Chapter 1 Hyderabad

The Pull of the Prophet’s Land

I used to wish that I could grow wings and fly to the green dome [of the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb] so that I could press my eyes to the blessed soil of the Land of the Beloved [the Prophet] (fig 4.1). This wish was little more than a yearning in my heart until one evening in 1909 (1327h, 1319f).1 I had finished my housework and gotten into bed when Nawab Sarbuland Jung sahib suddenly said to me, “Would you like to go on hajj this year?”

Me (exuberantly): Inshallah, I will absolutely go!

Nawab sahib: Where will you leave the children, and with whom?

Me: I will leave them with my dear mother.

That is what I said to him, but in truth I suspected that my mother would want to come on hajj with me. When I mentioned the matter to her the following morning, she generously and lovingly agreed to stay with the children. I was sad that my mother would not be coming, but I made my peace with it for the sake of the children. Then, and as God commands, we finalized our intention to perform the hajj and the pilgrimage [to Mecca and Medina].2 We began our preparations in the month of Jamada II 1327h [June 1909].

Meanwhile, our dear friends offered up various reasons to try to dissuade us from going. Even my father, Muhammad Agha Mirza Beg Sarvar ul-Mulk, [the former] tutor to Nizam Rukn [Mir Mahbub Ali Khan], forbade us, saying, “Go next year. Postpone your plans for now.”3 But the Beloved’s tomb had already begun to draw us to it, and despite their determination to stop us, we could not be stopped. We remained undeterred. Soon our luggage was packed, and Nawab Sarbuland Jung’s request for work leave was magnanimously approved by His Highness [the nizam].

Gatherings with the Nawab’s Friends

Nawab Sarbuland Jung Bahadur began to host his friends and lawyers from the high court for meals from the first of Ramadan 1327 [September 16, 1909]. Some he invited to dinner; others he hosted at “breakfast”; for others, he threw “parties.” Guests were invited one or two hundred at a time. These gatherings continued unabated until the fifteenth of Shawwal.4

Our Farewell Gatherings

From the sixteenth of Shawwal [October 31], we began to attend farewell gatherings hosted by our friends and family.5 I will put the men’s “dinners” and “breakfasts” aside and mention only the women’s gatherings held in my honor. The first dinner and breakfast included my entire family, male and female. It was hosted by Colonel Nawab Sir Afsar ul-Mulk’s wife and the colonel himself.6 I was hosted inside the house with my sisters and sisters-in-law. Nawab Sarbuland Jung was in the outer rooms with my brothers and brothers-in-law. There were many other guests too, male and female. Begum sahiba, whom I call Khala Jan, asked me to come at nine in the morning. She had me stay until evening. She tied an imam zamin to me before I left.7

Meanwhile, Colonel sahib kindly took Nawab sahib to the palace in his motorcar so that he could present himself there for a salaam and to give a departing offering. He remained there the entire night, until nine in the morning. In the morning he had chai on the blessed veranda with Colonel sahib. He stayed the night [at the colonel’s house]. In the morning, Nawab sahib had tea on the palace veranda with Colonel sahib. At nine, he presented his parting gift to the sovereign, then went straight to the high court and came home again at the usual time.8

A Visit from Lady Hydari

17 Shawwal [November 1]: Mrs. Hydari visited today. She is a dear sister of mine.9 She has been visiting me regularly since I decided to travel. She is very sad at our impending separation. She tried to dissuade me, saying, “Don’t go now, go another time.” Since this journey was willed by God, her words had no effect on me. Our resolve held firm.

Some Hyderabadi Officials Revolt

Around the time of our departure, there was a revolt among the state’s officials. The unfortunate Aziz Mirza was removed from his position and ordered to leave the city.10 Our friends and family were certain that His Highness would require Nawab Sarbuland Jung to delay his departure, but God’s decision was not set aside. His Highness happily accepted his [departure] offering and allowed him to leave for this blessed journey.

At this time, all my children [were in Hyderabad] except for Mahmudullah Khan, who was nine years old and had already been in London with Khwaja Abd ul-Majid for about six months (plate 7).11 Khwaja sahib is Nawab sahib’s maternal cousin. He is studying to become a barrister in London (fig. 1.1).12 My eldest son, Muhammadullah Khan (plate 10), and Masudullah Khan (plate 8), my middle son, are both home on holiday from Panchgani, where they attend school.13

My Girls

My eldest daughter is Khurshid Begum (plates 8 and 13).14 She is thirteen years old. She is studying in an excellent zenana school that I and several other educated ladies had started with great effort.15 These days Janab Mr. Casson Walker is working as the [state’s] financial adviser. His memsahiba, Lady Casson Walker, is the school’s president.16 Lady sahiba is capable, generous, and affectionate. I call her “my dear mother.” She refers to me as “my dearest daughter.”17 Her two daughters, Dessy and Sheila, are here now. The older daughter, Dessy, was married six months ago and now goes by the name Mrs. McClintock. She will be moving to Burma in three months. I am upset that she will leave Hyderabad before I return. Lady Casson Walker sahiba has been a major help to the zenana school. She alone looks after its organization and operations. Khurshid Begum was the first pupil whom Lady Walker kindly enrolled in the school.

I wish that I could take Khurshid Begum on the trip with me, but Nawab sahib said it was best that she not come. It might also negatively impact her studies. Accordingly, I have left Khurshid Begum here with my other children.18 My mother has come to stay in our house with them. My younger sister Aziza Maryam Sultan Begum and her spouse, Muhammad Ahsan Khan, have also moved to my house for the time being. She will give birth soon. For the past two years, I have had her stay at my house when her due date was near so that she would not be alone. She lives near my house, Iqbal Manzil. Iqbal Manzil is rented; I do not own it. I am happy and relieved that my sister, sister-in-law, and her little girl will be staying there.

My Sister-in-Law’s Sorrow at My Departure

Nawab sahib and I are ready to depart. My middle sister-in-law, Sikandar Dulhan, is distraught at the thought of our separation. She loves me very much, and I love her too. She often comes to stay with me. Her husband, my middle younger brother, Muhammad Mirza Sajjad Beg Nawab Usman Navaz Jung Bahadur, is studying medicine in London Adabza.19

The Prime Minister’s Affection20

19 Shawwal [November 3], Tuesday: His excellency the prime minister invited Nawab sahib over and gave him an imam zamin of five rupees and two ashrafis. He affixed it himself with great kindness before seeing him off.

20 Shawwal [November 4]: I was invited to “dinner” at the prime minister’s home. Ghausiya Begum and Rani sahiba, the maharaja’s senior queen, kindly hosted me.21 It was a wonderful dinner. The food was rich and delicious. There were some other guests too. When it was time to leave Ghausiya Begum, who is called Musarrat Mahal, and Rani sahiba, called Rahat Mahal, each gave me an imam zamin of one ashrafi and four rupees. I thanked them and returned home at 1:00 a.m.

Farewell Meetings

21 Shawwal [November 5]: I stayed home today. Three bibis from my pir’s family came to visit. These bibis each gave me an imam zamin, had food, and left.

22 Shawwal [November 6]: My dear friend Mrs. Karim Khan invited me to “breakfast.” I went alone. There were just one or two bibis from her family present. The breakfast was very good. She gave me an imam zamin when I left. I thanked her profusely. I left at 2:00 p.m.

Shrine Visits

After the maghrib prayer, my mother [Sikandar Zamani Begum], Khurshid Begum, and I went to the shrines of Hazrat Yusuf and Hazrat Sharif to recite a fatiha and request leave to depart.22 Whenever I visit there, I always take the route that runs behind the shrines. I had the carriage take this route as usual, but this time there was a large pile of wood blocking the road. Using the lanterns I had brought with me, the three of us struggled mightily to climb over the wood and reach the shrine. We read a fatiha and stayed a short while before going to the mosque. We prayed two rakats upon entering.23 Then we went to the shrine of Shah Khamosh, which is nearby.24 We read a fatiha, prayed isha, and returned home.

23 Shawwal [November 7]: Today I decided to visit the shrine of Baba Sharaf ud-Din and take his permission to depart.25 In the morning I wrote to my dear friend Mrs. Mumtaz, “Sister, today I want to go to Baba sahib’s hill to recite a departure fatiha, please join me. When you come, please ask for permission to take out Khalu Jan’s motorcar.” I then wrote to Mrs. Karim, saying, “You please also come along and join me at Baba sahib’s hill,” because she had been wanting to see [the shrine]. I also sent a letter to my dear sister Amina Khatun, but, unfortunately, she could not come because she had some task to attend to that day. My dear friends Mrs. Karim and Mrs. Mumtaz came in the motorcar around eleven. My middle sister-in-law, Iskandar Sultan, and my mother joined the party. We were too many people, and there was only one car, so we sent Mrs. Karim, Iskandar Sultan, and Mother ahead first. The rest of us went after.

