Begum Samru | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Begum Samru | |
| Born | Farzana Zeb-un-Nissa c. 1753 Kutana,[1] Meerut, Maratha Confederacy |
| Died | 27 January 1836 (aged 82–83) |
| Burial place | Basilica of Our Lady of Graces, Sardhana |
| Other names | Joanna Nobilis Sombre |
| Occupation(s) | Nautch girl Ruler of Sardhana |
| Spouse | Walter Reinhardt Sombre |
Joanna Nobilis Sombre (c. 1753 – 27 January 1836), popularly known as Begum Samru (née Farzana Zeb un-Nissa),[2][3] a convert Catholic Christian,[4] started her career as a nautch (dancing) girl in 18th century India, and eventually became the ruler of Sardhana, a small principality near Meerut.[5][2] She was the head of a professionally trained mercenary army, inherited from her European mercenary husband, Walter Reinhardt Sombre.[2] This mercenary army consisted of Europeans and Indians. She is also regarded as the only Catholic ruler in Northern India, as she ruled the principality of Sardhana in 18th- and 19th-century India.[6][7]
Begum Sumru died immensely rich but without an heir. Her inheritance was assessed at approximately 55.5 million gold marks in 1923 and 18 billion deutsch marks in 1953. Her inheritance continues to be disputed to this day.[8] An organisation named "Reinhards Erbengemeinschaft" still strives to resolve the inheritance issue.[9]
- ^ Pennington, Reina, ed. (2003). Amazons to fighter pilots. Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Greenwood Press. p. 48. ISBN 9780313327070.
- ^ a b c Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 210..
- ^ Begum Sumru The Church of Basilica
- ^ The Indian Mutiny and the British Imagination by Gautam Chakravarty, Cambridge; ISBN 0-521-83274-8
- ^ Borpujari, Priyanka (5 July 2019). "India's forgotten power broker—what was her secret?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ^ "The Sardhana Project". www.sardhana.org.uk.
- ^ "Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 22, page 105 -- Imperial Gazetteer of India -- Digital South Asia Library". dsal.uchicago.edu.
- ^ ""Reinhard's Erbengemeinschaft" R.E.G.: The Inheritance". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2006.
- ^ ""Reinhard's Erbengemeinschaft" R.E.G.: Chronology of the Heir Community". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2006.