(Residential halls of Aligarh Muslim University: Person behind the name series/ blog 4)

Begum Sultan Jahan Hall

Begum Sultan Jahan Hall is tribute of Aligarh Muslim University to its first female Chancellor and one of its biggest supporters since its infancy. The Hall was established on September 2008 as a hall of residence for female students of the University. At present the Hall has four hostels named Block A, Block B, Block C and Block D.

Birth and Early Education

Born on 9 July 1888 in Bhopal (Hamid, R., 2011) was the eldest and only surviving child of Nawab Begum Sultan Shah Jahan and H.H. Nawab Baqi Muhammad Khan Bahadur. Her early education was under the care of Nawab Sikandar Begum. She was taught Urdu, Arabic, Persian. Upon completion of her education, certificate was given by W.E.Frere. At a later stage English lessons were given by the political agent of Gwalior, A.W.Hutchinson (Fareed, Sadaf, 2020).

She became the ruler of Bhopal through a letter dated 28 June 1901, from Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India (Jahan, S., 1913). She was the last in the chain of successive four Muslim women rulers. The previous three being: Nawab Qudsiya Begum, Nawab Sikandar Begum and Nawab Shahjahan Begum. This is unique not only in the Islamic world but it is difficult to find such an example anywhere in world history.

Sultan Jahan and Girls Education

She was always concerned about promoting education. Her contributions towards education and particularly women education are exemplary. When Lord Edwin Montague, the British Secretary of State for India, met Begum Sultan Jahan in 1917, he noted in his diary that she was “frightfully keen on education, and jabbered about nothing else” (Naik, P., 2019). Her keenness towards education can be gauged by her complaint to Shibli Naumani. She said “My heart weeps over the educational condition of the nation. Our people are not getting any intelligence, rather they make different excuses” (Fareed, S., 2020).

Quite early during her reign as ruler of Bhopal, she established school for girls education named Madarsa Sultania. The school was affiliated to Allahabad School Board. Besides the prescribed syllabus, there was provision of teaching Quran along with its translation. The school not only had ambulance and first aid facility but it later started a separate section for teaching first aid to its students. A teachers training school was also started at the Madarsa Sultania.

During the same period she also upgraded two existing schools in Bhopal, namely Madarsa Bilqisia and Madarsa Victoria. English, Home Science, Arithmetic etc were added to the syllabus. In Madarsa Bilqisia, students were taught gardening also.

Sultan Jahan Begum opened school for Hindu girls as well by the name of Barjeesiya Kanya Pathshala. The school offered Hindi, Arithmetic and English as major subjects. She also fixed scholarship for the underprivileged students of ‘Jain Shwetambar Pathshala’.

Later on she was instrumental in the opening of Madarsa Islamia Hamidiya. The foundation of the school was laid on 5th February 1925. Similarly when her son Sahibzada Hamidullah Khan proposed to start a college in Bhopal for girls by the name of Sultan Jahan College, she enthusiastically supported the move.

Upliftment of Women

Sultan Jahan Begum was always interested in the upliftment of women as was always thinking of ways to do so. For the same purpose she established ‘Ladies Club’ in Bhopal. The idea was to encourage women to do something positive for the society. She organised event for the same purpose under the aegis of All India Women Association and presented her acclaimed address entitled ‘Issues of Women’. At the event she announced the establishment of Sultan Jahan Endowment Trust with a contribution of three lakh rupees to support meritorious and needy students.

Later she started ‘Girls Guide School‘ to motivate girls to engage in creative activities. She also started a nursing school by the name of ‘Lady Minto Nursing School‘.

Support to Madaris

Besides secular education, she was always ready to support religious education. She supported Madarsa Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, from its inception. She approved an annual grant of twelve thousand rupees for the same. Another major contribution was her support to Madarsa in Makkah.

Sultan Jahan Begum and Aligarh

Sultan Jahan always had connection with the Aligarh Movement. When Mohammadan Anglo Oriental College was established at Aligarh she immediately supported the cause. She sent her younger son Nawab Hamidullah Khan to Aligarh where he studied for six years like any ordinary student of the day.

She was always involved in the affairs of All India Educational Conference. In the conference meeting in 1910 in Allahabad she was told about the need to start a movement to upgrade the college to University by Prince Agha Khan and Nawab Waqar ul Mulk she immediately sanctioned one lakh rupees and also promised to talk to Nizam of Hyderabad to contribute to the cause.

