boy came out of the wedding hall. Hearing her wails, he sat in front of her and gave her the food he was carrying for himself. The boy spoke to the beggar and consoled her and told that his mother was a maid in the wedding house.
As he was speaking with her, his mother came out and Sakina immediately recognised her as her maid who had deserted her and realised that the boy who fed her was her own son. After many years Sakina the beggar Princess had been reunited with her long lost son.
Qismat Baig worked as a chef at the palatial Taj Mahal hotel in Bombay. He was a recluse and an irascible and difficult man. None knew his antecedents. Whenever asked about himself he would answer that he was a Badshah and walk away. The Maharaja of Bhavnagar would frequently stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel whenever he was in Bombay, and he immensely enjoyed the food cooked by Qismat Baig.
One day the Maharaja expressed his desire to meet the chef. Qismat Baig, who never liked to meet anyone, was persuaded to visit him. When the king asked Qismat Baig as to who he was, Baig gave a long philosophical discourse. Surprised at the erudition of the chef, the king persuaded him to tell his story. Baig started recounting his long sad story. He was the son of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah born to a slave girl. He was named Timur Shah after the great ancestor of the Mughals. The emperor had provided well for him and his mother and they lived comfortably in luxury with servants and maids. As a young boy he was well educated and would often visit a Dargah near his home in the evenings and had imbibed Sufi mysticism and Dervish practices.
When Ghadar started, his mother lost everything. He worked as an assistant to a cook and learnt the culinary art. Misfortune always haunted him. He lost his mother, wife and children to illnesses and became alone in the world. Living in Delhi made him very sad and migrated to Bombay where Timur Shah changed his name to Qismat Baig, a man of destiny. The son of the Mughal Emperor had become a Bawarchi (chef) in a hotel.
These are some of the poignant real-life stories in the book “Tears of the Begums”. Khwaja Hasan Nizami was a young man at the time of Mutiny. In later years he became a writer. He personally interviewed many survivors of nobility and recorded their tragic stories. It was published as a book “Begumat Ke Aansoo” in 1922. Ghadar was a cataclysmic event in the narrative of India. It ended the centuries of pomp of the Mughal Court and the wealthy refined and elegant lives of the aristocracy. Nobles became non-entities, Princes became paupers and Begums were reduced to beggars. The sad stories in the book bring “Aansoo” to the eyes of the readers.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Dr. C.D. Sreenivasa Murthy / October 11th, 2022
“I have great respect for the Nizam of Hyderabad. He stood by us when it mattered most and donated millions of pounds to help Britain’s air force. It was because I have a deep regard for the Nizam that I am making this trip to Hyderabad. Now that I am here I feel a sense of happiness and satisfaction.”
These words were spoken by Raymond George Rees-Oliviere, a former air force officer of the 110 Squadron in Britain. This squadron was one that was set up during the First World War in 1917 with the money donated by the Nizam.
It was called the Hyderabad Squadron and retained that name after the Royal Flying Corps was merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force. During the Second World War, the Nizam donated more funds and two more squadrons were set up. But the 110 Squadron was the first of these and it was the one in which Raymond served in the 1960s.
“I want to relate a very unusual coincidence that happened before I came to Hyderabad,” continued Raymond. “I live in the city of Bath. For my Visa application to travel to India, I had to go to Cardiff because the processing is done there. It turned out that the Indian gentleman, who was the Visa officer, was from Hyderabad. He asked me why I wanted to travel to Hyderabad and that is when I told him my story. How the Nizam had donated a sum of money which set up the 110 Squadron in which I had served. The gentleman was overjoyed when he heard these facts. He granted me a Visa in no time. Moreover, although I had asked for two months, he granted me six months,” said Raymond.
Raymond belongs to a family of Englishmen who lived in India for generations. His father and grandfather lived in India and Raymond was born in India in 1937. He studied at the Goethals Memorial School in the town of Kurseong in Darjeeling district. When he was ten years old the family moved back to England. There he completed his education and then joined the Air Force.
During his air force career he served as a gunner and as helicopter crewman during the Malaysian Confrontation of 1962 to 1966. He had many hair raising tales to relate but all of these cannot be retold in this article.
After retiring from the air force, he continued to work in the aviation sector. He worked in aerospace and defence in the UK and in Oman and France. He then served as Principal Airworthiness Specialist in Saudi Arabia for seven years. His dedication was given respect and recognition in Saudi Arabia. He received a letter of recommendation from the Ministry of Defence and Aviation, Civil Aviation Presidency in Jeddah. Later he worked in Norway and Germany. He worked for well known companies such as Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Raytheon and British Airways.
He was also a keen sportsman. During his service he played hockey, boxing and rugby. In boxing he was coached by the famous Harper brothers. His fellow boxers included Jack and Brian London. The latter became world famous and was the top challenger to Muhammad Ali in 1966. However he was defeated by Ali. Another of Oliviere’s boxing teammates was Dick McTaggart who took part in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games and won a bronze and a gold medal.
In this hectic journey of life, he got married to Margaret and had four children. His first child was a daughter whom the couple named Tracy. She was born in Singapore in 1964. Next came Lee, Alison and Alexandra, all born in the UK. He and his wife remained married for 61 years until she passed away last December.
But for many years Raymond also cherished another dream. He wanted to visit Hyderabad and see for himself the land which was once ruled by the 7th Nizam. That dream finally materialised when he landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport on 28th October 2022. During a brief stay in Hyderabad he took the opportunity to visit the historical landmarks and sample the Hyderabadi cuisine.
“My life has come full circle. What began with the connection to the Nizam at the beginning of my air force career has now been completed with my visit to Hyderabad. Although my stay here was brief, I have enjoyed myself thoroughly and made very good friends. I have found that the people of Hyderabad are excellent hosts. I will carry back with me fond memories of this delightful city,” concluded Raymond who will also be going to Kurseong to catch up with his old school mates.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> News> Hyderabad / by Abhijit Sen Gupta / October 31st, 2022
The Moti Masjid in Bhopal. | Photo Credit: FARUQUI A. M.
