Begum Samru
Begum Samru | |
---|---|
Born | Farzana Zeb-un-Nissa c. 1753 Kutana,[1] Meerut, Maratha Empire |
Died | 27 January 1836 (aged 82–83) Sardhana, near Meerut, Mughal Empire |
Burial place | Basilica of Our Lady of Graces, Sardhana |
Other names | Joanna Nobilis Sombre |
Occupation(s) | Nautch girl Ruler of Sardhana |
Spouse | Walter Reinhardt Sombre |
Joanna Nobilis Sombre (c. 1753 – 27 January 1836), popularly known as Begum Samru (née Farzana Zeb un-Nissa),
Begum Sumru died immensely rich but without an
Life
Begum Samru was of slight stature, fair complexion and distinguished by exceptional leadership abilities of an uncommon order. More than once, she headed her own troops in action. She was reportedly of
When she was in her early teens, she married (or started living with) a mercenary soldier Walter Reinhardt Sombre of Luxembourg, who was operating in India. Walter Reinhardt Sombre, a European mercenary, then 45 years old, came to Chawri Bazar and fell for the charms of Farzana, then a tawaif of 14, says Johan Lall in his "Begum Samru - Faded Portrait in a Gilded Frame".[11]
A soldier of fortune, Sombre moved from Lucknow to Rohilkhand (near Bareilly), then to Agra, Deeg and Bharatpur and back to the Doab. Farzana helped him in those times of intrigue and counter-intrigue.
Ruler
On the death of her husband Walter Reinhardt in 1778, she succeeded to his Principality yielding about £90,000 per annum. Over time, she became powerful, ruling over a large area from Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh. Her conduct in the internal management of her estate was highly commendable. On 7 May 1781, aged around thirty, Begum Samru was baptized Joanna Nobilis, by a Roman Catholic priest. Throughout her life, she had only one friend, Begum Umdaa, who belonged to the other
Death
She died at Sardhana in January 1837 at the age of 85, bequeathing the greater part of her property to David Ochterlony Dyce Sombre, who descended from Walter Reinhardt Sombre, from his first wife.[8] Several stories and novels have been written based on her political and diplomatic astuteness and on crucial battles fought by troops directly commanded by her.[16]
Palace at Chandni Chowk, Jharsa and Sardhana
She built palaces at Sardhana, Chandni Chowk in Delhi and Jharsa. The
Jharsa palace and cantonment in Gurugram
Sardhana palace
The palace built by her in Sardhana near Meerut was the centre of much activity during the reign of Mughal Emperor, Akbar Shah. Shah Alam II, the predecessor and father of Akbar Shah, regarded Begum Samru as his daughter. He did so because the Begum had saved Delhi from an invasion by a force of 30,000 Sikhs, under Baghel Singh in 1783. They had encamped at Tis Hazari (the name of the place being derived from the number of those who constituted the force, estimated at 30,000). Thanks to the Begum's parleys, the Sikhs did not enter the city and went back to Punjab after getting a generous monetary gift from Shah Alam. [citation needed]
In 1787(?), when the emperor, Shah Alam II, blind and feeble, was in pursuit of Najaf Quli Khan and trying to quell the rebellion stirred up by him, an incident occurred at Gokalgarh that brought the Begum closer to Shah Alam. Seeing that the emperor's troops were wavering in their resolve to attack the rebel leader, she advanced with a force of 100 men and whatever big guns she had and opened fire on Najaf Quli Khan and his men. This did the trick and Najaf sought the Begum's help to make his peace with Shah Alam. Thankful for her intervention, the emperor bestowed special honours on her at the royal court and declared her to be "his most beloved daughter". Not only that, she was also confirmed in her estate at Sardhana, which was the subject of a dispute with Louis Balthazar alias Nawab Zafaryab Khan, another son of her late husband, General Sombre, by his first wife, Badi Bibi (senior wife).Until his death, Emperor Shah Alam and his major wives treated her almost as a relative, and embraced her when she entered the zenana (women) quarters. as the English visitor Ann Deane noted in late December 1808: " ....and afterwards I accompanied her to the royal residence ......we then ascended ....to the zenanah ['women's quarters'].... the begum now led the way through crowds of eunuchs ....Here we were met by the queen Dowager....an ugly, shriveled old woman, whom the begum embraced."[23]
Chandani Chowk palace
Begum Samru's palace in Chandni Chowk, now called Bhagirath Palace, was built in a garden gifted by Akbar Shah, a later day mughal, to the Begum when he ascended the throne after the death of Shah Alam II in 1806. Her palatial building still stands in Chandni Chowk, New Delhi. It is currently owned by the Central Bank of India, Chandni Chowk Branch.[24]
Death
Begum Samru died on 27 January 1836 at the age of 82 or 83 and was buried under the Basilica of Our Lady of Graces which she had built.
Popular culture
The Begum Samru is depicted as a prominent noble lady in TV drama series Beecham House first aired June 2019. The role was portrayed by Indian actress Lara Dutta.[25] She also features as a prominent character in the novel Flashman and the Cobra by Robert Brightwell.[26]
Begum Samru appears as the antagonist in the British colonial author William Browne Hockley's short story "The Natch". Sir Walter Scott's Old Mother Montreville in The Surgeon's Daughter is based on Begum Samru.
See also
Citations
- ISBN 9780313327070.
- ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 210..
- ^ Begum Sumru The Church of Basilica
- ISBN 0-521-83274-8
- ^ Borpujari, Priyanka (5 July 2019). "India's forgotten power broker—what was her secret?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ "The Sardhana Project". www.sardhana.org.uk.
- ^ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 22, page 105 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library". dsal.uchicago.edu.
- ^ a b ""REINHARD'S ERBENGEMEINSCHAFT" R.E.G.: The Inheritance". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
- ^ ""REINHARD'S ERBENGEMEINSCHAFT" R.E.G.: Chronology of the Heir Community". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
- ^ Dalrymple 2006, p. 238 "She was originally said to be a Kashmiri dancing girl named Farzana Zeb un-Nissa."
- ^ "Begum Samru: From an orphan to an estate ruler".
- ^ a b Blunt, Edward Arthur Henry (1911). List of Inscriptions on Christian Tombs and Tablets of Historical Interest in the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. p. 16.
- ISBN 1846770610.
- The Tribune, 3 July 1999.
- Oxford UniversityPress, page 12.
- ^ Profile Archived 1 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine, natgeotraveller.in; accessed 28 August 2014.
- ^ Haryana Tourism.
- ^ a b "A queen's magnificent church". The Indian Express. 2 September 2012.
- ^ a b Hope for decrepit French memorial in Gurugram as official issues directions for restoration, Hindustan Times, Jun 2018.
- ^ 200-year-old memorial in Gurugram dedicated to the Begum who commanded an army, Hindustan Times, Jun 2018.
- ^ Gurugram plan a misdirected govt move from history to myth, Times of India.
- ^ Yashpal Gulia, 2012, Heritage of Haryana.
- ^ Deane, Ann (1823). Tour Through the Upper Provinces in Hindostan. London: C and J.Rivington. pp. 148–175.
- ^ Madhur Tankha (9 September 2013). "History is bunk at this Delhi palace". The Hindu. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ "Lara Dutta Plays Begum Samru In 'Beecham House' & The Story Behind This Historical Figure Is Incredible". Bustle. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Flashman Rides Again". Telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
References
- ISBN 0-670-99925-3..
- ISBN 978-1784530556..