Lunch at the shrine had already been arranged. Thus, we arrived there in waves and then had lunch. Mother, Mrs. Mumtaz, Mrs. Karim Khan, Iskandar Sultan, Khurshid Begum, and I all climbed the hill to the shrine barefooted. Mrs. Karim Khan was exhausted, but we all reached the sacred place and prayed a fatiha. Everyone prayed that Nawab sahib and I would travel and return home safely. Then we prayed two rakats in the mosque, followed by the zuhr and asr prayers. We distributed coins and sweets to the fakirs and began the walk down. Mrs. Karim was in a rush to go back, so she left first with Mother and Iskandar Sultan. Mrs. Muntaz and I stayed until the maghrib prayer. When the car came back for us, we returned safely home. I gave my heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Mumtaz and left. Mrs. Karim Khan had already been taken home.

A Gathering at My Elder Brother’s

24 Shawwal [November 8]: My elder brother and my sister-in-law invited my children and me to breakfast.26 All my brothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, and brothers-in-law were there. The food was excellent, delicious. After breakfast my brother and Nawab Sarbuland Jung went to the high court. We stayed until teatime. We left after having tea. We were given imam zamins.

25 Shawwal [November 9]: My elder brother Zulqadar Jung Bahadur also threw a separate departure party for Nawab Sarbuland Jung.27 We both thanked him.

Dinner at Lady Hydari’s

26 Shawwal [November 10]: My dear sister Lady Hydari Amina Khatun invited Nawab sahib and me to dinner. Only Nawab sahib, Khurshid, and I were at this dinner, because I have begun to appear before Mr. Hydari [unveiled]. Since he will be present at the table, none of my sisters or sisters-in-law were invited. Mother was also unable to come. Mr. Hydari only invited those bibis who do not wear a veil before Nawab sahib. Only those bibis were present who could appear before both Mr. Hydari and Nawab sahib unveiled.

In any case, we sat at the dinner table, which was beautifully decorated with silver flower vases, each at our proper places. It was a huge meal that lasted until midnight. Allah, Allah! The dinner finished, and we all stood up and retired to the drawing room to talk. They gave us imam zamins. We thanked them profusely and left.

The Day of My Departure

27 Shawwal [November 11]: It is the day of my departure. Khurshid is crying a lot. I try to console her, but she is very sad. My mother is also very sorrowful at our impending separation. I consoled her too. On this very day I mailed a letter to my father in Lucknow.28 I wrote, “Please give this base one permission to depart. Inshallah, if I do not lose my life, I will quickly return to kiss your feet. Please do not worry.” I also sent a letter to my pir Maulvi Muhammad Qiyam ud-Din Abd ul-Bari.29 This great personage, the younger son of my pir Maulvi Muhammad Abd ul-Wahhab, is a true pir. No one alive today is his equal. I requested his permission to perform the hajj too.

Once I had finished all the necessary arrangements for my trip, all my friends and family came to see me off. By 2:00 p.m., everyone was there. It was a striking scene. Everyone was afflicted by my separation from them. Some had even come a day early. Mrs. McClintock also brought an imam zamin. Mrs. Walker brought me some excellent cow ghee for the journey. Mrs. O’Dwyer, the Resident’s bibi, also came.30 Mrs. [Henry Daly] Griffin and Mrs. Hogalf both kindly came to see me off. These memsahibs are my friends. I forgot to write that each of them delighted me by having me over for tea or dinner. Mrs. Griffin is the bibi of an Allahabad High Court judge. She is visiting Hyderabad for a few days. Mrs. Hogalf is the bibi of an army officer. They left around four; I thanked them all profusely for their kindness.

The moment of my departure was quickly approaching. My heart was exceedingly agitated, but I remained outwardly calm. My middle sisters-in-law, Mrs. Haidar Jivan Beg and Mrs. Usman Nawaz Jung, placed some beautiful flower garlands around Nawab sahib’s and my neck.31 Mrs. Hydari and the others did the same. Outside, Nawab sahib was given several more garlands.