Tracing the history of a city where four Muslim women ruled for over 107 years
As the capital of one of the largest States, Bhopal has flown under the radar. It has little of the financial muscle associated with Mumbai, even less historicity to rival that of Kolkata. It has neither the earthiness of Patna nor the niceties of Lucknow. Yet, Bhopal in its own understated way has enough accomplishments to fill up a mantelpiece.
Among all the States, cities and towns of imperial and modern India, Bhopal has done more for women empowerment than probably all States put together. True, back in the 13th century Delhi had a woman ruler, Raziya Sultan, who ruled from 1236 to 1240, but little else.
Bhopal has been ruled by four Muslim women for 107 years. The Begums of Bhopal did not shy away from calling themselves the Nawabs of Bhopal.
Shaharyar Khan, Shobhan Lambert-Hurley and Vertul Singh have authored or edited books on the city, which on the one hand capture its history, and on the other reveal the streak of women dominance for more than a hundred years.
pix: bloomsbury.com
Khan’s The Begums of Bhopal is the most detailed work. Like an artist fills his canvas with colour, Khan fills his pages with details of the city, its illustrious history, and its formidable Begums, now reduced to a faint memory. Khan’s Bhopal was founded by Dost Mohammed Khan. As the author reminds us, “In 1707, before Dost Mohammed Khan arrived in Malwa, central India, Bhopal was a small village on the banks of the River Banganga. An old fort, lying in ruins, was a testimony to Bhopal having known more prosperous times in the distant past.”
Tales of Bhojpal
The earliest reference to Bhopal though dates back to 640 AD when it was ruled by the Parmar dynasty. Its name is derived from that of Raja Bhoj who, as legend has it, contracted leprosy and was advised to build a lake with water from 365 rivers and bathe in it. Raja Bhoj did as advised. The lake was called Bhoj Tal (or Bhoj’s lake). Over time, it got corrupted to Bhojpal, then Bhopal.
The State was formed in 1715. It was the second largest Muslim princely state in pre-Independence India, wherein 90% of the population was Hindu. Interestingly, the Begum of Bhopal, Nawab Sikandar Begum, as Lambert-Hurley writes in the introduction to A Princess’s Pilgrimage, supported the British during the Revolt of 1857.
After the Revolt had been suppressed, this loyalty was rewarded in the Queen’s Proclamation of 1858 in which Sikandar was granted the title of Nawab to rule over Bhopal in her own right as well as given a 19-gun salute, the return of territory lost to a neighbouring prince and the Grand Cross of the Star of India. “This honour made her, at the time, the only female knight in the British Empire besides Queen Victoria, a position that underlines her unique status, as well as her close relationship with the British,” writes Lambert-Hurley.
The story of Bhopal though began not with Sikandar Begum’s rise or the reign of her mother Qudsia Begum or her own daughter Shah Jahan Begum, but with an intrepid young man called Dost Mohammed Khan. As Shaharyar Khan writes, “The story of Bhopal begins with Sardar Dost Mohammad Khan, founder of the state and of the Bhopal dynasty. Born in 1672, Dost was a strapping, handsome, brash and ambitious young man. Like all Pathan noblemen, he had been brought up in the warrior tradition of his clan…Dost’s only ambition was to enlist in Aurangzeb’s army and make his future in the service of the Mughal Empire. Around 1697, Dost was in his mid-20s and a brash, dare-devil, buccaneer of a character. He was restless and ready to seek his fortune by crossing the Khyber Pass into India.” Head to India he did, but it was far from an easy ride.
As he traversed through Jalalabad, Karnal and Delhi, on more than one occasion, he almost kissed death, but he proved a survivor, qualities which came in handy when he got to play a pivotal role in Bhopal.
Though he arrived in Bhopal practically a brigand, he worked his way up, working with a number of local kingdoms and fiefdoms — Rani Kamlapati is said to have sought his protection after the death of her husband Nizam Shah and even tied a rakhi on his hand.
He built the famous Fatehgarh Fort in 1716, including the famous Dhai Seedi ki Masjid, as Vertul Singh writes in BhopalNama: Writing a City. Incidentally, Fatehgarh was probably named after Fateh Bibi, a Rajput princess he married. Fateh was no ordinary woman; she paid ransom for her husband’s release when he was held captive by his own troops in Gujarat, Singh writes.
Khans to Begums
How did Bhopal transition from the Khans to Begums? After Khan’s death, Bhopal was attacked by many mercenaries when Mamola Bai, said by some to be the first Begum, took the help of British General Goddard to repel such forces. Then came Qudsia Begum whose perseverance and wisdom saved the “state from being gobbled up by the Scindias and the Bhonsles”, as Singh states. Her daughter Sikandar took statecraft to another level. Sikandar’s daughter Shah Jahan Begum added fine touches of poetry, art, music to turn Bhopal into a throbbing centre of the arts. Yet, the most maternal approach towards the subjects was displayed by the fourth Nawab, Sultan Jahan, known for administrative reforms, including several measures for the welfare of her subjects. So much so that she came to be addressed as Sarkar Amma.
This succession of matrilineal rulers gave Bhopal a unique identity. They did what a man could never have dreamt of.
For instance, Sultan Shah Jahan Begum initiated the building of a hospital exclusively for women, with women doctors, nurses and other staff. The facility came to be known as Sultania Zenana Hospital.
Likewise Sikandar Begum started the practice of schools for girls, inviting scholars from Yemen, Turkey and Arabia.
Incidentally, she penned her own experience of Hajj to Mecca and Medina in ‘A Pilgrimage to Mecca’ which now forms part of Lambert-Hurley’s A Princess’s Pilgrimage. Sikandar Begum’s was no ordinary trip as Hajj those days was a life-challenging exercise with possibilities of being robbed, injured or killed by marauders along the way.
After Sikandar, Sultan Jahan concentrated on girls’ education. As Singh writes, “Sultan Jahan’s contribution to women’s education is in no way lesser than that of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.”
Incidentally, she was the only woman chancellor of Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College which was to become the Aligarh Muslim University.
