Circa 1753, at a time when the British East India Company was competing with other European powers to find a foothold in the Indian subcontinent, a girl was born near Meerut. Her name was Farzana Zeb un-Nissa. But over some time, Farzana came to be known as Joanna Nobilis Sombre – in short, Begum Samru.
Her story is extraordinary; it’s a dramatic tale of political intrigue and mercenary power struggles, topped with and a love triangle, that runs like a celluloid blockbuster.
Begum Samru broke out from the shackles of being a nautch girl to become the only Catholic ruler of India. Her rise to power was mercurial. Yet, she was not a ruthless ruler. As Sir William Sleeman, a British soldier and administrator writes in his book ‘Rambles and Recollections of an Indian official:’
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