Jahanara Begum: The Mughal princess who designed Chandni Chowk

Early life

The eldest child of Emperor Shah Jahan and his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, Jahanara was born in Ajmer on 23rd March 1614. Growing up in one of the richest and most splendid empires in the world, the young princess spent her childhood in opulent palaces, humming with family feuds, battle intrigues, royal bequests and harem politics.

She was taught by many tutors, including Mumtaz Mahal’s secretary, Sati-un Nissa, who was known for her knowledge of the Qur’an and Persian literature. She was often found playing chess with her father Shah Jahan. Jahanara was her father’s preferred child and he bestowed upon her titles such as ‘Begum Sahib’. She was allowed to live in her own palace, outside the confines of Agra Fort. French traveler François Bernier wrote: “Shah Jahan reposed unbounded confidence in his favorite child; she watched over his safety, and so cautiously observant, that no dish was permitted to appear upon the royal table which had not been prepared under her superintendence”.

Italian traveler Niccolao Manucci, who visited India during that period, wrote: “Jahanara was loved by all, and lived in a state of magnificence.” The Taj Tours

But tragedy struck the young princess’s life with the untimely demise of her beloved mother, Mumtaz, in 1631. At the tender age of 17, she was entrusted with the charge of the Imperial Seal and made Malika-e-Hindustan Padshah Begum—the First Lady of the Indian Empire—by the shattered Emperor, whose grief kept him away from his royal duties. It was only on Jahanara’s behest that the inconsolable Shah Jahan came out of mourning.

In the years to follow, she became her father’s closest confidante and advisor. Highly educated and skilled in diplomatic dealings, her word became so powerful that it could change the fortunes of people. Her favor was much sought-after by foreign emissaries. The Taj Tours

In 1654, Shah Jahan attacked Raja Prithvichand of Srinagar. Despairing of success in the battle, the Raja sent a plea for mercy to Jahanara. The Princess asked him to send his son, Medini Singh, as a sign of his loyalty to the Mughal Empire, thereby getting him a pardon from the Emperor.

The following year, when Aurangzeb was the viceroy of the Deccan, he was bent on annexing Golconda, ruled by Abdul Qutb Shah. The Golconda ruler wrote an arzdast (royal request) to the Princess, who intervened on his behalf. Qutb Shah was pardoned by Shah Jahan (against Aurangzeb’s wishes) and secured his safety on payment of tax.

Interestingly, Jahanara was also one of the few Mughal women who owned a ship and traded as an independent entity.

Named ‘Sahibi’ after its owner, Jahanara’s ship would carry the goods made at her karkhanas (factories) and dock at her very own port in Surat; its revenue and the colossal profits she made via trade significantly boosted her annual income of three million rupees!

But Jahanara’s political and economic clout failed to have an impact on the bitter war of succession between her brothers, Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb. She made several attempts to mediate between them, but as Ira Mukhoty writes in her book Daughters of the Sun, she had “underestimated the corrosive loathing that Aurangzeb has for Dara, whom he blames for his father’s cold criticism throughout his career”. The Taj Tours

Aurangzeb ultimately killed Dara Shikoh and placed an ill Shah Jahan under house arrest in Agra Fort’s Muthamman Burj (Jasmine Tower). Faithful to her father, Jahanara set aside her lucrative trade and luxurious lifestyle to accompany him into imprisonment.

A constant presence beside Shah Jahan in his exile, she took care of him for eight years, till he breathed his last in 1666.

It says much for her stature in the Mughal court that after Shah Jahan’s death, Aurangzeb restored her title of Padshah Begum and gave her a pension along with the new title of Sahibat al-Zamani (Lady of the Age)—befitting for a woman who was ahead of her time. Unlike other royal Mughal princesses, she was also allowed to live in her own mansion outside the confines of the Agra Fort. The Taj Tours

How Princess Jahanara caught in fire?

Influence of Sufism on Jahanara

People often referred to Jahanara Begum as Faqirah (ascetic) due to her devotion to Sufism. She suggested that she and her brother Dara Shikoh were the only descendants of Timur to truly embrace Sufism. She commissioned translations and commentaries on many works of classic literature.

Jahanara was the disciple of Mullah Shah Badakhshi, who initiated her into the Qadiriyya Sufi Order in 1641. She made such progress on the Sufi path that Mullah Shah would have named her the successor in the Qadiriyya, but the rules didn’t allow it. Her book Risālah-i-Sāhibīyahwas was based on the life of her spiritual mentor, Mullah Shah.

War of Succession

The Passing of Shah Jahan beside his daughter and caretaker Princess Jahanara. Shah Jahan became seriously ill in 1657. A war of succession broke out among his four sons, Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh.

During the war of succession Jahanara supported her brother Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Shah Jahan. When Dara Shikoh’s generals sustained a defeat at Dharmat (1658) at the hands of Aurangzeb, Jahanara wrote a letter to Aurangzeb and advised him not to disobey his father and fight with his brother. She was unsuccessful. Dara was badly defeated in the Battle of Samugarh (29 May 1658) and fled towards Delhi. Shah Jahan did everything he could to stop the planned invasion of Agra. He asked Jahanara to use her feminine diplomacy to convince Murad and Shuja not to throw their weight on the side of Aurangzeb. The Taj Tours

In June 1658, Aurangzeb besieged his father Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort forcing him to surrender unconditionally by cutting off the water supply. Jahanara came to Aurangzeb on 10 June proposing a partition of the empire. Dara Shikoh would be given the Punjab and adjoining territories; Shuja would get Bengal; Murad would get Gujarat; Aurangzeb’s son Sultan Muhammad would get the Deccan and the rest of the empire would go to Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb refused Jahanara’s proposition on the grounds that Dara Shikoh was an infidel. On Aurangzeb’s ascent to the throne, Jahanara joined her father in imprisonment at the Agra Fort, where she devoted herself to his care until his death in 1666.