Then it was time. I went downstairs and got into the motorcar at seven. All the servants were saddened by my departure. I embraced my mother and said goodbye to my sisters and sisters-in-law. I hugged Khurshid and gave her my affection. Then I said goodbye to everyone and sat in the motorcar. Today, Muhammadullah and Masudullah will go back to their school in Panchgani. They will travel with me until Bombay. Masudullah sat with me; Muhammadullah left with his father.

Suddenly, before we could pull away, my friend Mrs. Mumtaz ud-Daula appeared. I leaped out of the motorcar to meet her. She lovingly tied an imam zamin on my arm. She had her daughters La’iq Bibi and Khaliq Bibi with her. Bano Begum, the teacher at the Girls’ School, also came to see me off. I thanked my sister Mrs. Mumtaz profusely, said goodbye to everyone, and departed. My neck was laden with floral garlands.

So many people had come to Hyderabad Station to see Nawab sahib off that it would be very difficult for me to depart from there. There were nearly five hundred people present. That is why I went to Begumpet Station to board the train.32 My dearest sister Mrs. Hydari and Mr. Hydari came. I spoke to them for about half an hour.

The Train Arrives

The train arrived. I said goodbye and climbed aboard. Coming with Nawab sahib from Hyderabad Station were my brothers Mirza Haidar Jivan Beg and Mirza Akbar Beg Khan,33 my brother-in-law and cousin Nawab Nasrullah Khan, my younger brother-in-law Muhammad Ahsan Khan, and my cousin and brother-in-law Mahbub Sultan. They all traveled as far as Begumpet Station. The number of garlands around Nawab sahib’s neck was beyond reckoning. Everyone had given him one. The train began to move. I again shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Hydari and my brothers. Akbar Beg was very hungry, so I quickly passed him some samosas from the tiffin basket through the window of the moving train.

Our compartment is a first-class family carriage decked with every necessary convenience. Right now it is 9:00 p.m. Muhammadullah and Masudullah are with me, as are their servants, Fayyaz Ali and Sheikh Husain. The carriage is very comfortable. It has a vestibule blocked by a hanging green screen, as is appropriate for a carriage with women travelers. There is a car for the servants attached to ours. The train is very comfortable. Once we began to move, we opened the tiffin basket, laid out food on the table, and ate. Then we did vuzu and prayed isha. I easily put both children to bed. Nawab sahib rested after saying his prayers, and I fell asleep too.

Gulbarga Station

28 Shawwal [November 12]: The train arrived at Gulbarga Station at 4:00 a.m. We had our carriage detached from the train because we wanted to go to the shrine of Khwaja Banda Navaz.34 I prayed the morning prayer, then had breakfast and wrote two pressing letters to Hyderabad. Nawab sahib also wrote two important letters. By then it was eight. Two carriages belonging to the subedar of Gulbarga, a landau and a brougham, came to collect us.35 We were escorted by four cavalry and a few assistants. Muhammad Salim Beg, the grandson of my aunt Anjuman un-Nisa Begum, got ready to take me to the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Banda Navaz. Masudullah, Salim Beg, and I sat in the brougham. Nawab sahib and Muhammadullah sat in the landau. We set off, accompanied by the cavalry and the assistants. We arrived at the shrine after passing through the beautiful little settlement near the shrine.

Visiting the Shrine

We got down from the carriages and presented ourselves at the shine with bare feet. We prayed a fatiha. Then we prayed fatihas at several other shrines. We prayed two farewell cycles at the mosque. After completing this pilgrimage, we prayed the Friday prayer before leaving to see a fort. I also saw a mosque I liked. It is a beautiful building, but, sadly, both the fort and the mosque are in the wilderness and far from town.36 We toured the fort and mosque for a full hour. The mosque was very clean. We prayed two nafl rakats here too.

Return to the Station

We left for the station again around 2:00 p.m. Everyone was very hungry. We ate lunch with Salim Beg. The food was sent by the subedar. He also brought an imam zamin and garlands himself. My sarkar accepted all of the imam zamins that his friends wanted to tie to him in the men’s section and then returned them again with thanks. But no one would take them back from me. I alone was given imam zamins worth six hundred rupees. Allah! Allah! What wonderful friends God has given me. They love me deeply and were profoundly affected by our separation. Although I was intoxicated by my desire to see the Holy Places, I was profoundly affected too.

The stationmaster quarreled with us when we arrived at the station. He refused to attach our carriage to the mail train, and I had no choice but to give him an offering of four rupees, which I passed to him via Salim Beg. I didn’t tell Nawab sahib about this; if he knew, he would have surely stopped me. Anyhow, after this the stationmaster attached our carriage to the mail train, and we departed Gulbarga.