All the Begums worked well and lived long. Once, all the four queens of Bhopal were alive at the same time with Qudsia living to breathe alongside three of her successors. That’s an interesting footnote in the history of a city where male heirs have been few and far between. Their absence was seldom felt.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / Hindu / Home> Books / by Ziya Us Salam / book cover pix: by bloomsbury.com / September 12th, 2022
The 7 th and the last Nizam of Hyderabad Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan (Born: 6-4-1886; Died: 24-2-1967) was said to be the richest man in the world and was known for his noble deeds and rich contributions in various fields such as education, medicine, engineering, social service, architecture, heritage, poetry, art and culture. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911 at the age of 25 and ruled the Hyderabad State between 1911 and 1948. It is amazing that he used Jacob diamond, a 185 carat gem the size of a lime worth 50 million pounds equal to around Rs. 480.00 crores in Indian currency, as a paperweight. It is said that despite of his enormous wealth, he used to spend very little for his own self and led a simple life. He never indulged in extravaganza and denounced all kinds of luxuries. This couplet reflects the persona of Nizam, a well known poet himself:
“Tumhari umar youn hi raayegaan guzri hai ay Osman Na tum ko dast ghaib aayaa na tum ko keemiya aayee.”
People are benefitted even today with what he left behind him. Be it Osmania University or Osmania Hospital, Charminar Nizamia Tibbi Hospital, NIMS, Assembly building premises, Jubilee Hall, Hyderabad Museum (State Museum), High Court Building, Kacheguda Railway Station, Begumpet Airport, Asafia Library (State Central Library), Moazzamjahi Market, State Bank of Hyderabad (now merged in SBI) , Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Nizam Sagar, Nizam Sugar Factory, etc. He constructed Hyderabad House in Delhi now used for diplomatic meetings by Govt. of India, Rubaat in Saudi Arabia for the convenience of Haj and Umrah pilgrims from Telangana and parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra – part of erstwhile princely State of Hyderabad. He was a great visionary and is called “Architect of Modern Hyderabad.” One would wonder on coming to know that the Nizam had provided financial aid for construction / reconstruction and maintenance of the worship places of not only Muslims but also of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Parsees apart from extending monthly honorarium to the priests of a number of temples, churches, Imams and Moazzans of mosques within and outside the country. Notable among them is Balaji Temple in Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh now popularly known as Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), Sitarambagh Temple, Hyderabad, Yadagirigutta temple in Bhongir, Thousand Pillar Temple at Warangal, grand mosques at Makkah and Madinah. He had also extended monetary contribution for construction of Hindu Banaras University, Andhra University, University of London, etc. His farmaans releasing financial aid to these places of worship and Universities are still available with Archives Department in Hyderabad.
It is not known how many devotees or those who are associated with the famous TTD or other such temples today are aware of this fact or for that matter even very few Muslims knows that the Nizam shouldered the maintenance responsibility of Holy mosques of Makkah and Madinah and bore the expenses thereof. King Saud of KSA visited Hyderabad in 1954 to meet the Nizam and thanked him personally for his monetary help. Likewise, it is doubtful whether the products of Banaras Hindu University and Andhra University or those who are associated with these Universities have ever taken pains to know the important contributions of the Nizam for their establishment. He funded for compilation of Indian epic “Mahabharatha”. He sanctioned scholarships to the students pursuing their studies abroad without any discrimination. Sarojini Naidu, freedom fighter was one of the beneficiaries. He sanctioned establishment of Hyderabad Telugu Academy in 1940. People from all walks of life lived together peacefully and happily during his reign. He never discriminated anybody on the basis of religion, caste or creed. He gave equal rights and respect to one and all. The following verses of his poetry endorse this:
“Aish wa ishrath ki hai jo dhoom Dakan mein Osman
Sab ye kahte hain tere bakht ki bedari hai
Zamana kehta hai laag Osman Har ek ko aas hai tere hi dar se.”
It is said that the Nizam was a very kind hearted king, he could not endure the hardship and sufferings of his people. One day he visited Osmania hospital to console a patient where he saw a poor man with no legs crawling over the earth. This miserable condition of the poor man pained him very much. Soon after initiating necessary consultations and discussions in this regard, he immediately purchased the land at Panjagutta and arranged for construction of orthopedic hospital with an estimated cost of Rs. 30 lakhs, now known as Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). Similarly the Great Musi floods of 1908 locally known as “Thugyani Sitambar” (in which about 50,000 people said to have died, the floods razedover 80,000 houses making a fourth of the population shelterless) prompted the Nizam to invite Sir M. Visvesvarayya, an Indian Civil Engineer and a Statesman to advise and assist in the reconstruction of the city and to devise measures for the prevention of the recurrence of such a terrible catastrophe. Thus, the twin lakes of Hyderabad viz. Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar were built up.
The pity is when he negated the proposal of merging the Princely State of Hyderabad into Indian Union, Operation Polo widely known as “Police Action’ took place in 1948 during the subsistence of “Stand Still Agreement” and none came to his rescue. The Nizam said to be very close to Mahatma Gandhi, but, unfortunately the latter was already gunned down, by then. The Nizam was completely betrayed and left alone. The plight reflects in the following verses of his own poetry (Ghazal) :-
“Is se bhi bud naseeb hai Osman koi bhala Jo shaqs haer pher mein duniya ke rahgaya Osman hamara rang badalta kabhi nahin Paband apni wiza ke apne chalan ke hain Thu jaanta hai unko matlab ke hain ye Osman Aghyaar se tho har aan hashiyaar raha karna Osman thu kar chuka hai hazaron ka imtehaan Besharam hoon jo ke aise bahut kam bashar mile.”
Princely State of Hyderabad amalgamated into Indian Union in September 1948. The Nizam was appointed as Raj Pramukh of Hyderabad State by the Government of India in Jan, 1950. Even after the end of his kingdom, the Nizam continued to support all the social, educational and welfare activities. He donated 5 tons of gold to the Union Government during the war with China in 1965 (Sino-Indian War). Yet, he is termed anti-national, anti-people and discriminative by fascist forces with biased mind. The above are just a few of his priceless and precious achievements and contributions narrated here out of many. Otherwise the list is very huge. Unfortunately, many of his contributions and generous deeds seems to have been suppressed selectively, of which the people obviously are unaware of and projected the Nizam otherwise with distorted facts. Here, the following verses of his poetry stand testimony to the situation:
“Naheen kuch aetebaar ohad wa paymaa Wafa ki kya ummeed is bewafa se Ye housla ye kaleja ye dil hamara hai Ke baare ishq tumhara hamee uthathe hain Andaaz ye sitam ke tujhe the kahan naseeb Meri wafa ne tujhe jafakaar kar diya.”
