An Account of my Life. Translated by Major Abdus Samad Khan. Volumes I & II; [together with] The Táj-ul Ikbál Tárikh Bhopal; or, The History of Bhopal. Translated by H. C. Barstow.

JAHAN, Sultan, Nawab Begum of Bhopal.

Published by London, Bombay & Calcutta: John Murray; The Times Press; & Thacker, Spink & Co., 1910 & 1922; 1876

About this Item

First editions, all of which are fairly uncommon institutionally and certainly so on the market. These copies sumptuously presented and although unmarked as such from the Harewood House library of Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, only daughter of George V and Queen Mary; she was made a Companion of the Crown of India in 1919. Sultan Jahan, Begum of Bhopal (1858-1930), ruled Bhopal State from 1901 until 1926. During this time, she enacted a series of innovative reformist policies such as the creation of workshops in prisons, the establishment of schools and colleges for Muslim and Hindu women, and improvements to general sanitation in the region. As part of these measures, she founded the Lady Lansdowne Hospital for Women and the Lady Hardinge Infant Home, which housed, fed, and clothed orphan and destitute children, both of which are still active. At the Lady Lansdowne hospital, she implemented a scheme to encourage the training of midwives by an allowance of five rupees a month for each woman who attended the daily classes. She was a prolific writer, publishing nearly 50 works on various religious and social topics. She often gave speeches to the Princess of Wales Ladies' Club in Bhopal, which she founded in 1909, describing the life of Muhammad. She was awarded the title of Knight Grand Commander in 1910 and was made Companion of the Order of the Crown of India in 1911 for services to the British Empire. A further volume of the autobiography was published in 1927. Her History of Bhopal "abounds with lists of improvements that she introduced in the early years of her reign, particularly to the revenue and judicial systems that had fallen into disarray during the final years of her mother's administration" (Lambert-Hurley). Like Shah Jahan Begum, Princess Mary (1897-1965) was civic-minded and took a great interest in charity work, playing an active role in the Girl Guide movement, the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), and Land Girls. She is described by her biographer Elisabeth Basford as "The First Modern Princess". A fitting provenance for this attractive set. Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, Muslim Women, Reform and Princely Patronage: Nawab Sultan Jahan Begam of Bhopal, 2007. Two works bound in 3 vols, octavo (210 x 130; 213 x 119 mm). Plates and maps. Uniformly bound in strong blue crushed morocco, spines with five raised bands each, sharply lettered in gilt on spines and front covers, decorative panelling to compartments and covers, gilt edges, white moiré silk endsheets, gilt turn-ins. Very good indeed.

Seller Inventory # 160494

Bibliographic Details

• Title: An Account of my Life. Translated by Major Abdus Samad Khan. Volumes I & II; [together with] The Táj-ul Ikbál Tárikh Bhopal; or, The History of Bhopal. Translated by H. C. Barstow.
• Publisher: London, Bombay & Calcutta: John Murray; The Times Press; & Thacker, Spink & Co., 1910 & 1922; 1876
• Edition: 1st Edition