How an ‘accidental’ gunshot at a family picnic led to the 107-year-long rule of the Begums of Bhopal

A loud shot shattered the idyllic stillness of the picnic afternoon. Crows took off from the surrounding trees, cawing furiously. Dogs barked. On the porch of Islamnagar Fort, where the Nawab had gone for a family picnic, Nazar Mohammad Khan, the young ruler of Bhopal, lay motionless, bleeding profusely from above his right ear, cradling his little fifteen-month old daughter, Sikandar, in his lap. Next to him, with the proverbial smoking gun in his hand, stood his eight-year-old cousin Faujdar Mohammad Khan who had “accidentally” pulled the trigger of Nazar’s pistol while playing with it. On hearing the shot, Nazar’s wife Qudsia rushed out from the house to find her husband bleeding to death, their daughter smeared with the blood that oozed out of his wound. Faujdar appeared stunned and aghast. Servants gathered, raising a hue and cry while Nazar’s most devoted supporter and his army commander, Sardar Bakhshi Bahadur Mohammad Khan, rushed to the spot, breathless, from his outhouse to investigate.

In a few minutes the young Nawab was dead from the pistol shot fired by his cousin.

Nazar Mohammad Khan had only recently been recognised by the British as the Nawab and had been the ruler of Bhopal for three and a half years. He was twenty-four years old and the younger son of Bhopal’s famous, Wazir Mohammad Khan – the saviour of Bhopal who had successfully resisted the siege of Bhopal and had taken over power in 1812 by public demand while his cousin, the titular Nawab, Ghaus Mohammad Khan, languished in idle and decadent retreat. During the Marhatta siege of Bhopal’s fort, Wazir had arrived in the nick of time to save Bhopal from being overwhelmed by the Marhatta armies of Gwalior and Nagpur that had besieged the fort for nine months. Wazir had emerged as a heroic and charismatic figure who continued to hold power while the titular ruler Ghaus remained at his retreat, surrounded by several wives, concubines, eunuchs and sycophants. Wazir was a brave soldier and also a consummate statesman. Surrounded by predatory Marhatta and Rajput opponents, he consolidated his power quickly by befriending the British whom he recognised as the rising power in India. The British were initially cautious as Wazir had a history of engaging with the Pindaras, a band of piratical marauders who had been a thorn in the flesh of the British. Gradually, Wazir suppressed the Pindara threat in Central India and was recognised by the British governor-general as the de- facto Nawab of Bhopal, even though Ghaus was still alive. In order to consolidate his offspring as the succeeding rulers of Bhopal, Wazir married off his younger son Nazar, whom he had earmarked as his successor, to Qudsia – the daughter of Nawab Ghaus Mohammad Khan – so that the two wings of the family would unite to provide legal legitimacy to Wazir’s successors. So began the ruling line of Bhopal’s Nawabs and Begums for the next eight generations, occasionally and ineffectually contested by heirs from Ghaus’s own family.

Wazir was not to live long after the siege of Bhopal. He died in 1815, from excessive drinking and drugs, at the young age of fifty-two. He had selected his younger son Nazar ahead of his older son Amir because Nazar was able, courageous and educated while Amir was a rather degenerate and pleasure- loving individual. Nazar, the seventh Nawab had inherited Wazir’s charisma and in reaching this controversial decision, Wazir had relied heavily on two of Bhopal’s stalwarts, Sardar Bakhshi Bahadur Mohammad Khan and Salvador de Bourbon, the Bourbon who had earned his spurs during the siege of Bhopal. Nazar had married Qudsia and when Wazir died, he moved smoothly to the Bhopal gaddi, again with the full support of the Bhopali populace, the ulema and the gentry. Nazar continued with his father’s policies and proved himself to be a successful ruler who had the additional advantage of being educated. Negotiations with the British were successfully completed and a treaty signed in 1818 that guaranteed British support for Bhopal and its territories.

