Category Archives: Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022)

A peek into ensembles and fashions of the Royals Nizam and Paigah

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Paigah decendent Faiz Khan with mother Begum Tahira Sirajuddin Khan, wife Nida Fatima Khan, sons Dr. Mohammed Faraaz Khan and Mohammed Kamil Khan

A visit to the scion of the Paigah family and the great-great-grandson of H.E. Nawab Sir Vicar- Ul-Umara Bahadur, Amir-e-Paigah and former Prime Minister of erstwhile Hyderabad state M A Faiz Khan grew up seeing their family as ardent patrons of homegrown textiles, superior garments, and spectacular gems even as history is witness to the global influence of Indian Prince and Princesses.

He says that a visit to Hyderabad’s Salarjung Museum is an exciting part of a scholar’s life, it becomes more meaningful and engaging to realize that the museum itself is an astounding part of history for those researching elite Indian menswear. A visit to his house can easily get one an insight into the Nizam and Paigah family pictures which gives one a peek into the refined taste of the family and made the family stand out in the pages of history.

Faiz Khan says, “India boasts of a rich tapestry of cultural diversity, each thread intricately woven into the fabric of its magnificent royal heritage but the royal families have since long been the custodians of not just history and tradition but also of opulent style and regal elegance.

“Their grandeur, opulence, and penchant for fashion continue to inspire modern-day designers, setting the stage for some stupendous ensembles that blend the allure of the past with contemporary flair.”

Scion of Paigah Mohammed Abul Faiz Khan wearing a sherwani of his great great grandfather H.E. Nawab Sir Vicar-ul-Umara Bahadur, the fifth Amir of Paigah   

He says that the Dress and fashion during the era of the Nizams and the Paigahs included ‘angrakhas’, ‘neema’ and ‘jama’. During the last quarter of the 19th century the ‘achkan’, a fitted cape, and ‘angrakha’ developed with a few improvements into the sherwani which extended slightly below the knee and had four pockets, two upper and two on the sides, and seven buttons in front.

He said that the royals paid homage to the grandeur of their dynasty through their attire. Sherwanis were crafted from rich and regal fabrics like brocade, silk, and velvet which boasted of works like Karchobi, a kind of raised metallic thread embroidery, or Kimkhab a kind of brocade woven with silk and gold or silver threads sometimes set in precious stones too. Gold and silver metals were used in surface ornamentation. Even the weft yarns are said to be of gold and silver wire in himru, mashru and brocade fabrics.

These sherwanis reminiscent of historical figures like the 6th Nizam H.H. Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan or the Paigahs were characterized by intricate embroidery and elaborate embellishments creating an aura of regal elegance. The ‘sherwani’ became very popular among all the public in Hyderabad during the rule of Nizam VI and Nizam VII during the first half of the 20th century. It used to be worn with ‘dastar’ (headgear). The Zari work the timeless elegance and regal grandeur of the noble including the Paigahs added a touch of luxury and opulence.

The colour palettes were inspired by the grandeur of the Nizam’s Palace or the Chowmohalla Palace the first official palace of the Nizam where darbars were held and dignitaries received and from where the administrative offices of the Nizam functioned, which included deep vibrant colours like rich maroon, royal blue and emerald green which symbolized grandeur and elegance then. 

Faiz Khan says that the safa an important component of the royal’s attire added a touch of grandeur and lush. Intricately draped, it complemented the colour scheme of the ensemble and featured ornate broaches, echoing the meticulous elegance of the royal era then. Traditional pearls or jewelry including head broaches, often adorned with precious and semi-precious stones evoked the splendor celebrated by royalty and nobility.

Nida Fatima Khan Granddaughter of Major General Nawab Khusru Jung Bahadur CIE married to Faiz Khan of Paigah is wearing a Chowhashya/ Khafa Dupatta and traditional Jewelry.

Footwear like Mojris or juthis showcased elaborate embroidery and designs These designs continue to embrace these elements by grooms honouring the regal legacy of the then royals and embodying the same style during their weddings even today.

The  Jama  ‘angrakhas’, ‘neema’ the Fez caps and even the head gears known as  Dastaar or the Rumi topi have been taken over by the Western attire for day-to-day dressing. Though Sherwani continues to be  still popular and worn with a loose ankle-length  pyjama  or a churidar (legging-like) during festive occasions and Friday prayers sadly it  is no longer the power dressing of the 19th century

The Paigah grooms inspired by the then-historical figures adorned themselves with elaborate Polki jewellery head ornament, bajuband, armlets all featuring precious gemstones, which accentuated their royal allure The vibrant colour palette exuded grandeur with bright ruby reds, deep blues, and rich greens transforming grooms into timeless symbols of regal elegance.

The Kimkhab choga the achkans woven in luxury was a different ball game for these men.    

