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The Begum and the Dastan
In 1897 in the princely state of Sherpur, Feroza Begum, beautiful and wilful, defies her family to attend the sawani celebrations at Nawab Shams Ali Khan's Benazir Palace. Feroza is kidnapped and detained in the Nawab’s glittering harem, her husband is forced to divorce her, and her family disowns her. Reluctantly, Feroza marries the Nawab, and is compelled to negotiate the glamour and sordidness of the harem.
In the bazaar chowk, Kallan Mirza, a skilled dastango, spins a hauntingly familiar tale of a despotic sorcerer, Tareek Jaan, and his grand illusory city, the Tilism-e-Azam, where women are confined in underground basements. As Kallan descends deeper into an opium addiction, the boundaries of fantasy and reality begin to blur.
And in the present day, Ameera listens to Dadi narrating the tale of Feroza Begum, Ameera's great-grandmother. Confined to her house because her parents haven’t paid her school fees, Ameera takes comfort from Dadi's story. As her world disintegrates, she is compelled to ask herself if anything has changed for Sherpur's women.
Inspired by real-life characters and events, The Begum and the Dastan is a haunting tale of a grand city and its women.
In the bazaar chowk, Kallan Mirza, a skilled dastango, spins a hauntingly familiar tale of a despotic sorcerer, Tareek Jaan, and his grand illusory city, the Tilism-e-Azam, where women are confined in underground basements. As Kallan descends deeper into an opium addiction, the boundaries of fantasy and reality begin to blur.
And in the present day, Ameera listens to Dadi narrating the tale of Feroza Begum, Ameera's great-grandmother. Confined to her house because her parents haven’t paid her school fees, Ameera takes comfort from Dadi's story. As her world disintegrates, she is compelled to ask herself if anything has changed for Sherpur's women.
Inspired by real-life characters and events, The Begum and the Dastan is a haunting tale of a grand city and its women.
280 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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496 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 56 reviews
June 5, 2021
Tarana Khan wields magic with her words. She has this power of engrossing her readers with rich literature, sprinkled with the essence of a raw narrative.
The Begum and The Dastan is an ode to the women of the 19th century, the ones whose existences have often been shrouded and forgotten under the dust of history. It doesn't matter whether you're a begum as long as you live in a patriarchal monarchy. At the end of the day, you're also just a woman. Your grandeur is limited only behind the boundaries of the purdah.
Young Ameera listens to her grandmother narrating the tale of her great grandmother Feroza Begum. One whose life had been confined behind the glitter and glamour of the palace of the Nawab, one whose story still resonates deeply with the women of modern Sherpur.
The 19th Century Nawabi culture has been meticulously researched and presented by the author. The prose is beautiful and almost surreal, and the characters shimmer with such excellence that it's hard not to admire them.
The parallel lives of Feroza Begum and Ameera have been portrayed with an ease that blends well with the narrative. We're also indulged in the harrowing tale of Tareek Jaan, an autocratic enchanter whose penchant for keeping women suffered ironically mirrors Feroza's position.
The Begum and The Dastan is a poignant odyssey of love, loss, betrayal and redundant suffering with occasional interludes of fantasy that merges with history and its repercussions.
Highly recommend this one.
The Begum and The Dastan is an ode to the women of the 19th century, the ones whose existences have often been shrouded and forgotten under the dust of history. It doesn't matter whether you're a begum as long as you live in a patriarchal monarchy. At the end of the day, you're also just a woman. Your grandeur is limited only behind the boundaries of the purdah.
Young Ameera listens to her grandmother narrating the tale of her great grandmother Feroza Begum. One whose life had been confined behind the glitter and glamour of the palace of the Nawab, one whose story still resonates deeply with the women of modern Sherpur.
The 19th Century Nawabi culture has been meticulously researched and presented by the author. The prose is beautiful and almost surreal, and the characters shimmer with such excellence that it's hard not to admire them.
The parallel lives of Feroza Begum and Ameera have been portrayed with an ease that blends well with the narrative. We're also indulged in the harrowing tale of Tareek Jaan, an autocratic enchanter whose penchant for keeping women suffered ironically mirrors Feroza's position.
The Begum and The Dastan is a poignant odyssey of love, loss, betrayal and redundant suffering with occasional interludes of fantasy that merges with history and its repercussions.
Highly recommend this one.
September 21, 2021
The first thing that i liked about this book is the cover. Very beautifully designed by Saurav Garge. he has worked for Harper collins, Juggernaut, Penguin, Rupa and now Speaking Tiger Books to name a few. One who has read the book will find a resemblance inside the book as well with respect to the design. The author narrates a few detailed descriptions of the clothes that the women wear in this book. Saurav garge did justice to that by creating a borderline for the book.
One of the unique points in this book is that in every chapter there is a sher written. A person who loves both sher and a nice story would definitely love this book. Every chapter has a symbol of an emblem, which i guess, may be is the coat of arms for Nawab Shams. this is again one of the unique point, but have seen this as a common factor in other books as well.
The moment one starts reading the book, his / her mind is teleported back to the late 19th century and early 20th century years. I personally was visualizing this as an art movie with a major star cast from Bollywood. The Dastan narrated by Kallan reminds us of Alif Laila days. Very interestingly the dastan mentions zombies named as bujurg.
A person who is not much aware of the difference between the two major denominations in Islam, i.e., Shia and Sunni, and their constant difference between then, can read this book and have a fair small idea from it. I personally was not aware of lot of things that are there in the Muslim community, like the zenana and mardana were two different places for women and men to be seated. Did not know that the nawabs could have different types of wives. The author also has mentioned few crude details of child marriage and love slavery. Very interesting and sad. It also depicts women as being the weaker section of the society during those times.
Overall, its a patriarchal dominant society book, a goodread and nice to find so many details worth knowing.
One of the unique points in this book is that in every chapter there is a sher written. A person who loves both sher and a nice story would definitely love this book. Every chapter has a symbol of an emblem, which i guess, may be is the coat of arms for Nawab Shams. this is again one of the unique point, but have seen this as a common factor in other books as well.
The moment one starts reading the book, his / her mind is teleported back to the late 19th century and early 20th century years. I personally was visualizing this as an art movie with a major star cast from Bollywood. The Dastan narrated by Kallan reminds us of Alif Laila days. Very interestingly the dastan mentions zombies named as bujurg.
A person who is not much aware of the difference between the two major denominations in Islam, i.e., Shia and Sunni, and their constant difference between then, can read this book and have a fair small idea from it. I personally was not aware of lot of things that are there in the Muslim community, like the zenana and mardana were two different places for women and men to be seated. Did not know that the nawabs could have different types of wives. The author also has mentioned few crude details of child marriage and love slavery. Very interesting and sad. It also depicts women as being the weaker section of the society during those times.
Overall, its a patriarchal dominant society book, a goodread and nice to find so many details worth knowing.
June 10, 2023
Three stories intersect in Tarana Hussain Khan’s The Begum and the Dastan. The first two, about the eponymous begum and the dastango (professional storyteller), are set at the turn of the century, beginning in the last years of the 19th century and continuing for the next thirty-odd years. The third story, told from the point of view of a schoolgirl named Ameera, is set in the present day, when her family is battling poverty, her brother’s drug addiction, and other problems—a distressing time in which Ameera’s Dadi recounts the story of their wilful and hot-headed ancestor, Feroza, the begum of the book’s title. Feroza, teenaged daughter of a Rohilla family, who is newly pregnant and very much in love with her husband when she obstinately insists on going to the sawani celebrations organized by the household of the local Nawab Shams of Sherpur. There, Feroza catches the eye of the ruthless Shams, who decides to make her his own, by hook or by crook.
I really liked the way Khan uses the story the opium-addict dastango Kallan recounts, to mirror the story of Feroza’s life. On the one hand, a tale straight out of the Daastaan-e-Amir Hamza, replete with magic, tilism, horrific demons and more; on the other, a story set in the North India of a little over a century ago. The pain, the sacrifices, the love, the selfishness and the selflessness: all are there, in both stories, in different ways but so perfectly reflected.
The characters are vivid and very real, from Feroza herself to those around her: Shams, yes; but also the women of his mahalsara. Diwani, Sultanat Ara, the Daroghan. Nanhi: each of them with a distinct, interesting personality. The challenges they must face, as part of the harem of an ambitious and often heartless man; their joys and triumphs; their adapting to a changing world.
Khan really evokes the space and the time very well; I can imagine the sort of research that must have gone into creating this book. Solid research, creativity, and a wonderful mixing of classic prose and poetry into a modern-day work made The Begum and the Dastan a very enjoyable book for me.
I really liked the way Khan uses the story the opium-addict dastango Kallan recounts, to mirror the story of Feroza’s life. On the one hand, a tale straight out of the Daastaan-e-Amir Hamza, replete with magic, tilism, horrific demons and more; on the other, a story set in the North India of a little over a century ago. The pain, the sacrifices, the love, the selfishness and the selflessness: all are there, in both stories, in different ways but so perfectly reflected.
