Correspondence from the Begums of Mamdot to M.A. Jinnah

Sub title : A Donation and a Personal Appeal for Arbitration

Subject: Muslim League Fundraising | Princely Families -- Mamdot | Inheritance Dispute

Date of publication: 1942

Language: English

Page: 6 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 27686

Keyword: M.A. Jinnah -- Mamdot Family -- Princess Mehr Bano -- Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan | Muslim League Funds -- Inheritance Dispute -- Personal Arbitration -- Lahore -- Family Conflict

Abstract: This collection contains correspondence from two members of the Mamdot family to M.A. Jinnah in 1942. The first letter is from Princess Mehr Bano Begum, the former Begum of Mamdot, enclosing a generous donation of Rs. 1000 for the All-India Muslim League. The subsequent, more extensive correspondence is from the widow of the late Nawab Sir Mohammad Shahnawaz Khan. She appeals directly to Jinnah as a father figure to arbitrate a bitter family dispute with her stepson, the current Nawab Iftikhar Hussain Khan of Mamdot. She details being deprived of maintenance and a residence ("Ali Manzil") intended for her young son, and pleads for Jinnah's intervention to secure her rights and avoid a public court case. The telegrams show her urgent follow-up on the matter.

Description: This is a collection of six digitized pages, including personal letters and telegrams from the Begums of the prominent Mamdot family to Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah. The documents reveal two facets of Jinnah's leadership: his role as the primary fundraiser for the Muslim League, receiving support from aristocratic families, and his perceived authority as a trusted arbiter in sensitive personal matters within the Muslim elite. The poignant appeal from the widow of the late Nawab provides a rare glimpse into the personal and financial struggles within princely households and the immense moral authority Jinnah commanded, being seen as the last resort for justice even in private family affairs. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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