- Begum
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: BegumHazrat Mahal ,Jahanara Begum , and BegumInaara 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, BegumNusrat Bhutto , BegumKhaleda Zia .The term became known in the West — especially in the French-speaking world—due to
Jules Verne 's1879 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 . Fact|date=February 2007Begum also means Queen.
ee also
*
Bey
*Mirza
*Begum of Bhopal
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