BEGUM Sumru was the daughter of Latif Ali Khan, a nobleman of Arabian origin, who had settled in the town of Kotana, 30 miles north-west of Meerut. Her year of birth is about 1753. When she was six years old she lost her father. In consequence of ill treatment by the elder son of her father by another wife, her mother moved with her to Delhi. Here she seems to have taken up dancing as a profession, having all the qualities that go to make up a successful dancer. She had a graceful way; and she must have been uncommonly beautiful at the age of 15, to have caught the eye of Walter Reinhardt - a man with such power and position that he could have had the pick of land, and who, considering the amount he had travelled, must have been a good judge of the fairer sex. Contemporaries, even though they describe her when she was past her prime, say that she was a small dainty woman of delicate features, with a fair complexion and large eyes, and that she carried herself well and was polite and enjoyable company. Nor was she mere beauty and no brains. Her keen intelligence made every use of the education she received. She was able to write and speak Hindustani and Persian fluently.

It was in 1765, when Sumru was in the service of Jawahar Singh, the Rajah of Bharatpur, and engaged in the siege of Delhi, that this beautiful girl, whose name was Farzana, caught Sumru’s eye. From then on she never left his side, but accompanied him in all his campaigns. She is said to have married him according to all the forms considered necessary by Muslims. Sumru actually already had a wife; but she became insane, and remained so till her death at Sardhana in 1838. His marriage with the Begum was not blessed with any children. But Sumru had a son, Zafar Yab Khan, from his first wife. He was a minor, when his father died, and already given to riotous living. Therefore at the death of Sumru, his 82 European officers and 4000 troops petitioned Emperor Shah Alam II to install the Begum as Sumru’s successor. The Emperor having personal knowledge of her abilities and talents, readily complied with their request . And thus from 1778 began the long and colourful reign of Begum Sumru. Here was a woman in a man’s role, yet gifted with the qualities of both. Fearless in battle, upright in her dealings, she was gorgeous to those who befriended her and feared by those who offended her.

On 7th May 1781, three years after her husband’s death, she was received into the Catholic Church, at Agra, by Rev. Fr. Gregory, a Carmelite priest. This Carmelite priest had been sent from Bombay to look after the Christians of Agra, When the Jesuit Father had to leave because of the Suppression of their Order. The Begum took the name of Joanna, a name another woman had taken many years before, another woman warrior who guided the destiny of her People – Joan of Arc.

It is obvious that she became a Catholic out of conviction. This is clear from the fact that she embraced the Catholic faith when she was at the height of her power, and therefore, could not be accused of becoming a Catholic for any material purpose. Besides, the Emperor at Delhi, to whom she was subject, was a Muslim and could hardly be expected to approve of a fellow Muslim, becoming a Christian. Nor did she do it to please her husband, otherwise she would have done it during his life-time and three years after his death. Nor did she do it to please the British who were not at Delhi at that time. During the next 58 years she never faltered in her new found faith, but as the churches she built many years afterward prove, she loved it with a love that grew stronger everyday. On this same occasion her step-son, Zarar Yab Khan, was also baptized, taking the name of his father, Walter Balthazzar Reinhardt.

It was not long before Shah Alam had reason to be more than pleased with himself for having recognised the Begum as her husband's successor. Towards the end of the rainy season of 1787, Ghulam Qadir, son of the old rebel, the Rohilla chief Zabta Khan of Saharanpur, whom Sumru had defeated, taking advantage of the confusion prevailing in Delhi and that Mahadji Sindhia, the `pricipal nobleman', was away in the South, marched on the Mogul capital. He unceremoniously entered the imperial presence and held the Emperor a virtual prisoner. His intention was to force the Emperor to proclaim him Amir-ul-Umara, a position of which his father had been deprived and which was now occupied by Sindhia.

