History is read and reread, yet some parts always remain unexplored. Begam Hazrat Mahal is reintroduced by Rosie Llewellyn-Jones as the rebel begam of Awadh in Hazrat Mahal: The Rebel Begam of Awadh.
“Rebel” and “begam” are the two words that Hazrat Mahal epitomises. She embraced rebellion and royalty, but at the cost of her home and freedom. Llewellyn-Jones calls her “an elusive figure in Indian history”.
Reading Hazrat Mahal is a reminder that history written about men and women is not the same. Before Hazrat Mahal arrives at the centre of her own story, we encounter the men around her. The narrative establishes the king, the court and her son before she comes fully into view. For a book bearing her name, this delayed arrival is striking: we first come to know the world that contains her, and only later the woman who will come to challenge it.
What’s in a name?
But why are we exploring her through the men around her? This question was constantly on my mind as I read the biography. It may already seem surprising that she is even referred to as Mahal. Wajid Ali Shah gave the title “mahal” to the women of his desire. Isn’t that already objectifying women? On top of that,...