12 January 2014, 08:09 AM IST
A nautch girl who rose to become a ruthless ruler and good administrator, Begum Samru was not above exercising feminine wiles to attain her political ambitions!
Who can deny the romance and adventure of history? I am fascinated when a visit to a regular town reveals trails of history that lead you to unbelievable stories of love, bravery, loyalty and fortitude – emotions so deep and abiding that their tentacles reach through the travails of time and wrap you in a soft cloud of memories and romance.
Could I then have resisted following Begum Samru's romantic trail when I found myself in Meerut? Not a chance! Hers is an amazing story of a pretty nautch girl of Chandni Chowk who rose to become the Begum of the principality of Sardhana near Meerut, and an influential person in the court of Emperor Shah Alam II. A Muslim girl who converted to Christianity and was the only local Catholic ruler in India! A convert who actually built a church in Sardhana that is today a Minor Basilica and an important pilgrimage spot for Christians!
And so we set off on the dusty track road that leads to Sardhana from Meerut. Letting my imagination flow, I wondered how the diminutive 4-1/2 -foot turbaned Begum Samru rode on horseback along these paths two centuries ago while I was being knocked sore in the relative comfort of a car! But then she, I believe, was made of far sterner material than most women today.
The queen of intrigue in a time of political chicanery, the Begum gained a reputation for administering her lands and feminine wiles with equal expertise.
At the age of 14, Samru, then nautch girl Farzana, had caught the eye of a European mercenary soldier Walter Reinhardt Sombre, whom she married in 1775. Inheriting the principality of Sardhana upon his death, she led her troops in many crucial battles, particularly against the British.
What I find particularly fascinating about Samru is that despite being the best amongst male administrators and warriors of the time, and a ruthless leader who used brute force against opponents, she did not lose her womanly instincts of kindness to her subjects, nor her feminine graces or romantic instincts! The Begum was involved in many fascinating affaires d'coeur. Wooed by European officers, she grew close to Frenchman Le Vassoult. Her troops mutinied over her rumored marriage to him; the passionate Begum who gave her all in love, tried to elope with him and later survived an attempt at suicide when she heard he had been killed. When British General Gerard Lake kissed her in enthusiasm, the Begum had to pacify her troops by explaining diplomatically that it was like the kiss of a priest to a "repentant child"!
Historian John Lall describes her in his book Begum Samru, "Farzana grew into a rare beauty with flashing eyes, pearl complexion and lively wit." What adds an exciting edge is that the Begum "had no qualms about her character!"
Our first stop in Sardhana was the beautiful Basilica of Our Lady of Graces, a Roman Catholic Church that Begum Samru built using the best craftsmen and materials available. And yet, because of her Muslim origins, the lady herself was denied a burial in the very church that depicts her life through a series of statues next to the Sanctuary inside!
Inside is a sight to be taken in slowly and absorbed -- the historical irony is difficult to escape! The Begum enshrined next to Lord Jesus, Mother Mary and other Christian saints. There atop an 18-foot edifice, the Muslim-born convert Begum Samru sits resplendent forever, smoking her hookah in a church dedicated to Virgin Mary! The Begum certainly had the last laugh! Engraved in marble by Italian sculptor Adamo Tadolini, preserved for posterity, Samru is surrounded by European and Indian courtiers, amongst them interestingly, her Diwan, Rae Singh, who was the great grandfather of Motilal Nehru! In the same marble tableau, the Begum is depicted through various statues as a powerful, benevolent and stern leader.
A touching sight greets us at what was once the Begum's palace in Sardhana and is now St Charles' Inter College. A garden full of the most exotic roses here is dedicated to the Begum. It was in a room atop this palace that the Begum died at the age of 90 in 1836. We walk through the palace and are entranced by her sunken bath that received flavoured waters of different hues for her ablutions. At the entrance, we imagine her arriving in splendour to hold court up a stairway built for her elephant. We also catch a glimpse of an iron gate that leads under the palace to what was rumored to be once a tunnel that connected the palace all the way to Delhi.
Roaming through the streets of quiet and slow Sardhana, where the Begum still dwells in the memory of people, I was saddened that history textbooks don't do justice to this extraordinary lady, who was a rare mix of chutzpah, intrigue, fair play and loyalty. Recent years however have seen some books written on the Begum, and filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia has also announced his intention to make a film on the Begum's life. Says he over the phone, "Begum Samru was a great politician and manipulator. There is no woman like her today! She reacted to the times. The problem today is that we just don't react!"
Indeed if every woman had half the spirit of Samru, the world as women know it, would change for the better!
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
A date with Begum Samru of Sardhana
Dengan url
http://osteoporosista.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-date-with-begum-samru-of-sardhana.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
A date with Begum Samru of Sardhana
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
A date with Begum Samru of Sardhana
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar