| Order number: |
PP MS 55, Durand, Box 2
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| Summary: |
This is account of Sikandar Begum, Regent and 10th Nawab of Bhopal (1844-1868), princely state in Central India, of her pilgrimage to Mecca in 1280 AH [1863-64 AD]. It was written in 1284 AH [1867 AD], in Urdu on pale blue filigraned English paper (William 1866) and counts 217 pages bound between boards covered in fishscale-patterned green and gold cloth. The colophon page bears two stamps: the personal inked stamp of Sikandar Begum, and the embossed state seal of the Bhopal princedom.
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| Main author: |
Sikandar Begum, Nawab of Bhopal (1816-1868) |
| Previous numbers: |
MS 257247, (32) 21b
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| Extent: |
217pp
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| Note: |
1284 AH
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| Admin history: |
Sikandar Begum (1817-1868), Regent, 10th ruling Nawab and one of the four women rulers of Bhopal (1844-1868), who, against all social conventions of the time and the dangers inherent to such an enterprise, journeyed to Mecca in 1280 AH (between 1863 and 1864 AD), becoming reputedly the first Indian ruler to undertake the holy pilgrimage as well as write an account of her journey. |
| Custodial history: |
This is the bound manuscript in Urdu of Sikandar Begum's account of her pilgrimage to Mecca, written down in 1284 AH [1867 AD] at the suggestion of Lady Durand, wife of Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand, the Political Agent in Bhopal in the 1850’s and later Emma Laure Willoughby-Osborne (wife of Colonel John William Willoughby Osborne, who was appointed Political Agent at Bhopal in 1862) .
It appears that this copy held at SOAS might be one of the two autograph copies produced by Sikandar Begum for Lady Durand and Emma Laure Willoughby-Osborne, that were reported untraceable or missing until now.
One manuscript of the travelogue was kept by Sikandr Behum's successor, Nawab Shahjahan Begum in the Royal Archives of Bhopal and Emma Laure Willoughby-Osborne acquired it from her, in order to translate it from Urdu to English. She completed the translation in 1869 (the year following Sikandar Begum's death) and had it published in 1870 by W.H. Allen & Company (available in SOAS Library Special Collections under classmark EB87.175/165394).
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This is the bound manuscript in Urdu of Sikandar Begum's account of her pilgrimage to Mecca, written down in 1284 AH [1867 AD] at the suggestion of Lady Durand, wife of Major-General Sir Henry Marion Durand, the Political Agent in Bhopal in the 1850’s and later Emma Laure Willoughby-Osborne (wife of Colonel John William Willoughby Osborne, who was appointed Political Agent at Bhopal in 1862) .
It appears that this copy held at SOAS might be one of the two autograph copies produced by Sikandar Begum for Lady Durand and Emma Laure Willou ... View more |
| Acquisition: |
Acquired in 1970 from the Durand Family together with other family papers, for the sum of £300.
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| Access status: |
Open
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| Language: |
Urdu
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| Scripts: |
Arabic (Nastaliq variant)
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| File number: |
12
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| Physical description: |
Manuscript on filigraned paper (William 1866). Bound in board covered by green and gold fishscale patterned cloth.
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| Format: |
Archive
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