Begum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Begum, Begüm or Baigum (Turkish: Begüm, Persian: بیگم) is a Turkic title given to female family members of a Baig or 'Beg', a higher official. The term Begum is derived from the word Beg, and means a female member of the Beg's family.
It is a title given to women of rank in South Asia. It used to be conferred upon women of royalty or aristocracy. Examples are: Begum Hazrat Mahal, Jahanara Begum, and Begum Inaara Aga Khan, Begum Samina.
Colloquially, the term is used by South Asian Muslim men to refer to their own wives or as an honorific address to a married or widowed woman. For example, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Begum Khaleda Zia.
The term became known in the West — especially in the French-speaking world—due to Jules Verne's 1879 novel The Begum's Millions (in French, Les Cinq cents millions de la Begum).
In the UK, Begum has been increasingly used as a religious slur against headscarf wearing Muslim Women. It became associated with devout Islam and the practice of wearing the veil through the court case of Shabina Begum.[citation needed]
Begum also means Queen.
