The Delta independent., 1906-04-06
WOMEN RULERS OF INDIA.
Three Be9ums of BhopaI Who Have
Been at Head of a Large
Native State.

Among the interesting personages
whom the Prince and Princess OF
Wales have met in the course OF their
'nIr through India. none presents a
lore engrossing study than the woman
! . Ter Of the State of Bhopal, Nawab
; Titan Jehan, Begun, If the London
Iascyunts may be regarded as authen.
|;r. The Begun is n daughter and q
t-aridaughter Of Begun and be-
Ncrn them these three women have
-ulri. for the past sixty years, the
..s:Inies of a state comprising nearly
+ go square miles of territory and q
ropulation of a million people.
The mother of the present ruler de-
scended from the famous Dost Moham.
mad Khan. the founder of the Bhopal
dynasty. She succeeded to the throne
In 1S6S. in which year she sent to
Queen Victoria a quaint letter &C.
knowledging her majesty's kindness
in accepting the dedication Of a book
written by the Begum's mother, the
enlightened Sikandar. describing her
pilgrimage to Mecca
The book in question is a pictur-
esQue record Of an oriental journey.
containing an appreciation OF the char.
acteristics Of that place as seen and
understood by an Indian lady. The
Begun seems to have been particular
ly struck by the enormous quantities
OF food which the inhabitants Of Mec-
ca were able to consume. She records
that they were in the habit Of dispos-
ing Of FIVE or six pounds weight per
hand per day.
They appeared to thrive on II, how.
ever. for the Begun vouches for the
fact that the average man was so alb.
normally strong that he thought moth.
Ing OF carrying a weight Of 900 pounds
from the street TO the top of a house.
The Begun apparently took n great in
terest in building operations in Mec-
ca. for she includes in her book n list
OF building materials, with their cost
Loyal to England.
The loyalty to the British Govern.
ment, to which the present Begum's
mother referred in her letter to Queen
Victoria, was strikingly exhibited by
the famous Sikandar who ruled dur.
ing the mutiny.
At the height Of the insurrection q
deputation from her army gathered
outside the palace and expressed a
wish that the Begun would put her.
self at the head OF her men and lead
them on to Delhi to exterminate the
inddel British. The Begun promised
to do so, but during the night she,
with few faithful adhercnts. caused
the whole army, consisting OF about
three thousand men all told. to be dis
armed and their weapons hidden. The
following day she offered to lead them
unarmed to Delhi. but the army
thought better Of It. This plucky act
probably had a great influence on the
trend Of events. and 1t undoubtedly
saved the British residents at n neigh.
boring town from massacre.
Bhopal has always been one Of the
most friendly OF the Indian States. So
far back as ITS, when Gen. Goddard
marched across India. Bhopal was the
only Indian power which showed H.
self friendly. In 1918 the British Gov.
ernment formed an alliance whh Bho-
pal. guaranteeing to the Nawab the
possession Of the State.
More Liberty for Women.
The Shah Gehan Begun, the daugh.
ter Of Sikandar, succeeded in 1868 and
proved most worthy follower Of her
mother. She threw aside the restric.
lions OF the 'purdah." which imposed
the strictest seclusion upon Indian
women. and was always accessible,
conducting business on her own initia.
tive with tho greatest vigor. NJ. Louis
Rousselet, a French explorer. thus de-
scribes q meeting he had with her
many years ago.
ri had an appointment with Her
Highness." he wrote. land % called
at the palace. which IL full Of Euro
pean treasures and luxuries. In the
room Into which I was ushered sat n
little girl whom I took to be the daush'