Begums of Bhopal and Historiography

After decline of the Mughal Empire, many local governments emerged across Indian Subcontinent. Nawabs of Bhopal was one of these local states in central Indian subcontinent. Nawabs of Bhopal’s reign for more than one century ruled by women (Begums of Bhopal), is unique in Islamic history. Begums of Bhopal during their government carried out numerous reforms in various fields, and thus the golden age of Nawabs of Bhopal government appeared. By writing historical books and their travel literature, three of begums, i.e. Sikandar Begum, Shahjahan Begum, Sultan Jahan Begum, played an important role in writing the history of Nawabs of Bhopal. In this paper, the role of Begums of Bhopal in this field is studied and their works are introduced.