Lutfunnisa Begum

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Lutfunnisa Begum
LutfunissaBegum.jpg
Lutfunissa Begum's tomb in Khosbag
Consort of the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Tenure9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757
Born1740
Died10 November 1790(1790-11-10) (aged 49–50)
Murshidabad, India
Burial
Khushbagh, India
SpouseSiraj ud-Daulah
Issue

Lutfunnisa Begum was the third wife and primary consort of Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal.[1]

Early life[]

Lutfunnisa, originally named Rajkunwari, was a Hindu girl who served Begum Sharifun nissa, Siraj ud-Daulah's maternal grandmother.[2] Siraj was infatuated with the beauty of Rajkunwari and asked his grandmother to give her to him. Begum Sharifun nissa complied and he renamed her Lutfunnisa Begum. By this point, Siraj had already married two other wives: and .[3]

Life after marriage[]

Lutfunnisa gave birth to a daughter, Umme Zohra Begum, who was Siraj's firstborn child. In 1748, Siraj's father, Zain ud-Din Ahmed Khan, was killed by Afghan rebels headed by Mustafar Khan. Siraj was also appointed to his father's former position of Naib Nazim of Bihar. During this time, Lufunnisa Begum became his primary consort. After the Battle of Plassey, which saw the British East India Company defeat Siraj and his French allies, Lutfunnisa escaped the palace with him and their daughter. Accompanying them was a trusted eunuch. On 24 June 1757, they made their escape. They were soon captured and brought back to Murshidabad by Mir Jafar, the new nawab allied with the British. Mir Qasim, the son-in-law of Mir Jafar, tortured Lutfunnisa to discover the locations of the family jewels.[3]

In 1758, Lutfunnisa and her daughter were exiled to Dhaka and imprisoned in Jinjira Palace. She was confined there for seven years during which time Mir Jafar and his son asked her hand in marriage, both of whom she refused. She was released from Jinjira Palace in 1765 and was allowed back to Murshidabad. The British East India company allowed the creation of a pension for her and her daughter. The latter, Umme Zohra Begum, was married to Mir Asad Ali Khan Murad ud-Doulah, the nephew of Siraj, son of and later nawab of Dhaka. After her marriage, Umme Zohra Begum was renamed as . They would give Lufunnisa four grandsons and daughters, whom she raised after the death of her son-in-law and daughter. In March 1787, she petitioned the British East India Company to increase her pension so to meet the additional cost of four grandchildren. The company refused the increase. The Estate of the Nawab of Bengal still paid for the upkeep of Lufunnisa's father-in-law's grave, which was managed by her.[3][4]

Death[]

Lufunnisa died on 10 November 1790. She was buried in Khushbagh by the side of her husband.[3]

In popular culture[]

References[]

  1. ^ "The women in Siraj ud-Daulah's life". The Daily Star. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  2. ^ Markovits, Claude (2004). A History of Modern India, 1480-1950. Anthem Press. ISBN 9781843310044.
  3. ^ a b c d Iqbal, Shahryar ZR. "Lutfunnisa Begum". Banglapedia. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Jinjira Palace: A tale lost in time". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
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