Begum Sultan Jahan Hall

BEGUM SULTAN JAHAN HALL

A Brief About Begum Sultan Jahan 

In 1901, after the death of her grandmother Sikandar Begum and her mother Sultana Shah Jahan, Sultan Jahan became Nawab Begum of Dar-ul-Iqbal-i-Bhopal. Her reign lasted 25 years, and she was known for her contribution to development, education, and women’s health reforms. 

The Begums of Bhopal practised feminism long before it became popular. Their battles weren’t waged on the front-line, but they were complex, headstrong, and opinionated. As a part of women’s health reforms, Sultan Jahan Begum was to promote professionalization concerning female health practitioners and medical institutions. She took charge of her state’s women’s clinics and dispensaries while also developing a training curriculum for Unani doctors, nurses, midwives, and health tourists. The problem of sanitation and hygiene was also taken up in the Women’s Health Reforms program. 

Seeing a monarch dedicate time and resources to women’s education beyond their state was truly extraordinary. Sultan Jahan Begum was a prolific writer who wrote the biography of her immediate relatives and told her own life in three volumes under the English title “An Account of My Life” (Gohur-i-Ikbal) in 1912, 1922, and 1927. Moreover, apart from these, she also wrote ‘Sirat-i-Mustafa,’ a Prophet Muhammad’s biography that demonstrated her broader interest in Islamic history. She wrote nearly 50 books on cooking, housekeeping, health, women’s rights and responsibilities etc. Her works have a reformist bent to them. 

She delivered several speeches on female education at women’s clubs and conventions, which were collected in ‘Silk-i-Shahwar’ in 1919 and a short Decennial Report of the Princess of Wales Ladies Club, Bhopal, in 1922. Others appeared in women’s Urdu journals, such as ‘Khatun’ (Aligarh) and ‘Zill-us-Sultan’ (Bhopal). By deftly balancing tradition and modernity, the Begums expertly navigated the various demands of influence. They will let go of the burkha at times and wear it at others to show certain modernity.

The Begums also remembered their mothers and grandmothers in their essays, paying homage to the powerful women who influenced their lives and personalities. Their devotion to Islam and austerity set them apart from the squandered royal lives of overindulgence and frivolity. They often referred to the Quran and esteemed Islamic scholars, upholding the belief that Islam promotes gender equality. 

The provision of regular moral and civil instruction courses in various classes was a significant aspect of state education. Sultan Jahan Begum built the Hamidia Library founded by her third son, Sahibzada Hamidullah Khan, in 1900. This library became a good influence and inspiration for the state’s students and academics. The City Sanskrit Pathshala, the Jain Digambar Pathshala, the Jain Shwetabar Pathshala, the Kanya Vidyalaya, and the Sehore Kanya Pathshala were the other six public schools sponsored by the state government, in addition to the schools mentioned above.

Begum Sultan Jahan and Aligarh Muslim University

The royal family of Bhopal was always supportive to Aligarh Movement. H.H. Begum Shah Jahan supported Scientific Society, donated a sum of 10,000 Rupees for M.A.O. College Jama Masjid construction. Begum Sultan Jahan was very much supportive to the vision and mission of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. She took over the rein of Bhopal after the death of Sir Syed, but always helped M.A.O. College with a great generosity. When Nawab Viqarul Mulk was Secretary of College, a better understanding was developed between M.A.O. College and Begum Sultan Jahan. In 1910, she enrolled her son, Hafiz Hamidullah Khan to M.A.O. College Aligarh. This represented an historic step for the Bhopal royal family, as Hafiz Hamidullah Khan was the first of its members to be given a formal university education. She and other members of the family donated a sum of 50000/- Rupees for College building fund. All India Muslim Educational Conference established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was also receiving regular support from Begum Sultan Jahan. She visited Aligarh on 27th February, 1914 and laid the foundation stone of All India Muslim Educational Conference building. This building is now known as “Sultan Jahan Manzil”. When H.H. Agha Khan stopped his annual financial help to the College, H.H. Begum Sultan Jahan persuaded him to continue his support for the College. H.H. Agha Khan was convinced and restarted his annual generous donation to College Fund. In annual session of Muslim Educational Conference in 1910, the idea of Muslim University was made public and H.H. Agha Khan and Nawab Viqarul Mulk visited H.H. Begum Sultan Jahan in Allahabad. She immediately donated 100,000/- (One Lakh Rupees for the cause of Muslim University). She also promised to donate money for electricity and electrical appliance for the College. She extended her full support for Muslim University and promised to talk to other princely states, landlord and wealth people and specially to H.H. Nizam of Hyderabad for their support for Muslim University. When the fund raising for Muslim University was started, Bhopal was one of the Provincial Center and Begum Sultan Jahan took a lead role to raise funds. She made encouraging speeches at different places including Price of Wales Ladies Club. She accepted the plaque of Honor from The MAO College Trustees and visited Aligarh to inaugurate Sultan Jahan Building in 1915. She had an open discussion with Trustees and MAO College staff. She gave invaluable advises to the students, staff and Trustees. She also fully financed Allama Shibli Nomani’s Seeratun-Nabi publication. Even after the death of Allama Shibli Nomani, H.H. Begum Sultan Jahan supported Allama Shibli’s designated heir and disciple Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvi.