A demand is made every year to declare September 17 as a ‘Liberation Day’ on the pretext that Telangana is liberated from the clutches of the private army of Razakars led by Qasim Razwi and Nizam’s army who jointly said to have committed excesses on unarmed and innocent citizens of Hyderabad State between 1946 and 1948, which is certainly condemnable. It means prior to and till 1946 ever since he accede the Kingship in September, 1911 i.e. for 35 years of his long rule, there were no complaints. And these disturbances erupted in his last period of tenure perhaps due to various circumstances and factors prevalent during that period in the country and which were beyond control. Indian independent struggle was at peak, widespread riots, rampant bribery and chaos in the Nizam Government weakened the grip of Nizam over administration, the seeds of hatred were being sown under the guise of Arya Samaj Vyayama Shalas in Hyderabad State against the Government to destabilize it which led to communal violence in the hitherto peaceful living people cutting across their religious beliefs and practices which is known for “Ganga Jamuni Tahzeeb”. Coupled with Razakars brutalities then, it has ultimately led to revolt against Nizam and his rule from within the State. However, history is evident that there was no such kingdom in India or elsewhere then, which was spotless and entirely free from such instances of hatred and bloodshed. And not to speak of the World’s largest democracy we are living in today where communal clashes, murders, rapes, large scale robberies, white collar scams and so on have become the order of the day. Gandhi is abused and Godse is praised by the so called nationalists. Nizam was not a foreigner nor had he invaded Hyderabad State. What is going on today, it seems, the Nizam sensed it during his lifetime itself and predicted thus :
“Mizaaje yaar mein jaaniye kya ab samaayee hai
Ke mere roobaru meri buraayee hothi jaathi hai”
In yet another stanza he writes (at the face of the fascists) :
“Na aaya aur kuch hum ko agar aayee wafa aayee
Magar haan tujh ko ay zaalim sitam aaya jafaa aayee
The unparalleled services rendered by the Nizam for the cause of people, society and the nation as a whole can not be ignored under the pretext of the riots perpetrated by Razakars, which neither can be attributed to him in the light of his above multi facet and true secular characteristics with undisputed patriotism.
Narrating an event where Nizam had complied with the Order of the Independent High Court with due respect to the judiciary, which ruled in favour of his family with regard to award of enhanced compensation in some property dispute, the Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr. K. Chandraserkhar Rao, has praised the Nizam on the floor of Assembly and declared that he is proud of his King H.E.H. the Nizam VII Mir Osman Ali Khan for his splendid works done for the welfare of people. However, a real tribute to Nizam’s golden era in recognition of the yeomen services rendered by him for the cause of humanity and the society at large in all spheres of life shall be to observe his birth anniversary the 6 th April of every year at Government level officially, as a mark of respect.
Let me conclude with Jigar Muradabadi’s following couplet of poetry:
“Un ka jo kaam hai’ woh ahle siasat jane: Mera paighaam mohabbat hai jahaan tak pahunche.” (What their job is, let the politicians be bothered about.My message is ‘love’, may it reach the whole world)
***
shaikismail358@gmail.com
Courtesy: Shoukath-e-Osmania, Pundit Sunderlal Committee Report and other source of information.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Indian Muslim> Positive Story / by Shaik Ismail / August 19th, 2022
“The Musalmans of India are, and have been for many years, a source of chronic danger to the British Power in India.” – W W Hunter, an English official posted in India, in his famous book ‘The Indian Musalmans’, published in 1871.
After 1947, Indian scholars wrote a ‘nationalist’ history of the Indian freedom struggle and for unknown reasons, they excluded Muslims. For the last seven decades, we have been reading a history of the Indian Freedom Struggle that has largely overlooked the contribution of Muslims. The generations brought up over this narrative believe that either the Indian Muslims were pro-British or aloof from the freedom struggle.
Such falsehoods propagated in the name of history should be challenged.
The British imperialism in India was resisted by the Indians right from its outset and the Muslims were the flag bearers of this resistance. The British took over Bengal administratively and economically after defeating the royal armies at the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Buxar (1764). With their win over the Nawab of Bengal, the British started exploiting the Indians of Bengal province in an unprecedented fashion. Their ruthless loot resulted in a famine in 1770, which accounted for the deaths of one-third of the total population of Bengal.
No wonder the first popular national resistance to foreign colonial rule arose in Bengal. A united front of Hindu Sanyasis and Muslim Fakirs rose up in arms against the British. The man who led this fight was, Majnu Shah, a Muslim sufi from Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh). Majnu was a devotee of Shah Madar, Kanpur, and took up the cause of poor peasants on the advice of another Sufi saint, Hamiduddin. Almost 2000 Fakirs and Sanyasis, under his command, would loot the treasures of the British and British-backed landlords to distribute the money and food among poor exploited masses. From 1763 till his death in 1786, Majnu was the most dangerous threat to the British Empire in India. Fakir and Sanyasi forces killed several officers and soldiers of the British in guerrilla wars. After his death, Musa Shah took up the leadership of the movement. Hindu Sanyasi leaders, like Bhawani Pathak, were also there and fought alongside but the colonial records considered Majnu as the most threatening leader because under him Hindus and Muslims fought a united war. The ruthless British suppressed this movement a few years after the death of Majnu but the spirit of nationalism could not be killed.
The suppression of the movement led by Fakirs in Bengal did not mean that they accepted defeat. Fakirs changed their strategy and joined Marathas and other anti-British forces at the turn of the 18th century. The first major mutiny by the Indian sepoys of the English East India Company Army in 1806 at Vellore, which is said to be the inspiration behind 1857, was planned by Holkars, sons of Tipu Sultan and brother of Nizam of Hyderabad with the help of Fakirs. In every cantonment in South India, Fakirs propagated the message of nationalism through religious sermons, songs and puppet shows. When the revolt broke out at several places including Vellore the Indian revolutionaries were led by Fakirs like Shaikh Adam, Peerzada, Abdullah Khan, Nabi Shah, and Rustam Ali. Scholar Perumal Chinnian writes, “the Southern conspiracy was supported by Fakirs and other religious mendicants. The conspiracy was established in all the army stations by them.”
Within a few years, the British faced another challenge in the form of three distinct movements led by Syed Ahmad Barelvi, Haji Shariatullah and Titu Mir respectively.
Born in Uttar Pradesh, Syed Ahmad toured a large part of the country and gained followers in Bihar, Bengal, and Maharashtra. His followers took up arms against the British and its allies in the areas adjacent to Afghanistan. The movement posed a challenge to the British for decades. The British painted the movement as a work of religious fanaticism while in reality, Syed Ahmad tried to forge an alliance with Marathas against the foreign rulers. After he died in 1831, Enayat Ali and Wilayat Ali, both from Patna, took up the leadership of the movement. The wars they led in the frontier region caused the death of thousands of soldiers of the British army.
Haji Shariatullah and his son Dudu Miyan took up arms in Bengal to resist the tyranny of rich landlords. They led peasants to revolt against the indigo planters and other British agents. The movement they led is known as Faraizi movement.
Titu Mir also led a movement of poor masses against the British-backed landlords. He formed his army and set up a popular administration. In 1831, Titu was killed during a battle with the British. Hundreds of his supporters were arrested and hanged, including his deputy, Ghulam Masum.
Meanwhile, the Movement started by Syed Ahmad remained a grave danger to British rule in India. Enayat Ali, Wilayat Ali, Karamat Ali, Zainuddin, Farhat Husain, and others led an armed struggle against the British. In Patna, as soon as the news of the revolt of 1857 reached, all the prominent leaders were arrested before they could act. Still, Pir Ali launched a revolt in Patna. Though not a part of the larger movement himself the British believed that he had their support. Pir Ali, Waris Ali, and other Muslim revolutionaries were executed in Bihar during the revolt of 1857.
The First War of the National Independence of 1857 had a long history of planning behind it. In 1838, the English government arrested Mubariz ud-Daula for plotting a nationwide revolt against the foreign rule. The investigations revealed that Raja Ranjit Singh, Gaekwars, Satara, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patiala, Rohilla Pathans, and several nawabs, rajas and zamindars had agreed upon the plan. Raja Ranjit Singh had actually sent his troops to help Mubariz and contacted Persian and French powers for help. The plan, because of a few traitors leaked out, Mubariz was imprisoned where he died in 1854 and the revolt took place two decades later.
The role of Muslims in 1857 is no secret. The unity of Hindus and Muslims in 1857 threatened the British like never before and they resorted to a policy of divide and rule after that. Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah of Faizabad, Fazl-e-Haq of Khairabadi, Imdadullah Muhajir Makki of Muzaffarnagar, and Azimullah Khan, an associate of Nana Saheb, were prominent in propagating the need of taking up the arms against the colonial rule. For years before 1857, they were propagating these ideas among sepoys as well as civilians.
In Bihar, Kunwar Singh was leading the revolt of 1857. Zulfiqar was one of his most trusted comrades with whom Kunwar was discussing every plan. After liberating Arrah the civil government installed by Kunwar had his most trusted allies and there were several Muslims. The government had “Shaikh Ghulam Yahea as Magistrate. Shaikh Muhammad Azimuddin, an inhabitant of Milky Tola in the town of Arrah, was appointed Jamadar (treasurer) of the eastern thana: Turab Ali and Khadim Ali, sons of Dewan Shaikh Afzal, were made Kotwals (Police officers in charge of a city)”
The revolt did not succeed. Bahadur Shah was exiled to Burma, several were hanged and many more were transported for life to Andamans. But, the zeal for freedom did not die.
In 1863, tribals in North West Frontier Province stormed the British territories and entered into a war. The British, though registered a victory, had to face one of the stiffest military challenges. They lost more than a thousand of its English soldiers. Intelligence reports pointed towards a financier in Ambala. The man was Jafar Thanesri. During the raid police found several letters which established him as the principal financier of the war in NWFP. He channelled money, men and arms from different parts of the country to the war front. Yahya Ali of Patna and nine others were also charged for waging the war against the Queen. What followed was a series of arrests and trials across India.
People were arrested in Ambala, Patna, Malda and Rajmahal. Ahmadullah, Yahya Ali, Jafar, Ibrahim Mandal, Rafique Mandal and others were arrested and transported to Andamans. These revolutionaries celebrated martyrdom over life, hence the British decided not to hang them but to send them to the Andamans. In 1869, Amir Khan and Hashmat Khan were arrested in Kolkata. Norman, the Chief Justice, sentenced them to the Andamans. The sentence was avenged by Abdullah by assassinating Norman in 1871 and after a few months Sher Ali killed the viceroy, Lord Mayo, in the Andamans.
Bipin Chandra Pal, in his autobiography, credited these trials and killings as an important influence on his political career. Another famous revolutionary, Trailokya Chakravarty, noted, “the Muslim revolutionary brothers gave us practical lessons of unbending audacity and inflexible will and also advice to learn from their mistakes”.
In Maharashtra, Ibrahim Khan, a Rohilla leader, and Balwant Phadke launched a guerilla war against the British. They provided a tough resistance through the 1860s and 70s, and threatened the British in south India.
Meanwhile, in 1885, Indian National Congress (INC) was formed to voice the apprehensions of the emerging educated middle class. Badruddin Tayyabji and Rahmatullah Siani were two of the earliest members and presidents of Congress. Later on, M.A Ansari, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Hasrat Mohani, Abul Kalam Azad, and others remained associated with the largest political outfit of India.
In 1907, peasants in Punjab started agitation against the canal colonies. Along with Lala Lajpat Rai and Sardar Ajit Singh, Syed Hyder Raza was one of its prominent leaders. The movement is seen as a precursor to later Ghadar movement.
