Sikandar Begum was considered mostly as a tough emotional ruler not given to general motherly emotions associated with women. However, the birth of her grand daughter Sultan Jahan added a softening dimension to her life. According to custom among Muslim families, the grandmother took over the upbringing and education of the first-born grandchild. Her momentous journey to Makkah provided an opportunity for her to write letters like a loving, caring and doting grandmother to her six-year-old granddaughter. Concerned at her daughter’s mismatch and her expansive love life and with images of her own turbulent marriage rolling through her mind, Sikandar began to fret for her little granddaughter’s future. Accordingly, she sent out her minister to various locations in a quest for a suitable groom. The minister reported back from Jalalabad (refer to the Dost Mohammad Khan connection) that a number of young, well-bred Orakzai boys were available. Accordingly, Sikandar decided to interview them personally. Among the invited came the recently widowed Mohammadi Begum with her 12-year-old son, Ahmad Ali Khan. Ahmad Ali Khan had no brothers, only one elder sister, Chanda Bi. Sikandra Begum took an instant liking for this strikingly handsome boy, as his upbringing and mannerism showed him to a thoroughbred aristocrat. Mohammadi Begum was requested to settle in Bhopal, and upon her arrival, little Ahmad Ali Khan was virtually taken over by Sikandar. He was given lessons in religious studies, literature, poetry, riding and hunting, earmarking him for the role of consort when time came for Sultan Jahan to marry.
At the age of 13, Sultan Jahan saw her mother, descendant of the proud Orakzai conquerors of Bhopal, marry a non-Pathan clerk, Siddiq Hassan. Sultan Jahan writes in her memoirs that Siddiq, in an attempt to consolidate his hold on power, attempted to break the betrothal between Sultan Jahan and Ahmad Ali Khan and to substitute his elder son, Nurul Hassan – though already married – as Sultan Jahan’s consort. Sultan Jahan adamantly refused to contemplate such a union. Eventually, in 1874 Shahjehan called in the family elders and sought their advice on Sultan Jahan’s marriage. They were unanimous that Sultan Jahan should marry Ahmad Ali Khan. The Viceroy was informed, and soon gave his approval after considering the views of Sultan Jahan in the matter. The engagement was announced, with the wedding to be held a year later. However, Siddiq Hassan used this period of one year to harass Ahmad Ali Khan, whose life started to resemble that of a state prisoner. Everything possible was done to irritate him, like placing sentries outside his sleeping apartment, and no one permitted to access him. Eventually the wedding took place on 1st February 1875. The friction between the heir apparent and the ruler started escalating day by day, and they set up separate households in palaces next to each other. Shahjehan made it known that she wanted a son from Siddiq, increasing Sultan Jahans sense of insecurity. However nine months after wedding, Sultan Jahan gave birth to her first child Bilqis Jahan, on 25th October 1875. Three other children followed in quick succession - Mohammad Nasrullah Khan, born on 4th December 1876, Mohammad Obaidullah Khan, on 3rd November 1878 and Asif Jahan, on 5th August 1880. Mohammad Hamidullah Khan was born on 9th September 1894, after a gap of 14 years.
However Shahjehan failed to conceive Siddiq’s child. The couple tried doctors, hakeems, saints and rustic witch doctors – nothing worked. Although Siddiq’s first wife, Zakia, gave Siddiq three children when she was well into middle age, about 47 years old. Shahjehan had also given birth to two children from Umrao Doulah. The 1877 durbar in Bhopal and the Calcutta visit saw the tension between mother and daughter turn into an unbridgeable chasm. Shahjehan refused to invite Sultan Jahan to official ceremonies or to receive her during festive occasions. She even refused to release the income from Sultan Jahan’s Jagir and formally objected to her being addressed to as princess. Sultan Jahan would recount to Abida Sultan, her granddaughter that weeks would pass without a square meal for the family and taking pity, old servants would steal gram intended for the royal stables to feed the heir apparent’s family. The only link that remained between mother and daughter were the visits of the bright and intelligent Bilkis who was taken over by Shahjehan at her childhood.
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