The characters are vivid and very real, from Feroza herself to those around her: Shams, yes; but also the women of his mahalsara. Diwani, Sultanat Ara, the Daroghan. Nanhi: each of them with a distinct, interesting personality. The challenges they must face, as part of the harem of an ambitious and often heartless man; their joys and triumphs; their adapting to a changing world.
Khan really evokes the space and the time very well; I can imagine the sort of research that must have gone into creating this book. Solid research, creativity, and a wonderful mixing of classic prose and poetry into a modern-day work made The Begum and the Dastan a very enjoyable book for me.
June 23, 2025
A hauntingly beautiful blend of history, folklore, and feminism. This novel transports you to the world of princely India, where tales of power, pain, and resistance echo through generations of women. The way Tarana weaves the dastan (oral storytelling tradition) into the narrative is pure magic. Mysterious, lyrical, and powerful—this book lingers long after the last page.
Took me some time to finish this one but worth it!
Took me some time to finish this one but worth it!
February 22, 2022
I have found myself more and more critical of books this year and maybe part of this criticality comes from having read an adequate amount over the past two years. A younger me would have given this book a 5 star because it truly is brilliantly written but the reader I am today only gave it a 4 star rating. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
The Begum and the Dastan takes us through the lives of three main characters, Feroza Begum, Ameera and Kallan Mirza. These main characters are intertwined in many ways, through history, familial ties and a tight-knit community that many South Asians will vouch for. For me, the core of this book seemed to be that of freedom and fight in the face of oppression. Characters such as Ameera and Feroza both show us resilience, although defeated time and again by men in power. It is always men in power, isn't it?
Feroza Begum's story is that of courage. You as a reader feel deeply attached to Feroza, her loss feels deeply personal and the author's brilliant ability to set the scene makes you feel almost as if you are watching Feroza's life unravel in front of you. You feel like a bystander, unable to do much under the oppressive regime of Nawab Sham Ali Khan. Through Feroza, you meet many zealous women who may resonate with you on some level or the other. The depth and humanity of these characters is endless and one of the main reasons that I loved this book so much.
Tarana Khan's words are effortless yet rich in how the world is set for the readers to explore and engage with. I don't like reading works that spend too much time in describing the scene than the story itself and this book has just the right amount and the right kind of scene setting. I grew fond of characters very early on in the book and I have found myself thinking back on them even now, almost a month after I finished the book. The intricate details of Mughal lifestyle, conversations of love and loss, the impermanent nature of a monarch's affection and the unwritten, unspoken sacrifices of women across time is what makes this book an enjoyable and memorable read.
The Begum and the Dastan reads like a fairytale, there is a sense of enchantment in how Kallan Mirza narrates his stories. You as a reader may feel submerged in Feroza Begum's world but only in the best of ways.
"Main bulata tou hoon usko magar ae jazba-e-dil
Uspey ban jaye kuch aisi ke bin aaye na bane"
The Begum and the Dastan takes us through the lives of three main characters, Feroza Begum, Ameera and Kallan Mirza. These main characters are intertwined in many ways, through history, familial ties and a tight-knit community that many South Asians will vouch for. For me, the core of this book seemed to be that of freedom and fight in the face of oppression. Characters such as Ameera and Feroza both show us resilience, although defeated time and again by men in power. It is always men in power, isn't it?
Feroza Begum's story is that of courage. You as a reader feel deeply attached to Feroza, her loss feels deeply personal and the author's brilliant ability to set the scene makes you feel almost as if you are watching Feroza's life unravel in front of you. You feel like a bystander, unable to do much under the oppressive regime of Nawab Sham Ali Khan. Through Feroza, you meet many zealous women who may resonate with you on some level or the other. The depth and humanity of these characters is endless and one of the main reasons that I loved this book so much.
Tarana Khan's words are effortless yet rich in how the world is set for the readers to explore and engage with. I don't like reading works that spend too much time in describing the scene than the story itself and this book has just the right amount and the right kind of scene setting. I grew fond of characters very early on in the book and I have found myself thinking back on them even now, almost a month after I finished the book. The intricate details of Mughal lifestyle, conversations of love and loss, the impermanent nature of a monarch's affection and the unwritten, unspoken sacrifices of women across time is what makes this book an enjoyable and memorable read.
The Begum and the Dastan reads like a fairytale, there is a sense of enchantment in how Kallan Mirza narrates his stories. You as a reader may feel submerged in Feroza Begum's world but only in the best of ways.
"Main bulata tou hoon usko magar ae jazba-e-dil
Uspey ban jaye kuch aisi ke bin aaye na bane"
September 30, 2021
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Some stories, although fiction, seem so real that you have to search up the incidents and characters mentioned to ascertain their existence. The same thing happened while I was reading The Begum and The Dastan. While Rampur and the lives of its women portrayed in the story remain true to history, the princely state of Sherpur and the royal court of Nawab Shams Ali Khan, which play a central role in this story, is fictional.
“The soul has flown away and this stubborn body lives on.”
Tarana Husain Khan does a commendable job at blurring the lines between the past and the present in her narrative. While Ameera in 2016 urges Dadi (her grandmother) to continue with her tale of their ancestors, she realizes that her life too bears semblance to the ladies at Nawab Shams’ court. Like the Begums and Mutah wives, she too is confined to four-walled structures and is at the mercy of the patriarch, be it, husband in their case and father in hers.
The story of Feroza Begum begins in 1896. While the Durbar-e-Sherpur maintains that Feroza Begum was the cause of the Nawab’s ill-repute of preying on married women, the reader gets a first-hand account of Feroza chronicling her life in the Durbar, and it is far from what the official records say. Caught between the Nawab’s lust and her Father’s Pathan pride, Feroza struggles initially to come to terms with her situation. It is when she is pushed to a corner that she pushes back, hard.
Lastly, we follow Kallan Mirza, a Dastango engaging his audience in an intoxicated stupor with the story of the son of Islam and an evil sorcerer. The story, however, quickly shifts focus to the women involved. The men take their help in battle, and slowly but gradually the reader gets to see the shift in narrative that this society lacks. The other part of the story told from the experiences of the so-called fairer sex is often overlooked or undermined. This book challenges that stereotype.
“Gham bhi afeem hai.” which translates to “Sorrow is also afeem.”
Some stories, although fiction, seem so real that you have to search up the incidents and characters mentioned to ascertain their existence. The same thing happened while I was reading The Begum and The Dastan. While Rampur and the lives of its women portrayed in the story remain true to history, the princely state of Sherpur and the royal court of Nawab Shams Ali Khan, which play a central role in this story, is fictional.
“The soul has flown away and this stubborn body lives on.”
Tarana Husain Khan does a commendable job at blurring the lines between the past and the present in her narrative. While Ameera in 2016 urges Dadi (her grandmother) to continue with her tale of their ancestors, she realizes that her life too bears semblance to the ladies at Nawab Shams’ court. Like the Begums and Mutah wives, she too is confined to four-walled structures and is at the mercy of the patriarch, be it, husband in their case and father in hers.
The story of Feroza Begum begins in 1896. While the Durbar-e-Sherpur maintains that Feroza Begum was the cause of the Nawab’s ill-repute of preying on married women, the reader gets a first-hand account of Feroza chronicling her life in the Durbar, and it is far from what the official records say. Caught between the Nawab’s lust and her Father’s Pathan pride, Feroza struggles initially to come to terms with her situation. It is when she is pushed to a corner that she pushes back, hard.
Lastly, we follow Kallan Mirza, a Dastango engaging his audience in an intoxicated stupor with the story of the son of Islam and an evil sorcerer. The story, however, quickly shifts focus to the women involved. The men take their help in battle, and slowly but gradually the reader gets to see the shift in narrative that this society lacks. The other part of the story told from the experiences of the so-called fairer sex is often overlooked or undermined. This book challenges that stereotype.
“Gham bhi afeem hai.” which translates to “Sorrow is also afeem.”
September 13, 2024
Some books tell a story, while others cast a spell, weaving a tale so captivating that you get lost in its pages. This is definitely one of those books for me!
This is a beautifully written novel that intertwines history, folklore, and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. Set in the princely state of Sherpur, the story revolves around three generations of women and their tales of resilience and defiance.
I’m a huge fan of Indian history, especially when it’s based on real events and focuses on women! This book explores the challenges women have faced throughout history, and I was really struck by how each woman found a way to fight back, no matter her situation. The writing is so captivating—I couldn’t put it down.
The author has brilliantly brought 19th-century Nawabi culture to life with meticulous research. The prose is beautifully evocative, almost like a dream, and the characters are richly developed.
The novel centers on Feroza Begum, a strong-willed and beautiful woman of noble birth who goes against her family's wishes to attend a party at Nawab Shams Ali Khan’s palace. Her rebellious act leads to her being kidnapped and forced into marriage with the Nawab. Watching Feroza go from a free spirit to a confined Begum in the Nawab’s harem is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Her journey shows her resilience and skill in handling the tricky dynamics of the Nawab’s court.