During the First World War (1914 – 18), the British intercepted three letters written on silk cloth. The letters were written by Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi to Maulana Mahmood Hasan and pointed towards a global plan to overthrow the British rule in India. Ubaidullah was named as one of the most dangerous Indians for the British in the Rowlatt Committee Report. He formed armed groups, preached anti-British ideas and formed a provisional government in Kabul. The Prime Minister of the government was Maulana Barkatullah. The government had to have an army as well, which would attack India to free it. But, the plan failed because of the leaked silk letters and the end of the World War. The plan was called Silk Letter Movement and 59 freedom fighters, mostly Muslims, were charged for waging the war against the Empire. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Abdul Bari Firangi Mahli, Ubaidullah Sindhi, Maulana Mahmood, Husain Ahmad Madni and M.A Ansari were few of them. Maulana Mahmood and Madni were arrested in Makkah and imprisoned in Malta.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who is often seen as a token Muslim in a largely Hindu dominated Congress, was a freedom fighter whom the British feared. His name occurred in different CID reports for planning armed revolutions. At least 1700 freedom fighters took oath to die for the cause of freedom as members of Hizbullah, a revolutionary organisation formed by Azad. Al-Hilal, a paper edited and published by him, was banned for propagating the revolutionary nationalist ideas. Azad established Darul Irshad, a madarsa, to popularise the anti colonial ideas. For his organization, Hizbullah, Jalaluddin and Abdur Razzak were prominent recruiters, who also united Hindu and Muslim revolutionaries of Bengal. No wonder, Azad was jailed many times and was the President of INC when the Quit India Resolution of 1942 was passed.
The Silk Letter Movement was not the only resistance movement during the World War. Ghadar Movement was another movement in which several Muslims took part and attained martyrdom. Rehmat Ali was hanged in Lahore for trying to instigate mutiny among soldiers. The efforts bore fruit in Singapore, when, in February, 1915, 5th Light Infantry consisting mostly Muslims from Punjab revolted. The soldiers captured Singapore for a few days. The revolutionaries were later defeated, captured and shot dead.
Another misconception prevalent among Indians is that the Bengali revolutionaries were Hindus. Interestingly, the revolutionary organizations with Hindu religious overtones, like Jugantar and Anushilan had many active Muslim members. Sirajul Haq, Hamidul Haq, Abdul Momin, Maksuddin Ahmad, Maulvi Ghayasuddin, Nasiruddin, Razia Khatun, Abdul Kader, Wali Nawaz, Ismail, Zahiruddin, Chand Miyan, Altaf Ali, Alimuddin, and Fazlul Kader Chowdhury were few of the Bengali Muslim revolutionaries who took up arms along with Hindus. Many of them were sent to Andamans or killed.
After the World War, the British introduced a draconian Rowlatt Act. The Indians protested against the act and many leaders were arrested. At Jallianwala Bagh people were massacred when they were protesting against the arrest of Saifuddin Kitchlew. The proportion of Muslims killed at Jallianwala was quite high. Around this time, 1919 onwards, Abdul Bari Firangimahli, Mazharul Haque, Zakir Husain, Mohammad Ali, and Shaukat Ali emerged as the mass leaders. Women like Bi Amma, Amjadi Begum, and Nishat al-Nisa also jumped into the freedom struggle.
In Tamil Nadu, Abdul Rahim organised the workers during the 1930s against the oppressive colonial rule. V. M Abdullah, Sharif Brothers, and Abdul Sattar were other prominent Muslim leaders in South India who led nationalist movements and braved torture and imprisonments.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan led pathans posed a non-violent challenge to the British. In 1930, the British fired upon a crowd protesting against the arrest of Ghaffar Khan at Qissa Khwani Bazar, Peshawar. Hundreds of pathans laid their lives for the service of the motherland.
Faqir of Ipi, Mirza Ali Khan, and Pir of Pagaro, Sibghatullah, raised their armies in the 1930s in Waziristan and Sindh respectively to fight the British during the World War. In a larger scheme of things, Subhas Chandra Bose and Axis Powers allied with their armies in order to liberate India.
In 1941, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose escaped from house arrest. The man who played an important role in the escape was Mian Akbar Shah. Netaji reached Berlin and formed a Free India Legion. Abid Hasan, became his confidant here and served as secretary. Abid was his only associate who accompanied him on a famous submarine journey from Germany to Japan. In 1943, Netaji formed Azad Hind Sarkar and Azad Hind Fauj. Here several Muslims like, Lt. Col. Aziz Ahmad, Lt. Col. M.K Kiani, Lt. Col. Ehsan Qadir, Lt. Col. Shah Nawaz, Karim Ghani, and D.M Khan became ministers with important portfolios. Azad Hind Fauj faced reverses in war and its soldiers were taken prisoners by the British. Rashid Ali’s imprisonment became a symbol of Hindu Muslim unity when Hindus and Muslims across the political affiliations came out on Kolkata road demanding his, and other Azad Hind Fauj soldiers, release in 1946. The police fired upon the protesters killing dozens of Indians. Elsewhere, in Mumbai and Karachi, the Royal Navy revolted in support of Azad Hind Fauj. Anwar Husain was one of the prominent martyrs of this revolt as Colonel Khan led the soldiers in revolt at Mumbai port.
India gained independence on 15 August, 1947. It was a costly affair. The cost was the Indian lives. The lives we paid were neither Hindu, nor Muslim. The lives belonged to the Indians. Those who laid their lives were Indians first, and Hindus or Muslims later. Here again, Muslim leaders like Allah Bux Somroo, K. A. Hamied, Faqir of Ipi, Abdul Qayyum Ansari, Abul Kalam Azad and others fought against the divisive communal politics of Muslim League to stop the partition. Tragically, more than seven decades later people have forgotten this important aspect of our freedom struggle and try to divide this great struggle along petty sectarian lines.
(The article is an updated version of an article published last year.)
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Culture / by Saquib Salim / August 15th, 2022
New Book , First ever English translation of Nizami’s invaluable Urdu book Begumat ke Aansoo
pix: amazon.in
Apart from the fifteen years that Sher Shah Suri snatched upon defeating Humayun, the flag of the grand Mughal Empire flew over Delhi undefeated for over 300 years.