How Princess Jahanara caught in fire?

Aurangzeb becomes Emperor

Although Jahanara had openly sided with Dara Shikoh during the succession wars, but later she soon secure enough in her position to occasionally argue with Aurangzeb and have certain special privileges which other women did not possess. She argued against Aurangzeb’s strict regulation of public life in accordance with his conservative religious beliefs and his decision in 1679 to restore the poll tax on non-Muslims, which she said would alienate his Hindu subjects.

Upon Mumtaz Mahal’s death, half her property worth ten million was given to Jahanara. The royal seal was entrusted to her and her annual stipend was raised from Rs. 6 lakhs to Rs. 10 lakhs. Later, Aurangzeb then increased to Rs. 17 lakhs. The Taj Tours

Upon her recovery after her fateful accident, she was also given the revenues of the port of Surat. Jahanara was allotted an income from a number of villages and owned gardens including, Bagh-i-Jahanara, Bagh-i-Nur, Bagh-i-Safa. The Pargana of Panipat was also granted to her. Her jagir included the villages of Farjhara, Achchol and the sarkars of Doharah, Safapur and Bachchol.

Endeavors and Legacy

Jahanara contributed significantly to the capital city of Shahjahanabad. She sponsored the construction of the Jama Masjid in 1648. Her most well known architectural endeavor is probably Chandni Chowk – the principal bazaar of Shahjahanabad. A tree-lined esplanade also used to be situated there.

She also designed a caravan serai for Persian and Uzbek merchants in that area, decorated with canals and gardens. The Town Hall in Delhi stands where her Sarai used to be. This Sarai came to be known as ‘Begumabad’ or ‘Begum ka Baag’. It was her most ambitious project. It was an enclosed space of 50 acres designed solely for the women and children of the royal family.

The paradise canal flowed directly into the garden and ponds, and summerhouses stood beside the canal. Enclosed within a high stone wall on all sides, it had pools and channels for running water. There were fountains and canopies supported on 12 pillars of red stone (bara dari). These provided cool resting places for the people who came to the garden. The water in the channels came from a special canal system and helped irrigate the countless colorful trees, flowering plants and fruit trees. The Taj Tours

Jahanara continued the tradition of her family and maintained trade relationships with the English and the Dutch. When ‘Sahibi’ (a ship she constructed herself) was to set sail for its first journey, she ordered that the ship make its voyage to Mecca and Medina and, “… that every year fifty koni [one koni was 4 muns or 151 pounds] of rice should be sent by the ship for distribution among the destitute and needy of Mecca.”

She was also incredibly well known for her charitable donations. She organised alms giving on important days and was engaged with famine relief trusts and supported pilgrimages to Mecca. Jahanara made important financial contributions in support of learning and the arts. She supported the publication of a series of works on Islamic mysticism.

How Princess Jahanara caught in fire?

How Princess Jahanara caught in fire?

In 1644, two days after Jahanara’s thirtieth birthday, her garments caught fire and she was seriously burnt. Some say Jahanara’s garments, doused in fragrant perfume oils, caught fire. Others accounts assert that the princess’s favorite dancing-woman’s dress caught fire and the princess coming to her aid and was burnt. None of the court physicians could heal her and this greatly distressed the emperor. She was cured by the mendicant named Hanum.

The same year, she went on a pilgrimage to Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s shrine in Ajmer. Within a year of the accident, she had completely recovered. In gratitude, Jahanara built the shrine’s marble pavilion known as Begumi Salam and wrote Mu’nis al- Arwā – Moinuddin Chisti’s biography that is acclaimed for its literary craftsmanship.

How Princess Jahanara caught in fire?

Her Death

Jahanara built her tomb in her lifetime. It is made of white marble inside the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah Complex in New Delhi and is known for its remarkable simplicity. She died on 16th September 1681 at the age of 67. She was conferred with the posthumous title ‘Sahibat-uz-Zamani‘(Lady of the Age).

The inscription on the tomb, written by Jahanara herself, reads as follows:

Allah is the Living, the Sustaining

Let no one cover my grave except with greenery,

For this very grass suffices as a tomb cover for the poor.

The mortal simplistic Princess Jahanara,

Disciple of Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chisti,

Daughter of Shah Jahan the conqueror

RAZIA SULTAN BEGUM , MURDERED 1240 OCTOBER 13

 

RAZIA SULTAN BEGUM , MURDERED

 1240 OCTOBER 13

ரஸியா பேகம்.DIED 1240 OCTOBER 13

முகமது கோரி தன் ரத்தக் களி ஆட்டத்தை முடித்துக் கொண்டு சொந்த ஊர் போய் சேருவதற்கு முன் குதுப்புதீன் அய்பக் என்ற அடிமையை டில்லிக்கு ராஜாவாக வைத்து விட்டுப்போனான் (இதன் காரணமாகத்தான் அடிமை சாம்ராஜ்யம் “Slave Dynasty” என பெயர் பெற்றது). அடுத்து வந்த இல்துமிஷ் தன் பங்குக்கு நன்றாகவே ஆட்சி செய்தார். ஆனால் அவருக்கு வாய்த்த மகன்களோ அது இது மது மாது என்று எல்லா தீய பழக்கங்களுக்கும் அடிமையாகி ஒரு அரசனுக்கு உண்டான எந்த தகுதியும் இல்லாமல் போனார்கள். அந்தக் குறையை தீர்க்கத்தான் அவருடைய மகள் இருந்தாள். அவள் பெயர் ரஸியா பேகம். வீரத்தில் மட்டுமல்ல, எல்லோரிடமும் பழகுவதிலும் சரி, அறிவிலும் சரி ரஸியா சுல்தான் பேகம் சிறந்து விளங்கினாள்.

