Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

muqawwee123 · April 11, 2012, 8:41am

:hinna: Badalta hai rung aasman kaise kaise

Sultana Begum – a surviving heir of Bahadur Shah Zafar - books heritage History India Mughal Personal South Asian Literature - Andolan Ek Pustak Se Bahadur Shah Zafar books Campaign Howrah India Mughal Sultana Begum - Jahane Rumi

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In the midst of pompous celebrations over the 150th year of India’s First War of Indepedence, a fact that rankles is that the heirs of the Mughal’s last emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, Sultana Begum, continue to languish in squalour and anonymity.
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The story of middle-aged Sultana Begum brings tears to one’s eyes. **She runs a tea-stall in Howrah to earn a living for her family. Bahadur Shah Zafar’s heirs are struggling to take out a bare survival. Due to the poverty, daughters in the family were deprived of higher education.

**But, Union Minister for Railway Lalu Prasad and Minister for Corporate Affairs Prem Chand Gupta have hailed the efforts initiated by a Delhi-based couple Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha – who met Sulata Begum as a part of their ongoing movement “Andolan Ek Pustak Se” and assured the couple that they would protect Sultana Begum economically, her daughters educationally and fulfill their all desires in view of the 150 year of 1857 Uprising.
During their six months efforts, the Jha couple has collected all historical official documents about Sultana Begum.

**Living in a 8?x8? room at Cowies Ghat’s slum located near Foreshao Road in Howrah district of West Bengal, Sultana Begam, the direct descendants of the last Mughal emperor has narrated her miserable conditions and governments both centre and state apathy. She expressed her willingness to settle in Chandini Chawk in the National Capital to view the Red Fort, the last residence of Mughal emperor before he was exiled to Rangoon.
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Sultana Begum, 55, said: “Before I take my last breath, my lifetime desire is to marry my daughter Zinat Mahal, impart education to her only son Kamal Bakht and settle in Chandni Chowk to have glimpses of the Red Fort.”

On couple’s initiatives, on July 4 last year, Lalu Prasad and Prem Gupta had rehabilitated Vinayak Rao Tope, the third generation of the front line leader of 1857 Uprising Tatya Tope. Besides financial assistance worth Rs.5 lakh, Lalu Prasad also granted employment to Pragati and Tripti, the two daughters of Vinayak Rao Tope in the Container Corporation of India.

During the life time of the grate Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, the couple had launched a nationwide movement “Andolan Ek Pustak Se” through a book on the life and art of the Ustad – Monograph on Ustad Bismillah Khan – to protect all such people and their families who brought laurels and pride to the nation.

Sultana Begum gets a pension of Rs 400 a month from the Centre and lives in a pathetic condition in a Howrah’s slum. Bedar Bakht, Sultana Begum’s husband died in 1980.

“After the death of my husband, I approached the West Bengal Government to provide an accommodation for my family. I got it at Trolly Gunj area. But, due to harassment by some local criminals and local politicians, I was forced to vacate the flat. Since them I am living here with my young daughters,” Sultana with tear in her eyes said the couple.

Sultana Begum is Howrad line of descent. From Howrah line, Sultana Begum is wife of late Muhammad Bedar Bakht, son of Jamshid Bakht and grandson of Jawan Bakht.

According to official records, there are three lines of descent from Bahadir Shah Zafar. From Delhi line, Bahadur Sha Zafarâ€™s son was Mirza Fathul Mulk Bahadur alias Mirza Fakhru had one son Mirza Farkhunda Jamal, who had a son late Hamid Shah and late Begum Qamar Sultan, who married a commoner.

While from Hyderabad line, Bahadur Shah’s son was Mirza Quaish, who had one son Mirza Abdullah who had one son Mirza Pyare who married with Habib Begum. Bahadur Shah’s great-great-granddaughter was Begum Laila Ummahani who married married with Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy.

**There are also descendants of other Mughal kings beside Bahadur Shah-II Most of them used to have or inherited governor’s or courtier’s positions; some were viziers or worked in the court of the Shah.
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When the 1857 Mutiny came most of them fled the capital and changed their family name from Mirza, Mughal, Beg, etc. to something more common. Some escaped to distant principalities and held courtier’s positions there. Examples include Jalaluddin Mirza’s line of Bengal zamindari under the Maharaja of Dighapatia and the Toluqari family, which claims to be Baron Gardner’s descendants as well.

Sannan · April 11, 2012, 10:06am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

Mughal key T-Iron aur Gaader :cobra:

muqawwee123 · April 11, 2012, 10:51am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

Mughal ka loha sabhi mante hain

Now say something on the topic.. What happened to Mughals after Bahadur Shah?

Sannan · April 11, 2012, 11:55am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

Bahadur shah kay hotay hoye he buhat kuch ho gia tha unn kay sath :hinna:

muqawwee123 · April 11, 2012, 1:15pm

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

Yes the Mughals / Mongol lineage transformed into weakest state till reaching Bahadur Shah.. but still they were in better position before 1857. After 1857, they have to hide their identity for a time. In Sindhi literature, we find reference to some Mughal families who migrated to Hyderabad Sindh. In Mirza Qaleech Baig’s novel ‘Zeenat’, later dramatised by Fatima Suraya Bajiya for PTV, they shown hero as a Mughal Man, who taught Sindhi to English officers.

the_kaur · April 14, 2012, 5:57am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

None other than they themselves are responsible for such state they are in:)
It is pity on whose names Indians use to take oath in 1857 is in such shambles:(

muqawwee123 · April 14, 2012, 6:34am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

They kept there identity hidden for more than a century. In rural Sindh, the people’s cast was in accordance with their profession like Mochi, Dhobi, Chaaran (people related to herding), Dhakkan (carpenter).

But now people have revealing their identities. Mochi have become Channa, Dhakkan become Soomro (both these Channa and Soomro ruled Sindh centuries ago). Lohar now started calling themselves Mughal. There was famous Sindhi Singer Rehman Mughal (aka Sarmad Sindhi) who died in 90’s, he was a youth icon during MRD Movemnet against Zia regime.

the_kaur · April 14, 2012, 6:49am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

In this country all it requires labour, my ancestor came with ghuttries on their heads in 1947, now we are living with dignity. Even Mauryas, of whose dynasty Ashoka belonged to, is a caste of vegetable growers, Shakyas, but they did rise back to a large extent in post independent society:)

muqawwee123 · April 14, 2012, 6:58am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

With the 1857 revolt the most affected part of the society were Mughal women. Many books were written in Urdu for there state. It is said that many had to become prostitute. There was this drama ‘Ab Mera Intezar kar’ by famous Pakistani writer ‘Noorulhuda Shah’, which is based on this theme.

Hakuna_Matata_1 · March 5, 2013, 11:41am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

Restored attachments:

muqawwee123 · March 5, 2013, 11:43am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

so whats your knowledge on the subject. Do you agree with what is said in above posts?

Hakuna_Matata_1 · March 5, 2013, 11:48am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

I dont believe this

my Dad never told me that

I must read it all …

well it’s a sad story

muqawwee123 · March 5, 2013, 11:49am

Re: Mughal Survivors after Bahadur Shah

Do you have family tree?