On hearing of this outrage, the Begum hastened from Panipat, where she was engaged in fighting the Sikhs and encamped before Lahori Gate. The rebel on seeing her forces, tried to entice her to his side, promising her a share of the Mogul power. He called her `sister', and this `sister' played along with him and promised to join her `brother' the next day. Ghulam Qadir returned for the night to his camp on the other side of the Jumna. As soon as he did so the Begum quickly forced her way into the palace and swore her loyalty to the Emperor. The next morning Ghulam was shocked to find that his `sister' had outwitted him. When he tried to resort to force, the Begum's battery, erected overnight answered in no uncertain terms. Ghulam was quick to recognise defeat, and appealed to the Begum to help him to make peace with the Emperor. Then he quietly withdrew to where he had come from.

For this great service, the Emperor conferred on the Begum the tittle of `Zeb-ul-Nisa'. `the Jewel of her Sex'.

The next year again the Emperor had occasion to be grateful to the Begum for saving his life. In 1788 Najaf Quli Khan, the chief of Gokulgarh, a place near Rewari, 49 miles south west of Delhi rose n revolt, because he had been deprived of a part of his jagir. The Emperor, determined to crush the rebel, marched in person to Gokulagarh accompanied by the Begum. The Begum took with her three of her regiments and a battery of artillery. But early in the morning of 5th April, Najaf Quli Khan made such a surprise and forceful attack that he threw the imperial forces into confusion. The very person of the Emperor was in danger. The Begum immediately took charge of the situation. She requested the Emperor to retire to her tents, while George Thomas, her best officer, rushed her troops to the troubled spot where the imperial line had given way. Then, after seeing to the Emperor's safety, she herself hurried to the scene of battle. She got down from her palanquin and, supervising the counter attack, ordered her artillery to open fire. In the face of such determined opposition the onslaught was checked. The imperial forces had now sufficiently recovered and it was not before the enemy was completely routed. The Emperor was the first to realise that he owed his life to the Begum. If it had not been for her presence of mind when everyone else was in a state of panic, there is no telling what the rebel would have done. In gratitude the Emperor ordered a Darbar to be held. He thanked his deliverer in glowing terms, clothed her with a special robe of honour, and bestowed on her the title of ``Most Beloved daughter''. She was also given the valuable state called the pargana of Badshapur, South of Delhi.

Generous in victory and no doubt prompted by her Catholic faith that preached forgiveness even of enemies, she interceded for Najaf Quali Khan. The Emperor could refuse her nothing. ``The most Beloved Daughter'' was also one of the most powerful persons in his court. The rebel was fully pardoned and received once again into the Emperor's favour.

The Emperor's eldest son, Mirza, seeing his father an easy prey to petty chiefs and his kingdom slowly disintegrating, decided to do something to consolidate his father's position and win back some of the fast vanishing Mogul glory. He sent a messenger to the Begum to secure her assistance. An interesting dialogue has been recorded. The Begum, wanting to know what kind of a leader Mirza would make, asked the messenger, ``Does your master possess any manly or heroic qualities ?'' The messenger misunderstanding the meaning of his beautiful enquirer, answered with a sly smile, ``He is fine to look at, fine as could be !'' The poor man's smile froze when the Begum's dark eyes flashed in anger, ``What joke is this ? I ask you, does he know how to use a sword and win kingdoms, or has he only a passion for playing the drum and the tabor ?'' However all Mirza's ambitious intentions were in vain. Intrigue forced him to retire from court life.

The Begum's reputations as a military leader spread far and wide. It was rumoured that she was a witch, who in battle had only to spread out her chaddar to destroy her enemies. In his ``Military Memoirs of Lt. Col. J. Skinner, C.B.', J. Baille Fraser records, ``Col. Skinner had often during his service with the Marathas, seen her, then a beautiful young woman, leading on her troops to the attack in person and displaying in the midst of the most frightful carnage, the greatest intrepidity and presence of mind.''

About 1790 a young Frenchman, Le Vaisseau, entered her service. Till then the Begum had been alone; no one to share her life; no one to share the burdens of her administration. There were rivalries in her court and occasional cases of insubordination among her troops. She was still young and beautiful, and many sought her affection, chief among them was George Thomas, her principal lieutenant. But now came this dashing young Frenchman, so different from the illiterate ruffians that surrounded her. He was accomplished, handsome and well educated. The Begum was infatuated by his charm, and he by her beauty. They were married in 1793. The marriage was solemnised by Rev. Fr. Gregory, the same Carmelite priest who had baptised the Begum.