H.H. Begum Sultan Jahan paid attention to women education and supported Mohammad Girls School of Aligarh started by Sheikh Abdullah (Papa Min). The management of Girls school was looking for an acceptable curriculum but due to lack of funds were a major roadblock. H.H. Begum Sultan Jahan paid special attention and donated generously to develop a proper curriculum for women education. She took personal interest and developed an outline of curriculum and presented it in her Presidential address of the women education session of the annual Muslim Educational Conference on 5th December 1911. She proposed the idea of Home science in the curricula of women education to make it more attractive for majority of the community. In her visit to Aligarh in 1915, she inaugurated the Girls School building laid the foundation stone for girl’s hostel.

On December 17th, the Aligarh Muslim University came into being. According to the act (Section III) the first Chancellor, the first Pro-Chancellor and the first Vice-Chancellor were to be appointed by the Governor General of India. In an Annexure the act gave a list of 124 Foundation members of the First AMU Court. The Governor General of India, Lord Chelmsford appointed H.H. Mohammad Ali Mohammad, Raja Mahmudabad as its first Vice- Chancellor. Her Highness Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal and H.H. Sir Agha Khan were respectively appointed as Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University. The inaugural ceremony of University took place on the 17th December, 1920.

In spite of her busy schedule Begum Sultan Jahan used to participate in University Function. She presided over the First Convocation of newly established Aligarh Muslim University on 28th December, 1922. In her presidential address, Begum Sultan Jahan said;

“We meet today to celebrate the First Convocation of our University, the fruit of fifty years of our national exertion and aspirations. To the pioneer of this movement, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Mohsinul Mulk and Viqarul Mulk, who first saw the vision of a common and united centre of Muslim culture, and who devoted their lives to its realization, the nation owes a great debt of gratitude. Great would have been their happiness to see their efforts crowned with success. With this noble system of education at the back, The University will rear the genius of men like, Averroes and Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Sheikh Saadi, Al-Ghazali, Ibne Musa, Abu Maashar-i-Falaki, Shah Waliullah, Shah Abdul Azeez, Haali and Shibli, who will rekindle the spark of Islamic civilization and usher in a brighter and more glorious era in the annals of Islam.”

Begum Sultan Jahan also addressed the annual convocation of 1925. She extended her support and served as Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University till her last breath. After her sad demise on 12th May 1930, her son, ruler of Bhopal and M.A.O. College alumnus, Nawab Hafiz Hamidullah Khan was elected as Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.

Sultan Jahan Begum, the first woman chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, paid particular attention to women’s education and emancipation. On a proposal to create a Girls College, she wrote,

“The most important thing for women in India is to provide them with educational opportunities. So, it was planned to establish a college for both Hindu and Muslim girls to educate them according to their requirements.”- Begum Sultan Jahan, Akhtar-e-Iqbal – Pg. 179

However, the Begums of Bhopal are noteworthy for maintaining a committed succession of woman monarchs, despite being hostile to their gender rule. Despite their spiritual and political odds, their rule was characterised by benevolence and modernity, a progressive tolerance to reform, such as women’s schooling and medicine, while retaining a steadfast devotion to Islam’s ideals.

The Aligarh Muslim University generously paid tribute and revived the legacy and pioneering efforts of Begum Sultan Jahan by establishing Begum Sultan Jahan Hall in September 2008. Eminent and noteworthy Provosts had spearheaded the Hall’s functional and operational management since its inception.

Begum Sultan Jahan At a Glance

Total No. Of Hostels                                 : 04 with Utility

Capacity of Room                                     : 02

Name of the Hostel                                   : 1. Block-A, 2. Block-B,

                                                                                      3. Block-C, 4. Block-D, 5. Utility

Total No. Of Rooms in Each Hostel        :  1. A – 50, 2. B – 58, 3. C – 42, 4. D – 40  

                                                                                                              5. Utility – 16 = 206

Actual Hostel Capacity                             : 412

At present the Hall has four Blocks A, B, C and D. The Blocks A, B,C and D have four floors respectively. There are 206 double seated residential rooms in which girls of various course like B.Th. B.Sc. (Industrial Chemistry), M.Sc (Industrial Chemistry, Wild Life& Bio-Diversity), BALLB (Hons.), LLM, M. Tech. (APFE), MBA, MBAIB, BSW and Research Scholars (of certain faculties only) are residing in the Hall.

STATE WISE LIST OF RESIDENT & NON RESIDENT STUDENTS

BEGUM SULTAN JAHAN HALL SESSION 2025-26

AMU, ALIGARH

The existing infrastructure of the Hall includes Dining Hall, Common Room, ICT Hub, Volley Ball Court, Basket Ball Court and Table Tennis.

To serve fresh and hygienic food to the residents the Kitchen is provided with Chapatti Maker, (Bane Marie), Hot Cases, Deep Freezer, Refrigerators etc. Water Coolers are installed with the purification system.