Slum-dwelling ‘heir’ to India’s Mughal dynasty claims ownership of New Delhi’s Red Fort
- Sultana Begum, who lives in a slum on the outskirts of Kolkata, is the widow of man purported to be the great-grandson of India’s last Mughal ruler
- She has spent the past decade petitioning authorities to recognise her royal status – and has lodged a court case claiming ownership of the capital’s Red Fort
A destitute Indian woman who claims she is heir to the dynasty that built the Taj Mahal has demanded ownership of an imposing palace once home to the Mughal emperors.
Sultana Begum lives in a cramped two-room hut nestled within a slum on the outskirts of Kolkata, surviving on a meagre pension.
His death in 1980 left her struggling to survive, and she has spent the past decade petitioning authorities to recognise her royal status and compensate her accordingly.
“Can you imagine that the descendant of the emperors who built Taj Mahal now lives in desperate poverty?” asked the 68-year-old.
Begum has lodged a court case seeking recognition that she is rightful owner of the imposing 17th-century Red Fort, a sprawling and pockmarked castle in New Delhi that was once the seat of Mughal power.