Although in possession of immense wealth, it was their refined taste that made some of this Indian royalty and nobility stand out in the pages of history. While the Nizam was the more familiar figure who immediately comes to mind, the Paigahs and their predecessors like Faiz were equally proficient. Faiz Khan adds that the royals were also instrumental in deliberately straying from conventional style norms and introducing it to the women of Indian society at a time when restrictive customs such as the pardah system existed. Here we talk of the cohesive picture of Princess Durru Shehvar, Princess Niloufer, H.E.Lady Vicar –Ul-Umara their iconic style, and how it garnered the attention of designers, legacy brands, and publications from all over the world.

He says that the contribution of the Nizams to textiles is especially noteworthy as he was passionate about good clothes jewellery and delicacies. Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan to store his large collections of clothes built a 240 feet long wardrobe at Purani Haveli Hyderabad in the hallway on either side it had 133 built-in cupboards to accommodate his large collections of clothes shoes, headgear, hats, and accessories. 

Today the legacy of the Nizam and the Paigah royals lives on the fashion choices of modern brides and grooms. Inspired by the timeless style of their ancestors, modern brides opt for gharara, saris  Khada Dupatta and sharara that pay homage to the intricate embroidery in zardozi gotta patti work.

The safa reminiscent of the ornate turbans complete their royal look. Traditional leather jootis often in coordinating colours, offer a touch of authenticity making the ensemble a bridge between the past and present.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Raja Chotrani / January 05th, 2025

Bhopal’s titular queen Saleha Sultan passes away in Hyderabad

Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bhopal, MADHYA PRADESH / Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Her funeral  will be taking place today in Bhopal’s Saifia Masjid where her family members and ancestors are buried.

Bhopal’s titular queen Princess Saleha Sultan. (File photo| EPS)

Hyderabad:

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


She was the first woman builder in Mughal rule and gave Delhi Humayun’s Tomb

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Uniquely Indian Muslim HISTORICAL RECORDS - Sufi Shrines, Dargahs, Tombs, Mughal Mausoleums (wef. December 07th, 2024), Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DELHI :

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

Management lessons from Akbar the Great’s handbook

Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), World Opinion, , ,

INDIA :

A new biography looks into Akbar’s life to draw some inspiration on how to manage the boardroom. The third Mughal emperor was always thinking on his feet, one step ahead of friend and foe; but he also knew that force had to be tempered with tolerance, and confidence with caution.

Akbar’s Tomb in Sikandra, Agra | Photo Credit: cinoby

Even as elements in the right-wing have made attempts to nibble at the great Jalaluddin Akbar, historians and authors have taken it upon themselves to project the third Mughal emperor clothed in nothing but facts of history.

Around the time of COVID-19, Ira Mukhoty came out with her exhaustive biography, Akbar The Great Mughal: The Definitive Biography (Aleph). It came on the heels of Manimugdha S. Sharma’s Allahu Akbar: Understanding the Great Mughal in Today’s India (Bloomsbury) where the author, as the title suggests, made an attempt to see the Mughal monarch in the light of modern-day developments.

The books show why Akbar is considered an Indian icon and a king with compassion and empathy. Instead of spending his childhood as a royal prince, practising calligraphy and honing his skills with the sword, Akbar lived those years, as Mukhoty writes, “in the company of his beloved animals and their keepers…He raced pigeons, ran alongside camels and dogs, and hunted cheetahs, lions, tiger, and deer. And Akbar tested his physical strength and courage against wild elephants, learning to ride and to tame them.”

Akbar had grown up practically illiterate but would eventually be “known for his reverence for learning, penmanship, books…and would patronise some of the most extraordinary works of writing, translation and illustration ever undertaken in the country,” Mukhoty points out.

This quest for knowing the unknown led Akbar to build Ibadat Khana, an assembly of scholars of different religions. Akbar’s congregation of men of spiritual accomplishment was the work of a truly liberal mind. At a time when the Safavids were persecuting non-Shias in Iran and Europe had no space for non-Christians, Akbar invited them all. He abolished the religious tax, jiziya, for non-Muslims and did away with the pilgrimage tax on Hindus and was known to prevent Sati. As Sharma quotes Abul Fazl in Allahu Akbar, “The Shahenshah in his wisdom and tolerance remitted all these taxes, which amounted to crores. He looked upon such grasping of property as blameable and issued orders forbidding the levy thereof.”

In simpler words, it meant, as Sharma writes, “The state wouldn’t come in between an individual and his faith.”

Beyond religion

Yet Akbar’s relevance goes beyond the sphere of religion as noted journalist and author Shazi Zaman discusses in his latest, Akbar The Great CEO: The Emperor’s 30 Rules of Leadership. Published by Speaking Tiger, the book has a contemporary, and non-historic feel to it. In its innovative approach lies its appeal. Zaman presents Akbar as a practitioner of some dictates which would do a management guru proud. Interestingly, the book opens with the words of a Jesuit priest stationed at Akbar’s court. The priest wrote in awe, “He was a prince beloved of all, firm with the great, kind to those of low estate, and just to all men, high or low, neighbour or stranger, Christian, Saracen or Gentile; so that every man believed that the King was on his side.” The priest’s words were borne by the fact that Akbar, as Zaman writes, “perfected the art of ruling with a light touch even though he had the means to be brutal.”