I was totally engrossed in Feroza's story, feeling every bit of her anger, frustration, and hope as I turned the pages. It made me appreciate the freedom and choices women have today even more.
There are also stories about Kallan Mirza, an opium-addicted storyteller whose tales echo Feroza's, and about Ameera and her grandmother in the present day. Honestly, I ended up skipping most of their parts because I found myself mostly caring about Feroza's journey. Plus it became a bit of a challenge remembering all of the names!
The novel explores several themes:
- patriarchy and women’s struggles
- resilience and defiance
- storytelling as a form of resistance
The Begum and the Dastan is a must-read for fans of historical fiction featuring strong female protagonists. If you like novels that mix history with folklore and offer a deep look into women’s lives in historical settings, or if you love Indian historical novels, this book is definitely for you!
This is a beautifully written novel that intertwines history, folklore, and the struggles of women in a patriarchal society. Set in the princely state of Sherpur, the story revolves around three generations of women and their tales of resilience and defiance.
I’m a huge fan of Indian history, especially when it’s based on real events and focuses on women! This book explores the challenges women have faced throughout history, and I was really struck by how each woman found a way to fight back, no matter her situation. The writing is so captivating—I couldn’t put it down.
The author has brilliantly brought 19th-century Nawabi culture to life with meticulous research. The prose is beautifully evocative, almost like a dream, and the characters are richly developed.
The novel centers on Feroza Begum, a strong-willed and beautiful woman of noble birth who goes against her family's wishes to attend a party at Nawab Shams Ali Khan’s palace. Her rebellious act leads to her being kidnapped and forced into marriage with the Nawab. Watching Feroza go from a free spirit to a confined Begum in the Nawab’s harem is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Her journey shows her resilience and skill in handling the tricky dynamics of the Nawab’s court.
I was totally engrossed in Feroza's story, feeling every bit of her anger, frustration, and hope as I turned the pages. It made me appreciate the freedom and choices women have today even more.
There are also stories about Kallan Mirza, an opium-addicted storyteller whose tales echo Feroza's, and about Ameera and her grandmother in the present day. Honestly, I ended up skipping most of their parts because I found myself mostly caring about Feroza's journey. Plus it became a bit of a challenge remembering all of the names!
The novel explores several themes:
- patriarchy and women’s struggles
- resilience and defiance
- storytelling as a form of resistance
The Begum and the Dastan is a must-read for fans of historical fiction featuring strong female protagonists. If you like novels that mix history with folklore and offer a deep look into women’s lives in historical settings, or if you love Indian historical novels, this book is definitely for you!
June 23, 2021
Set in the fictional town of Sherpur in the late 19th & early 20th century, this is a tale of glamour of Nawabs, oppression of women and the way of life in a patriarchal society of India (specifically Rampur) during those times. The story also draws a corollary between the times then and the current times. Unfortunately not much has changed for women.
Feroza is a chirpy and fun-loving lady whose adamancy to attend a 'Sawani' function thrown every year by Nawab Shams in Benazir Palace proves to be the biggest mistake of her life. Despite her father's refusal, she attends the function and gets trapped in the harem of the Nawab, facing all sorts of atrocities.
Kallan is a dastango (Storyteller) who starts a dastan very similar to Feroza's story to the utter annoyance of the Nawab. Drowned in the intoxicating afeem, the thin line between his dastan and reality gets blurred.
In the current times Ameera is stuck at home and is not allowed to step out. She listens to the tale of Feroza Begum from her grandmother and is totally immersed in it.
If you are someone who loves to read historical fiction with intense emotions, this book is totally meant for you. I bet, you will be teary eyed reading this emotional dastan of Feroza Begum.
The writing style is extremely rich with respect to the culture and heritage during the times of Nawabs. The rituals, their life style, daily routines and even the way their conversations flow comes out so beautifully that you are transported to that era.
The plight of the women, the patriarchy and the regressive customs all directed towards women which were true to those times still find their clutches in the society. And that is brought about in the book in a way that leaves you brimming with emotions and anger.
The women need to read this book to gain strength and break the shackles of the society and men need to read it to be a catalyst in this process.
Feroza is a chirpy and fun-loving lady whose adamancy to attend a 'Sawani' function thrown every year by Nawab Shams in Benazir Palace proves to be the biggest mistake of her life. Despite her father's refusal, she attends the function and gets trapped in the harem of the Nawab, facing all sorts of atrocities.
Kallan is a dastango (Storyteller) who starts a dastan very similar to Feroza's story to the utter annoyance of the Nawab. Drowned in the intoxicating afeem, the thin line between his dastan and reality gets blurred.
In the current times Ameera is stuck at home and is not allowed to step out. She listens to the tale of Feroza Begum from her grandmother and is totally immersed in it.
If you are someone who loves to read historical fiction with intense emotions, this book is totally meant for you. I bet, you will be teary eyed reading this emotional dastan of Feroza Begum.
The writing style is extremely rich with respect to the culture and heritage during the times of Nawabs. The rituals, their life style, daily routines and even the way their conversations flow comes out so beautifully that you are transported to that era.
The plight of the women, the patriarchy and the regressive customs all directed towards women which were true to those times still find their clutches in the society. And that is brought about in the book in a way that leaves you brimming with emotions and anger.
The women need to read this book to gain strength and break the shackles of the society and men need to read it to be a catalyst in this process.
May 25, 2021
Sometimes it so happens that you pick up a book just on a whim, without even reading the blurb, just because the title intrigues you. And soon, you become so engrossed in reading the book, you wonder why you don't do this more often.
Same was the case with The Begum and the Dastan. I picked it up with the intention to read a few pages and see if it suited my.mood. And it did. Soon enough, i was lost in the world of Feroza begum and found myself immersed in her life and her times. For this book is an immersive experience. It creates and evokes the setting so beautifully, you will feel transported in time and become a part of the lives of its characters.
The book tells us three tales parallely - that of Feroza begum's life, of the dastan full of ayyars and tilisms, paries and princes, narrated by a character within the story of Feroza and the third is the frame story, set in 2016-17 where a young girl is being narrated the story of Feroza begum by her grandmother. All these three stories mirror each other in their themes. The only weakness of this very beautifully told tale lies in the frame narrative - it would have worked perfectly well even without it. Overall, though, this is a beautiful historical novel that brings to the front the story of one of those women who have been limited to the footnotes of official history, and sometimes, not even that.
Same was the case with The Begum and the Dastan. I picked it up with the intention to read a few pages and see if it suited my.mood. And it did. Soon enough, i was lost in the world of Feroza begum and found myself immersed in her life and her times. For this book is an immersive experience. It creates and evokes the setting so beautifully, you will feel transported in time and become a part of the lives of its characters.
The book tells us three tales parallely - that of Feroza begum's life, of the dastan full of ayyars and tilisms, paries and princes, narrated by a character within the story of Feroza and the third is the frame story, set in 2016-17 where a young girl is being narrated the story of Feroza begum by her grandmother. All these three stories mirror each other in their themes. The only weakness of this very beautifully told tale lies in the frame narrative - it would have worked perfectly well even without it. Overall, though, this is a beautiful historical novel that brings to the front the story of one of those women who have been limited to the footnotes of official history, and sometimes, not even that.
September 20, 2021
I had a chance to read “The Begum and the Dastaan” by Tarana Husain Khan this month as part of our book club reads. Thank you to My Secret Bookshelf!
As a history lover, this book was a very interesting and engaging read for me. There isn’t a lot of text out there on the small kingdoms of India during the British Raj, and even less about harems and the life of a woman living there. The story is very well researched and very engrossing. Tarana Husain Khan’s descriptions are powerful and vivid. The Urdu words entwined in the narrative adds a nice local touch for the reader.
The book is set in the fictional town of Sherpur (loosely based on the Rampur Kingdom) in the early 20th century, and centers around the life of Feroza Begum, the daughter of a high ranking official, who is kidnapped and forcefully married by the Nawab Shams Ali Khan when she goes to attend ‘Sawani’ at the palace.
It is appalling to read about how dispensable women were considered to be during that time. That her father would believe rumours and gossip over his own daughter, refusing to see her even once for the rest of his life. Marriage is so fragile that it can be ended simply if the word is uttered thrice, with no concern to its consequences. To me, there is and was nothing honourable about such men.
Feroza resists vehemently at first, but when Shams greatly entices her with grand gestures, she resigns to him and even begins to accept the harem life. With time however Shams begins to distance from her, never listens to her, always gets his way. Patriarchy and cultural repression turns Feroza, a bold and fun loving woman into a sour, foul mouthed and helpless individual. This is evident when Feroza prohibits her daughter Nanhi from “showing her knees”, forcing her to wear a salwar under her dress, but at the beginning of the book, Feroza is not afraid to dress “provocatively”.
In parallel, there is also a dastan narrated by dastango Kallan Mirza in the bazaar of Sherpur about the evil sorcerer Tareek Jaan and princess Lalarukh which is eerily similar to Feroza’s plight, with one crucial difference: Princess Lalarukh gets her happily ever after.