The news of Nazar’s sudden death spread like wildfire in Bhopal. Suddenly a huge vacuum emerged in Bhopal’s power structure. Rumours abounded that Nazar’s death was not an accident, but a carefully planned assassination by Ghaus and his family because Pathan boys learn to handle weapons from a young age. Moreover, the telling proof of it being an assassination was that Nazar’s hair around his ear had been singed by Faujdar’s shot which pointed to an aimed strike rather than an accident. Sensing a crisis, the British Political Agent rushed to Islamnagar from his headquarters in Sehore. Considering the turmoil that Bhopal now faced, he reported to his superior, the Resident in Indore, that Nazar’s death was “probably” the result of an accident, thus avoiding an outright schism between Bhopal’s two leading families headed by Ghaus and Nazar.

The power vacuum created in Bhopal led to a political discord between Bhopal’s feudal gentry, the ulema and the public who were deeply divided on the issue of Nazar’s succession.

Three contenders appeared to jostle for the throne. The first was Nazar’s indolent elder brother Amir, who had been passed over by his father Wazir. Amir had married in to the neighbouring Basoda family who had traditionally opposed Bhopal’s succession, especially Yar Mohammad Khan, the second Nawab of Bhopal. Second was the family of Ghaus Mohammad Khan, the legal Nawab, until overtaken by Wazir and Nazar who were formally recognised by the British. The third contender was Nazar’s daughter – baby Sikandar – who was only fifteen months old. This stream was represented by Qudsia, Nazar’s widow and Ghaus’s daughter. This third stream was supported by Bhopal’s loyal Quartet of the Bourbon, Bakhshi Bahadur, the commander of the Army, Raja Khushwant Rai, the loyal Hindu prime minister and Mian Karam Ali Khan, a wise, foreign educated and respected member of the family. This loyal Quartet set about supporting Sikandar’s succession under the guardianship of Qudsia through a meticulous campaign in which they sought the support of the ulema, the nobles and the public. They campaigned that Wazir and Nazar had brought security, progress and fair governance to Bhopal which would be destroyed if there was a change in the line of succession. On the sidelines the British watched in confusion, not knowing which way the dice would fall especially as they were doubtful that a woman ruler would be acceptable in a Muslim hierarchy.

On November 19, 1819, the entire family, the leading religious leaders of Bhopal and its nobles gathered at a funeral function, the atmosphere bristling with high tension.

Then, in perhaps the most dramatic event in Bhopal’s history, the young widow Qudsia – willowy, devout and an austere nineteen year old – took centre-stage by taking off her veil and addressing the gathering as Nazar’s widow.

In a clear voice full of passion, she reasoned that her late husband had brought stability, peace and progress to Bhopal after years of uncertainty which must not be dissipated. Only Bhopal’s opponents would benefit from the succeeding rivalry and probable chaos. The British had signed a treaty with Nazar and the only way forward was to accept Sikandar as his legitimate heir with herself as regent until Sikandar reached the age of maturity. Then, announcing a deal that the loyal Quartet had carefully brokered with other contending aspirants, she proposed that Sikandar would be betrothed to Moiz, Amir’s elder son who would, on marriage, become the Nawab of Bhopal. She also nominated one of Ghaus’s sons – her brother (and Nazar’s assassin) Faujdar – to become Sikandar’s co-guardian, until the succession passed to Moiz. She then called on the Qazi to pronounce that there was nothing in Islam to prevent a woman from becoming the ruler.

The Qazi quoted the example of Hazrat Ayesha, the Prophet’s wife who had led the Muslims in the battle of Jamal. The effect of this extraordinary oration was stunning. All those gathered were dumbstruck by the swiftness and decisiveness of Qudsia’s dramatic speech. After Qudsia’s astonishing address, each contender came forward and gave his blessing to Qudsia and supported the formula she had proposed. The die was cast. Sikandar was recognised as the legitimate ruler with Qudsia as Regent and Faujdar to act as co-guardians. Continuity of the Wazir/Nazar line was assured and the families of Amir and Ghaus appeased. The deal was confirmed and shortly afterwards the British recognised the formula proposed by Qudsia. Thus began the rule of the four ruling Begums of Bhopal for 107 years.

Excerpted with permission from Bhopal Connections: Vignettes of Royal Blue, Shaharyar Muhammed Khan, Roli Books.