Lutfunnisa Begum - Revision history

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2026-02-18T15:01:31Z

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			{{Short description\|3rd wife of Siraj-Ud-Daulah}}
	{{Infobox royalty		{{Infobox royalty
	\| name = Lutfunnisa ~~Begum~~		\| name = Lutfunnisa
	\| title =		\| title =
	\| image = ~~File:LutfunissaBegum~~.jpg		\| image = লুৎফুন্নিসা বেগম.jpg
	\| caption = Lutfunissa Begum'~~s tomb in [[Khosbag]]~~		\| caption = Portrait of Lutfunissa from ''Banglar Begum'' (1912)
	\| succession = Consort of the Nawab of [[Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa]]		\| succession = Primary Consort of the Nawab of [[Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa]]
	\| reign = 9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757		\| reign = 9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757
	\| birth_date = 1740		\| birth_date = 18 July 1740
	\| birth_place =		\| birth_place = [[Dacca]], [[Bengal Subah]]
	\| death_date = {{death date and age\|1790\|11\|10\|1740\|df=y}}		\| death_date = {{death date and age\|1790\|11\|10\|1740\|07\|df=y}}
	\| death_place = [[Murshidabad]], [[~~India~~]]		\| death_place = [[Murshidabad]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[Company Raj]]
	\| consort = yes		\| consort = yes
	\| spouse = [[Siraj ud-Daulah]]		\| spouse = [[Siraj ud-Daulah]]
	\| issue = [[Qudsia Begum Sahiba]]		\| issue = Qudsia Begum Sahiba (Umme-Zehra)
	\| full name =		\| full name = Begum Nawabjadi Lutfunnissa Khan Chowdhurani
	\| house =		\| house = Hirajheel Palace
	\| father =		\| father = Iraj Khan
	\| mother =		\| mother = Parbati Das
	\| burial_place = [[Khushbagh]], [[~~India~~]]		\| burial_place = [[Khushbagh]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[Company Raj]]
	\| burial_date =		\| burial_date = 11 November 1790
	\| signature =		\| signature =
	}}		}}
	'''Lutfunnisa Begum''' was the ~~third~~ wife and primary consort of ~~[[Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad\|Nawab]]~~ [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], the last independent [[Nawab of Bengal]].<ref>{{cite news \|title=The women in Siraj ud-Daulah's life\|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-252297\|newspaper=The Daily Star\|access-date=6 November 2017\|language=en\|date=4 October 2012}}</ref>		'''Lutfunnisa Begum''' ({{langx\|fa\|{{Nastaliq\|لطف النساء بیگم}}}}, {{langx\|bn\|বেগম লুৎফুন্নেসা}}; 1740 – 10 November 1790) was the 3rd wife and primary consort of [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], the last independent [[Nawab of Bengal]] (the ruler of the [[Bengal Subah]]).<ref>{{cite news \|title= The women in Siraj ud-Daulah's life \|url= http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-252297\|newspaper= The Daily Star \|access-date=6 November 2017 \|language= en \|date= 4 October 2012}}</ref>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	Lutfunnisa, ~~originally named Rajkunwari, was a [[Hindu]] girl~~ who served Begum Sharifun nissa, Siraj ud-Daulah's maternal grandmother.<ref>{{Cite book\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzOmy2y0Zh4C&pg=PA194~~\|title=A History of Modern India, 1480-1950\|last=Markovits\|first=Claude\|date=2004\|publisher=Anthem Press\|isbn=9781843310044~~}}</ref> Siraj was infatuated with the beauty of Rajkunwari and asked		Lutfunnisa, who served Begum Sharifun nissa, Siraj ud-Daulah's maternal grandmother.<ref>{{Cite book \|last= Markovits \|first= Claude \|year= 2004 \|title=A History of Modern India, 1480–1950 \|publisher= Anthem Press \|isbn= 9781843310044 \|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uzOmy2y0Zh4C&pg=PA194}}</ref> 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: [[Begum Zaibunissa]] and [[Umdatunnisa Bahu Begum]].<ref name=Iqbal>{{cite web \|last= Iqbal \|first= Shahryar ZR \|title= Lutfunnisa Begum \|website= Banglapedia \|url= http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Lutfunnisa_Begum\|access-date=6 November 2017\|language=en}}</ref>
	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: [[Begum Zaibunissa]] and [[Umdatunnisa Bahu Begum]].<ref name=~~"ytv"~~>{{cite web\|~~last1~~=Iqbal\|~~first1~~=Shahryar ZR\|title=Lutfunnisa Begum\|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Lutfunnisa_Begum~~\|website=Banglapedia~~\|access-date=6 November 2017\|language=en}}</ref>

