The 'great' Mughals now have descendants battling poverty: Story of Bahadur Shah Zafar's great-granddaughter-in-law

Sultana Begum, the great-granddaughter-in-law of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, is a living example. Once part of a royal lineage, Sultana now lives in a cramped hut on the outskirts of Kolkata, a world away from the luxury her ancestors once knew, as revealed in a TOI report.

Who is Sultana Begum?

Sultana Begum, now 60, lives in Howrah, one of Kolkata's poorest areas. Her tiny two-room hut, shared with her family, starkly contrasts the grandeur of the Mughal palaces her ancestors once inhabited. The family relies on public street taps for water and shares a kitchen with neighbours. .

Who was Bahadur Shah Zafar to Sultana?

Bahadur Shah Zafar, Sultana's great-grandfather-in-law, was the last ruler of the Mughal dynasty. He ascended the throne in 1837 when the empire was already weakened by British colonial power. In 1857, he became a symbolic leader of the Indian Rebellion against the British. However, after the revolt failed, Zafar was exiled to Rangoon (now Yangon, Myanmar), where he died in 1862. Though his role in India's history is significant, his descendants were left to struggle in the shadow of a fallen empire.

Why did Sultana’s life become so difficult?

Sultana's hardships began in the 1980s after the death of her husband, Prince Mirza Bedar Bukht. Today, she survives on a meagre pension of 6,000 rupees a month, barely enough to support her six children. Despite repeated petitions for government assistance, no substantial support has come her way. Her daughters, struggling financially themselves, cannot offer much help. Sultana now lives with her unmarried daughter, Madhu Begum, in difficult conditions.

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