A Mughal goes to Pakistan to renew blood ties

[Omar1984]

Fifty-six-year-old Sultana Begum, the great-granddaughter-in-law of the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar today crossed over into Pakistan from here to trace some of her ‘royal relatives’. The widowed Begum is a resident of Kolkata and lives on a monthly pension of Rs 6,000, recently hiked from Rs 400 at the instance of President Pratibha Patil.


The Begum married Prince Mirza Mohammad Badar Bukht in 1965. Bukht, who died in 1980, leaving behind a daughter was the son of Prince Jamshed Bukht, who was son of Prince Jawan Bukht, the son of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and chief queen, Zeenat Mahal. “We ruled the country but today I do not have even a house to live in,” she says.

In Kolkata, the Begum lives in a house donated by a Sikh man. “I am virtually on the road. I have asked the Centre and the government of West Bengal for a house but no help has come up. I met President Patil in 2009 and she ordered to raise my pension but did nothing to arrange a house for me,” she says.


The Begum said a distant relative of her husband named Imran Khan was settled in Islamabad and he contacted her over the Internet after reading some stories about her. “He contacted after learning about my plight in news reports. I am going to meet him. There are some more relatives in Lahore and Islamabad I am keen to meet,” she said, adding that she will be back in a month.



She expressed unhappiness over the state of preservation of Mughal monuments, including the Jama Masjid, Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb. “One minaret of Jama Masjid had fallen and it’s lying in a corner of the compound. The government and the management of the Masjid are both turning a blind eye to the great structure.” She also said the Shahi Imam had cold-shouldered her. “What fears does he have that he does not give me time to meet him?”



Asked about her relatives, she said some are settled in Germany, the United Kingdom (UK) and France but she has no contact with them. “They used to be in touch with us during the lifetime of my husband. Later, all forgot and I do not know about them today.”


A Mughal goes to Pakistan to renew blood ties

 

[third eye]

We S Asians love to hold on to the past.

 

[CaptainJackSparrow]

^^ We are not alone.

 

[Mughal-Prince]

Well as I am not a very distant relative of that old lady because my ancestors were left Dilli and fled to Kashmir after 1857 as the situation were worsening for Mughals and later they came back and settled in Kucha Rehman ... and later 1947 one of the black mole of the family told to the authorities that we had left for Pakistan but we weren't and in case most of the property has been confiscated and we all left with merely a handful of life spending ... due to that a senior member is died and later on we migrated to Pakistan and settled in Karachi. My Grand father didn't claim much except a flat to live at bunder road in front of radio Pakistan ... and now here I am ... My Grand father used to tell me that we are decedents of Bahadur Shah Zafar ... we have luckily escaped to Kashmir so we are safe ... he also had Shajra with him but as my Grand father died and uncles couldn't kept it safe so we have lost in time now ...
Nice story na to be a self proclaimed Prince ... But that's true ...

 

[aviator]

Hope she gets shelter in pakistan and doesnt has to come back to India

 

[ashdoc]

so what if a mughal is living in poverty ??

so many rajas and maharajahs also are seeing bad times.

no-one's helping them .

 

[Rig Vedic]

Hope she gets shelter in pakistan and doesnt has to come back to India

 

[GentlemanObserver]

We S Asians love to hold on to the past.

You sure about that?

Duchy of Cornwall - Home Page - The Official Website for the Duchy of Cornwall

 

[GUNS-N- ROSES]

Hope she gets shelter in pakistan and doesnt has to come back to India

that my friend is an awfull thought.

 

[Iqbal_Brar]

the reason Mughal descendants live in poverty is because by the time the British arrived they had already lost everything they had to the sikhs in north and marathas in south and to independent sultans both in east and also south.. whatever little they had left was totally lost after war of independence when british totally finished whatever little Mughals had left... other kings are better off because even after loosing their territory they still had some power until time of partition.. and after partition they still got to keep some of their property.. mughals simply were already on the street by the time british came so they have nothing... Delhi which was supposedly only city left under mughals by the time british came was also actually being run by the Sikhs not mughals... they were kings in name only.. all taxes from delhi were actually being collected and going to Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh..

 

[mughaljee]

Mughal Say's
Well Come Respected Sultana Begum,

 

[T-Faz]

The Nawabs, feudal land owners, pirs and many other of this kind are enjoying the creation of Pakistan since its inception. They will continue to do so for years to come becuase of their stature and it boggles my mind as to why these descendents of Mughals did not move to Pakistan.

The GoP of should prepare a large mansion, land in interior provinces, servants, government protection and a ministry for these people if they want to move to Pakistan.

Please move to Pakistan and regain your Mughal lifestyle, we would appreciate it.

 

[Awesome]

My family members (extended) are filled with Mughals. Punjab is filled with the Mughal caste, especially Lahore.

 

[Nalwa]

My family members (extended) are filled with Mughals. Punjab is filled with the Mughal caste, especially Lahore.

Mughal caste? I didnt know there was one. Do they classify themselves as a separate caste/community? What are the common surnames amongst them?

 

[mughaljee]

the reason Mughal descendants live in poverty is because by the time the British arrived they had already lost everything they had to the sikhs in north and marathas in south and to independent sultans both in east and also south.. whatever little they had left was totally lost after war of independence when british totally finished whatever little Mughals had left... other kings are better off because even after loosing their territory they still had some power until time of partition.. and after partition they still got to keep some of their property.. mughals simply were already on the street by the time british came so they have nothing... Delhi which was supposedly only city left under mughals by the time british came was also actually being run by the Sikhs not mughals... they were kings in name only.. all taxes from delhi were actually being collected and going to Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh..

Brother I am not totally agree with you.
Mughal's did a lot good things, but comparatively they spent a lot of money on women's rather then Eduction institution.
When Shah Jahan building Taj Mehal, UK building Oxford !
I have some personal experience, so on that issue don't bet with me.
There is much more blah blah so ...