Qudsia Begum: Bhopal's First Female Nawab

By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam 14 July 2025 Qudsia Begum, born in 1801, became Bhopal's first female Nawab at 19 after her husband’s death. A visionary ruler, she ensured communal harmony, led armies, and built infrastructure like Jama Masjid. Ruling for 18 years, she left a lasting legacy of courage and welfare in Bhopal. Main Points: 1. 1.Qudsia Begum, Bhopal’s first woman ruler at 19, secured power despite opposition. 2. 2.Fostered harmony with diverse generals, rejecting religious or caste bias. 3. 3.Built infrastructure, held open courts, focused on public welfare. 4. 4.Led armies, cared for soldiers’ families. 5. 5.Ruled 18 years, leaving Bhopal prosperous. ----- Bhopal's history has been rich in terms of Muslim women rulers. Bhopal has witnessed the reign of four female Begums, the first of whom was the Nawab Begum Qudsia Begum, also known as Gauhar Begum. Qudsia Begum was born in Bhopal in 1801. Her father was Nawab Gaus Mohammad Khan, who was the Nawab of Bhopal State. Qudsia Begum was brought up in a royal environment. Being from a Nawab family, she had innate leadership qualities. She was a very ambitious and visionary woman. She was married to Nazar Mohammad Khan in 1817. Nazar Mohammad Khan was declared as Qudsia Begum's successor by her father and when the time came, he handed over the responsibility of the state of Bhopal to him. Nazar Mohammad Khan had been ruling Bhopal for only 3 years when a tragic incident happened to him. Qudsia Begum's younger brother Faujdar Mohammad Khan took the pistol from his belt and started playing with it. Then accidentally a bullet hit Nazar Mohammad Khan and he died. Transfer Of Power Nazar Mohammad Khan had written in his will that after him the reins of power should be handed over to his wife Qudsia Begum and when his daughter Sikandar Jahan Begum becomes of marriageable age, she should be married to a suitable person and Sikandar Jahan's husband should be considered the ruler of Bhopal. As per the will, preparations were on to hand over the reins of power to Qudsia Begum with the approval of the state officials and the British, when some of his close relatives were eager to take advantage of this sad occasion, they wanted to snatch the power of Bhopal from Qudsia Begum. People who had come to condole the death of Nawab Nazar Mohammad Khan were plotting to usurp the power from Qudsia Begum. Then Qudsia Begum removed her veil and made a heartfelt appeal to the people present there and presented her case in such an effective manner that people could not oppose her. And in the regency of Qudsia Begum, Sikander Jahan Begum was accepted as the Nawab. When Qudsia Begum assumed the regency, she was only 19 years old. At such a young age, she presented her case so precisely in front of all the officials, courtiers of the state, religious leaders and people from the elite class present in the hall that a Muslim woman was accepted as her successor. It was a historic moment because despite having many capable men in the family, accepting a woman as successor and handing over the power was a historic moment and this miracle was performed by Qudsia Begum. Governance Qudsia Begum was a capable, kind and intelligent ruler. She was a unique example of communal harmony in her kingdom. She never discriminated on the basis of religion or caste in her kingdom. Among her four generals, one general was a Christian Shazdah Masih and the other was Khushbakht Rai. She strengthened communal harmony among her subjects. Qudsia Begum was also an excellent horse rider. She often led her army personally on the battlefield. She took full care of her soldiers. If a soldier died, she would take care of his family. It is believed that she would often go out in disguise to the streets of Bhopal to know the happiness and sorrow of her subjects. She would ask about their well-being and solve their problems. She arranged for drinking water in the Bhopal state, made very important changes in the administration, used to hold open darbar herself to improve the justice system and used to listen to people's problems and solve them. She got Jama Masjid constructed in Bhopal on the lines of Delhi and also got accommodation constructed for Haj pilgrims in Mecca and Medina and built a beautiful fort like Gauhar Mahal. She never spent the state's money on herself. For her personal expenses, she was dependent on the income of the industries established by her. She used to spend the income received from the public on public welfare works only. The people of Bhopal were happy and prosperous during her rule. Struggle For Power Qudsia Begum ruled successfully for about 18 years. According to the will of Nazar Mohammad, power was to be transferred to her husband after the marriage of his daughter Sikander Jahan Begum. Qudsia Begum was worried that her hard work would go in vain if the power went into the wrong hands. So she was looking for a worthy successor or a person who would accept the regency of Qudsia Begum even after marriage. To fulfill her purpose, Qudsia Begum got her daughter married to Jahangir Mohammad Khan in 1835. After the marriage, the opponents of Qudsia Begum started the work of taking Jahangir Mohammad Khan to their side and turning him against Qudsia Begum. These were the discontented people who could not see a woman ruling so well. The result was that a bloody conflict took place between the soldiers of Qudsia Begum and the soldiers of Jahangir Mohammad Khan in Ashta. About 300 soldiers died in this conflict. To put an end to this conflict, Qudsia Begum transferred power to Jahangir Mohammad Khan in 1837. After the transfer of power, she was given an estate with an income of Rs 5 lakhs. In 1881, the first woman Nawab of Bhopal died. Qudsia Begum was a woman of courage and strong will power. She gave many beautiful gifts to Bhopal. The fragrance of the communal harmony that she had established among the people of Bhopal can still be felt in the atmosphere of Bhopal. ---- Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession. She primarily writes about women and Islam. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Education URl: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/qudsia-begum-female-nawab/d/136171 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism