Nazli Begum facts for kids
Nazli Rafiya Begum, originally named Naazli Rafiya Sultana Hassanally Fyzee (1874-1968), was an Indian princess.
Early Life and Marriage
Nazli Fyzee was the sister of the famous writer Atiya Fyzee. In 1887, when she was 15 years old, Nazli married Ahmad Khan. He was the Nawab, or ruler, of Janjira State. This was a small princely state located near the city of Mumbai (then called Bombay) in India.
Nazli was a strong supporter of education for girls in Janjira State. She believed that girls should have the chance to go to school and learn. In 1908, she traveled to England with her husband and her sister.
Life in Bombay
Nazli and her husband did not have children. In 1913, her husband married another woman. After a son was born to this new wife, Nazli moved to live in Bombay. The state of Janjira provided her with guards to protect her, as was fitting for her royal status.
In 1915, Nazli decided to give up her monthly allowance of 3,000 rupees. She also returned some valuable state jewelry. However, she chose to keep her guards.
Later Challenges and Advocacy
When Ahmad Khan passed away in 1922, Janjira State stopped paying for Nazli's guards. In July 1926, she took her concerns to the British government. Her case went to court between 1930 and 1931. The Janjira state argued that she had been divorced.
Nazli, however, said that she had never received any official divorce papers. She also argued that because she was a Shia Muslim, any divorce should have followed Shia law. In 1933, she gained the support of Muhammad Iqbal, a well-known poet and thinker. Iqbal wrote to the British Governor on her behalf. Nazli continued to fight for her right to be called the 'ex-Begum of Janjira'. However, the state of Janjira did not agree with her claims.
In the 1920s, Nazli Rafiya Begum was the president of the All-India Khilafat Committee. This was an important group that supported Muslim rights. After India was divided in 1947, she moved to Pakistan with her sister Atiya. Nazli passed away in Karachi on September 17, 1968.