The surprise factor

So what were the 30 rules of Akbar? Though he ruled in an age when the Emperor was often larger than life, Akbar believed in subtlety. Importantly, as his experience with the Afghan king Daud Khan Karrani proved, Akbar was not just fast in his thinking, he was unpredictable too. When he would be least expected to show up in a battle, he would take the enemy by surprise, vanquish his forces, and bring him to his knees. “When the Rubicon was to be crossed was a call that he [Akbar] took in a manner so unpredictable that his opponents could never gain an advantage by guessing it,” writes Zaman. “The Emperor’s audacity was well documented visually as well… In one painting, he is seen holding a cheetah by its ear, and in another painting, he is seen mounted on a mast elephant and chasing another across a shaky bridge built on boats.”

Zaman mentions another incident which underscores Akbar’s acuity. When a slave attacked him, Akbar knew who was behind it but chose to remain quiet.

As Zaman writes, “Even the truth has to await its moment.” Does it remind you of office boardroom meetings? Maybe. But remember this was the strategy of the Mughal emperor who was merely 21 at the time of the attack. He knew the truth, but also knew how to use it to his advantage later in life.

Little wonder then that one of Akbar’s favourite books which he also recommended to his officers was Akhlaq-i-Nasiri, a 13th century text on etiquette and way of life, which said, “The king should keep his secrets concealed, so that he can change his mind without sounding contradictory…The need to keep secrets has to be combined with the need to consult intelligent people.” Akbar did it all.

Be it his relationship with Maham Angaand Bairam Khan, or later the Rajputs, Akbar was always smart and wise.

Zaman’s book progresses like an equation in a science book as he goes on to reveal many facets of Akbar’s personality.

Cultivated image

One such aspect was the way he looked, and the way he presented himself. “Akbar’s image was cultivated, recorded and disseminated with a lot of thought. There was a message in how he dressed and looked and what he chose to be doing in the picture. Each portrait portrays a facet of his personality. It never was a picture for the sake of a picture,” writes Zaman.

Written with the brush of an artist, the book is a must-read for anyone looking for life lessons and critical values, particularly in the boardroom. The ‘illiterate’ emperor was indeed a wise man, who never “went to extremes” in any direction.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by Zia Us Salam / December 25th, 2025

Nawab Shafath Ali Khan: At ease in the wild

Amazing Feats, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Nawab Shafath Ali Khan trains guns to save endangered species

Nawab Shafath Ali Khan Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

No arrogance, no laid back attitude or flaunting his privileged birth. This new age nawab is a quick draw. He can handle physical and mental strain; evidenced by the fact that he can sit motionless for hours at a stretch atop a 20 ft high machan in thick jungle with danger lurking close by.

Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, India’s celebrated hunter refuses to conform to the typical nawabi lifestyle. He doesn’t live in the lap of luxury, instead he loves to wallow in the lap of nature. He displays an unusual obsession for wildlife, conservation and guns.

At his villa in Hyderabad, stuffed trunks, elephant leg footstools and a bison leg pen-stand greet you. Then you are suddenly jolted when a trumpet rings from his mobile. His daily fare at Nilgiri Hills, Masinagudi village to be precise, where he usually stays, include a sighting of spotted deer, sambar, the piercing call of lapwings, chatter of macaques and the occasional roar of a tiger on the prowl. Sure, he is at ease with the sounds, sights and life in the jungles of south India where he has spent most of his 58 years.

Hunting runs into his genes. His grandfather, Nawab Sultan Ali Khan Bahadur, was an honorary elephant hunter for British India while his father, Nawab Arshad Ali Khan, was a target shooter, doyen of horse racing and secretary of Bangalore Turf Club. “I have inherited the love of wildlife and knowledge of flora and fauna from my ancestors,” says Shafath Ali.

At an age when most children love to play with toys, he played with weapons. Those days the nobility was exempted from the Arms Act, and there were 50 odd weapons at his house. No wonder he got a trophy for rifle shooting from the Governor of Madras in 1962 when he was just five years. At 10 he shot a spotted deer in Masinagudi. Since then he has been active in competitive rifle shooting. “Those days game licences were given and hunting blocks allotted. But there was strict code which hunters had to follow,” says Shafath Ali, fresh from the successful tranquillising of a man-eater tigress in Brahmapuri division of Maharashtra.

The only authorised tranquillising expert and culling officer in India, Shafath Ali is always at the beck and call of the forest departments of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana. If he is not tackling man-eating leopards, rogue elephants, stray tigers and sloth bear, he is training the frontline staff of the forest departments in the use of tranquillising dart gun on stressed tigers and leopards.