In the present day, we also follow around the events of Ameera (Feroza’s great-granddaughter) and her family. Their ancestral wealth and the family is going downhill. As Feroza’s tale is narrated to her by her dadi, she can’t help but relate to the pain and confinement that Feroza experienced during her time leaving her, and the reader, wondering: after almost a hundred years, has anything really changed for women?
As a history lover, this book was a very interesting and engaging read for me. There isn’t a lot of text out there on the small kingdoms of India during the British Raj, and even less about harems and the life of a woman living there. The story is very well researched and very engrossing. Tarana Husain Khan’s descriptions are powerful and vivid. The Urdu words entwined in the narrative adds a nice local touch for the reader.
The book is set in the fictional town of Sherpur (loosely based on the Rampur Kingdom) in the early 20th century, and centers around the life of Feroza Begum, the daughter of a high ranking official, who is kidnapped and forcefully married by the Nawab Shams Ali Khan when she goes to attend ‘Sawani’ at the palace.
It is appalling to read about how dispensable women were considered to be during that time. That her father would believe rumours and gossip over his own daughter, refusing to see her even once for the rest of his life. Marriage is so fragile that it can be ended simply if the word is uttered thrice, with no concern to its consequences. To me, there is and was nothing honourable about such men.
Feroza resists vehemently at first, but when Shams greatly entices her with grand gestures, she resigns to him and even begins to accept the harem life. With time however Shams begins to distance from her, never listens to her, always gets his way. Patriarchy and cultural repression turns Feroza, a bold and fun loving woman into a sour, foul mouthed and helpless individual. This is evident when Feroza prohibits her daughter Nanhi from “showing her knees”, forcing her to wear a salwar under her dress, but at the beginning of the book, Feroza is not afraid to dress “provocatively”.
In parallel, there is also a dastan narrated by dastango Kallan Mirza in the bazaar of Sherpur about the evil sorcerer Tareek Jaan and princess Lalarukh which is eerily similar to Feroza’s plight, with one crucial difference: Princess Lalarukh gets her happily ever after.
In the present day, we also follow around the events of Ameera (Feroza’s great-granddaughter) and her family. Their ancestral wealth and the family is going downhill. As Feroza’s tale is narrated to her by her dadi, she can’t help but relate to the pain and confinement that Feroza experienced during her time leaving her, and the reader, wondering: after almost a hundred years, has anything really changed for women?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2021
Set in the late 1890s and the early 1900s, this book is based around the women of that era in a patriarchal society. Much like the veil used to cover their faces, the book shows how oppression covered their lives.
Ameera's grandmother narrates the story of her great grandmother, Feroza Begum. The culture during the times of the Nawabs is presented in a beautifully written story with unique characters, each having their own traits, hovering around the grey area.
As I read through the book, I experienced a variety of emotions ranging from sadness to anger at times. The author has done amazingly well to amalgamate fiction and history, with a gentle touch of fantasy to make this a complete book. While Historical Fiction is a genre that is just gaining momentum in Indian literature, this book is a step in the right direction.
Ameera's grandmother narrates the story of her great grandmother, Feroza Begum. The culture during the times of the Nawabs is presented in a beautifully written story with unique characters, each having their own traits, hovering around the grey area.
As I read through the book, I experienced a variety of emotions ranging from sadness to anger at times. The author has done amazingly well to amalgamate fiction and history, with a gentle touch of fantasy to make this a complete book. While Historical Fiction is a genre that is just gaining momentum in Indian literature, this book is a step in the right direction.
December 30, 2021
A Dastan of a Begum. Or should I say Begums, Ranis, and women from all levels of social and economic hierarchy? A Dastan of miseries, sufferings and cruel practices showered upon women in the name of religion, inheritance or simply because of their gender- the survile and submissive beings of the universe, destined to be ruled and protected by men.
Ameera listens to stories from her grandmother, about her ancestor, Feroza Begum. A beautiful, fierce, wild hearted princess who paid the consequences of her desire to attend the 'Sawaani' , a Nawabi festival to mark the start of Monsoon season, at Nawab Shams Ali Khan's Glamorous Benazir Palace, against everyone's consent. The Nawab, bewildered by her beauty, kidnapped Begum, confined her, forced her husband to divorce her and forcefully aborted her child.
Feroza's entire family disowned her and fled away, as noone dared to seek vengeance under the oppressive regime of the Nawab.
Feroza's grief remained unheard and life secluded behind the grandeur and glitters of the palace.
The novel finds its excellence when more than hundred years down the lane and several generations apart, Ameera traces similarities in both of their condition and realises nothing much have changed. And in another parallel storyline a dastango narrates the tale of Tareek Jaan and his tyranny, an allegorical version of Feroza's life events, where fiction and reality are no longer different entities.
The novel further deals with the very prevalent Shia-Sunni disparity and it's consequences, about which I'm not educated enough to judge. I loved the intricately detailed depiction of the rich and glamourous royals of Sherpur and skillful portrayal of the etiquettes and rituals of the Nawabi culture. The Urdu shayaris, and song verses from real historic papers, letters, diaries and manuscripts are testimonials of a vehemently researched piece of writing.
This intertwined tale of women, who existed in different timelines and realities but who's destinies culminated equivalently will surely evoke a sense of discomfort as well as relatability in you. You'll find yourself questioning when women will be fully capable of having an independent existence and autonomy, discarding years of male dependency and domination.
Ameera listens to stories from her grandmother, about her ancestor, Feroza Begum. A beautiful, fierce, wild hearted princess who paid the consequences of her desire to attend the 'Sawaani' , a Nawabi festival to mark the start of Monsoon season, at Nawab Shams Ali Khan's Glamorous Benazir Palace, against everyone's consent. The Nawab, bewildered by her beauty, kidnapped Begum, confined her, forced her husband to divorce her and forcefully aborted her child.
Feroza's entire family disowned her and fled away, as noone dared to seek vengeance under the oppressive regime of the Nawab.
Feroza's grief remained unheard and life secluded behind the grandeur and glitters of the palace.
The novel finds its excellence when more than hundred years down the lane and several generations apart, Ameera traces similarities in both of their condition and realises nothing much have changed. And in another parallel storyline a dastango narrates the tale of Tareek Jaan and his tyranny, an allegorical version of Feroza's life events, where fiction and reality are no longer different entities.
The novel further deals with the very prevalent Shia-Sunni disparity and it's consequences, about which I'm not educated enough to judge. I loved the intricately detailed depiction of the rich and glamourous royals of Sherpur and skillful portrayal of the etiquettes and rituals of the Nawabi culture. The Urdu shayaris, and song verses from real historic papers, letters, diaries and manuscripts are testimonials of a vehemently researched piece of writing.
This intertwined tale of women, who existed in different timelines and realities but who's destinies culminated equivalently will surely evoke a sense of discomfort as well as relatability in you. You'll find yourself questioning when women will be fully capable of having an independent existence and autonomy, discarding years of male dependency and domination.
April 30, 2021
Tarana Husain Khan's The Begum and The Dastan is a combination of three stories: the story of Feroza Begum, one of the wives of Nawab Shams of Sherpur set in the late 1800s - a historical fiction, a dastangoi by Kallan Mirza of the tale of Tilism-e-Azam - a magical realism, and the present day story of a sixteen year old, Ameera.
Feroza Begum, a ferocious blue-eyed woman, daughter to a woman who was divorced because she wouldn't stop calling him by his name. Feroza did not have enough years to spend with her mother to learn much more, but maybe this stubbornness and boldness was handed down to her as a part of her biology and these are the two qualities that set the course of her life too. Or do they?
Feroza's crime: Going to a sawani against her father's wishes because the Nawab can't keep his eyes (and hands) off of beautiful women and hence, beautiful women must do this and not do that (a never ending-list really).
Feroza's punishment: Being divorced by the husband she was carrying the child of, being forcefully wedded to the Nawab, being abandoned by her family because she chose to go to the sawani and was obviously responsible for whatever happened afterwards.
How many Ferozas do we know? How many have lived and died across history and regimes and kindgoms and cities, only to have their stories told by men and women who watched their lives from the outskirts and chose to write it down the way they deemed fit? Or better, their stories were not even thought of as important or consequential enough to be written down, unless of course it was done to highlight something related to a boy they birthed who went on to be the next Nawab or King or whatever. This story, this book, aims to change just that.
After finishing the book, I did a simple Google search to know more about how the author actually decided to write this story (some of it is mentioned in the Author's note at the end too) and understood it all better. She wrote about a woman who was only mentioned when giving examples of what not to do or say. Who was only someone's begum, divorced and otherwise. Who was a person who loved and lost more than what is mentioned or highlighted in history about her.
The story is beautiful, insightful and heartbreaking. It's a story that uncovers what is already uncovered. The gross mistreatment of women, the hold men had over them (still continue to do so more than we'd like to admit) and the pains they share with only other women, often because they are victims of the same. To put it simply, I loved it. It broke my heart and will always stay with me. The other two stories, the daastan narrated by Kallan Mirza and Ameera's, while staged in the backdrop of Feroza's, had their own share of history and present day dilemmas about gender roles and the society as we know. I'd like to dwell more on them but maybe another post for that would be a better choice.