Arrival in Bombay

29 Shawwal / November 14, 1909:37 Our train arrived at Bombay station at 5:00 a.m. We were met by Nawab Sarbuland Jung’s nephew Mahmud Ahmad. I’ve known him since childhood. He often stayed with me. I said, “Hey, Mahmud Ahmad, where have you been?” He replied, “I’m going on hajj to the house of God too!” I replied, “Great, let’s go. Is there anything better in this world than that?”38

Mahmud Ahmad hired a carriage and picked up my bag himself. With Nawab sahib’s permission, the two of us got down from the train and went straight to the carriage. Muhammadullah and Masudullah came with us. Nawab sahib gave the order, “You all go straight to the Taj Mahal Hotel, and I will come afterward.”39 We set off and arrived at the hotel. It was packed. The manager said, “Janab, there are seven hundred guests here right now. We don’t have any empty rooms. I’m so sorry.”

We then went to the Apollo Hotel, which is nearby, but there was only one room available. We took it anyhow. The owner charged us a lot; we ended up paying eight rupees per person. I ordered some food and went to the room. Soon Professor Muin ud-Din Ahmad came to call. He is one of Nawab sahib’s closest friends and a very accomplished man. I had a chat with him. During our conversation the subject of photography came up. I said, “Professor, kindly buy me a Kodak camera that I can easily carry with me on the trip.” I also requested some other things I needed. He said, “I’ll bring them now,” and went straight to the bazaar.

After he left, I took a bath and changed. By then the table was set, so I went to eat with Masudullah, Muhammadullah, and Mahmud Ahmad. The food was good, and we ate well. Nawab sahib hadn’t returned yet. He was busy arranging tickets for the ship and so had his lunch in a restaurant.40 After lunch I sat to write some letters, including to my father and Maulana Maulvi Qiyam ud-Din Abd ul-Bari in Lucknow. I wrote another to my mother in Hyderabad. I also wrote to Khurshid Begum; Sikandar Sultan; my middle sister-in-law, Mrs. Usman Nawaz Jung; and my middle sister, Qarshiya Sultan.

I had only just closed my pen box when Nawab sahib came in and announced, “Well! Our tickets are all arranged. Move quickly—there isn’t much time.” I was soon ready, but the professor still hadn’t returned. I took my handbag and went to the port with Mahmud Ahmad, Mahmudullah, and Masudullah.41 Nawab sahib arrived later with our luggage. I went to wait in the waiting room. I began to think that when the professor arrived, I would need to take from him the things that I had asked him to purchase. But the waiting room was filled with men and women. I was wearing a very beautiful, moss-green Turkish burqa made of pure silk. I was still thinking about the professor when I suddenly saw him pass in front of me carrying the objects that I had requested he buy. Mahmudullah and Masudullah went over to call him.

“Wah janab! [Well, sir!]” he said. “There was so little time. I couldn’t bring some of the items you requested. I got a few of them, though.”

“I thank you for your kindness. I’ve given you a lot of trouble. Don’t worry about the remaining items. Mahmud Ahmad will be coming to Mecca to meet me later; please send those things with him. I’ll take these items now. Now I have the two blankets that I really needed.” Then I thanked him again and said, “Please send Muhammadullah and Masudullah to Panchgani School today.”

Professor sahib happily agreed to my request. Taking both my children with him, he shook my hand and departed. Then I went with Nawab sahib to another room, where the passengers are given a medical examination. I was only here for a short while; I showed the doctors my pulse and then left again. When I emerged, who did I see but Muhammadullah and Mahmudullah standing there with the professor. I gave both children my love and affection once more. Then I said as-salamu alaikum to professor sahib and left.

My First Steps at Sea

Then I got into a small boat. The strange thing is that I did not recognize that this was a boat because I had never seen a boat or a ship before. When I got into the boat, I mistakenly thought that this was another place we would need to wait in. Nawab sahib and I sat down on a bench. There were also many angrez and mems, some of whom were seated, while others were standing. My servant Amina bi sat down in front of me, by the luggage. I have only brought one servant with me. We left one wet nurse, Husain bi, and one servant, Khuda Bakhsh, and Mahmud Ali and Mahmud Ahmad behind, along with a lot of baggage. This is because we are going on the mail boat. These people, Mahmud Ahmad, etc. will come [later] on the hajj ship.42

Then the boat began to move. Nawab sahib had not told me that this was a boat. When it moved, I got frightened and said, “What is this place? Why is it rocking like this?” Nawab sahib replied, “This is a boat; it will take all of us to the ship.” Then I started to take a closer look at my surroundings. The boat moved forward slowly. We traveled on until we reached the ship. The boat stopped. A ladder was brought from the ship and lowered onto the boat. We and the rest of the passengers boarded the ship.