But the marriage was unpopular. The Frenchman, obviously conscious of his superior upbringing, was arrogant and lacking in tact. His open familiarity with the Begum was a source of endless scandal. Besides George Thomas, her rejected lover, was so disappointed that he resigned her service and left Sardhana to join the army of Sindhia. All this led to a lot of unrest.

It was further fermented by certain interested parties, who hoped to gain something from the confusion that would follow. Soon there was mutiny in the air. George Thomas was intriguing with the Begum's battalion, that was in Delhi on duty with the Emperor under the command of Sumru's son, Zafar Khan.

The Begum, quick to sense the danger, decided to prefer personal happiness to everything else. She resolved to surrender all to Sindhia, the acknowledged ruler of India, on condition that she would be allowed to take away her private property. Meanwhile Le Vaisseau wrote to the England Governor-General, Sir John Shore, for a free passage through British territory upto Chandernagore. But the soldiers got wind of these preparatons and rose in revolt before replies could come. Liegois, a friend of George Thomas, with whom he was in contact, led the revolt, and invited Sumru's son to come over from Delhi.

The Begum and her husband tried to escape by night, but hardly had they gone three miles, to a place called Kirwa, when they realised that they were being pursued. The Begum and her husband then made a sort of suicide pact at the initiation of the romantic Frenchman. He could easily have escaped since he was on horse back, but he loved the Begum. As he went ahead to hurry on the party, he heard shots from the rear and then a lot of screaming. He galloped back to find that the Begum had stabbed herself in the chest with her dagger. True to his promise not to be separated from her by death, he put his pistol to his head and pulled the trigger.

What had actually happened was this. The Begum had heard shots being fired and the sound of people being killed. She was under the impression that her husband was among the slain; and so true to her promise, and afraid of what would happen to her once a mob of frenzied soldiers got hold of her, she stabbed herself. But the wound was not fatal. The dagger had struck a rib and glanced off.

The soldiers gave vent to their uncontrolled passions and heaped all sorts of insults on the dead body of Le Vaisseau. The Begum was taken back to Sardhana and tied to a gun carriage, exposed to the scorching sun for seven days without food or drink. But for a faithful maid servant, that secretly ministered to her, she would have died. But there was one officer, who had been against this uprising. He was a Frenchman, named Saleur, who had been a witness of the Begum's marriage with Le Vaisseau. He kept trying to show his fellow officers the folly of their actions. Through him the Begum wrote to Sindhia and also to her old admirer and officer, George Thomas, imploring them to rescue her. The Irishman, who still had great affection for the Begum, was shocked at the treatment of the Begum, for which, to a great extent, he had been responsible. He rushed to her rescue and threatened her captors that they would answer to him with their lives, if anything should happen to the Begum. Sindhia answered in the same strain.

But the soldiers were already disappointed with Zafar Yab Khan, who was weak and dissolute, with no qualities of leadership. A counter revolution occured and George Thomas coming up seized Sumru's son and sent him a prisoner to Delhi, where he was kept under a sort of house arrest till his death in 1803.

A solemn oath of allegiance to the Begum was then taken by all her European officers. M. Saleur, the French officer, that had proved his faithfulness when she needed it most, was appointed Commanders of her troops. To George Thomas she gave in marriage one of her chief maids of honour, a lady of French extraction, and a considerable dowry.

From then on, much sobered by the turn of events, she resumed the name of her first husband and seemed to forget all about Le Vaisseau. No more would she allow a man to steal her affections. She decided to consolidate her political position and be a ruler first and last. She threw all her talents and energy into the administration of her territory.