The only issue I had with the book was how religion was portrayed. The Shia-Sunni conflict was brought up time and again, no, not the history or the reasons, but the conflict of choosing a way, a religion, for your children. Nawab Shams was a Shia while Feroza Begum and many of his wives were not. As is the custom, the religion of the Nawab was chosen as that for his children, regardless of what his wives wanted. I loved Feroza's fight to change that till the very last days of her life, but I hated how it was portrayed. While I understand that the views and thoughts were shown as those of a character (historical fiction), it still did not sit well with me. I feel obliged to highlight how Shams's Shia-ism isn't the definition of what it is, his character not at all an example of a Shia at all. I'd say the same for Feroza. For some reason, her fight to have her children and their children adopt the Sunni way seemed more to me about her need for control than for the religion itself. The same goes for Shams. Additionally, her fear that her children would burn in hellfire for 'not being on the right path' (meaning- following the Shia path) was also somethingthat deeply disturbed me. However, it is to be understood that in any kind of historical fiction, the actions and the thoughtsof a character are created based on a mixture of what is known about them and what they were expected to be thinking of and as, which the author clarifies again at the end that Feroza's character was based on all she learned about her plus what she wanted or thought of her to be.
I'm not entirely sure if my words have conveyed what I wanted to, but I couldn't not bring it up.
Feroza Begum, a ferocious blue-eyed woman, daughter to a woman who was divorced because she wouldn't stop calling him by his name. Feroza did not have enough years to spend with her mother to learn much more, but maybe this stubbornness and boldness was handed down to her as a part of her biology and these are the two qualities that set the course of her life too. Or do they?
Feroza's crime: Going to a sawani against her father's wishes because the Nawab can't keep his eyes (and hands) off of beautiful women and hence, beautiful women must do this and not do that (a never ending-list really).
Feroza's punishment: Being divorced by the husband she was carrying the child of, being forcefully wedded to the Nawab, being abandoned by her family because she chose to go to the sawani and was obviously responsible for whatever happened afterwards.
How many Ferozas do we know? How many have lived and died across history and regimes and kindgoms and cities, only to have their stories told by men and women who watched their lives from the outskirts and chose to write it down the way they deemed fit? Or better, their stories were not even thought of as important or consequential enough to be written down, unless of course it was done to highlight something related to a boy they birthed who went on to be the next Nawab or King or whatever. This story, this book, aims to change just that.
After finishing the book, I did a simple Google search to know more about how the author actually decided to write this story (some of it is mentioned in the Author's note at the end too) and understood it all better. She wrote about a woman who was only mentioned when giving examples of what not to do or say. Who was only someone's begum, divorced and otherwise. Who was a person who loved and lost more than what is mentioned or highlighted in history about her.
The story is beautiful, insightful and heartbreaking. It's a story that uncovers what is already uncovered. The gross mistreatment of women, the hold men had over them (still continue to do so more than we'd like to admit) and the pains they share with only other women, often because they are victims of the same. To put it simply, I loved it. It broke my heart and will always stay with me. The other two stories, the daastan narrated by Kallan Mirza and Ameera's, while staged in the backdrop of Feroza's, had their own share of history and present day dilemmas about gender roles and the society as we know. I'd like to dwell more on them but maybe another post for that would be a better choice.
The only issue I had with the book was how religion was portrayed. The Shia-Sunni conflict was brought up time and again, no, not the history or the reasons, but the conflict of choosing a way, a religion, for your children. Nawab Shams was a Shia while Feroza Begum and many of his wives were not. As is the custom, the religion of the Nawab was chosen as that for his children, regardless of what his wives wanted. I loved Feroza's fight to change that till the very last days of her life, but I hated how it was portrayed. While I understand that the views and thoughts were shown as those of a character (historical fiction), it still did not sit well with me. I feel obliged to highlight how Shams's Shia-ism isn't the definition of what it is, his character not at all an example of a Shia at all. I'd say the same for Feroza. For some reason, her fight to have her children and their children adopt the Sunni way seemed more to me about her need for control than for the religion itself. The same goes for Shams. Additionally, her fear that her children would burn in hellfire for 'not being on the right path' (meaning- following the Shia path) was also somethingthat deeply disturbed me. However, it is to be understood that in any kind of historical fiction, the actions and the thoughtsof a character are created based on a mixture of what is known about them and what they were expected to be thinking of and as, which the author clarifies again at the end that Feroza's character was based on all she learned about her plus what she wanted or thought of her to be.
I'm not entirely sure if my words have conveyed what I wanted to, but I couldn't not bring it up.
September 16, 2021
Read my review in The Daily Star's Daily Star Books where I talk about Tarana Husain Khan's amazing book, The Begum and The Dastan.
I am convinced that while writing her book, The Begum and the Dastan (Westland Publications Private Ltd, 2021), the author Tarana Husain Khan's aim was to leave her readers in a literary stupor - dizzy and yearning for more. The Begum and the Dastan is not just one dastan (story) of one Begum, it is the story of a million women interspersed across time and space. A nested tale of love, inheritance, political and religious conflicts, and survival, The Begum and the Dastan boasts both real and fantastical themes. The book oscillates between three different narratives - the story of the spirited Feroza Begum set in 19th century British India; the story of present day Ameera, Feroza's great granddaughter; and that of Mirza Kallan, a dastango (storyteller) who sips opium at the bazaar chowk and weaves tales so magical that the ambits of fantasy and reality become blurred to him and readers alike.
Wilful, tenacious and fierce of spirit, Feroza Begum is the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Rohilla Pathan in the princely state of Sherpur during the British Raj. Her keen inquisitive mind and independent spirit - admired by her husband and siblings but disapproved in a society so patriarchal - becomes the reason for her downfall. Happily married and loved by her family, young Feroza defies her father's wishes to visit the celebrations taking place at the Nawab of Sherpur's palace. At the event, the Nawab, Shams Ali Khan is enarmoured by Feroza's fire and beauty and wants her for himself, another gem in his glittering harem full of women of different class, shape and colour. Feroza is kept within confined walls against her will, her husband is forced to divorce her and she is abandoned by her family. Trapped within the grand walls of the Nawab's palace, Feroza prays for deliverance, but no one comes for her because in society a woman who dares step out of bounds brings dishonour to all. Heartbroken and cornered, Feroza does what she has to do to survive - she marries the Nawab and is swept away in the confusing whirlpool of emotions, the grandeur and squalor that make up the life of a reluctant queen.
In present day, Ameera, the great granddaughter of Feroza Begum, sulks at home because her parents are unable to pay her school fees. Ameera listens with rapt attention to her Dadi recounting Feroza's life story as a cautionary tale about female recklessness. Shackled by the many social expectations and deep-rooted gendered rules, Ameera reflects on the irony of how her life in present times is not much different from Feroza's.
Amidst this, Mirza Kallan charms his audiences with the story of a tyrant sorcerer in his magical city where women are also kept in confines of chains and tacit rules.
The lives of Feroza and the other women in the Nawab's harem is a stark contrast to his depraved, unscrupulous, lavish life. The wives lead a life of puritanical obedience while the Nawab exercises despotism by punishing people who dare to defy him, usurping property of dissenters and capturing women he desires with or without their consent. As Feroza navigates this maze of 19th century court life that is thrust upon her and as Ameera absorbs Dadi's account of Feroza's story, both females despite being divided by a century of time between them, realize with grim clarity the cruel unspoken rules that govern the lives of women regardless of age, social standing, qualifications and privileges.
Born in different points in history, Feroza and Ameera grapple with challenges that are shockingly similar in nature and beyond their control. Feroza's purpose in life is reduced to keeping the Nawab entertained no matter how depraved his demands, and Ameera has to beg her parents for her basic rights to an education, a privilege that comes easily to her brother despite his history of delinquency. Both females cautiously tread this fine line between propriety and what society has labeled female vulgarity in order to secure survival. Dreams, aspirations and goals becomes secondary to gendered expectations, no matter how illogical the latter maybe. Misinterpreted religious texts and archaic tradition govern their lives, a truth that still stands true for many contemporary women.
Tarana Husain Khan is a master of imagery, her writing is imbued with elaborate descriptions of resplendent soirees, gloomy dungeons and busy bazaar settings that sweep you away into the glamour and delusion of court life. Just as quickly, she will steer you through time and bring you face to face with the subversion of women's empowerment in present times. With this book, the author seeks to examine the conditions of women through generations and show with clarity how much that has unfortunately NOT changed, even today.
What is incredible about Feroza's story is the staccato of her voice that causes ripples in the waters no matter how hard society tries to silence her. Her desire for revenge, her fearlessness and her sense of justice eclipses her desire for power, a feat she could have accomplished had she been more compliant. Feroza's long pilgrimage of survival across the pages of Tarana Husain Khan's The Begum and the Dastan has not yet come to an end. Written by invisible ink, her story continues on in contemporary women as we try to navigate the toiling maze of age-old patriarchy. Turning the last page of this book does not constitute its ending, it is but a pause. A pause to breathe, to reflect and to perhaps rethink our choices as individuals and a society.