The dangerous missions he undertakes are a test of endurance. To work in close proximity of a man eater is perhaps the most dangerous sport. But for the last four decades it has been a way of life for Shafath Ali. “Tears of gratitude that I see in the eyes of poor farmers and forest dwellers give me energy and courage,” he says.

But he couldn’t have handled these death-defying feats without the support of his family. His wife, Begum Shaheen, stands by him with patience and understanding while son, Asghar Ali Khan, is ready to step into his shoes. The duo keep the fire burning at Safari Land Resorts, the family’s chain of restaurants at Ooty even as Shafath Ali is busy answering the call of the wild.

The sharp shooter often finds wildlife activists training guns at him for his trigger-happy ways. “Culling is a tool of conservation,” he explains. The Wildlife Tranqui Force set up by Hitesh Malhotra, head of Forest Force, Andhra Pradesh, of which he is a secretary, is intended to improve wildlife management through tranquillising and safe rescue of endangered animals.

Scientific management of wildlife population, he says, calls for evolving a strategy to deal with excessive wildlife. This is the only way to check the escalating man-animal conflict. It’s not whether animals will survive, it’s whether man has the will to save them. Save it to cherish or leave it to perish.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad> Interview / by J S Ifthekhar / July 27th, 2017

The Great Mughals review – dazzling decorous delights waft you to paradise

Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), Leaders, Museums, Libraries (wef. April 16th, 2022), Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022)

INDIA :

Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, who built the Taj Mahal to commemorate his favourite wife. Photograph: The Trustees of the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

V&A, London
Romance, bloodshed and religious curiosity is distilled in these lovely artefacts from the mighty military reign with a love of beauty and culture

This exhibition wafts you to the paradise that Shah Jahan, fifth of the Muslim emperors of much of modern India and Pakistan, wanted to create on Earth. A floor-covering decorated with red poppies sets the scene for this idyll of calmness. A rippled stone panel with myriad water spouts had me dreaming of fruit trees and pavilions while I was cooled by a stone jali screen that once filtered air through one of his buildings. These lovely objects help to fill in for his masterpiece, which for obvious reasons can’t be here: the Taj Mahal.

It is shown on a big screen above the portable delights, twinkling white in the hazy Agra sky. Shah Jahan famously built it as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631; his tomb is there beside hers. It may be familiar but this piece of architectural heaven captivatingly distils the extraordinary civilisation that a warlike dynasty from Central Asia bequeathed to the world.

The original founder of Mughal power led his armies from Kabul into northern India. When this first empire collapsed it was resurrected by Akbar, first of the exhibition’s “great” Mughal rulers, who combined military might with a love of culture and beauty that his successors would share.

The giant Zumurrud Shah flees with his army, from the Hamzanama, circa 1562-1577. Photograph: MAK/Georg Mayer

Akbar was illiterate but that didn’t stop him employing Hindu and Muslim artists to create a library of illuminated manuscripts. He had readers to tell him what the words said; anyway you can follow the epics he favoured from the ravishing illustrations. In a scene from one of his favourite story cycles, the Hamzanama, a giant with a long beard and bright red coat is chased away through the clouds by Hamza’s army.

The court painting style started by Akbar combines closely observed reality with transporting fantasy. A princess of Kabul lowers her hair for a lover to climb up against a brilliantly realistic garden where ducks swim in a rectangular pool, while above rises a dreamlike mountain landscape and a palace floating in the sky.

In the reign of Akbar’s successor, Jahangir, who came to the throne a couple of years after James I was crowned in England, a natural historical and scientific curiosity sharpens the paintings. In about 1612, a North American turkey cock reached the court and the renowned artist Mansur painted it. The bird – with its orange head, long drooping beak and fan tail – seems to pose as patiently for its portrait as Jahangir himself does in a painting of him studying a globe.

The Great Mughals were interested not just in globes but the globe. They embraced religious complexity and did not expect the Hindu population to convert to Islam. In fact, these curious rulers were attracted to Hindu mythology and mystics. In a painting entitled A Muslim Pilgrim Learns a Lesson in Piety from a Brahman, the pilgrim walks through a rolling north Indian landscape where he encounters a Hindu mystic lying in the road in true spiritual humility. The Mughals were also attracted to the mystic Islamic Sufi movement. That is represented here by a Sufi dervish’s drinking horn and Sufi-inscribed tiles from a now-vanished mosque in Lahore.

Their art absorbed influences from Persia to Renaissance Europe. Portuguese merchants are depicted visiting the Mughal court and, more mysteriously, speaking with angels as the court artists try to make sense of their strange Christian religion.

The exchange went both ways. A Mughal round shield, covered in lustrous mother of pearl patterns and pictures, has been lent by the Bargello Museum in Florence. This dazzling luxury object entered the collection of the Medici family in the 1590s.

This shield never saw battle, plainly, but the Mughals didn’t create their gorgeous world without bloodshed. Many weapons here are opulent and lethal: curved daggers with jewel-encrusted hilts and scabbards, “punch daggers” with floral decoration.

