Mamola Bai

Mamola Bai married Yar Mohammad Khan during one of his campaigns on neighboring states. According to some writers she was daughter of the Rajput raja of Kotah, while others state she was a “Brahmin lady from northern India”. It is evident that Mamola Bai assumed a leading role in Yar’s court soon after she became his consort. She converted to Islam but never adopted a Muslim name.

Yar Mohammad Khan’s death led to another major confrontation between family aspirants to the title. His half-brother, Sultan Mohammad Khan, made a second attempt to claim the throne. Aligned with some other members of the family, Sultan and his younger brother Sadar seized the Fatahgarh fort and sought the support o neighboring Marhatta kingdoms. Mamola Bai faced the revolt from Islamnagar, proclaiming Yar’s 11-year old eldest son Faiz Mohammad Khan as the nawab. She sent Bijjeh Ram as the head of 5000 soldiers to confront the Sultan Mohammad. The confrontation took place around Eidgah Hill in which Sultan and Sadar surrendered to the royal force. They agreed to renounce forever their claims to the title and moved to the neighboring state of Kurwai. Faiz, the stepson of Mamola Bai, however turned out to be more inclined to spirituality and devoted himself to prayer and meditation. Faiz was an imposing figure, almost seven feet tall with arms stretching down to his knees. As Faiz withdrew increasing behind a veil of devotion, the Dowager Mamola Bai assumed effective governance. Under her, Bhopal signed a treaty with the Peshwa, and with their nod Mamola Bai took over control of Raisen fort from nominal Moghul control.

With the arrogation of power by Mamola Bai and her trusted chief minister Bijjey Ram, the Barru-Kat Pathans started feeling increasingly restless. This might have been due to the fact that both the power holders were outsider Hindus. At the Age of 46, the revered saintly Faiz Mohammad Khan died of dropsy on 12 December 1777, ending his reign of 35 years in which he paid scant interest in the affairs of state. Faiz died childless and was buried near Kamlapati’s palace beside his real mother. He left behind his widow, Saleha Begum, better known as Bahu Begum.

Sensing another crisis of succession, the 62-year old Mamola Bai declared Faiz’s younger brother Hayat Mohammad Khan, as the fourth Nawab of Bhopal. Faiz’s widow, Bahu Begum, refused to accept Hayat’s accession, perceiving that by placing her weak, indolent son on Gaddi (throne), Mamola Bai was seeking to continue her Hindu oriented reign in Bhopal. Supported by the Barru-Kat Pathans, Bahu Begum regularly ran a parallel government at Islamnagar. The two women headed rival cabals vying for power in the state. In fact, Hayat Mohammad Khan offered to step down to pacify the tempestuous Bahu Begum.