சாகும் தருவாயில் இல்துமிஷ் தன் மகளைத்தான் பட்டத்திற்கு கொண்டு வரவேண்டும் என்று ஆசைப் பட்டார். ஆனால் பிற்போக்கு சிந்தனை கொண்ட அமைச்சர் குழு “பெண்ணாகப் பிறந்தவள் மண்ணாளுவதா?” “அணங்கிற்கு நாங்கள் இணங்கி போவதா?” என்று பஞ்ச் வசனம் பேசி, ரஸியாவின் ஒன்றுவிட்ட சகோதரன் “ருக்னுதீன் பிரோஸ்” என்பவனை ராஜாவாக ஆக்கினார்கள். அவனோ “ஒன்றுவிட்ட” மட்டும் இல்லாமல் வெட்கம், மானம், சூடு, சொரணை, வீரம், நிதானம் என்று “பலதையும் விட்ட” சகோதரனாக இருந்தான். அவனது தாய் ஷா துர்கான் – நரகத்தின் மிச்ச மண்ணை எடுத்து செய்யப்பட்டவள். பணிப் பெண்ணாக இருந்தவள் மணி மகுடம் சூட்டிக் கொள்ள ஆசைப்பட்டாள். தன் மகனை அந்தப்புரத்தில் தள்ளி கதவை தாளிட்டாள்.

பொழுது புலர்ந்தது-சாய்ந்தது, நல்லது-கெட்டது, என்று எதுவும் தெரியாமலேயே அந்தப்புரமே கதியாகக் கிடந்தான் பிரோஸ். இங்கே தாய் பேயாட்டம் போட்டாள். அவள் வைத்ததே சட்டம், மீறியவர்கள் தண்ட்டிக்க பட்டார்கள். முன் ஆட்சியில், படித்தவர்கள், சான்றோர்கள் அமர்ந்த இருக்கையில் இன்று கேள்விக்குரியவர்களும் கேலிக்குரியவர்களும் அமர்ந்தார்கள். நல்லது சொன்னவர்கள் காணாமல் போனார்கள். இத்தனைக்கும் நடுவில் மக்களின் நன்மதிப்பை பெற்ற ரஸியா தனது சரியான நேரத்திற்காக காத்திருந்தாள்.

இவர்களின் அராஜக ஆட்சியை எதிர்த்து மக்கள் போர் கொடி பிடித்து பொங்கி எழ, இது தான் சரியான சமயம் என்று குறுநில மன்னர்களும், அமைச்சர்களும் தாய்-மகன் இருவரையும் தீர்த்துக்கட்ட முடிவு செய்தவுடன் தான், நிலைமையின் தீவிரம் ஷா துர்க்கானுக்கு உரைத்தது. இது வரையிலும் தன் மகனை ஒரு மாவீரன் என்றே அவள் நம்பியது தான் வேடிக்கை. அந்தப்புரத்திலிருந்து மகனை தட்டி எழுப்பி “படுத்தது போதும் பொங்கி எழுடா மகனே” என்று ஆணையிட்டாள். சாதாரண உடையே பாரம் என்று நினைத்தவனை போர் உடை பூணச்சொன்னால் என்ன செய்வான்? கேளிக்கைகளால் நலிந்து போன அவன் போருக்கு போன அழகு பலருக்கு எரிச்சலாகவும் சிலருக்கு கேலியாகவும் இருந்தது. அவன் அந்தப்பக்கம் போன உடன் இந்தப்பக்கம் வீரர்கள் ஷா துர்கானை சிறை பிடித்தார்கள். ரஸியா இப்போது ஆட்சி பீடத்தில் !

தாயையும், ஒப்புக்காக போருக்கு போன சேயையும் பிடித்து வந்து சிறையில் அடைத்தார்கள். ஆசைதீர சில நாள் சித்ரவதை செய்துவிட்டு, நவம்பர் 9, 1236 சுபயோகம் கூடிய சுப தினத்தில் இருவரையும் பரலோகம் அனுப்பி வைத்தார்கள் வீரர்கள்.

மக்களின் நன் மதிப்பை பெற்று ரஸியா சில காலம் ஆண்டு வந்தாலும், “ஒரு பெண்ணின் கீழ் இருப்பதா? வெட்கம்!!..” என்று ஒரு கூட்டம் சதி ஆலோசனை செய்து கொண்டே தான் இருந்தது.

டில்லியிலிருந்து 150 மைல் தொலைவில் சர்ஹிந்த் என்ற பகுதியை ஆண்டு வந்த இக்தியாருதின் அல்துனியா என்ற அரசனோடு சதியாலோசனை செய்து ரஸியாவின் ஆட்சியை கவிழ்க்க திட்டம் போட்டது அந்தக் குள்ளநரி கூட்டம். இதை அறிந்ததும், அவன் இங்கு வருவதற்குள் நாமே அங்கு போய் அவனை ஒரு கை பார்ப்போம் (attack is the best form of defence) என்று படையுடன் புறப்பட்டாள் ரஸியா சுல்தான் (ஆம். சுல்தான் என்பது ஆண்பால், சுல்தானா என்பதுதான் பெண்பால். நான் ஒரு ஆணுக்கு வீரத்திலும் விவேக்கதிலும் எந்த விதத்திலும் குறைந்தவள் இல்லை – என்னை சுல்தான் என்றே அழையுங்கள் என்று எல்லோருக்கும் ஆணையிட்டு இருந்தாள் ரஸியா பேகம். (எதுக்கு வம்பு? நாமும் சுல்தான் என்றே அழைப்போமே!).

வீரம் விவேகம் இருந்தாலும் விதி ரஸியாவிற்கு எதிராகவே வேலை செய்தது. உடன் வந்த படை தளபதிகள் பலர் பாதி வழியில் காலை வாரிவிட, சொச்ச வீரகளோடும் மிச்சத்திற்கு வீரத்தோடும் போருக்கு போனாள். ஆனால், அந்தப் போரில் அவளுக்கு வெற்றி வேறு விதமாக வந்தது. அவளின் அழகும், அறிவும் சாதுர்யமான பேச்சும் அல்துனியாவை கிறங்க அடித்தது. செய்ய இருந்த தவறுக்கு மன்னிப்பு கேட்டு ரஸியாவையே மணம் முடித்தான் அல்துனியா.