Art itself could be a fantasy of killing. There’s a portrait of Jahangir standing on a globe, shooting an arrow at close range at the severed head of his enemy Malik Ambar. This never happened, but the painting may have eased the emperor’s desire for revenge against this formerly enslaved Ethiopian who rose to be regent of a sultanate and a thorn in Jahangir’s flesh.

When the battles are won and the day’s hunting is over, you drink wine from a jade cup poured from a slender-necked ewer and walk in the gardens to be soothed by the pitter patter of fountains. Where is paradise? A Mughal court poet offered an answer you might agree with by the end of this show: “It is here, it is here, it is here.”

 The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence is at V&A South Kensington, London, from 9 November to 5 May

source: http://www.theguardian.com / The Guardian / Home> Art> Review / by Jonathan Jones / November 06th, 2024

Ghulam Rasool Khan: Nawab of Kurnool who fought against East India Company

First War of Independence 1857 / Naval Mutiny 1946 / Others PreIndependece (wef. July 27th, 2022), Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), , , , , , , ,

Kurnool, ANDHRA PRADESH :

His fort at Kurnool was turned into an ordnance factory

Ghulam Rasool Khan, the Nawab of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, who created terror among the officials of the East India Company, came to power in 1823.

Since his childhood, Ghulam Rasool Khan never cared foreign rulers. After coming into power, he took every care to protect his state from the British. He was sure that he had to fight against the British, and was prepared for the same. He befriended Gohar Ali Khan alias Mubariz-ud-Doula, a prince of Nizam state. He turned his fort at Kurnool into an ordnance factory.

The jealous cousins of Nawab Ghulam Rasool, who wished to capture power, colluded with the English and hatched conspiracies against him. They informed General Fraser, who was the British Resident, about the preparedness of Ghulam Rasool for war on 23 August 1839.

Alarmed at this, the East India Company appointed Edward Armstrong to probe into the matter and report it immediately. Edward wrote a letter to General Fraser stating that ‘the armoury of the Nawab of Kurnool is enormous. His preparedness for war is hard to describe. He turned the gardens and the royal palaces into ordnance factories.’ This information sent shivers down the spine of General Fraser, who sent the East India Company forces immediately under the command of Colonel A .B. Dyce to capture the fort of Kurnool and arrest Nawab Ghulam Rasool Khan.

East India Company troops attacked and rounded the Kurnool fort on 12 October, 1839. After six days of fierce fighting, the enemy was able to detain Ghulam Rasool Khan, on 18 October, 1839 at Joharapuram, a village near Kurnool.

Later on, they took him to Tiruchinapalli and imprisoned Rasool Khan in Tiruchinapalli Jail. The British rulers wished to eliminate the Nawab of Kurnool. So they bribed his personal servant into serving poisoned food to Nawab, due to which Nawab Ghulam Rasool Khan died on 12 July, 1840.

The Company charged the servant of murder and sentenced him to death. The British rulers tried their level best to hide this conspiracy, but history revealed the fact in course of time.

Ghulam Rasool Khan is still remembered by the people of Rayalaseema region of Andhra pradesh, where they still eulogize him singing the ballad titled ‘Kandanavolu Nawabu Katha’ (Story of Kurnool Nawab).

Syed Naseer Ahamad is a Telugu writer and journalist who has written several books on the role of Muslims in the struggle for the freedom of India. Many of his books have been translated into other languages. He can be contacted at naseerahamedsyed@gmail.com and cellphone number 91-9440241727.

source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Opinion / by Sued Naseer Ahamed / September 04th, 2022

Celebrating Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and His Contribution to Kolkata’s Culture

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Nawabi Calcutta: An overlooked era, organised by Know Your Neighbour and INTACH, highlights how Thumri, Kathak and Urdu blossomed under King of Oudh’s patronage.

Speaker Sabir Ahamed during the bicentenary celebration of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah | Picture: Know Your Neighbour

Kolkata:

We all remember the story of Wajid Ali Shah, the ruler of Oudh, being exiled to Kolkata by the East India Company for being a poor administrator. But how many of us know that the ruler had travelled to the colonial Kolkata with around 6000 attendants in 1856, in hope of travelling to London to place his case before Queen Victoria concerning the unfair annexation of his kingdom? How many of us are aware of the fact that it was only in 1857, when the first revolt for independence broke out that the recuperating Shah was kept under house arrest?

But the most intriguing aspect about the Shah’s stay in Kolkata was his ability to not lose hope, despite being robbed of his throne and his journey of recreating mini-Lucknow (Metiabruz) along the bank of river Hooghly. And little by little bringing the Lucknowi style to Bengal.

How the Shah took on to his new life, patronised art and rebuilt a mini-empire of his miles away the banks of Gomti was what Nawabi Calcutta: An overlooked era attempted to recall.

“There is more to Wajid Ali Shah and his ‘Chota Lucknow’. We shouldn’t just remember him for bringing biryani to Kolkata and giving it a spin by introducing potato to it,” said Sabir Ahamed, of Know Your Neighbour (KYN), during his inaugural speech.

The remains of structures built by Wajid Ali Shah, have often been overlooked by Kolkatans. Rare images of old Metiabruz and structures built by the last king of Oudh were screened during the programme. Ninety-nine per cent of these structures built by the Wajid Ali Shah, no longer exist, said Shaikh Sohail, who conducts heritage tours in Metiabruz. He gave a call to all to come and visit the remains and know the history of the Shah’s ‘Chota Lucknow.”

The invitation card of the event

Remembering the last king of Oudh, Sudipta Mitra, author of Pearl by the River ( a book that documents the life of Wajid Ali Shah)  chose to highlight his love for rare animals. A connoisseur of wild animals, the Shah even created a mini zoo, which home some rare animals including an open snake house much ahead of Kolkata having a zoo of its own.

“His love to collect unique or rare wild animals for his personal zoo was so famed that zoologist  Edward Blyth once wrote to his friend Charles Darwin about the King of Oudh and his love for animals. He wrote that till the Shah is alive, animal trade would flourish in India,” said Mitra.

He then went on to add, “Once Oudh was annexed, about 18 tigers from the Shah’s personal collection were brought by Blyth for Rs 20 each. These tigers were put on display for the public at the present age Teratti Bazar. And later when the Shah made Metiabruz his home, he brought three tigers from his pre-owned collection for his new personal zoo at a much higher price.”

In a bid to feel at home, the pining Shah, even established the famed Sibtainabad Imbara, where he now rests, much like his father Amjad Ali Shah, who rests at Hazratganj’s Sibtainabad Imbara.

Debunking the poor administrator theory was Dr Soumik Bhattacharjee. While addressing the audience, Dr Bhattacharjee said, “The East India Company (EIC) created a narrative to justify their annexation of Oudh. The Shah was a lover of art, and that’s not a crime. He promoted thumri, kathak and a lot of artists during his reign. He also introduced a number of administrative reforms, which were good for Oudh. But the ECI brought in laws that made it difficult for the king to do his work in a judicious way. The king, failing to understand the implications of the new laws, fell prey to ECI’s trap.”

A portrait of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah at the event venue| Picture: Soumyadeep Roy

“While Prem Chand was almost reprimanding in his play Shatranj Ke Khiladi, Satyajit Ray was more understanding towards the king of Oudh. The king’s decision to not revolt against the British and approach Queen Victoria regarding the unfair annexation should be seen as his fondness for non-violence and not weakness,” he summed up.

Taking up from where Dr Bhattacharjee left, was foodpreneur and great great granddaughter of the Shah, Manzilat Fatima. “It’s sad that not many know about the history and reality of Wajid Ali Shah. My father, Dr Kaukab Quder Meerza, wrote a book on him in Urdu, which has been translated into English by sister Talat Fatima.” She added that they are also working on a project to highlight the revolutionary work of Begum Hazrat Mahal.

On being asked if the Indian historians have been a little harsh on the king of Oudh, she said, “It’s sad that the historians despite being Indians chose to highlight the narrative set by the British and East India Company. But it’s heartening to see so many remember Wajid Ali Shah with great fondness. I am humbled by the number of events that are being organised to mark his bicentenary. As his descendants, we will try doing our bit to keep his legacy alive.

While, Mohammad Reyaz, Assistant Professor, Aliah University, highlighted the central focus of the Nawab’s migration – rebuilding a new city, which was demolished after his death and the legacy that he created in the field of art. “The Nawab of Oudh was beyond bringing biryani to Kolkata,” he said.

The event organised by INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and Know Your Neighbour, also hosted an art exhibition – Dastan-e-Akhtar by visual artist Soumyadeep Roy, who chose to pay tribute to the king through his paintings.

Also present at the event was Sarod maestro Irfan Md Khan, whose ancestor had travelled to Kolkata with Wajid Ali Shah. He summed up by saying, “The Shah was a patron of art. He patronised and promoted kathak, thumri and sarod to this city.”

source: http://www.enewsroom.in / eNewsRoom India / Home> Bengal> Inclusive India / by Shabina Akhtar / July 26th, 2023

Who First Put Aloo In Biryani?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), Travel & Tourism, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , ,

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

That culinary addition is attributed to Chef Manzilat Fatima’s great-great grandfather Wajid Ali Shah, the Nawab of Awadh.

Chef Manzilat Fatima, April 22, 2024. (image courtesy: Umang Sharma)

Manzilat’s great-grandfather did

On most evenings, Manzilat Fatima’s rooftop restaurant in South Kolkata, aptly named Manzilat’s, is packed with food connoisseurs waiting to taste the incredible dishes she prepares for them. But there is another reason foodies climb four flights of stairs to her quaint little eatery.

An engraving of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Pic Courtesy/ Wikimedia Commmons

What Manzilat does, is nothing short of remarkable.  Not only does she tantalize the tastebuds of food lovers with exceptional dishes such as Chicken Lazeez Shami Kebab, Lakhnavi Murgh Biryani, or the famed Lakhnawi Mutton Yakhni Pulav – but she also evocatively creates a bridge between the present and the royal past of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh.

Manzilat Fatima is the great-great granddaughter of the Nawab who made his home in Kolkata after the British East India Company annexed his kingdom.  He gave the culinary world the famed aloo in Biryani.

A descendant of Awadh

“I am a direct descendent of Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal ,” Manzilat reveals.

After the annexation, her great, great grandmother Begum Hazrat Mahal who took charge of Awadh, put her son Birjis Qadr on the throne in 1857. Birjis Qudr was the son of Jaan e Alam Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal.

Manzilat is the daughter of Dr. Kaukub Qudr Meerza, the grandson of Birjis Qudr, she explains.

Like her pantry, stocked with delectable food, Manzilat is a storehouse of stories and fascinating history.

A conspiracy at play

According to Manzilat, despite having no inheritance, Birjs was still the legal heir of Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal.

“Birjs Qadr had a son Mehr Qadr who was my grandfather,” adds Manzilat. “He did not have any siblings growing up. He did have a family, but they were assassinated in cold blood on August 14, 1893.”

Manzilat says that the British invited Mehr Quadr from Kathmandu to Calcutta under a false pretext. “The other descendants of the Awadh royal family wanted to snuff out the last crown king, even though there was nothing to inherit by then.”

There was a deeper conspiracy at play.

A dish of Awadhi biryani (image courtesy: Manzilat Fatima restaurant)

A poisoned dinner

“In order to snuff out this branch they cooked up a conspiracy along with the British and invited him and his family over for dinner where they laced the food with poison. In that tragedy, he, along with a son and daughter as well as his guards and dogs were murdered.”

Only Mehr Quadr’s wife, Mehtab Ara Begum, survived. She was pregnant with Manzilat’s grandfather and did not attend the dinner. “Had she gone for the dinner, the entire course of history would perhaps have been different,” says Manzilat.

Her grandmother, Mehtab Ara Begum, survived along with an unborn child – Manzilat’s father- and a daughter who was four years old at that time. The little girl grew up and married, but died childless. But the lineage of Wajid Ali Shah continued through Mehr Qadr and Manzilat’s father Kaukub Qudr Meerza.

“My lineage shaped me into a very loyal Indian,” she says. “We grew up hearing stories of valor of Begum Hazrat Mahal and Birjs Qadr and how, after 1857, (she) chose to live free in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our history helped us be grounded and honest. We learned the art of sacrifice.”

From lawyer to chef

Growing up, Manzilat heard stories about the tragedy and the conspiracy that destroyed her family – from their time in Lucknow until Birjs Qadr’s assassination, and how her grandfather was protected and grew up very sheltered because of the constant threat to his life.

Being a chef was not always the game plan. Manzilat studied at Aligarh Public School and graduated with an English (Hons) degree from Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University. She enrolled at Calcutta University for her Master’s in English and a few years after her marriage, even completed a five-year LL.B course in 2002.

Chef Manzilat Fatima (image courtesy: (Umang Sharma)

Manzilat opened the doors to her kitchen to food lovers from all over the world. As the smoke rises from her tender Mutton Awadhi Galwtii Kebab, or tear-drop-shaped condensation rolls down her chilled Khus ka sherbet, or even as patrons savor the pillowy soft aloo in their biryani, Manzilat knows that she has not only served some delectable dishes but offered her guests a panoramic view into the world of her ancestors and what they stood for – the mighty Wajid Ali Shah, the indomitable Begum Hazrat Mahal. 

In the fragrant aroma of her kitchen, Manzilat Fatima is the custodian of the legacy of the last Nawab of Awadh. Her guests experience more than just culinary delights; they immerse themselves in a narrative of courage, tradition, and the enduring spirit of Awadh.

source: http://www.indiacurrents.org / India Currents / Home> Food> India> Lifestyle / by Umang Sharma / April 26th, 2024

“Oudh” Princes From Delhi’s Malcha Mahal: Pulitzer Prize Winner Resurrects

Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022)

Oudh (Awadh) UTTAR PRADESH / DELHI :

Ellen Barry of the New York Times walked into my study and, wasting no time, came straight to the point. What did I know about the last “Begum of Oudh”? She had a quizzical, amused look like she knew what the answer would be but would still like to see my expression. The abruptness of the query was her way to establish a point of departure on the theme.

After reading Ellen’s evocative masterpiece on the Oudh (Awadh) Royals in the NYT, I am chastising myself for poor judgment. I dismissed Ellen’s pursuit as a “foreigner’s” quest for the exotic. This was months ago. The story titled “The Jungle Prince of Delhi” appeared last week.