Review link: https://www.thedailystar.net/daily-st...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7...
Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/booksnher/
I am convinced that while writing her book, The Begum and the Dastan (Westland Publications Private Ltd, 2021), the author Tarana Husain Khan's aim was to leave her readers in a literary stupor - dizzy and yearning for more. The Begum and the Dastan is not just one dastan (story) of one Begum, it is the story of a million women interspersed across time and space. A nested tale of love, inheritance, political and religious conflicts, and survival, The Begum and the Dastan boasts both real and fantastical themes. The book oscillates between three different narratives - the story of the spirited Feroza Begum set in 19th century British India; the story of present day Ameera, Feroza's great granddaughter; and that of Mirza Kallan, a dastango (storyteller) who sips opium at the bazaar chowk and weaves tales so magical that the ambits of fantasy and reality become blurred to him and readers alike.
Wilful, tenacious and fierce of spirit, Feroza Begum is the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Rohilla Pathan in the princely state of Sherpur during the British Raj. Her keen inquisitive mind and independent spirit - admired by her husband and siblings but disapproved in a society so patriarchal - becomes the reason for her downfall. Happily married and loved by her family, young Feroza defies her father's wishes to visit the celebrations taking place at the Nawab of Sherpur's palace. At the event, the Nawab, Shams Ali Khan is enarmoured by Feroza's fire and beauty and wants her for himself, another gem in his glittering harem full of women of different class, shape and colour. Feroza is kept within confined walls against her will, her husband is forced to divorce her and she is abandoned by her family. Trapped within the grand walls of the Nawab's palace, Feroza prays for deliverance, but no one comes for her because in society a woman who dares step out of bounds brings dishonour to all. Heartbroken and cornered, Feroza does what she has to do to survive - she marries the Nawab and is swept away in the confusing whirlpool of emotions, the grandeur and squalor that make up the life of a reluctant queen.
In present day, Ameera, the great granddaughter of Feroza Begum, sulks at home because her parents are unable to pay her school fees. Ameera listens with rapt attention to her Dadi recounting Feroza's life story as a cautionary tale about female recklessness. Shackled by the many social expectations and deep-rooted gendered rules, Ameera reflects on the irony of how her life in present times is not much different from Feroza's.
Amidst this, Mirza Kallan charms his audiences with the story of a tyrant sorcerer in his magical city where women are also kept in confines of chains and tacit rules.
The lives of Feroza and the other women in the Nawab's harem is a stark contrast to his depraved, unscrupulous, lavish life. The wives lead a life of puritanical obedience while the Nawab exercises despotism by punishing people who dare to defy him, usurping property of dissenters and capturing women he desires with or without their consent. As Feroza navigates this maze of 19th century court life that is thrust upon her and as Ameera absorbs Dadi's account of Feroza's story, both females despite being divided by a century of time between them, realize with grim clarity the cruel unspoken rules that govern the lives of women regardless of age, social standing, qualifications and privileges.
Born in different points in history, Feroza and Ameera grapple with challenges that are shockingly similar in nature and beyond their control. Feroza's purpose in life is reduced to keeping the Nawab entertained no matter how depraved his demands, and Ameera has to beg her parents for her basic rights to an education, a privilege that comes easily to her brother despite his history of delinquency. Both females cautiously tread this fine line between propriety and what society has labeled female vulgarity in order to secure survival. Dreams, aspirations and goals becomes secondary to gendered expectations, no matter how illogical the latter maybe. Misinterpreted religious texts and archaic tradition govern their lives, a truth that still stands true for many contemporary women.
Tarana Husain Khan is a master of imagery, her writing is imbued with elaborate descriptions of resplendent soirees, gloomy dungeons and busy bazaar settings that sweep you away into the glamour and delusion of court life. Just as quickly, she will steer you through time and bring you face to face with the subversion of women's empowerment in present times. With this book, the author seeks to examine the conditions of women through generations and show with clarity how much that has unfortunately NOT changed, even today.
What is incredible about Feroza's story is the staccato of her voice that causes ripples in the waters no matter how hard society tries to silence her. Her desire for revenge, her fearlessness and her sense of justice eclipses her desire for power, a feat she could have accomplished had she been more compliant. Feroza's long pilgrimage of survival across the pages of Tarana Husain Khan's The Begum and the Dastan has not yet come to an end. Written by invisible ink, her story continues on in contemporary women as we try to navigate the toiling maze of age-old patriarchy. Turning the last page of this book does not constitute its ending, it is but a pause. A pause to breathe, to reflect and to perhaps rethink our choices as individuals and a society.
Review link: https://www.thedailystar.net/daily-st...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7...
Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/booksnher/
September 29, 2021
A principality in North India, a headstrong young married woman, a debauched Nawab. These are the settings and principal characters of this historical fiction, inspired by real incidents.
Feroza, married and two months pregnant, is a pampered child. She is visiting her father’s home in Sherpur and forces him to reluctantly permit her to visit the annual fair sawani, organised at Nawab Sham’s palace, celebrating onset of monsoon rains.
The beautiful young woman catches the roving eyes of the nawab and is confined to his zenana. Divorced overnight by her husband, disowned by parents, her unborn foetus aborted, she is forced into an unwilling marriage to the Nawab. She reconciles to her fate and has a daughter from Shams. Feroza has no say as the child is given away to the first wife of the Nawab.
Over years, Shams takes more wives and concubines. But his love-hate relationship with Feroza continues. He wants to continue to control his women, including his children. The daughter runs away with her husband after her mother’s early death, to escape her father, but ends up being controlled, this time in the court of her Badi Amma’s brother.
Almost a century later, in 2016, story of Feroza is narrated by Dadi to Ameera, her granddaughter. They are descendants of Feroza and Shams. Sherpur is modernising – but Ameera wonders if it is modernisation. She can’t walk unescorted to and from the school bus stop – only a few hundred meters from her home, her father is unable to pay her school fees though he pampers his son. Nawabs have also gone but have been replaced by another power centre – the politicians. Has the life of women and common persons really changed?
The author has narrated a haunting tale of the lives of women and common people under despotic rulers in early 20th century, interweaving fiction with facts. The story lives with you long after you have read it.
Feroza, married and two months pregnant, is a pampered child. She is visiting her father’s home in Sherpur and forces him to reluctantly permit her to visit the annual fair sawani, organised at Nawab Sham’s palace, celebrating onset of monsoon rains.
The beautiful young woman catches the roving eyes of the nawab and is confined to his zenana. Divorced overnight by her husband, disowned by parents, her unborn foetus aborted, she is forced into an unwilling marriage to the Nawab. She reconciles to her fate and has a daughter from Shams. Feroza has no say as the child is given away to the first wife of the Nawab.
Over years, Shams takes more wives and concubines. But his love-hate relationship with Feroza continues. He wants to continue to control his women, including his children. The daughter runs away with her husband after her mother’s early death, to escape her father, but ends up being controlled, this time in the court of her Badi Amma’s brother.
Almost a century later, in 2016, story of Feroza is narrated by Dadi to Ameera, her granddaughter. They are descendants of Feroza and Shams. Sherpur is modernising – but Ameera wonders if it is modernisation. She can’t walk unescorted to and from the school bus stop – only a few hundred meters from her home, her father is unable to pay her school fees though he pampers his son. Nawabs have also gone but have been replaced by another power centre – the politicians. Has the life of women and common persons really changed?
The author has narrated a haunting tale of the lives of women and common people under despotic rulers in early 20th century, interweaving fiction with facts. The story lives with you long after you have read it.
June 12, 2021
3.5 stars
I liked this book only moderately. It is well researched and the author clearly has an insider's feel for the place she re-creates. It is steeped in atmosphere and detail and draws beautifully upon the very rich dastongoi tradition.
The story has three tracks. The main one is the story of Feroza begum, the second of a dastan being told by Kallan Miya in the same time and place. The third track is present day and follows Ameera a great grand daughter of Feroza begum. It is not clear what the third track accomplishes. Ameera's story in terms of what it brings to the book could have been covered in a brief epilogue. My favourite part of the book was Kallan Miya's dastan and its clever spin on the central story in true dastan style.
I found the excessive footnotes at the end of each chapter, the constant explaining of urdu terms and references to sources disruptive. Perhaps especially so because I read the ebook which doesn't have a smaller font size for footnotes. It felt a bit like the khansama had left the recipe book inside the yakhni pulao and served it.
I liked this book only moderately. It is well researched and the author clearly has an insider's feel for the place she re-creates. It is steeped in atmosphere and detail and draws beautifully upon the very rich dastongoi tradition.