	==Life after marriage==		==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 [[Afghans\|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 [[France\|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.<ref name="ytv" />~~		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 [[Afghans\|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 [[France\|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.

	~~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 [[Mirza Mehedi Ekram ud-Doulah]] and later [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka\|nawab of Dhaka]]. After her marriage, Umme Zohra Begum was renamed as [[Qudsiyah Begum Sahiba]]. 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.<ref name=~~"ytv"~~ /><ref>{{cite news \|title=Jinjira Palace: A tale lost in time\|url=http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/128057/Jinjira-Palace-A-tale-lost-in-time\|work=Prothom Alo\|access-date=6 November 2017\|language=en\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060532/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/128057/Jinjira-Palace-A-tale-lost-in-time\|archive-date=7 November 2017\|url-status=dead}}</ref>		Siraj-ud-Daulah was executed on 2 July 1757 in Murshidabad.<ref name=Dalrymple>{{cite book \|last= Dalrymple \|first= William \|authorlink= William Dalrymple (historian) \|year= 2019 \|title= The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company \|location= London \|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing \|pages= 132, 133 \|isbn= 978-1-63557-395-4}}</ref> [[Mir Qasim]], the son-in-law of Mir Jafar, tortured Lutfunnisa to discover the locations of the family jewels.<ref name=Iqbal/>
			Soon after the killing of Siraj, all of the women of the house of his maternal grandfather, [[Alivardi Khan]], were either poisoned or rowed out into the centre of the Hooghly river and drowned by sinking of their boat.<ref name= Dalrymple /> The only ones who were spared were Lutfunnisa and her daughter, who in 1758, were exiled to [[Dhaka]] and imprisoned in [[Jinjira Palace]]. She was confined there for seven years{{citation needed\|date=September 2023}} during which time Mir Jafar and his son each asked for her hand in marriage. She refused, stating, "having ridden an elephant before, I cannot now agree to ride an ass".<ref name= Dalrymple/>

			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 [[Mirza Mehedi Ekram ud-Doulah]] and later [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka\|nawab of Dhaka]]. After her marriage, Umme Zohra Begum was renamed as [[Qudsiyah Begum Sahiba]]. They would give Lufunnisa four grandchildren, whom she raised after the death of first her son-in-law and then her daughter in 1774. 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.<ref name= Iqbal/><ref>{{cite news \|title= Jinjira Palace: A tale lost in time\|url= http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/128057/Jinjira-Palace-A-tale-lost-in-time\|work=Prothom Alo \|access-date= 6 November 2017\|language= en\|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060532/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/128057/Jinjira-Palace-A-tale-lost-in-time \|archive-date= 7 November 2017\|url-status= dead}}</ref>
			Lutfunnesa would personally visit the mausoleum in the afternoon with recitations from the Quran every day and light candles there.

	==Death==		==Death==
	Lufunnisa died on 10 November 1790. She was buried in [[Khushbagh]] by the side of her husband.<ref name=~~"ytv"~~ />		[[File:LutfunissaBegum.jpg\|thumb\|Lutfunnisa tomb in [[Khosbag]]]]
			Lufunnisa died on 10 November 1790. She was buried in [[Khushbagh]] by the side of her husband.<ref name=Iqbal/>

	==In popular culture==		==In popular culture==
	*In 2018–19: ''[[Ami Sirajer Begum]]'', broadcast on [[Star Jalsha]], ~~where she is~~ portrayed by ~~Pallabi~~ Dey.		In 1960 the Indian novelist [[Sree Parabat]] published a novel, ''Ami Sirajer Begum'', about the life of Lutfunnisa and Siraj-ud-Daulah.