Only after reading the lengthy piece which, in parts, reads like a poem in prose, did I, Google Ellen, out. She had been the paper’s bureau chief in New Delhi, Moscow, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and so on.

The story of the “Begum”, Princess and the jungle Prince, is a classic case of “news” which, when neither confirmed nor denied, takes root in the popular imagination. Public opinion then drives the government into action to minimize criticism. That is why Indira Gandhi in the early 80s agreed to transfer the “Royals” to a medieval hunting lodge on the ridge. It is known as Malcha Mahal.

Ali Raza, Prince

In the early 70s, a woman with sharp aristocratic features took up residence on platform number one of New Delhi Railway station and proclaimed herself the last Begum of Oudh. For greater credibility, she had in her entourage, two children, a handsome dog, and a liveried servant.

The mainstream media took a perfunctory interest but the Urdu press amplified the fall of the House of Oudh and readers, in enclaves like Jama Masjid, saw it as part of a continuing story of victimhood. Here was tear-jerking melodrama: “our royals betrayed”.

It says something of our journalism that a story laden with so much possibility waited unexplored for 40 years until Ellen Barry appeared. She tied up all the loose ends – the railway station Lucknow, Bradford, Texas, Lahore: and what a story she has delivered, a story under our noses but which we failed to see. This is not surprising because even our archaeology was excavated by Europeans. Why, even the Last Moghul, is something of a masterpiece by William Dalrymple. While Dalrymple diligently scoured archives in the fashion of scholarly investigation, the Oudh story was there for all newspapers and channels to see.

True, the story was, on the face of it, “fake” from the beginning. But what shames us, this hack included, is the fact that it required an outsider to tell up why the “fake” was being played out – across the subcontinent and two generations?

Toba Tek Singh in Manto’s story cannot understand how a place, which was in India, can “go” to Pakistan. Like Toba Tek Singh, Begum Wilayat of Oudh also spent time in an asylum for her grand delusion. She had to live with women who were “tied in chains”, Ellen’s investigations reveal for the first time.

Trust Saiyyid Ammar Rizvi, Lucknow’s omnipresent Shia (and gourmet in the classical Awadh mould) to has become something of an intermediary between the Royals and the UP Chief Minister. He must surely know about the other Royal in that splendid city – Prince Moinuddin, who also addresses himself as Bahadur Shah III. The last Moghul Emperor was his great, great grandfather: that is his story. His great grandfather escaped to Kerala. But why did Bahadur Shah III materialize in Lucknow?

Malcha-Mahal-Wilayat-Mahal

The Bahadur Shah story has remained unnoticed because the claimant to the title never made a nuisance of himself. Begum Wilayat Mahal did. When the New Delhi station master requested her to vacate the platform, she threw a fit. She would commit suicide by drinking some exotic poison. In fact, when she did die in 1993, her progeny tutored by her for decades, put out the story that, for a decorative expiry, she had swallowed “crushed diamonds”. Her daughter, Sakina’s death was presumably caused by neglect because there were stories of her unwashed hair dropping in matted locks. It was with the “Prince”, variously named as Prince Ali Reza, or Cyrus, who spent his last years in Malcha Mahal, that Ellen struck an equation of tenderness mingled with curiosity. Google her NYT piece titled “The Jungle Prince of Delhi”.

The yarn begins in Lucknow where Wilayat was happily married to the registrar of Lucknow University, Inayatullah Butt. The name itself is a give-away: it is a Sunni name whereas anybody claiming lineage from the Nawabs of Oudh would have to be Shia. A similar story of dubious veracity explains why the Butt’s left for Pakistan. During the high tension of Partition in 1947, Hindus armed with hockey sticks beat Butt up. I can bet my last rupee that the story is false. Yes, there was small-scale stone-throwing between Shias and Sunnis on appointed days annually. But Hindu-Muslim violence? Never – until caste politics reared its head in the late 80s.

The last king of Oudh (Awadh), Wajid Ali Shah’s exile to Matia Burj near Kolkata or the more recent Partition of India are disorienting events for those in the thick of it, by historical memory or raw experience. In minds like Wilayat Butt’s historical memory and immediate experience are all jumbled up in knots.

Is Malcha Mahal Really Haunted ?

Ellen believes that disruptions caused by a change (Partition for instance) had a great deal to do with the Butt tragedy. A grievance “unaddressed, had metastasized” to become an epic tragedy.

Wilayat was a “mental” as one of her relatives in Lahore said. Ellen has explored the story backward after she got to know the recluse “Prince Cyrus” in his Malcha Marg hideout. In the end, he turned out to be no more than Micky Butt. She writes of their sad delusion:

“It is impossible to know, now that he and his sister are dead, whether they even knew it wasn’t all true.”

Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai

source: http://www.theindiaobserver.com / The India Observer / Home> Diaspora> Editorial> India> Interface> Lifestyle / by Saeed Naqvi / edited by Adam Rizvi / Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai / November 29th, 2019