Bhopal, as we know it today, was founded by the Afghan adventurer, Dost Mohammad Khan who ruled over the city from 1708-40 a.d. He fled Delhi after the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, died in 1707. Later, Dost Mohammad met and fell for Queen Kamalapati, and ultimately extended his sway over the entire region. Bhopal survived a fearsome Maratha onslaught in the late 18th century, and finally signed a treaty with the British in 1818, to secure peace.
Bhopal is a city that is unique in the sense that powerful Begums ruled over it for over a century (1818-1926). In fact, John Lord who chronicled princely India labeled Shah Jahan Begum as the “First Lady of India.”
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