தவறான தகவல் கொடுத்த கயவர்களை ஒரு கை பாப்போம் என்று கணவனும் மனைவியும் கை கோர்த்துக்கொண்டு, மோத இருந்த இரண்டு படைகளோடும் மறுபடி டில்லி புறப்பட தயாரானார்கள். விதி என்னும் அரக்கன் கடைசி முறையாக அவர்களை இருவரையும் பார்த்து சிரித்தான்.

கூட இருந்த வீர்களில் (முக்கியமாக மெய்கப்பாளர்கள்) இந்தப் பெண் மறுபடி டில்லி வந்தால் பெண்ணாட்சி நிலைத்து விடும் என்று அவர்கள் இரவு உறங்கும் நேரம் பார்த்து கூடாரத்திற்குள் புகுந்து கணவன்-மனைவி இருவரையும் தீர்த்து கட்டினார்கள்.

மூன்று ஆண்டுகள் சில மாதங்கள் மட்டுமே டில்லியை கலக்கிய முதலாவதும் கடைசியுமான பெண் சிங்கம் ரஸியா சுல்தான் பேகம்..

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FEROZA BEGUM ,BANGALADESI SINGER BORN 1930 JULY 28 -2014 SEPTEMBER 9

FEROZA BEGUM ,BANGALADESI SINGER 

BORN 1930 JULY 28 -2014 SEPTEMBER 9

.Feroza Begum (Bengali: ফিরোজা বেগম) (28 July 1930 – 9 September 2014) was a Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet singer.[2] She was awarded the Independence Day Award in 1979 by the Government of Bangladesh.

Early life and career[edit]
Feroza Begum was born in Gopalganj District on 28 July 1930 to the zamindar family of Ratail Ghonaparha.[3] Her parents were Mohammad Ismail and Begum Kowkabunnesa.[2] She became drawn to music in her childhood.[2] She started her career in 1940s.[4]

Feroza Begum first sang in All India Radio while studying in sixth grade. She met the national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam at the age of 10. She became a student of him. In 1942, she recorded her first Islamic song by the gramophone record company HMV in 78 rpm disk format. Since then, 12 LP, 4 EP, 6 CD and more than 20 audio cassette records have been released.[5] She lived in Kolkata from 1954 until she moved to Dhaka in 1967.[2]

Personal life[edit]

In 1956, Feroza Begum was married to Kamal Dasgupta (who converted to Islam before the marriage and took the name Kamal Uddin Ahmed), a singer, composer, and lyricist. Kamal died on 20 July 1974. Two of their three sons, Hamin Ahmed and Shafin Ahmed are musicians. They are currently members of the rock band Miles.[2]

Death[edit]
Feroza Begum died on 9 September 2014 in Apollo Hospital, Dhaka due to heart and kidney problems.[2]

Awards and honours[edit]
Awards[edit]
Independence Day Award (1979)
Netaji Subhash Chandra Award
Satyajit Ray Award
Nasiruddin Gold Medal
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Gold Medal
Best Nazrul Sangeet Singer Award
Nazrul Academy Award
Churulia Gold MEdal
Gold Disk from CBS, Japan
Meril-Prothom Alo Lifetime honorary award (2011)
Sheltech Award (2000)[6][7]
Honours[edit]
D Lit from University of Burdwan
Bongo Shomman from Mamata Banerjee (2012)

Image may contain: 1 person

HAMEEDA BANU BEGUM ,MOTHER OF AKBAR DIED 1604 AUGUST 29

HAMEEDA BANU BEGUM ,MOTHER 

OF AKBAR  DIED 1604 AUGUST 29

அமீதா பானு பேகம் (1527-1604) இரண்டாவது முகலாயப் பேரரசர் உமாயூனின் மனைவிகளில் ஒருவரும், பேரரசர் அக்பரின் தாயும் ஆவார். தில்லியில் உள்ள புகழ் பெற்ற உமாயூனின் சமாதி இவரால் கட்டுவிக்கப்பட்டது. 1562 ல் தொடங்கி அடுத்த எட்டு ஆண்டுகள் முயன்று அதனை நிறைவேற்றினார்.

வரலாறு[மூலத்தைத் தொகு]
அமீதா பானு பேகம் 1527 ஆம் ஆண்டு, பாரசீகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த சியா முசுலிமான சேக் அலி அக்பர் ஜாமி என்பவருக்கு மகளாகப் பிறந்தார். அலி அக்பர் ஜாமி, முதலாவது முகலாயப் பேரரசரான பாபரின் கடைசி மகனான மிர்சா இன்டலின் நண்பரும் குருவும் ஆவார். அமீதா பானுவின் தாயார் மா அஃப்ராசு பேகம். இவர் அலி அக்பர் ஜாமியை சிந்தில் உள்ள பாத் என்னும் இடத்தில் மணந்து கொண்டார்.

உமாயூனின் தந்தையின் இன்னொரு மனைவியான தில்தார் பேகம் அளித்த விருந்தொன்றில், அமீதா பேகம் முதன் முதலாக உமாயூனைச் சந்தித்தார். அப்போது அவருக்கு 13 வயது. சேர் சா சூரியின் படையெடுப்பின் காரணமாக நாட்டை விட்டு வெளியேறிய உமாயூன் நாடுகடந்து வாழ்ந்து வந்தார். தொடக்கத்தில் உமாயூனைச் சந்திக்க அமீதா பேகம் மறுத்தாலும், தில்தார் பேகத்தின் வற்புறுத்தலினால் உமாயூனை மணந்து கொள்ள அவர் சம்மதித்தார். நல்ல சோதிட அறிவு பெற்றிருந்த உமாயூனே குறித்த 1541 ஆம் ஆண்டு செப்டெம்பர் மாதம் ஒரு திங்கட்கிழமை நடுப்பகல் நேரத்தில் திருமணம் நடைபெற்றது. இதன் மூலம் அமீதா பானு பேகம், உமாயூனின் இளைய மனைவி ஆனார்.

