On January 6, Agence France-Presse reported that an Indian named Sultana Beguim, who claimed to be a descendant of the royal family who built the Taj Mahal, lived in a cramped two-bedroom hut in a slum on the outskirts of Calcutta, India, and made ends meet on a meager pension. Her husband, Mirza Mohammed Bedar Bahit, is said to be the great-grandson of India's last Mughal ruler.
Sultana Beguim's husband died in 1980, which made her life even more difficult. For the past decade, Sultana Beguim has been petitioning the Indian authorities to recognize her royal status and compensate her accordingly. Now, Sultana Beguim has filed a lawsuit seeking recognition as the rightful owner of the majestic 17th-century Red Fort, a sprawling castle in New Delhi, India, that was once the seat of Mughal power.
The 68-year-old hopes to get the government's support to return what belongs to her. Sultana Beguim also asked AFP: "Can you imagine the descendants of the emperors who built the Taj Mahal now living in extreme poverty?" "Sultana Beguim's case is supported by many sympathetic activists, based on Sultana Beguim's claim that the lineage of her late husband can be traced back to the last reigning emperor, Bahadur Shah zafar.
The New Delhi High Court last week dismissed her petition on the grounds of a "gross waste of time" — but did not rule on whether Sultana Beguim's claim to restore royal blood was legitimate. Instead, the court said Sudana Beguim's team of lawyers failed to prove that zafar's descendants had filed similar cases in the 150 years since their exile. Sultana Beguim's lawyer said the case would continue. The lawyer also told AFP: "Sultana Beguim has decided to raise a defence before a higher-ranking judge in the court. ”
Currently, Sultana Beguim and her grandson live in a small shack in the slum, share a kitchen with neighbours and wash their clothes at a public tap on the street. Living a life of poverty, the grandchildren live on relief funds.