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.
Begum also means Queen.
See also
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Last updated on Monday October 06, 2008 at 04:46:34 PDT (GMT -0700)
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