இரண்டு ஆண்டுகள் கழித்துப் பாலைவனங்களூடாக மேற்கொண்ட கடுமையான பயணத்தின் பின்னர் 1542 ஆம் ஆண்டு ஆகத்து மாதம் 22 ஆம் தேதி உமாயூனும், அமீதா பேகமும் உமர்கோட்டில் இருந்த ராசபுத்திரர் கோட்டைக்கு வந்தனர். அதன் ஆட்சியாளராகிய ராணா பிரசாத் சிங் அவர்களை வரவேற்றார். இங்கே இரண்டு மாதங்களுக்குப் பின்னர் 1542 ஆம் ஆண்டு அக்டோபர் மாதம் 15 ஆம் நாள் அதிகாலை அமீதா பேகம் எதிர்காலப் பேரரசரைப் பெற்றெடுத்தார்.

முதலில் யமுனை ஆற்றங்கரையில் அமைந்துள்ள Himayun’s Tomb க்கு அழைத்து சென்றார். முகலாயப் பேரரசர் உமாயூனின்(பேரரசர் பாபரின் மகன்) பூத உடல் அடக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டஇடம் இது.

உமாயூனின் மனைவியான அமீதா பானு பேகம் அவர்களால்,உமாயூன் இறந்து ஒன்பது வருடங்களுக்கு பிறகு,அதாவது கிபி 1565 ஆம் கட்ட ஆரம்பித்து கிபி 1572 ல்,அப்போதைய மதிப்பில் ரூபாய் 15
இலட்சத்திற்கு காட்டி முடிக்கப்பட்டதாம்.

இந்தியாவிலேயே முதன் முதல் சிவப்பு மணற்கற்பாறை (Red Sandstone) கொண்டு பாராசீக கட்டிடக்கலைப்பாணியில் கட்டப்பட்ட அழகிய கல்லறைஇது. இதன் உள்ளே தற்போது நூறுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட
கல்லறைகள் உள்ளனவாம்.

இந்த கட்டிடத்தின் புறத்தோற்றத்தின் அமைப்பை மாதிரியாக கொண்டுதான் ஆக்ராவில் தாஜ் மகால் கட்டினார்களாம்.

தில்லி செல்வோர் அவசியம் பார்க்கவேண்டிய இடம்.இது.இந்த இடம் எவ்வாறு இருக்கிறது என்பதை பார்த்துதான் இரசிக்கவேண்டும்.பிறர் சொல்லி அல்ல!

தற்போது இது இந்திய அரசின் தொல்பொருள் துறையின்
கட்டுப்பாட்டின் கீழ் உள்ளது.

.

SHAMSHAD BEGUM , FIRST PLAYBACK SINGER OF HINDI CINEMA BORN 1919 APRIL 14 - 2013 APRIL 23

SHAMSHAD BEGUM , 

FIRST PLAYBACK SINGER OF HINDI CINEMA 

BORN 1919 APRIL 14 - 2013 APRIL 23

சம்சாத் பேகம் (Shamshad Begum, ஷம்ஷாத் பேகம், ஏப்ரல் 14, 1919 – ஏப்ரல் 23, 2013)[1][2] இந்தித் திரையுலகின் முதல் பின்னணிப் பாடகர்களில் ஒருவராவார். தனித்தன்மை வாய்ந்த குரல்வளம் பெற்றிருந்த இவர் பலவகையானப் பாடல்களை பாடியுள்ளார். இந்தி, பெங்காலி, மராத்தி, குசராத்தி,தமிழ் மற்றும் பஞ்சாபி மொழிகளில் 6000க்கும் கூடுதலான திரைப்பாடல்களைப் பாடியுள்ளார்.[3] இந்தித் திரையுலகின் புகழ்பெற்ற இசையமைப்பாளர்களான நௌசத், எஸ். டி. பர்மன், சி. இராமச்சந்திரா , ஓ. பி. நய்யார் போன்றவர்களின் இசையமைப்பில் பாடியுள்ளார். 1940களிலிருந்து 1970கள் வரையில் சம்சாத்தின் பாடல்கள் பரவலான வரவேற்பைப் பெற்றிருந்தன. இன்றும் அவரது புகழ்பெற்ற பாடல்கள் மீள்கலப்பு செய்யப்பட்டு வருகின்றன.

Shamshad Begum (Śamśād Bēgam; 14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013)[3][4] was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry. She had a distinctive voice and was a versatile artist, singing over 6,000 songs in Hindi and Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Punjabi languages and of them 1287 songs were Hindi film songs.[5] She worked with maestros including Naushad Ali, S. D. Burman, C. Ramchandra and O. P. Nayyar. Her songs from the 1940s to the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed.

Personal life

Shamshad Begum was born in Lahore, British India (present-day Pakistan) on 14 April 1919,[6] the day after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in nearby Amritsar. She was one of eight children, five sons and three daughters, born to a conservative Muslim family of limited means. Her father, Mian Hussain Baksh Maan, worked as a mechanic, and her mother, Ghulam Fatima, was a pious lady of conservative disposition, a devoted wife and mother who raised her children with traditional family values.[7]

In 1932, the teenage Shamshad came in contact with Ganpat Lal Batto, a Hindu law student who lived in the same neighbourhood and who was several years older than her. In those days, marriages were performed while the bride and groom were very young, and Shamshad's parents were already looking out for a suitable alliance for her. Their efforts were on the verge of bearing fruit in 1934 when Ganpat Lal Batto and Shamshad made the decision to marry each other. In 1934, despite strenuous opposition from both their families due to religious differences, 15-year-old Shamshad married Ganpat Lal Batto. The couple had but one child, a daughter named Usha, who in due course married a Hindu gentleman, Lieutenant Colonel Yogesh Ratra, an officer in the Indian Army.

