Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal around the time of her marriage

A very good carte de visite by Bourne & Shepherd, Photogaphers, India showing an attactive full length portrait of the young daughter of the ruling Begum of Bhopal, Nawab Shahjehan Begum. The young heir to Bhopal is shown in the late 1870s when she was to marry the Orakai youth chosen for her by her late grandmother, Sikander Begum. She is unveiled and wears elaborate courtly costume, adopting a casual pose unusual for a woman of the time.    mar31/6

Bhopal is unique in Indian princely states in having had a succession of powerful female rulers. Sultan Jahan Begum went on to be awarded  GCIE, GCSI, and CI between 1904 ans 1911. The was to abdicate in favour of a son in 1926.