But then, 1857 arrived and the mighty sword fell helpless in the face of a mightier British force.
After the fall of Delhi and Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar’s tragic departure from the Red Fort in 1857, members of the royal Mughal court had to flee to safer places. Driven out from their palaces and palanquins onto the streets in search of food and shelter, the dethroned royals scrambled to survive. Some bore their fate with a bitter pride, others succumbed to the adversity.
Through twenty-nine accounts of the survivors of the Uprising of 1857, Khwaja Hasan Nizami documents the devastating tale of the erstwhile glorious royalty’s struggle with the hardships thrust upon them by a ruthless new enemy.
In vivid and tragic stories drawn from the recollection of true events, Nizami paints a picture of a crumbling historical era and another charging forward to take its place.
With the reminiscence of past glory contrasted against the drudgery of everyday survival, Tears of the Begums – the first ever English translation of Nizami’s invaluable Urdu book Begumat ke Aansoo – chronicles the turning of the wheel of fortune in the aftermath of India’s first war of independence.
source: http://www.amazon.in / Amazon / Home> Books> History> World / as on August 06th, 2022
On the occasion of 74th Independence Day, let us remember these Muslim women who proved their strength, enthusiasm and determinism in the fight for freedom.
These women broke the stereotype of Muslim women in the society, who are merely perceived to be clad in Burqha and were never let out of the house. They participated in the India’s struggle for independence and emerged victorious.
Begum Hazrat Mahal (1830–1879)
Begum Hazrat Mahal, a prominent woman of 1857 rebellion, was born in 1830 Faizabad of Uttar Pradesh. Her actual name was Muhammadi Khanum. Her father is Gulam Hussain of Faizabad. At her tender age itself, she showed good talent in literature.
She was married to Wajid Ali Shah, the Nawab of Awadh. They were blessed with a son Mirza Birjis Khadir Bahadur. On 13 February, 1856, the British troops imprisoned Wajid Ali Shah. They sent him to Calcutta on 13 March and occupied Awadh illegitimately. This irked the people and native rulers.
They revolted against the British under the leadership of Begum Hazrat Mahal. The native rulers and people met at Chavani area of Lucknow, the capital of Awadh on 31May, 1857 and declared independence. They taught a lesson to the British troops and wiped out their power in Lucknow. Later, Begum Hazrat Mahal declared her son Birjis Khadir as the Nawab of Awadh on 7 July, 1857.
As the King’s mother, she gathered 1,80,000 troops and renovated the Lucknow fort spending huge amount of money. She established a high level committee for the good governance of the state. Hazarat Mahal ruled the state on behalf of her son for about ten months and challenged the British force by inspiring patriotism among the people and the fellow native rulers. She issued a historic statement on 31 December, 1858 challenging the proclamation issued by the Queen Victoria on November 1, 1858.
But, when Delhi, the prime center for the First War of Independence was captured, the British troops surrounded and attacked Lucknow in March 1859. There was a fierce battle between the Company troops and the Begum troops. When defeat became inevitable, Begum Hazrat Mahal retreated to the Nepal forests along with the co-revolutionary leaders like Nana Sahib Peshwa and others.
The British rulers offered her huge amount of money and luxurious facilities in order to bring her back to Lucknow. But, the Begum denied them and made it clear that nothing else was acceptable to her except Independent Awadh state. Begum Hazarath Mahal was struggling for the independence of her state till her last breath. She passed away at Khathmound of Nepal on 7 April, 1879. In 1984 Government of India released a postal stamp in her honour.
Abadi Bano Begum (1852-1924)
Abadi Bano Begum, who took active part at par with men in the Indian National Movement, was born in 1852 in Amroha village, Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh. She was married to Abdul Ali Khan of the Princely State Rampur.
Though she lost her husband at a young age, she did not remarry. She had two sons Moulana Mohammed Ali and Moulana Showkath Ali, who were famous as ‘Ali Brothers’. She nurtured her children, into becoming memorable leaders of the Indian Independence Movement. Her involvement in the freedom movement began with the Home Rule Movement, to which she rendered moral and most importantly, financial support.
When the British government detained the Ali Brothers in Chindanwad village, under the Indian Defence Regulations, she went along with them. When a police official proposed for the surrender of her sons, she bluntly refused saying, ‘If my sons agree to the proposal of the government, I will kill them by strangulation. I hope God will bestow enough energy into this old woman’s hands’. Abadi Bano met Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 for the first time.
There after Mahatma Gandhi always addressed her ‘Ammijan’, and all other freedom fighters followed Gandhi’s address. She helped Mahatma Gandhi and other Khilafath leaders financially for undertaking all India tours.
She attended the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League sessions in 1917, held at Calcutta. She spoke in those meetings emphasising that complete freedom could be achieved through unity between Hindus and Muslims.
She also played a constructive role in the Khilafat and Non[1]Cooperation Movement in 1919. She declared in several meetings that ‘it was her ambition that even the dogs and cats of her country should not be under the slavery of the British’.
The fact that the British government official records treated her as a ‘dangerous person’, which established the kind of challenge she hurled at the colonial rule.
Apart from participating in politics she also guided several women’s organisations all over India. So intensely patriotic and nationalist that Abadi Bano Begum who played an active role in national movement without caring old age, ill health and cruel atrocities of police, breathed her last on 13 November, 1924.
BIBI AMATUS SALAM (1907-1985)
Bibi Amatus Salam, who strongly believed that freedom from the slavery of British could be achieved, through the Gandhian methods only, was born in 1907 in Patiala of Punjab in Rajputhana family.
Her father was Colonel Abdul Hamid and her mother Amatur Rehaman. Amatus Salam was the younger sister of six elder brothers. Her health was very delicate since her childhood. She was inspired by her eldest brother, freedom fighter Mohammad Abdur Rashid Khan.
Following the footsteps of her brother, she decided to serve the people of the country.
Amatus Salam participated in the Khadi Movement and attended the meetings of the Indian National Movement along with her brother. She was attracted towards the Non[1]Violence theory of Mahathma Gandhi and Sevagram Ashram.
She decided to join Sevagram Ashram, and went there in 1931. She joined Ashram and followed the strict principles of the Ashram. With her selfless service she became very close to Gandhi couple.
