This story narrates the hardship and survival struggle of “Kulsum Zamani Begum”, daughter of the last Mughal King “Abu Zafar Bhadhur Shah”. She herself narrated her ordeal, to Khawaja Hasan Nijami Dehlavi. The narration has been referred from his book “1857 Ki Kahaniya”

Story of Kulsum Zamani Begum – Daughter of Last Mughal King

Chapter 1: Beginning of the Bad Days

Kulsum Zamani Begum, narrates that during the end days of the Mughal Sultanate, an utter chaos descended on Delhi and the Lal Quila. She, with her one and half years old daughter “Zeenat” had not eaten for last few hours and she was not been able to breast feed her daughter, due to fear, hunger and anxiety, all around her. There was fight, death and devastation with people screaming, homes being burned. While the midnight was reverberating with sound of Guns and Tanks, with an ensuing battle between the British battalion and Mughal army, a royal servant came to her door with a royal decree that her beloved father, Sultan Abu Zafar Bhadur Shah, wishes to see her and the family, immediately.

As she reached the Lal Quila, abode of the Mughal Sultan, her Father asked her to sit near him and lovingly told her “I now hand you over to Allah. We will meet again, if the destiny desires. You should leave immediately for your own safety, with your husband and daughter. I do not wish, to lose my children in this difficult hour, but if you live far and safe, it will be for your own good”

After this the Sultan, with his trembling hands, begun to pray on a high pitch “Oh Almighty, I handover these helpless children to you. They were taken care in a Palace, and now leaving for struggle and hardship to a Forest. They have no one to protect them. Let Timur’s name be upheld and hapless women be protected. All Muslims of India are your children; you protect these children too, from all the trouble and misery”.

He blessed his daughter & Grand-daughter for one last time and gave few precious gifts to his Son-in- Law, Mirza Jyayuddin. The Sultan asked his wife, Noor Mahal, to go along with his daughter, to safety.

Immediately, post bidding farewell to her Father, Kulsum Zamani Begum, left in a caravan, at the dawn along with two men. Among the two men, was one her husband – Mirza Jyayuddin and another was Mirza Umra Sultan, brother-in-law of Sultan Abu Jafar Bahadur Shah.

Begum Noor Mahal, looked back for one last time at the Lal Quila with wet eyes, her home for so many years.

Chapter 2: Struggle for Life

After leaving Lal Quila, the caravan reached, a village named as Korali. The women and children ate “Baajra Roti” with “Yohgurt”. Even a simple food like this, tasted better than Biryani, for the hungry and the tired royal family. But as ill luck was chasing them, next day, dacoits surrounded the village and started robbing the villagers. The team of dacoits had many tribal men and women, who smelled like rotten food and looked terrible. They took off all the jewellery, clothes and every precious items from the royal family and left them barely with anything, but fortunately left them alive.

As Kulsum Begum’s daughter Zeenat, started crying with hunger and thirst, the mother shouted for help. A nearby wealthy Landlord heard the cry and came for her help. He brought water and essentials for the poor Zeenat and started treating Kulsum Begum like his sister. He helped the ill fated daughter of Sultan, to reach Merrut. Kulsum Begum wanted to reach out to Mir Faiz Ali Shah in Merrut, who as a profession was a Hakim, and was a close friend of the Royal family. But as he met them, he is alleged to have mis-behaved and told them to leave immediately, as he was afraid of repercussions by the Hindus and the British army and for his own well-being.

All known well wisher of the royal family abandoned them, for sake of their own safety and in order to avoid wrath of the British Army. They wanted to maintain a distance and indifference with the royal family. Disappointed with this, Kulsum Begum and the royal family, decided to travel to Hyderabad and seek refuge. The third day, they reached nearby a river, where Nawab of Koyal, was stationed, to wage a war, with the British army. As soon as Nawab of Koyal heard of the royal family having arrived, he gave them a lot of respect and helped the family cross the river, on an elephant. As soon, as they crossed the river, a battle ensued between the Nawab and a British troop. The royal family, hid near a wheat harvest, to save their life, yet a fire broke in the harvested wheat and they had to run across the agri land. They were injured and badly bruised. As they came out of the burning fire, Begum Noor Mahal fainted and Zeenat collapsed.

As the fighting army, moved away, the loyal Landlord fetched some water from the nearby river and brought it to the royal family to drink. Begum Noor Mahal and Zeenat, came to consciousness and Begum Noor Mahal, started weeping on their ill fate. She said that she saw her husband, Sultan Bahadhur Shah in her dreams, whom she saw, in Prison bind by chains and pleading his daughter and wife to be brave. The royal family continued to cry and lament over their bad luck and mis-fortune. and with a fear, as what awaits them next.

As the royal caravan, again moved forward, they reached a village, which had significant Muslim population. The head of the Village, welcomed them and arranged for their safety and rest, with sacks of hays and grass bed-roll, made on the floor. They had a tough time sleeping with Bugs biting everywhere, hays and grass, hurting like a needle and the night echoing with howling of wolf and foxes. It was a sleepless and scary night for the royal family, as they feared death, at every step.

Chapter 3 – Fortune Turns Around

The royal family, managed to save a precious ring, which they sold in Jabalpur and got some money, for the long journey. The family, with all the struggle, managed to reach Hyderabad and rented a small house in Sitaram Peth. To run the expenses of the house,  Mirza Jyayuddin, husband of Kulsum Begum, who was a prolific writer, begun to write glories and salutations of Hazrat Muhammed, known as “Durood Sharif” and sold them near the Char Minar. He started selling “Durood Sharif” very easily to many Muslim disciples and it would easily fetch him Rs. 5 for his work. The royal family, hence was back to some respite and comfort with the newly bought wealth.

But as ill luck was chasing them, British government, summoned that anyone, giving asylum or protection to the Mughal family members will be punished. Fearing that the royal family, who were living in disguise, would be caught and handed over to the British, Begum Kulsum, stopped her husband from going out and selling “Durood Sharif” entirely. As again the poverty and deprivation returned to haunt them, Mirza Jyayuddin, started teaching Quran, to a Prince of a Nawab in Hyderabad. Mirza Jyayuddin would go to the prince’s house stealthily, to teach Quran, but in turn would get ill-treated and humiliated by the Nawab. Mirza Jyayuddin , was very depressed with this ill treatment and would beg Allah to give him death, rather than humiliation. Meanwhile, Miya Nizzamudin Sahab, got tipped off of the royal family, living in Hyderabad. Miya Nizzamudin, was a very respected person in Hyderabad. He helped the royal family, go to Mecca and arranged for all their expenses. The royal family first went to Mumbai and boarded for a ship to Mecca. Many fellow passengers, when heard of the royal family, would come and pay their respect and sympathies with them.

As the family reached Mecca, one of their previous royal servants, Abdul Qadir, who made lot of wealth in Mecca, arranged for their comfortable stay. As the Sultan of Mecca heard about the royal family staying, he gave them all the amenities and money for their hospitality. The royal family stayed in Mecca for 9 years, 7 years in Baghdad and 1 year each in Karbala and Najaf Ashraf. The family finally decided to return to Delhi, in the memory of the homeland. The British government, which already was in Power then, approved a pension of Rs. 10 per month for the royal family. The family lamented, that once the entire India belonged to them and now they are getting just a meagre Rs. 10 as pension, but they accepted the fate, considering as a decree of the Allah.

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