The story has three tracks. The main one is the story of Feroza begum, the second of a dastan being told by Kallan Miya in the same time and place. The third track is present day and follows Ameera a great grand daughter of Feroza begum. It is not clear what the third track accomplishes. Ameera's story in terms of what it brings to the book could have been covered in a brief epilogue. My favourite part of the book was Kallan Miya's dastan and its clever spin on the central story in true dastan style.
I found the excessive footnotes at the end of each chapter, the constant explaining of urdu terms and references to sources disruptive. Perhaps especially so because I read the ebook which doesn't have a smaller font size for footnotes. It felt a bit like the khansama had left the recipe book inside the yakhni pulao and served it.
June 14, 2021
✨The Begum and the Dastan is a time machine that transports you to Sherpur's Benazir Palace at the turn of the 19th century.
✨ Its orchards lush with the just arrived 'sawan', the orchard verandah filled with the hustle & bustle of women getting ready to honour Sherpur's Begum with the much talked about 'sawani'.
✨ Somewhere on the palace grounds, is Feroza Begum, oblivious to her future.
✨ The Begum and the Dastan, is a story told in 3 parallels:
• Feroza Begum's granddaughter narrates Feroza's ordeal to her own granddaughter Ameera.
• Her narration includes the famous 'dastaango' Mirza Kallan's dastan of Princess Lalarukh.
• Interspersed with these 2 stories, is an account of Ameera's own life in the present day.
✨ With Feroza Begum, we're given an opulent piece of history & culture of the Nawabs & the court life.
• We read about her forceful marriage to the Nawab, his harem, the evils of the 19th century patriarchy & Feroza's silent rebellion.
• Her story is rich, at times grim & heartbreaking.
• Feroza Begum is going to live in my head for a long time.
✨ The author, Tarana Husain Khan, has a serious talent for writing beautiful scenarios that make the reader feel that they're witnessing the scenes first hand.
✨The book has captivating prose, right from the characters, the settings, to the poetry & couplets; everything had me mesmerised.
✨ A perfect amalgamation of fiction & actual history, this is one Dastan that you cannot miss.
✨ Its orchards lush with the just arrived 'sawan', the orchard verandah filled with the hustle & bustle of women getting ready to honour Sherpur's Begum with the much talked about 'sawani'.
✨ Somewhere on the palace grounds, is Feroza Begum, oblivious to her future.
✨ The Begum and the Dastan, is a story told in 3 parallels:
• Feroza Begum's granddaughter narrates Feroza's ordeal to her own granddaughter Ameera.
• Her narration includes the famous 'dastaango' Mirza Kallan's dastan of Princess Lalarukh.
• Interspersed with these 2 stories, is an account of Ameera's own life in the present day.
✨ With Feroza Begum, we're given an opulent piece of history & culture of the Nawabs & the court life.
• We read about her forceful marriage to the Nawab, his harem, the evils of the 19th century patriarchy & Feroza's silent rebellion.
• Her story is rich, at times grim & heartbreaking.
• Feroza Begum is going to live in my head for a long time.
✨ The author, Tarana Husain Khan, has a serious talent for writing beautiful scenarios that make the reader feel that they're witnessing the scenes first hand.
✨The book has captivating prose, right from the characters, the settings, to the poetry & couplets; everything had me mesmerised.
✨ A perfect amalgamation of fiction & actual history, this is one Dastan that you cannot miss.
October 23, 2021
How we deal with our decisions decides our future and even for our following generations.This is a
well-researched book with a detailed analysis ofhow a decision, made out of the fear of being abandoned ledto life imprisonment.FerozaBegum, the main character who was bold and beautiful, got lusted by the nawab resulting in leaving her husband and family and falling into the trap of the elite.To her it was life imprisonment and a reflection of it was seen inherfollowing generations.As the story progresses, we witness a shade of Feroza's life in her great granddaughter Ameera.While reading this book, I came across a lot of different perspectives and each had its value. The bookclub had a very grave discussion on this matter.No doubt The Begum andThe Dastan is getting critically acclaimed.
well-researched book with a detailed analysis ofhow a decision, made out of the fear of being abandoned ledto life imprisonment.FerozaBegum, the main character who was bold and beautiful, got lusted by the nawab resulting in leaving her husband and family and falling into the trap of the elite.To her it was life imprisonment and a reflection of it was seen inherfollowing generations.As the story progresses, we witness a shade of Feroza's life in her great granddaughter Ameera.While reading this book, I came across a lot of different perspectives and each had its value. The bookclub had a very grave discussion on this matter.No doubt The Begum andThe Dastan is getting critically acclaimed.
October 24, 2021
It cannot be described as a story retelling. Stories like these do not have a stable position in history. So let's just call it historical fiction and a perfect one indeed. It talks about the existence of misogyny in the grandeur of opulence. Feroza Begum who's entry to the family of royal nawabs was actually a kind of abduction. A century down Ameera feels no difference. The story talks about how royalty has a dark side. There is a strong message given from the perspective of Kallan Mirza who is a dastango. The stories move in parallel to each other. This is a dilemmatic read. I read it with the other members of the book club and it was really a great experience.
October 23, 2021
While the late 19th century saw the downfall of nawabs and their reigns, it also saw their heinous acts of involving women in their harems. Feroza Begum, whose ill fate led her into one such condition finds it terrible. Suppression of her true self made her a rude woman. Her story might sound dark and hopeless to many but it was a rebellion in my opinion. As the story ascends, we see how Ameera gets to relate herself to the situation of her great grandmother Feroza Begum. This book is worth a profound debate and discussion. Book club reading is an amazing experience.
September 26, 2025
if you have read, the last queen and loved it then this is the book for you. The life of begums, the ego of pathans, the arrogance of nawabs, the hate, the love, the bonds, the enemies, family, promises, fate and what not?
January 10, 2023
The best couplet that may remain with me, thus:
“Har urooj ka zawaal hai” - every rise has a fall.
“Har urooj ka zawaal hai” - every rise has a fall.
June 2, 2021
I really liked the book but was a bit disappointed because i picked this book for a historical fiction read but just few chapters ahead you find that a very long fantasy tale is being narrated by Kallan Miza divided into many chapters throughout the book.
October 7, 2021
Digging deeper into the history of a place and narrating an undisputed book is one such talent that Taran Husain Khan has. It's astonishing how she mentioned every detail in her book from the times of nawabs and begums. From the basis of Sheesh Mahal to the mention of the farshi dress, every minute detail is the beauty of reading this historical fiction. During the My Secret Bookshelf's book club meet-up, the author mentioned how she had even broader details that could have been included in the book, but couldn't. The story is about Feroza Begum who was forced into the harem of the nawab of sherpur. Feroza, who was already married at the time Nawab laid eyes on her, was furious and a salient rebel. Parallel to this, Kallan Mirza, a dastango, is narrating a story similar to that of Feroza Begum to a crowd. Century later, Ameera, great-granddaughter of Feroza Begum is listening to her story. The script is very influential and keeps you hooked till the end.
October 6, 2021
I got to read this book by Tarana Husain Khan for My Secret Bookshelf book club as botm September. The Begum and The Dastan, the title itself gives a vintage vibe. Throughout the story, there are shreds of evidence of women's suppression. The story begins with the storytelling of Feroza Begum, a bold and beautiful married lady who was forced to enter the harem of Nawab Shams Ali Khan. This was a misogynist act through which powerful men used to encapture women of their choices and develop a relationship with them. The story portrays the darkest side of the royal nawabs. Ameera, who is the great-granddaughter of Feroza is listening to her story and is trying to connect her life to her great grandmother.
The story is powerful and is one of the best forms of retelling. Historical fiction with such a firm grip on the plot is a rare occurrence.
The story is powerful and is one of the best forms of retelling. Historical fiction with such a firm grip on the plot is a rare occurrence.
May 31, 2023
Feroza,a young girl who belonged to the prestigious Pathaan family of Miya Jaan Khan in the small town of Sherpur, Uttar Pradesh attended the sawaani of Nawab Shams Ali and gets kidnapped by the Nawab and isforced to become the wife of Nawab Shams Ali in 1896 and becomes Feroza Begum of the Nawab’s court.
What comes next is the story of how Feroza becomes Feroza Begum and the ordeal she had to go through in the court. The Begum and The Dastan is a book of a family that broke into pieces and how the Begum comes into being the Begum and lives a life with Shams.
At the same time in Sherpur 2016 Ameera has to skip school who insists on hearing more about the life of Feroza Begum who is her Great grandmother.
Thus begins the Dastan of the Begum who lived through the 18th century along with other begums of the Nawab.
.
The story of the Begum is a strong catalyst of telling the lives of many women who lived in the palace and the way Feroza Begum takes the reign of her own life yet due to limitations and restrictions in her life lived a lonely life.
.
While there is the story of Feroza Begum we also have with us The Dastangoi(storyteller) who tells us the story of Tareek Jaan and the abduction of Princess Lalarukh.
.
As I was reading the book, the one conflict I saw repeatedly in the Begum ‘s story was their disagreement over religion as the Nawab was Shia and Feroza was born in a Sunni family which brings with it the strong and opposing views on how religion would be practised.
.