			In the 1973 Indian Bengali historical film ''[[Ami Sirajer Begam]]'', directed by Sushil Mukhopadhya based on Sree Parabat's aforementioned novel, Lutfunnisa was portrayed by Bengali actress Sandhya Roy.

			In 2018–19 an historical soap opera based on the novel, and also called ''[[Ami Sirajer Begum]]'', was broadcast on [[Star Jalsha]], in which Lutfunnisa was portrayed by [[Pallavi Dey]].

	==References==		==References==
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	{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Lutfunnisa}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Lutfunnisa}}
	[[Category:1790 deaths]]		[[Category:1790 deaths]]
	[[Category:Indian Muslims]]		[[Category:18th-century Indian Muslims]]
	~~[[Category:Nawabs of Bengal~~]]
	[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]		[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
	[[Category:1740 births]]		[[Category:1740 births]]
			[[Category:People from the Bengal Subah]]

>Inqilābī: Undid revision 1027435365 by 2409:4060:98:C2BD:0:0:24DD:88A1 (talk)

2021-06-09T02:14:57Z

Undid revision 1027435365 by 2409:4060:98:C2BD:0:0:24DD:88A1 (talk)

New page

{{Infobox royalty
| name = Lutfunnisa Begum
| title =
| image = File:LutfunissaBegum.jpg
| caption = Lutfunissa Begum's tomb in [[Khosbag]]
| succession = Consort of the Nawab of [[Bengal]], [[Bihar]] and [[Orissa]]
| reign = 9 April 1756 – 23 June 1757
| birth_date = 1740
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1790|11|10|1740|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Murshidabad]], [[India]]
| consort = yes
| spouse = [[Siraj ud-Daulah]]
| issue = [[Qudsia Begum Sahiba]]
| full name =
| house =
| father =
| mother =
| burial_place = [[Khushbagh]], [[India]]
| burial_date =
| signature =
}}
'''Lutfunnisa Begum''' was the third wife and primary consort of [[Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad|Nawab]] [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], the last independent [[Nawab of Bengal]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The women in Siraj ud-Daulah's life|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-252297|newspaper=The Daily Star|access-date=6 November 2017|language=en|date=4 October 2012}}</ref>

==Early life==
Lutfunnisa, originally named Rajkunwari, was a [[Hindu]] girl who served Begum Sharifun nissa, Siraj ud-Daulah's maternal grandmother.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzOmy2y0Zh4C&pg=PA194|title=A History of Modern India, 1480-1950|last=Markovits|first=Claude|date=2004|publisher=Anthem Press|isbn=9781843310044}}</ref> 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: [[Begum Zaibunissa]] and [[Umdatunnisa Bahu Begum]].<ref name="ytv">{{cite web|last1=Iqbal|first1=Shahryar ZR|title=Lutfunnisa Begum|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Lutfunnisa_Begum|website=Banglapedia|access-date=6 November 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==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 [[Afghans|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 [[France|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.<ref name="ytv" />

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 [[Mirza Mehedi Ekram ud-Doulah]] and later [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka|nawab of Dhaka]]. After her marriage, Umme Zohra Begum was renamed as [[Qudsiyah Begum Sahiba]]. 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.<ref name="ytv" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Jinjira Palace: A tale lost in time|url=http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/128057/Jinjira-Palace-A-tale-lost-in-time|work=Prothom Alo|access-date=6 November 2017|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060532/http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/128057/Jinjira-Palace-A-tale-lost-in-time|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Death==
Lufunnisa died on 10 November 1790. She was buried in [[Khushbagh]] by the side of her husband.<ref name="ytv" />

==In popular culture==
*In 2018–19: ''[[Ami Sirajer Begum]]'', broadcast on [[Star Jalsha]], where she is portrayed by Pallabi Dey.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Begum, Lutfunnisa}}
[[Category:1790 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Bengal]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:1740 births]]