In 1955, Ganpat Lal Batto died in a road accident. His death left Shamshad very distraught, because her husband had been the focus of her life and they had both been extremely devoted to each other. He had handled many aspects of her career and contracts and had been a major positive energy behind her career progression. After his death, Shamshad became listless and lost the fighting spirit to pursue her career, which registered a sharp decline

thereafter. Indeed, while Shamshad Begum was both an outstanding singer and a successful famous one, she was at some deeper level always a wife and mother first, someone who instinctively prioritised her family over her career. By nature, she preferred to keep away from the public glare and from business dealings, taking the view that it was rather unseemly for a lady to be involved in such things. After her husband's death, Shamshad Begum began living with her daughter and son-in-law in Mumbai, first in south Mumbai and later at Hiranandani Gardens.[8][9] She gradually became a recluse and devoted herself entirely to her grandchildren, to the point that the general public was unaware of whether she was alive or dead. In 2004, a controversy erupted in the media, when several publications wrongly reported that Shamshad Begum had died a few years previously. Shamshad's family clarified in a press release that this was not so; and it later emerged that the Shamshad Begum who had died in 1998 was Saira Banu's maternal grandmother.[8] Her self-imposed seclusion is remarkable, because during all those decades away from the public eye, her old songs remained popular with the public and not a day passed without at least a couple of songs being played on Vividh Bharati and All India Radio.

Career

1924–40
Begum's talent was first spotted by her principal when she was in primary school in 1924. Impressed by the quality of her voice, she was made head singer of classroom prayer. At 10, she started singing folk-based songs at religious functions and family marriages. She received no formal musical training. Her singing ambitions, which she held from 1929, met with opposition from her family. In 1931, when she was twelve(16), her uncle, who enjoyed qawwalis and ghazals, secretly took her to Jenophone (or Xenophone) Music Company for an audition with Lahore-based musician and composer, Ghulam Haider. Begum said in an interview, "I sang Bahadur Shah Zafar's (the poet-ruler) ghazal Mera yaar mujhe mile agar." An impressed Haider gave her a contract for twelve songs, with the same facilities provided to top singers. It was Begum's paternal uncle Ameer Khan[10] who convinced her father, Miya Hussain Baksh, to allow her to sing. When she won a contract with a recording company, her father agreed to let her sing on the condition that she would record in a burka and not allow herself to be photographed.[11] She earned 15 rupees per song and was awarded 500 on the completion of the contract on Xenophone. Xenophone was a renowned music recording company, patronised by the rich, and her popularity grew in elite circles in the early 1930s. Though she had won the Xenophone audition without having any formal music training, Hussain Bakshwale Sahab and later Ghulam Haider improved her singing skills between 1937 and 1939.

Her popular breakthrough came when she began singing on All India Radio (AIR) in Peshawar and Lahore from 1937. Producer Dilsukh Pancholi wanted her to act as well in a film he was producing. Begum readily agreed, gave a screen test and was selected. Her father became angry when he found out and warned her that she would not be allowed to sing if she continued to harbour a desire to act. Begum promised her father that she would never appear before the camera. She continued to sing songs on the radio. She never posed for photographs, and few people saw her picture between 1933 and the 1970s.

Begum sang for AIR through her musical group 'The Crown Imperial Theatrical Company of Performing Arts', set up in Delhi.[12] The then AIR Lahore helped her to enter the world of movies as they frequently broadcast her songs, which induced music directors to use her voice for their films. Begum also recorded naats and other devotional music for a couple of gramophone recording companies. Her crystal-clear voice caught the attention of sarangi maestro Hussain Bakshwale Saheb, who took her as his disciple.

1941–45

Director Mehboob Khan brought Shamshad Begum to Mumbai after telling her husband 'I will take her to Mumbai and give her a flat, car, conveyance and even if four to six people accompany her, it's fine. Please let her come to Mumbai'.[13] Her father was not convinced at first but later gave in as Shamshad wanted to come to Mumbai. Haider used her voice skilfully in some of his earlier films such as Khazanchi (1941) and Khandan (1942). By 1940, Begum was already well established on the radio. The songs "Cheechi Wich Pa ke Chhalla", "Mera Haal Vekh Ke" and "Kankaan Diyaan Faslaan" from Yamla Jatt of 1940 became a huge hit and popularised Pran, singer Begum and composer Haider. Haider continued to compose hit songs which Begum sang for films including Zamindar, Poonji and Shama. Khan used Begum's voice in Taqdeer (1943), where he introduced Nargis as the heroine. Begum was soon singing for other composers including Rafiq Ghaznavi, Ameer Ali, Pt. Gobindram, Pt. Amarnath, Bulo C. Rani, Rashid Atre and M. A. Mukhtar, in the pre-independence era.

When Haider moved to Bombay in 1944, Begum went with him as a member of his team, leaving behind her family and staying with her Chacha (paternal uncle). After partition, Haider migrated to Pakistan but Begum remained in Mumbai. She had no known Pakistani connection post 1947. Begum became a national star between the early 1940s and the early 1960s, having a voice different from her peers such as Noorjehan (also discovered by Haider), Mubarrak Begum, Suraiya, Sudha Malhotra, Geeta Dutt and Amirbai Karnataki. Her peak period in the Hindi film industry was from 1940 to 1955 and again from 1957 to 1968.