In 1800 the Begum went to Agra to pay her respects to Sindhia for the assistance he had rendered her when she had been held captive by her own troops. Mahadaji Sindhia, the now acknowledged ruler of India, received her with honour. But on 23rd September 1803 Sindhia met his Waterloo. He was defeated decisively, in the Battle of Assaye, in the Deccan, by Wellesley, more famous as the Duke of Wellington. The Begum had sent five of her six battalions and fifteen guns under the command of Saleur. It was this Indian force alone that came off the field unbroken, though charged repeatedly by the British cavalry. As soon as her troops returned, the Begum realised it was no use to kick against the goad. She entered into a treaty with the English who guaranteed her territory for life. Born diplomat that she was, unlike her husband who fought the British all his life, she had foreseen the fall of the Marathas and the rise of the English. She rendered the English occasional service that would secure their favour. Such a service occured as early as 1791. When Colonel Stuart, officer commanding at Anupshar was captured by the Sikhs, a sum of one lakh was demanded as ransom. At the request of Major Palmer, the Begum succeeded in securing the release of the officer by paying only Rs. 15,000. On his release the Begum escorted him to Sardhana with a company of her soldiers, and from there on to Delhi. The Governor General himself thanked the Begum in Council and restored the money she had paid. But Lord Wellesley, when he became Governor General at Calcutta undoubtedly smarting under the resistance her troops displayed at the battle of Assaye, suspected her loyalty and demanded that she surrender her possessions. In exchange she would be given later some territory in Agra. The situation called for the best in the Begum. It was her wits against the power of the English. She had to distract their attention by keeping them busy with other matters and by making efforts to secure their favour. She secretly informed Holkar, the Maratha chief, who had defeated the English in Rajputana, that she was on his side. It would be worth recording here that when Holkar besieged Delhi successfully in October 1804, the British troops that withstood him were under the command of the famous general, Sir David Ochterlony the god-father of David Ochterlony Dyce Sumru, the Begum's adopted son. The Begum also encouraged the Sikhs to raid British territory, while at the same time she rescued another British official from them. She flattered the British sense of vanity with lavish hospitality and piteous appeals. With these tactice she managed to forestall the execution of Wellesley's decision. In 1805 Lord Cornwallis, coming out for the second time as Governor General, replaced Wellesley. He reinstated the Begum and restored her property. In a letter to her he refers with gratitude to her friendliness towards the British, and especially to her rescue of another English officer, Mr. Guthrie, who was the Collector of Saharanpur, when the Sikhs captured the city in October, 1804. In August of 1805 she signed a final treaty with the British, when Mr. Guthrie, sent by Lord Cornwallis for the purpose, came to Sardhana.

From then on, the services of her troops were employed to keep peace within her own borders. Only once were they called upon to fight out of the jagir of Sardhana. That was in 1826, in the war waged by the British against the Rajah of Bharatpur. The British Commander, Lord Combermere, did not want any native chief to accompany the troops that would serve under him. This order annoyed the Begum. To pacify her, she was told that the large place of Muttura was confided to her care. But she would have none of it. ``Nonsense'', she is reported to have said, ``if I don't go to Bharatpur, all Hindustan will say that I have grown a coward in my old age.'' She got what she wanted, as she always did. She was with her troops throughout the fierce long struggle, and was present even at the storming of the fortress. She was thanked by the British government for her examplary courage and invaluable assistance. It was indeed a remarkable feat for a woman of 73.

Since after 1805 the services of her troops were not called upon outside her territory, she began to devote her attention fully to the administration of her lands and the development of her people. She preserved peace and order throughout her dominion. Security of life and property existed everywhere. Trade was fostered and agriculture encouraged. Referring to her lands under cultivation, Capt. W. Franklin wrote in his book `Shah Alam', ``An unremitting attention to the cultivation of the land, a mild and upright administration, and care for the welfare of the inhabitants, has enabled this small tract to vie with the most cultivated parts of Hindustan, and to yield a revenue of ten lakhs of Rupees per annum''. The sum should be multiplied by fifty to get the real value of her income today. Nor is this a lone voice. Major Archer who visited Sardhana in 1828, in his book ``Tours in Upper India'', had this to say, ``Here fields look greener and more flourishing, and the population of her villages appear happier and more prosperous than those of the (East India) Company's province. Her care is unremitting and her protection sure''.

