Lahore (Web Desk) While the pages of the history of the subcontinent tell the story of conspiracies and deceptions of the East India Company and expose the real face of the British occupying India under the pretext of trade, we have characters like Begum Hazrat Mahal. To learn about
There is also the opportunity of those who raised the banner of rebellion against the British and fought for India’s independence. Begum Hazrat Mahal had persuaded not only Muslims but also followers of all religions to unite and fight for freedom. She is remembered as India’s first female freedom fighter. Begum Hazrat Mahal was born in 1820 in Faizabad. She was an ordinary woman and did not belong to any ordinary family. She was the life partner of the last Nawab of Odh, Wajid Ali Shah. Occupying India, the British kept a close eye on the court of Odh, but they did not know that a girl would stand in the way. History gave this girl many names like Mohammadi Khanum, Mehka Pari, Iftikhar Nisa, Raj Mata, His Excellency, but the most famous name of this girl was Begum Hazrat Mahal. When the British established their rule over various Indian states and territories in 1856, when Wajid Ali Shah was forced into exile and he moved to Calcutta, Begum Hazrat Mahal took over the reins of Odh and took action against the British. Begum Hazrat Mahal with her soldiers created difficulties for the British on the battlefield. Historians say she proved to be far more determined and courageous than the British expected, as she excelled in policy-making and organizational matters. During the war of 1857, she led her army in Oudh, setting an example of determination on the battlefield despite being a woman. They continued to fight for two years and continued to take measures to organize and increase the strength of their forces. There came a time when financial problems and other difficulties increased, but he did not accept defeat but the British offered him a stipend and a luxurious lifestyle and other privileges but Begum Hazrat Mahal refused him. Unfortunately, after losing his conspiracy and treachery and the co-operation of other state rulers, his dream of independence did not come true, but Hazrat Mahal did not surrender to the British as long as he lived. The sun of Begum Hazrat Mahal’s life set forever on April 7, 1879. He breathed his last in Nepal and was buried there.