1946–55
Begum sang extensively for composers including Naushad Ali, O. P. Nayyar, C. Ramchandra and S. D. Burman from 1946 to 1960. Naushad acknowledged in an interview that he was indebted to Begum in reaching the top, as she was famous before he became known in the late 1940s; after his tracks sung by her became highly popular, his talent was recognised. It was Begum's solo and duet songs sung for Naushad in the late 1940s and early 1950s which made Naushad famous. After Naushad became successful he recorded songs with new singers as well in the early 1950s, but kept working with Shamshad in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Naushad chose his favourite singer Begum once again to sing four out of the twelve songs in Mother India.[14]

Begum is credited with singing one of the first Westernised songs, "Meri jaan...Sunday ke Sunday" by Ramchandra. She kept getting more offers to sing songs and was the highest paid female singer from 1940 to 1955 and again post Mother India in 1957 to 1964. In 1949, music directors S. Rajeshwara Rao, M. D. Parthasarathy and Balakrishna Kalla asked her to sing "Jaiyo Jaiyo Shipayon Bazar" for P. Bhanumati in the film Nishan, produced by Gemini Films of Madras, which became highly popular.

Although Burman started composing Bengali music in 1937, he achieved national fame with tracks sung by Begum in Hindi films.[14] Burman was not well established as a music director in Hindi films until 1946; he then asked Begum to sing in his debut Hindi film as music director, Shikari (1946), with the song, "Kuch Rang Badal Rahi". In 1949, came Shabnam, in which Burman asked her to sing duets named "Pyar Main Tumne" and "Kismat Bhi Bhichadna" with Mukesh, which became popular. Shabnam was Burman's biggest hit to that date with Filmistan, and was especially noticeable for its multilingual song "Yeh Duniya Roop ki Chor", sung by Begum and acted by Kamini Kaushal, which became another hit.[15] Burman subsequently asked her to sing tracks in Bazar, Mashaal, Bahar, Shahenshah, Miss India, and other films. The song "Jaam Tham Le" from Shahenshah was a trendsetter for Burman compositions.

Begum had met Nayyar during her radio stint in Lahore, when he worked as an office boy delivering cakes for the lead singers. In 1954, when Nayyar got a break as a composer, he approached Begum to record songs for Mangu. Nayyar described her voice as resembling a "temple bell" for its clarity of tone. He worked with her until the late 1960s and gave her many hit songs, including "Ab To Jee Hone Laga" from Mr. & Mrs. '55, "Main Jaan Gayi Tujhe" from Howrah Bridge, "Zara Pyar Karle" from Mangu, "Saiyan Teri Ankhon Mein" from 12' O Clock, "Thodasa Dil Lagana" from Musafirkhana, and many others.

Several of her songs from this period remain extremely popular, including those acted by Nigar Sultana, such as "Teri Mehfil Mein" from Mughal E Azam and "Mere Piyan Gaye" from Patanga (1949), as well as "Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re", acted by Vyjantimala, and "Boojh Mera Naam Hai", acted by Minoo Mumtaz. "Milte hi aankhen dil hua" from Babul (1950) had a romantic duet with Talat Mahmood, acted by Dilip Kumar and Munawar Sultana, which also became popular. Her duet with Rafi, "Chhala Deja Nishani" from Bazar became a mega-hit.

In the late 1940s, Madan Mohan and Kishore Kumar sang as chorus boys for her songs at the Filmistan Studio. Begum promised at this time that she would sing songs composed by Mohan once he started his career as a music director and would accept a lower fee. She also predicted that Kumar would become a great playback singer. She later recorded duets with Kumar, including "Gori ke Nainon Mein Nindiya Bhari" from Angarey and "Mere Neendon Me Tum" from Naya Andaz.

1955–76
Shamshad was at the peak of her career right from 1941 to 1955 and was the most in demand female singer and highest paid female playback singer from 1940–1955. She was the lead singer for many films like Taqdeer, Humayun, Shahjehan, Anokhi Ada, Aag, Mela, Patanga, Babul, Bahar, Jadoo, Aan and more. But after her husband's accidental death in 1955, Begum became a recluse and stopped accepting singing assignments, including recordings, for a year. Though she had stopped recording for her songs in the year 1955 after her husband's death, the songs released between 1955 and early 1957 including songs from films such as CID, Naya Andaz, Baradari, Mr. & Mrs. '55 and other hits continued to be popular . At this juncture Mehboob Khan approached her in 1957 and said he wanted a full-throated voice for Nargis in Mother India. The first song she sang after returning to her career was "Pee ke ghar aaj pyari dulhaniya chali" for Mother India. She made a successful comeback, and subsequently recorded many notable songs for films such as Howrah Bridge, Jaali Note, Love in Simla, Bewaqoof, Mughal-e-Azam, Bluff Master, Gharana and Rustom-E-Hind.[citation needed]

The well-known later playback singer, Lata Mangeshkar, started singing when Begum was at the peak of her career, with Begum's break after her husband's death boosting Mangeshkar's career and helping her get offers for high-quality songs. In the early careers of Mangeshkar, as well as her younger sister, Asha Bhosle, between 1944 and 1956, they had often been asked by producers and music directors to imitate Begum's style of singing, because producers could not afford Begum's fees. In their first song together, Mangeshkar was a part of the chorus while Begum was the main singer. Many of the songs sung by Lata like "Ayega Ayega" were sung in Shamshad Begum's style. Even Asha Bhosle's songs like her first duet with Kishore – "Aati Hai Yaad Humko" from the 1948 film Muqaddar bear direct resemblance to Shamshad Begum's style. From 1949 to 1960, beginning with the song "Dar Na Mohabbat Karle" from Andaz, Mangeshkar and Begum have sung many duets together, with the most famous being "Pyar Ke Jahan Ki" from the 1949 film Patanga, "Bachpan Ke Din" from 1951's Deedar; their last song together was Mughal-e-Azam's song "Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat" in 1960. Begum sang songs together with Mangeshkar and Bhosle, including "Mubarak Ho Woh Dil Jisko" from Benazir .[16][17] It was between 1958 and 1963 that the career of Lata got a major boost as music directors started gradually preferring her soft voice. Until then, Geeta Dutt and Begum were the most preferred singers, but Shamshad Begum continued to be at the top from 1940 till 1963.[citation needed] From 1965, her songs started to be mimed by actresses other than the lead. Beginning in 1965, songs for her in films started getting reduced but the songs she sang instantly became hits through 1968. She then declared a self-imposed retirement in 1965. But she kept having certain composers asking her to sing songs in few films and among them her songs from films like in Daku Mangal Singh, Upkar, Kismat, Heer Ranjha, Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong, Teri Meri Ik Jindri and Main Papi Tum Bakhshanhaar. Her song "Kajra Mohabbat Wala" from the 1968 film Kismat and "Nathaniya Hale To Bada Maza" from the 1971 film Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong remains popular.