Notes

1. 1.Begum Sarbuland here gives the date according to the three calendars in primary use in Hyderabad at the time: the Gregorian, the hijri, and the fasli.
2. 2.“As God commands” refers to the religious requirement to perform the hajj. There is no such requirement to visit Medina.
3. 3.This exchange would have happened by mail, for her father was then in Lucknow.
4. 4.The following month—thus, approximately forty-five days.
5. 5.Her final son, Halimullah, was born on October 27. The failure to note this detail is difficult to explain.
6. 6.Nawab Sir Muhammad Ali Beg, KCIE, MVO (1852–1930).
7. 7.An imam zamin is a band with a token amount of money stitched inside. A sort of amulet, it is meant to protect the recipient during travel.
8. 8.Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI (1866–1911) was then the nizam of Hyderabad. Begum Sarbuland’s father, Agha Mirza, had tutored and advised him from his youth.
9. 9.Amina Hydari (1878–1939). She was a member of the Tyabji clan and wife of Akbar Hydari (b. 1869), who began working in Hyderabad in 1906 and who would later become prime minister of the state. Amina Hydari helped found the Mahbubiya School where Begum Sarbuland’s daughter was then enrolled. The use of the term “sister” is figurative.
10. 10.Muhammad Aziz Mirza (1865–1912), a judge and official in Hyderabad. For a full but sympathetic account of his exile, see Muhammad Akbar Ali Beg, Muhammad Aziz Mirza, 53.
11. 11.He would later go by the name Abdul Majeed Khwaja.
12. 12.He traveled to England in May 1909. Family lore explains this journey’s beginnings as follows: “Begum Sarbuland Jung’s great granddaughter Farida Akbar relates that her grandfather Abdul Majeed Khwaja as a teenager was horse riding in a forest when he beheld Begum Sarbuland Jung’s eldest daughter Khurshid riding in the distance. Abdul Majeed was immediately smitten and requested an audience with Begum Sarbuland Jung and for her daughter’s hand in marriage. Begum Sarbuland Jung told the young man that the fact he was an heir to an immense landed fortune gave her pause. She asked the young man to first obtain a professional degree so he would be prepared for the modern world, for example a bar-at-law from London. In 1909 Abdul Majeed set sail on the P&O SS Persia to study at Cambridge University.” Fig. 1.1 shows a poem he wrote and sent to Khurshid while sailing for England. Abid Ilahi, personal communication, April 10, 2024, and Shakira Sultana, October 28, 2023.
13. 13.Panchgani is a hill station in the mountains of contemporary Maharashtra, near Pune, about five hundred miles west of Hyderabad. It was home to several elite boarding schools.
14. 14.This section heading refers to “girls,” but only her eldest daughter is mentioned here.
15. 15.Mahbubiya Girls’ School. See the biography for more information. See also Minault, Secluded Scholars, 205–6.
16. 16.Sir George Casson Walker (1854–1925) and his wife, Fanny Coates. From their arrival in Hyderabad, Coates had taken “an active interest in establishing contacts with the ladies of the nobility, and even presided over a society ‘for promoting healthy social intercourse and improvement.’” In 1906 this group requested funds to start a school for elite Muslim girls. This effort culminated in the establishment of Mahbubiya Girls’ School in 1907, for which, in 1910, she was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal by the British monarchy. Their daughter was Sheila Walker (b. 1889), one of Begum Sarbuland’s friends. Pernau, “Schools for Muslim Girls,” 265.
17. 17.Given in English, with translation.
18. 18.All of her children, that is, except for the three elder boys already mentioned.
19. 19.The reference is unclear.
20. 20.Maharaja Kishen Pershad (1864–1940) was the prime minister of Hyderabad between 1901 and 1912 and again from 1926 to 1937. He published at least thirteen travelogues in Urdu over a thirty-five-year period under his nom de plume, Shad. For a biography by a contemporary, see M. Khan, Maharaja Kishen Parshad.
21. 21.Maharaja Kishen Pershad had seven wives, Hindu and Muslim. Ghausia Begum was reportedly his favorite.
22. 22.Better known today as the Yusufain shrines, this is a prominent landmark in the city. She visits the shrines before departure both as a sign of respect and to gain the saints’ blessings and protection.