Her generosity was proverbial and she carried through a programme of building churches, palaces, bridges and works of public utility unfamiliar to that age. Since the time she had become a Catholic in 1781, she had one ardent desire that took precedence over all others-to raise a church worthy of Divine service. Her intention was the glroy of God. She put all her energy and resources into this project; and God in reward immortalised her name through this edifice she erected to Him. After the church had been completed she began to build a palace of her own. Till then she had lived in what is now St. John's Seminary, a building she had not built and which was considered small for a person of her standing. She built other palaces too, in Delhi and Meeruyt. One of her palaces in Delhi stands at the beginning of Chandni Chowk known as Bhagirath Palace and is now occupied by the Central Bank of India. This palace faced the Red Fort with a beautiful garden in between, a gift of the Emperor to the Begum in 1806.

The Begum's Palace at Meerut was not so fortunate. South of Begum Bridge (named after Begum Sumru) there was a huge area known as Begum Bagh. In the midst of this ground full of flowers and fruit trees was the Begum's Palace at Meerut. But after the death of the Begum the palace was neglected and the garden was encroached upon.

After Independence in 1947 the chakbandi (land consolidation) office operated from there. But it was in a sad state of disrepair. In 1985—inspite of city Magistrate's directives to protect the palace, it was torn down by another local government department and multistoried housing complex has come up for the Meerut Development Authority.

Ironically the area is still known as Begum Bagh—though there is no sign of the Begum's garden or her palace.

She also built a church closeby which is today the Baptist Mission Church. She built a presbytery and a Catholic church for the British soldiers and officials in Meerut in 1834. In 1862, this church was enlarged and solemnly blessed and is the present Cathedral. She also built a church for the Indian Christians, which is now a part of St. John's school. On the verandah there is a marble slab with the following inscription, `This chapel was built by H.H. the Begum Sumru for the use of Native Christians. A.D. 1830-31''. Inside are two large marble slabs in Urdu, one with the Our Father, and the other with the Ten Commandments, dating it is said from the time of the Begum.

Her subjects belonged to all creeds and they were free to practise the religion of their choice. Besides her European officers, Sardhana had a Christian population of about two thousand.

She entertained the most influential people of her time, at Delhi, Meerut and Sardhana. Here it may be worth recording a little incident. Once she went to pay her respects to Lord Lake, the English general in command of North India. Even though she was about 54 at the time, she was still beautiful. Lake seemed to have had a little more to drink than he should have. Carried away by the beauty and charm of the lovely woman in front of him, he rushed up, enveloped her in his arms, and kissed her. The English officers and the Begum's attendants were stunned into silence. It was an embarrassing and tense moment, but the Begum was equal to it. Turning to the onlookers she smiled, ``See my friends, how the padre receives his penitent daughter''. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though I wonder how many were taken in by the comparison !

She even had a band of European musicians. She possessed a fine stable of horses and a beautiful English coach, worked with silver, velvet and lace. She never spared efforts to make her guests comfortable. She never permitted any of them, especially of her own sex, to leave without giving them some present, like a piece of jewelry or a delicately woven Kashmiri shawl. Many letters exist that are a grateful testimony of her generosity and charity.

Here is but one letter that bears testimony to the Begum's generous character. It is a letter from Lord Bentinck, the Governor General, on the eve of his departure from India.

To,

Her Highness, The Begum Sumru

My esteemed Friend,

I cannot leave India without expressing the sincere esteem I entertain for Your Highness's character. The benevolence of disposition and the extensive charity which have endeared you to thousands, have excited in my mind sentiments of the warmest admiration; and I trust that you may yet be preserved for many years, the solace of the orphan and widow, and the sure resource of your numerous dependants. Tomorrow I embark for England, and my prayers and best wishes attend you, and all others who like you, exert themselves for the benefit of India.

I remain,

With much consideration,

Your sincere friend,

M. W. Bentinck

Calcutta,

March 17th 1835.

And yet considering all her contacts with foreigners, she remained thoroughly Indian. She was never ashamed of her nationality; she never changed her manner of food or dress. When she gave audience to those below her in rank, or when she contracted business, she did it, according to the custom of women of that time, from behind a purdah or screen. Nor did she neglect the Indian custom of women being veiled in public. It was only among Europeans that she appeared unveiled, since such was the custom of women among them.

