Social and Educational Reforms of Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum

Abstract

During  the  Period of  nineteenth  and twentieth centuries the central Indian  Muslim Princely State of Bhopal ruled by a succession of  Begums like Fatah Bibi, Manji Saheb Mamola Bai, Zeenat Begum, Bahu Begum, Nawab Qudsia Begum, Nawab Sikandar Begum, Nawab Shah Jahan Begum and Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum. Among them the last of four generation of Queens, Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum contributed immensely in the field of female education and carried out Social and Educational reforms in order to uplift the status of Muslim Women.

In the present paper an attempt is made to highlight the Social and Educational contribution of Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal who functioned as an icon of Social Reformer especially for women and became a powerful image in Indian history.

Sultan Jahan Begum was the towering personality of her times whose reign of twenty five years in Bhopal was exceptionally enlightened, progressive and compassionate. The most notable achievement of Sultan Jahan Begum in the field of social and educational reforms were the opening of schools, colleges, technical institutions, hospitals and medical centres both for men and women in the pattern of western and yunani in towns as well as in the villages. Her contribution in the field of female education was remarkable.  She became an international figure whose educational and social campaign for women's emancipation reached to global level.