The last Nawab of Malerkotla, Punjab, Begum Munawwar-ul-Nisa, died in the city early on Friday, more than two years after she gave the government control of the 150-year-old Mubarak Manzil Palace of Malerkotla so that it might be refurbished, preserved, and used as a monument. 100 years old.
The princess Begum Nisa succeeded her father, Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan of Malerkotla, a legendary figure in Punjabi history. He is respected because, at the court of Sirhind’s Subedar, Wazir Khan, in 1705, he had protested against the execution of the younger Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh, Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh.
Begum Nisa will be laid to rest at 3 pm, according to Arshad Dali, a former leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who spoke with The Indian Express. He stated that she had been ill for some time and confirmed her age of 100. Azeez Mian, her nephew, would bury Begum Nisa, who was childless and without a legitimate successor.
Begum Nisa donated the remnants of her palace to the Punjab government in January 2021, during the administration of former chief minister Amarinder Singh, so that it might be preserved and safeguarded as a monument.
“Meri akhiri ichchha, aap keh sakte ho, yahi hai ke main iss mahal ko pehle ki tarah jagmagata chorr kar jayun,” Begum Nisa had then said over the phone to The Indian Express. (You could say that before I pass away, my final hope is to see the palace restored to its original splendor.)
At that point, Dali had developed into a go-between for the Begum, who desired that the government buy the palace.