23. 23.“Nafl tahiyyat al-masjid”: prayers made when entering a mosque.
24. 24.The shrine of a nineteenth-century Chishti Sufi.
25. 25.The shrine of Baba Sharaf ud-Din is located just outside the city of Hyderabad. It now borders the city’s airport.
26. 26.This was probably Haidar Jivan Beg, whose title was Jivan Yar Jung (b. 1880). He studied at Cambridge and later succeeded Nawab Sarbuland as Supreme Court justice. His wife was Rashida Sultan. Hyderabad State, 17.
27. 27.Begum Sarbuland’s elder brother Nawab Zulqadar Jung Bahadur (d. 1951) was a judge in the Hyderabad High Court and later a state secretary. Hyderabad State, 35.
28. 28.This refers to Nawab Agha Mirza, whom she calls here “bhai abba jan.” He had left Hyderabad in 1897 and was then living in Lucknow.
29. 29.Maulvi Abd ul-Bari Firangi Mahalli (1878–1926) was a prominent scholar and Sufi from Lucknow. His disciples were located across India. He communicated with them by mail. See Minault, Khilafat, 32–38; Robinson, Ulama of Farangi Mahall, 151–76.
30. 30.Dame Una O’Dwyer was, from 1919, a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and is remembered for having founded several charitable organizations in India. Her husband was acting Resident Michael O’Dwyer (1864–1940), who held a variety of high-ranking positions in colonial India. He is best remembered for having been lieutenant governor of Punjab during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919 and for having approved of the events of that day. Those infamous events of course postdate the exchanges described here.
31. 31.This refers to Rashida Begum and Iskandar Begum, the latter of whom is mentioned above.
32. 32.Begumpet Station would have been the train’s second stop in Hyderabad. It is located about six kilometers from Hyderabad Station. Her use of this station meant that the five hundred well-wishers may not have ever known that Begum Sarbuland had joined her husband on the trip at all.
33. 33.Mirza Akbar Beg (b. 1893) worked as an engineer in the Hyderabad government from 1908. Hyderabad State, 21. He was the father of Razia Sultan, who would marry Begum Sarbuland’s youngest son, Halimullah.
34. 34.Banda Navaz Gesu Daraz (1321−1422) was a Chishti Sufi saint. His shrine is among the most important in India.
35. 35.Subedar: A company commander in the British Indian army. This post was the highest that could be occupied by an Indian within the British forces.
36. 36.This likely refers to Gulbarga Fort and the attached Jama’ Masjid. The complex was built by Bahmani and Adil Shahi rulers in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. They are now located well within the city’s limits.
37. 37.From here Begum Sarbuland switches to the Gregorian calendar. The transition is seemingly not random but reflects her departure from the state of Hyderabad and entry into the British-run Bombay Presidency. She maintains use of the Gregorian calendar exclusively from here until the end of the account, apart from a few days while on hajj in Mecca.
38. 38.Mahmud Ahmad meets the couple again in Jeddah later in the account.
39. 39.Located directly on the harbor, the Taj Mahal Hotel was then the pinnacle of luxury in Bombay. It was built by Jamsetji Tata in 1903.
40. 40.Hamidullah describes his difficulties that afternoon in his own travel account. “There was no one in any of the agencies’ offices in Bombay who were able to give me clear information on the present condition of the new Medina railway or to confirm if the Hejaz Railway was running or if it had been blocked for some reason. I did not think it wise to spend too much time on this, so I put my faith in God, and within a few hours all the arrangements were made, and I boarded the P&O ship Salsette. As a precaution, I bought a ticket up to Port Said.” H. Khan, Safarnama-e Madina, 1. He uses the word “I” here, not “we,” despite the fact that he boarded the ship with his wife and her servant Amina bi!
41. 41.Begum Sarbuland here actually uses the term “station” rather than port, perhaps reflecting her greater familiarity with railway terminology.
42. 42.In Mecca, the Sarbulands were joined by a large party of family members and household staff who traveled there directly from Bombay. Their earlier departure may have been designed to let them travel on a newer, more luxurious vessel and to experience the new Hejaz Railway.