Similarly late when convinced of the need for a building for All India Educational Conference, she sanctioned fifty thousand rupees. On 27th February 1914 the foundation of the building was laid by her at Aligarh and on 5th February 1916, the building was inaugurated. Presently the building is known as Sultan Jahan Manzil which runs a coaching also.

In 1920 she became the first Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University till her death in 1930. After her death her son Nawab Hamidullah Khan was appointed the Chancellor of the University. She was the first female Chancellor of any India University and so far is the only female to have held the post of Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University in its more than hundred years of existence. She attended the first convocation of the University in 1922 where she gave speech at Stretchy Hall.

Sultan Jahan Begum and Seeratun Nabi

Begum sahiba was always ahead of others when it came to contribute for any religious cause. When she was appraised of the plan of Allama Shibli Nomani to write a book on the Seerat of the Prophet, she enthusiatically supported the idea and fixes a monthly stipend for Shibli so that he can focus on his research and be relieved from worries about household expenses. Shibli acknowledged the same by writing the following lines:

Masarif ki taraf se mut’ma’in hun main bahar surat

Ke abr faiz e Sultan Jahan Begum zar afshan hai

Rahi taaleef ki tanqeed e rawayat e hai tareekhi to

Us ke wastey mera dil hai meri jaan hai

Gharz do hath hain is kaam ke anjaam main shamil

ke jis main ek faqeer be nawa hai ek Sultan hai (Shibli Nomani)

When complete Seerat un Nabi was published after the death of Allama Shibli Nomani, she further sanctioned three thousand rupees to Dar-ul-Musannifeen (Azamgarh) for the purchase of new printing press.

Sultan Jahan Begum as an Author

Sultan Jahan Begum was a prolific writer. She wrote numerous books on various subjects. Books written by her are: Tuzk-e-Sultani, Gauhar-e-Iqbal, Khiayaat-e-Sultani, Khutbat-e-Sultani, Akhtar Iqbal, Hayat-e-Shahjahaani, Tazkirah Baaqi, Hayat-al-Zaujain, Tandrustri, Hifzan-e-Sehat, Maeeshat-e-Khandani, Sweater Bunne ka Pehla Risala, Hayat-e-Qudsi, Sabeel-ul-Jinaan, Rauzatul Riyaheen, Effatul Muslimaat, Silk Shahwaar, Maqsad Asdwaaj, Seerat-e-Mustafa, Bacchon ki Parwarish, Faraez-un-Nisa, Rehbar-e-Niswan Hissa Awwal, Islamiyaat, Hidayat Baghbani, Ekhlaq ki Pehli Kitaab, Ekhlaq ki Doosri Kitaab, Ekhlaq ki Teesri wa Chauthi Kitaab, Hayaat-e-Sikandari, Falsaf-e-Ekhlaq, Tawawwo’aat wo Awamir, Hidayaat Teemardari, Bagh-e-Ajeeb (three parts), Sayahat Sultani, Azal-ur-Rahman, Muhazzab Sindagi, Madarij-al-Qur’an, Aaina-e-Sikandari, Tehzeeb-e-Niswan, Purdah.

Honours

Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum was recipient of several honours. They are:

Abdicatioin of throne and Death

in 1926, after ruling Riyasat-e-Bhopal for 25 years she abdicated her throne in favour of her youngest child, Nawab Hamidullah Khan. Thus ended the longest rule of female nawabs that the country had seen. She left for her final abode on 12 May 1930.

Legacy

The many institutions started and supported by Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum are still benefitting the society in various fields. Her legacy lives on. May Allah raise her status. Ameen.

For references and more details, please see:

Fareed, Saadaf (2020) Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum: A quintessence of educational movements in Aligarh. Sir Syed Academy, Aligarh Muslim University: Aligarh.

Hamid, Razia (2011) Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum. Bhopal: Babul Ilm Publication

Jahan, Sultan (1913) Gauhar e Iqbal. Sultan Publishers

Naik, Priya (2019) The remarkable Begums who defied patriarchal norms to rule Bhopal for more than a century. 21 May, Scroll. Available at: https://scroll.in/magazine/917529/the-remarkable-begums-who-defied-patriarchal-norms-to-rule-bhopal-for-more-than-a-century. Accessed on 11 November 2020.

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