Retirement and death
From the late 1980s, Begum started giving occasional interviews. In one of her interviews to Filmfare magazine in 2012 Begum dislosed "The more hits I gave, the less work I got. When I helped new composers I never told them to give me all their songs to sing. I believed only God could give, not them."[18] Her final interview was in 2012. In 2009, she was conferred with the prestigious O. P. Nayyar Award for her contribution to Hindi film music.[19] She was also conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2009.[20] Later her daughter Usha said in an interview ""Because of the politics in the industry, she didn't want to work any more. This is one of the reasons why she didn't let me be a singer. I told her, let me sing for my self-satisfaction, but she said if you will learn to sing, you will directly enter the industry. So, she didn't let me do so."[21]

Begum died at her Mumbai residence on the night of 23 April 2013 after a prolonged illness. She was 94.[22][23] She was cremated in a small, dignified ceremony.[24]

Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said, "The film industry has lost one of its most versatile singers. Shamshadji's style of singing set new benchmarks. Her melodious voice with powerful lyrics gave us songs that have remained popular even today."[25] Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said "She was an artist of extraordinary talent and abilities, and the songs she has left behind in her long career, which she started with AIR in 1937, will continue to enthral music lovers."[26] Her daughter Usha Ratra said "She kept herself away from glamour of the industry despite being one of the top singers of her era as she did not like limelight. My mother used to say that artistes never die. She wanted to be remembered for her songs."[5]

Selected songs

Begum on a 2016 stamp of India
"Leke Pehla Pehla Pyar", "Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishana", "Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re" – CID (1956); (Music: O.P. Nayyar)
"Savan Ke Nazare Hai" - Khazanchi (1941 film); (Music: Ghulam Haider)
"Hum Dard Ka Afsana" - Dard (1947 film)
"Jab Usne Gesu Bikhraye" - Shahjehan (1946) (Music: Naushad)
"Main Bhawara Tu Hai Phool" (Duet with Mukesh) - Mela (1948 film); (Music: Naushad)
"Chandni Aayi Ban Ke Pyar" - Dulari (film) (1949)
"Na Bol Pi Pi More Aangna" - Dulari (film) (1949)
"Milte Hi Aankhen Dil Hua", (Duet with Talat Mehmood) – Babul 1950; (Music: Naushad Ali)
"Chali Chali Kaisi Yeh Hawa Yeh", (Duet with Usha Mangeshkar) – Bluffmaster (1965); (music: Kalyanji Anandji)
"Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar Laga Teer-e-nazar", (Aar Paar 1954), (music: O.P. Nayyar)
"O Gadiwale Dheere" – Mother India 1957; (Music: Naushad)
"Ye duniya roop ki chor" – Shabnam 1949; (Music: S.D.Burman)
"Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon" – Patanga 1949; (Music C.Ramchandra)
"Ek Tera Sahara" – Shama 1946; (Music: Master Ghulam Haider)
"Holi Aayee Re Kanhaai" – Mother India (1957); (Music: Naushad)
"Naina Bhar Aye Neer" – Humayun (1945); (Music: Master Ghulam Haider)
"Nazar Phero Na Humse" – (Duet with G M Durani) – Deedar (1951); (Music: Naushad)
"Chod Babul Ka Ghar" – Babul 1950; (Music: Naushad)
'Badi mushkil se dil ki beqarari ko qarar aaya' – Naghma 1953; (Music:Naushad) ; (Lyric:Shoukat Dehlavi)
"Kajra Mohabbatwala Ankhiyon mein Aisa dala" (Duet with Asha Bhosle) – Kismat (1968); (Music: O.P. Nayyar)
"Meri Neendon Main Tum" (Duet with Kishore Kumar) – Naya Andaz 1956; (Music: O.P.Nayyar)
"Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat" (Duet with Lata Mangeshkar) – Mughal-E-Azam 1960; (Music:Naushad)
"Pyar Ke Jahan Ki Nirali" (Duet with Lata Mangeshkar) - Patanga (1949 film); (Music: C. Ramchandra)
"Saiyan Dil Mein Aana Re" – Bahar 1951; (Music: S.D.Burman)
"Reshmi Salwar Kurta Jaali Da" – Naya Daur 1957; (Music:O.P.Nayyar)
"Kisike Dil Mein Rehna Tha" – Babul 1950 – with Lata; (Music:Naushad)
"Dharti Ko Aakash Pukare" – Mela 1948 – with Mukesh; (Music:Naushad)
"Ek Do Teen Aaja Mausam Hai Rangeen" – Awaara (1951); (Music:Shankar-Jaikishen)
"Dil eechak beechak gurr" – "Bawre Nain" 1950 – (Music:Roshan)
"Kahin pe nigahein" – "C.I.D." 1956 – (Music:O.P. Nayyar)
"Door Koi Gaye" – "Baiju Bawra (1952)(Music:Naushad)
"Chaman mein reheke veerana" – "Deedar" 1951 – (Music:Naushad)