They considered Amatus Salam as their beloved daughter. During the Indian National Movement, she went to jail along with other women in 1932 despite her illness with the permission of Gandhi.
After being released from Jail, she reached Sevagram and took over the responsibilities as Personal Assistant of Gandhi. She said that besides achieving independence, harmony between the Hindus and Muslims, Welfare of the Harijans and Women were her life ambitions. When communal riots erupted, she toured North-West Frontier, Sindh and Noukhali areas as an ambassador of Gandhi.
She held Satyagraha for 20 days to normalize the situation in those areas. After Independence, she rededicated herself to the Public Service. She published an Urdu Magazine called ‘Hindustan’ to promote national integration and communal harmony. When Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan toured in India in 1961, she travelled with him as his personal assistant. When India was at war with
China in 1962 and with Pakistan in 1965, she took all the pains in reaching the mountains or war area along with her adopted son Sunil Kumar to encourage our soldiers and to serve them. Bibi Amatus Salam, who spent all her life following the Gandhian ideology, breathed her last on 29 October, 1985.
HAJARA BEGUM (1910-2003)
Hajara Begum, who fought against the British to liberate the Nation and worked for the welfare of the toiling masses of the country, was born on 22 December, 1910 at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. She came to know about the sacrifices of the freedom fighters who were fighting against the British from her father, who was a police officer.
After the failure of her marriage, she went to London to pursue her higher education, where she got acquainted with the anti-British forces. This led her to decide to fight against the British Imperialist forces to liberate the nation. She had to face the anger of the British Government as she was criticizing their acts in several International fora.
She returned to India and joined as a lecturer in the Karamat Hussain women’s College at Lucknow in 1935.
She also worked along with famous poet Sajjad Zahir in the formation of All India Progressive Writers’ Association.
She got married to a nationalist leader Dr. Zainul Abedeen Ahmed in 1935 and in the same year both of them took membership in the Indian National Congress. Since the police were after them for their anti-British activities, they resigned their jobs and dedicated themselves totally to the Indian National Movement.
While participating in the activities of the Indian National Congress, Hajara Begum also campaigned for the Communist Party without the knowledge of the Police. She actively took part in the election campaign in those days, and as a result of this a number of Congress leaders could get elected. She attended a secret political workshop at Kotthapatnam in Andhra Pradesh in 1937.
She spoke on different subjects in the workshop as a lecturer. Hajara Begum was against the gender bias since her younger age. She fought against all types of inequalities successfully. She left the Indian National Congress in 1940 along with her husband. Since then, she played a vital role in organizing the unorganized labour sector.
She became very popular as ‘Hajara Aapa’ in the circles of toiling people and women. The Soviet Union honoured her with ‘Supreme Soviet Jubilee Award’ in 1960 in recognition of her work for the downtrodden people on the eve of the birth centenary of Lenin. Hajara Begum, who spent her entire life in the service of the country, breathed her last on 20 January, 2003.
Syed Naseer Ahamed can be contacted at Phone: +91 94402 41727
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Featured News / by Nihad Ahmed / Input by Syed Naseer Ahmed / August 15th, 2020
Cover page of the book ‘A Legacy of Bahmani Sultans through Coins’ published by the Gulbarga Bahmani Numismatics Research and Educational Trust. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI
Mohammad Ismail has got a rare treasure of coins dating back to Bahmani Sultans from 14th to 16th Century
The Gulbarga Bahmani Numismatics Research and Educational Trust recently published a book titled ‘A Legacy of Bahmani Sultans through coins’ authored by Numismatist Mohammad Ismail in which he depicts the numismatic journey of Bahmani Sultans through his collections.
The book traces the journey of coins belonging to all the 18 Bahmani Sultans starting from Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (1347-58), till the last Sultan – Kalimullah Shah (1526-1538). Mr. Ismail has meticulously worked, richly illustrated, about each coin issued during Bahmani Sultans period.
Mr. Ismail has got a rare treasure of antique coinage, belonging to Bahmani Sultans from 14th Century to 16th Century. The numismatist has more than 2,500 coins in his collection of various rulers, dynasties and kingdoms. Among his treasury are also coins dating back to 1,600 years ago.
The numismatist also organises a campaign “Save Coin Save Heritage.” The objective of this campaign is to spread awareness about ancient coins at schools and to take forward the legacy to younger generations.
Speaking to The Hindu, the numismatist explained the legacy of Bahmani Sultans and displayed a collection of nearly 80 copper coins issued in one year period between 1378-1379, and said that all the four Sultans including Dawood Shah-I, Muhammad Shah-II, Ghiyasuddin Tahmathan Shah, Shamshuddin Dawood Shah–II (4th, 5th, 6th and 7th sultans, respectively), have ruled for less than a year. His collection has got nearly 500 coins issued during Tajuddin Firoz Shah (8th Bahmani sultan), followed by 400 coins of Muhammad Shah-I (the second Bahmani sultan), and 300 coins of Kalimullah Shah (18th Bahmani sultan) Period.
According to Mr. Ismail, the study of coins gives insights into history as no other source does. The enthusiast numismatist tries to enhance his collection by getting in touch with collectors across India. His collection includes coins of various shapes, sizes and weights issued during different reigns made up of gold, silver, bronze and copper, some very rare.
When asked about the estimated value of coins in his collection, Mr. Ismail said that the value of each coin varied depending on its age, rarity and material. “But for me, as a numismatist, it is the coin’s age and rarity which matters more than its price,” he said.
Some of the rarest coins in his collections are of Tahmatun Shah, Dawood Shah, Ahmed Shah III, Muhammad Shah IV and Mujahidin Shah. Mr. Ismail’s rare collection includes 10 copper and one gold and silver coin minted during the Tahmatan Shah period. It took him eight years to find those coins. His collection also includes the rare gold and silver coins of Ahmed Shah II and Mujahidin Shah.
He also has coin collections belonging to Chalukyas, Kakatyas, Rashtrakutas, and the Vijayanagara Kingdom. Mr. Ismail wants to bring out a catalogue of these collections too.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Praveen B Para / Kalaburagi – July 03rd, 2022