Even so, Feroza didn’t let the Nawab stop her from living her life on her own terms and trained herself in writing English and speaking the language as well and how she raised her first child.
.
The story of Princess Lalarukh is the parallels the author draws with every woman who lived in the court of Nawab Shams Ali.
Rewritten and coming back with few changes this Dastan is a descriptive narrative capturing sherpur of 1896 and the sherpur of 2016 where Tarana keeps Feroza Begum and Ameera in the centre and tells a tale that’s not just full of despair but of the various stages Feroza goes through and the people who come in her life or are taken away.
The Begum and The Dastan is not just a story of a woman but I strongly believe the book captures the traditional, the hidden history and the unspoken truths that one needs to know about.
Pick up the book because it’s rare to find a story about women lost in the pages of history written with extensive research and also presents the story behind the archives sitting in old libraries.
What comes next is the story of how Feroza becomes Feroza Begum and the ordeal she had to go through in the court. The Begum and The Dastan is a book of a family that broke into pieces and how the Begum comes into being the Begum and lives a life with Shams.
At the same time in Sherpur 2016 Ameera has to skip school who insists on hearing more about the life of Feroza Begum who is her Great grandmother.
Thus begins the Dastan of the Begum who lived through the 18th century along with other begums of the Nawab.
.
The story of the Begum is a strong catalyst of telling the lives of many women who lived in the palace and the way Feroza Begum takes the reign of her own life yet due to limitations and restrictions in her life lived a lonely life.
.
While there is the story of Feroza Begum we also have with us The Dastangoi(storyteller) who tells us the story of Tareek Jaan and the abduction of Princess Lalarukh.
.
As I was reading the book, the one conflict I saw repeatedly in the Begum ‘s story was their disagreement over religion as the Nawab was Shia and Feroza was born in a Sunni family which brings with it the strong and opposing views on how religion would be practised.
.
Even so, Feroza didn’t let the Nawab stop her from living her life on her own terms and trained herself in writing English and speaking the language as well and how she raised her first child.
.
The story of Princess Lalarukh is the parallels the author draws with every woman who lived in the court of Nawab Shams Ali.
Rewritten and coming back with few changes this Dastan is a descriptive narrative capturing sherpur of 1896 and the sherpur of 2016 where Tarana keeps Feroza Begum and Ameera in the centre and tells a tale that’s not just full of despair but of the various stages Feroza goes through and the people who come in her life or are taken away.
The Begum and The Dastan is not just a story of a woman but I strongly believe the book captures the traditional, the hidden history and the unspoken truths that one needs to know about.
Pick up the book because it’s rare to find a story about women lost in the pages of history written with extensive research and also presents the story behind the archives sitting in old libraries.
June 28, 2023
Set in the fictional city of Sherpur, 'The Begum and The Dastaan' is a tale spanning narratives from the 19th century to present day.
The book is spun with three storylines
Blue eyed Feroza Begum defies her father, Miya Jaan Khan's wishes and attends Nawab Sham's Ali Khan's sawani celebration at the palace. She ends up getting trapped in nawab's harem. Abandoned by her own family, Feroza feels hopeless in Nawab's twinkling palace.
Meanwhile, Not far Sherpur's reality opium addict Dastango Mirza Kallan weaves a magical tale of Princess Lalarukh trapped in Tilism-e-azam by sorcerer Tareek Jaan.
We say that we have come so far in time but reading about Feroza's great granddaughter in present times makes one question if that is actually far enough? We know that the casualty of financial problems in a family still is a girl child's education. Stuck at home, Ameera finds solace in her Dadi's retelling of Feroza Begum's story.
Women Tarana writes about aren't perfect but they aren't damsels in distress either. Feroza begum though helpless, she is iron willed and has a very strong sense of justice. The time where women had little to no agency over their body and lives, her character comes out very inspirational.
The book engulfs you in its world altogether. Author has done a commendable job with exploring the characters and settings that seem very authentic and she is successful in making the reader feel for them with her rich writing. Novel backs on several strong female characters like Sultanat Ara, Diwani Begum, Bibbo Jaan and they are a delight to read about.
The source and inspiration of this story is a cautionary tale about a Begum from Rampur, elders tell young girls as a warning to not defy their words. Khan with this novel gives light to the misunderstood women of History that did not find mentions in written records but keep the generational oppression and patriarchy alive with twisted narratives that suit a few.
We sure need more people to bring forward stories that make us see the cautionary tales we were fed with a new lens!
The book is spun with three storylines
Blue eyed Feroza Begum defies her father, Miya Jaan Khan's wishes and attends Nawab Sham's Ali Khan's sawani celebration at the palace. She ends up getting trapped in nawab's harem. Abandoned by her own family, Feroza feels hopeless in Nawab's twinkling palace.
Meanwhile, Not far Sherpur's reality opium addict Dastango Mirza Kallan weaves a magical tale of Princess Lalarukh trapped in Tilism-e-azam by sorcerer Tareek Jaan.
We say that we have come so far in time but reading about Feroza's great granddaughter in present times makes one question if that is actually far enough? We know that the casualty of financial problems in a family still is a girl child's education. Stuck at home, Ameera finds solace in her Dadi's retelling of Feroza Begum's story.
Women Tarana writes about aren't perfect but they aren't damsels in distress either. Feroza begum though helpless, she is iron willed and has a very strong sense of justice. The time where women had little to no agency over their body and lives, her character comes out very inspirational.
The book engulfs you in its world altogether. Author has done a commendable job with exploring the characters and settings that seem very authentic and she is successful in making the reader feel for them with her rich writing. Novel backs on several strong female characters like Sultanat Ara, Diwani Begum, Bibbo Jaan and they are a delight to read about.
The source and inspiration of this story is a cautionary tale about a Begum from Rampur, elders tell young girls as a warning to not defy their words. Khan with this novel gives light to the misunderstood women of History that did not find mentions in written records but keep the generational oppression and patriarchy alive with twisted narratives that suit a few.
We sure need more people to bring forward stories that make us see the cautionary tales we were fed with a new lens!
October 11, 2021
Of all the books I read, historical fiction is closer to me. "The Begum and The Dastan" the title gives a vibe of it being opulent, while the reality is completely different. We all know how lusty nawabs and rulers used to be in the historical time, this book is a very vindictive description of how mean they could be and how hardcore a woman's wit could be. @tarana has done a great deal of research before publishing her work and it is evident with the positive response the book is earning.
Reading this book for @msb book club was an extremely special experience for me. Learning about people's opinions on this book was exciting.
The major characters in the book are Feroza Begum, Kallan Mirza & Ameera. There are other supporting characters too but the story majorly revolves around the former three and their narratives. Feroza Begum was forced into the harem of the nawab of Sherpur. She gave herself up unwillingly and the consequences of suppressing her fury were seen in her behavior soon. Kallan Mirza, a famous storyteller, keeps narrating the story of a character similar to Feroza's in parallel. About a century later, Ameera, the great granddaughter of Feroza Begum, listens to her story and tries to create a contrast between her life and that of her great grandmother's.
The plot is dilemmatic and talks about misogynist mindset in different eras. How women are objectified and lusted for, the sick mentality is persistent even in the 21st century. At some point in time, you'll feel like the author @tarana has represented herself in the form of the character Kallan Mirza. Highly recommended once in an era book which must be read by everyone.
Reading this book for @msb book club was an extremely special experience for me. Learning about people's opinions on this book was exciting.
The major characters in the book are Feroza Begum, Kallan Mirza & Ameera. There are other supporting characters too but the story majorly revolves around the former three and their narratives. Feroza Begum was forced into the harem of the nawab of Sherpur. She gave herself up unwillingly and the consequences of suppressing her fury were seen in her behavior soon. Kallan Mirza, a famous storyteller, keeps narrating the story of a character similar to Feroza's in parallel. About a century later, Ameera, the great granddaughter of Feroza Begum, listens to her story and tries to create a contrast between her life and that of her great grandmother's.
The plot is dilemmatic and talks about misogynist mindset in different eras. How women are objectified and lusted for, the sick mentality is persistent even in the 21st century. At some point in time, you'll feel like the author @tarana has represented herself in the form of the character Kallan Mirza. Highly recommended once in an era book which must be read by everyone.
December 3, 2021
This is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year.
I dived into this book knowing nothing at all and when I came to know that it was inspired by a real story, I was heartbroken, because the horrors women went through in this book was gut-wrenching. It crushed my heart (not pleasantly) to read these stories. But yes, the author did an excellent job writing this piece of history which I was unaware of in a very profound way. I was quite amused by the rich descriptive writing which made me experience the story as if I was the protagonist. Totally a captivating page turner!!
I dived into this book knowing nothing at all and when I came to know that it was inspired by a real story, I was heartbroken, because the horrors women went through in this book was gut-wrenching. It crushed my heart (not pleasantly) to read these stories. But yes, the author did an excellent job writing this piece of history which I was unaware of in a very profound way. I was quite amused by the rich descriptive writing which made me experience the story as if I was the protagonist. Totally a captivating page turner!!
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