An ‘ambitious’ courtesan & a British officer — the tale behind Old Delhi’s Mubarak Masjid

The mosque was built by Mubarak Begum, an influential nineteenth century courtesan who was also the 'bibi' of British officer David Ochterlony — the First Delhi British Resident.

Representational image | People pray in the courtyard of the Mubarak Begum Masjid in New | Photo: Manisha Mondal | The Print

New Delhi: The iconic 200-year-old Mubarak Begum Masjid in Old Delhi’s Hauz Qazi Chowk, which was damaged by the heavy rains in the national capital Sunday, conceals a unique and intriguing saga of a sharp-minded courtesan Mubarak Begum, who rose to become a highly influential woman in the nineteenth century.

Begum was the Indian ‘wife’ (or bibi) of British officer David Ochterlony — the First British Resident of Delhi in the Mughal Court under Emperor Shah Alam.

The mosque was built by her in 1823, which was an unusual occurrence at the time. While mosques were built by women in the nineteenth century but one built by a courtesan was practically unheard of.

This is how the ancient structure became popularly known as ‘randi ki masjid’ (prostitute’s mosque). While the term has acquired a derogatory implication in present times, it was originally used to refer to courtesans.

Ochterlony — the First Resident of Delhi with 13 ‘bibis’

According to Delhi-based historian Sohail Hashmi, Mubarak Begum was from a fairly well-to-do family in Pune, and was probably abducted and sold to become a courtesan in Delhi.

But courtesans in the Mughal court were not just involved in prostitution, they were cultured women who were highly trained in music, dance and the art of conversation.

“Prostitution, as we know it today, is different from how it was back in those years,” Hashmi told ThePrint. “They were given training in classical music and dance. Most of them would have life-long relations with rich businessmen and officers.”

“It was the same world of Umrao Jaan (a famous nineteenth century courtesan). Slavery, prostitution and abduction were very common in those days”, said author and historian William Dalrymple.

While Begum’s origins are unclear, according to Dalrymple, a note from the Delhi residency archives — published in 1861 — states that she was brought from Pune as part of a dance troupe and presented to Ochterlony, who was handling communication between the British government and Emperor Shah Alam at the time.

Hashmi noted that Ochterlony played an important role in defeating the Marathas in the Battle of Patparganj in 1803, which was fought between the East India Company troops and Maratha ruler Daulat Rao Scindia’s Army under French General Louis Bourquin.

Ochterlony had also commanded one of four columns under General Hastings that defeated Nepal’s Kaji Amar Singh Thapa’s Gurka army in 1815. He ratified the Treaty of Saugauli that settled the borders with Nepal.

After he was named as the First Resident of Delhi, Ochterlony shifted to Kashmiri Gate and converted the library of Dara Shikoh, former Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s son, into his residence.

He was fluent in Urdu and Persian and hence was the primary communication channel between the Mughal emperor and the British government.

“Ochterlony regularly used to have nautch (dance) parties at his residence. He ‘married’ 13 Indian women, Begum Mubarak was the first one of them,” said Hashmi.

Dalrymple told ThePrint that Ochterlony was said to take all thirteen of his Indian bibis on a promenade around the walls of the Red Fort in the evening, each on the back of her own elephant.

Ochterlony was also highly influenced by the Mughal culture and straddled the cultural fault lines between the East and the West — much like other English officers at the time.

“When in the Indian capital, Ochterlony liked to be addressed by his full Mughal title, Nasir-ud-Daula (Defender of the State), and to live the life of a Mughal gentleman”, wrote Dalrymple in his 2002 book ‘White Mughals’ — on the life of British officers who settled in India.

The influential, ‘feminist’ courtesan

Dalrymple noted that although much younger than Ochterlony, Mubarak Begum, who was referred to as ‘Beebee Mahruttun Moobaruck ul Nissa Begume’, appeared to have the upper hand in the relationship.

In White Mughals, Dalrymple quoted an observer at the time who remarked that making Ochterlony as the ‘Commissioner’ of Delhi, was the same as giving the position to her, who also came to be known as the ‘Generallee Begum’.

The British officer had also bought a garden and named it Mubarak Bagh for his wife. The garden, situated somewhere around Shalimar Bagh in North Delhi, was however, destroyed in 1857.

Hashmi explained that Ochterlony often sought Begum’s advice on administrative matters.

“She was not just skilled in her art form but was also a sharp woman who knew her city and its politics. The last mushaira (poetry symposium) of Delhi, organised by Mughal prince Mirza Farhatullah Baig, was held at her place which saw the presence of stalwarts like Ghalib, Zauk and Momin”, he told ThePrint.

William Linnaeus Gardner, a British army officer, in his letters, wrote that Ochterlony was very much under Begum’s control, according to Dalrymple.

She had also started calling herself Lady Ochterlony — implying that they were actually married, which offended British as well as the local residents.

But the affection between the two did run deep. In his will, which is preserved in the British Library, Ochterlony left everything to his beloved Begum. After his demise in 1825, she came to own the famous Mubarak Bagh and also built herself a haveli from parts of her inheritance.

“By the time Ochterliony died, Begum had achieved a dominant position. She was no more a ‘slave’ or a courtesan. According to Gardner’s letter, she filled the newspapers of Delhi with various announcements. She was acting as if she was the British Queen of Delhi, which gave birth to a lot of jealousy and insecurity among other locals, merely for the fact that she has been a courtesan,” said Dalrymple.

He also drew parallels between Mubarak Begum and Begum Samru, another courtesan from Kashmir named Farzana, who married a mercenary from Austria, Walter Reinhardt Sombre. She converted to Christianity and became Begum Samru (Sombre).

She ruled the Mughal-kingdom of Sardhana (now in Meerut) and commanded an army of 4,000 troops.

“They were feminists. Establishing authority at a time when most men were in the position of power, is brave”, noted Dalrymple.

The courtesan’s mosque

According to Hashmi, it was not unusual for women to build mosques at the time.

“Khairul Manazil was built by Maham Anga, Fatehpuri Masjid was built by Fatehpuri Begum, one of Emperor Shah Jahan’s wife”, Hashmi noted.

“However, a mosque built by a courtesan was a rarity,” he added.

After Ochterlony’s death, Begum remarried a Mughal soldier Wilayat Khan and fought alongside him in the mutiny of 1857 against the British.

It is unknown when Begum died, but the Delhi residency archive on the Mubarak Bagh briefly mentions the line — “A few years after Begum’s death in 1857”. Thus, Dalrymple assumes that she died somewhere around 1857.

The mosque, however, slowly gained back its reputation and is now known as the Mubarak Begum Masjid instead of its disparaging misnomer.

Historian Rana Safvi said, “Today it is addressed by its proper name of Mubarak Begum ki Masjid, and I am glad she has received her due”.