A source of great concern, but to whom she owed much of her fame and power, was her army. The maintenance of her troops was a very army. The maintenance of her troops was a very great drain on her income. Nor did the British allow her to reduce their number after her treaty with them in 1805. The strength of her forces varied from four battalions and eighty five guns in 1789, to six battalions, totalling four thousand men, forty pieces of artillery and two hundred cavalry in 1803. At the time of her death, she had six battalions of infantry totalling two thousand, nine hundred and fortynine sepoys, one thousand and seven artillery men, a cavalry of two hundred and forty-five men, and a body guard two hundred strong. This force was disciplined and officered by Europeans. Mrs. Dean, in her ``Tour through the Upper Provinces of Hindustan', has left us a vivid description of the Begum's Cantonment: ``We were escorted over the estate by her Colonel Commadant, a respectable old gentleman of the name of Peton, a Frenchman by birth, but resident at her court for many years. She has a regular Cantonment here for her troops, and a strong fort containing some good houses, which are inhabited by the officers and their families. Her soldiers are tall, stout men, with light complexions, hooked noses and strongly marked features, being principally Raputs, who are the best soldiers, but much addicted to chewing opium, generally proud, and often insolent. Their uniform to the feet, with scarlet turbans and waistbands. Her park of artillery seemed also in excellent order; most of the large guns stood in a line in front of the palace gates''.

The long reign of the Begum finally came to an end. After a brief illness, during which she was conscious till the last, she died, fortified by the Last Rites of the Church, in her palace at Sardhana. It was half past six, the morning of Wednesday, 27th January, 1836. She was 83 years of age and had reigned as Begum of Sardhana for 55 years. The Bishop of Sardhana, Julius Caesar Scotti, was with her when she died. He had stayed the whole night in the palace keeping watch, and it was he that administered the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. He has left us a very interesting letter that he wrote a few days later to the Prefect Apostolic of Agra, describing the last hours of the Begum and events connected with her death.

From nine o' clock of the night of the twenty seventh, till eight the following morning, her body lay in state in the spacious Darbar hall of her palace. The scenes that followed have been vividly recorded for us by the `Meerut Observer' of the time, as quoted by Brajendranath Banerji in his book on the Begum.

`The crowds, assembled outside the palace walls, and on the roads, were immense, and one scene of lamentation and sorrow was apparent; the grief was deep and silent; the clustered groups talked of nothing else but the heavy loss they had sustained, and the intensity of their sorrow was pictured in their countenances, nor did they separating during the night. According to the custom of the country, the whole of the dependants observed a strict fast; there was no preparing of meals, no retiring to rest; all were watchful, and every house was a scene of mourning.

"Thus terminated the career of one, who for upwards of half a century, had held a consicuous place in the political, proceedings of India''. Of her last journey, the `Meerut Observer' records the following : ``At nine, the whole of the arrangements being completed, the body was carried out, borne by the native christians of the artillery battalion, under a canopy, supported by the principal officers of Her late Highness's troops, and the pall by Messrs. Dyce Sombre, Saloroli, Drever and Troup, preceded by the whole of her Highness's body-guards, followed by the Bishop, chanting portions of the service, aided by the choristers of the Cathedral. After them, the Magistrate, Mr. Hamilton, and then the chief officers of the household; the whole brought up by a battalion of Her late Highness's infantry and a troop of horse. The procession, by four elephants from which aims and cakes were distributed among the crowd, passed through a street formed of the troops at Sardhana, to the door of the Cathedral, the entrance to which was kept by the guard of honour from the 30th N.I., under the command of Capt. Campbell. The procession passed into the body of the Cathedral, in the centre of which the coffin was deposited on tressels. High Mass then performed in excellent style, and with great feeling, by the Bishop. The body was lowered into the vault.''

She was buried in the side chapel, which now enshrines the Sacred Image of Our Lady of Graces. But on 14th May 1870, her remains were transferred to its present place, because the monument brought out from Italy to be erected over her tomb, was too big for the side chapel.

Here now she lies and every Saturday is remembered when her tomb is blessed according to the rites of the Church. Every year on 27th January, the anniversary of her death, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered for the repose of her soul. She is prayerfully remembered too, by the thousands who come to visit the church she has erected to the glory of the God she served so generously.

She has long been dead; but she will never be forgotten.