Contents
Foreword xi
Introduction xvii
Preface xxi
Section 1
The Myth of Gondwana
1. The Search for Our Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors 3
2. The Myth of Gondwana and the Emergence of the Malwa Plateau 7
3. The Legend of Raja Bhoj 11
4. The Ashapuri Temple Complex - a Complex Conundrum 18
5. After Raja Bhoj and Before Dost Mohammed 23
Section 2
Birth of the Royal House of Bhopal
1.The Antecedents of Dost Mohammed Khan -
the Founder of the Royal House of Bhopal 31
2. Rani Kamlapati - The Forgotten Gond Queen 37
3. Dhai Seedhi Ki Masjid 40
4. Dost Mohammed and His Trojan Horse Trickery 43
5. The Rajput Connection 49
Section 3
Magnificent Matriarchy in a Century of Anarchy
1. The Legendary Queens and Begums of Bhopal 55
2. The Daughter Who Abdicated the Throne 69
3. Mamola Bai - The Matriarch Empire Builder 72
4. The Begums' Revenge On Misogynists 75
5. The Begums' Dream - The Advent of Railways in Bhopal 82
6. Democracy in a Kingdom? 86
7. The Destiny of Kings 89
8. Shahjahan Begum's 'Justice in a Day' 93
9. A Tempestuous Mother-Daughter Relationship 96
10. Night of the Long Knives 101
11. A Royal Menage a Trois 104
12. Postal Service in the Erstwhile Bhopal State 107
13. Sarkar Amma's Freudian Slip Or a Royal Faux Pas? 112
14. Spy Vs Spy: Shahjahan Begum Outmaneuvers Enemies of Her Consort! 115
15. State Police Force of the Begums of Bhopal 118
16. British Sense of History: How Sikandar Begum Was Honoured for Her Loyalty 122
17. British Statesmen Who Helped Consolidate the
Bhopal State 125
18. The Curious Case of Royal Histrionics 130
19. The Dishonorable Regicide of Nazar Mohammad Khan, the Seventh Nawab 134
20. The Magnanimity of the Nawabs 138
21. The Curious Case of the Royal Dressing Gown 142
22. Music and Dance and Sultan Jahan Begum 145
23. The Saga of Sarkar Amma's 'A.char' 147
24. Visit of the Secretary of State for India 149
25. Waheed Mian 152
26. When Maharaja Gwalior Had to Pay a Bribe! 155
27. When the Prince of Wales Went Missing! 158
28. The Price of a Begum's Hand 161
29. The Royal Retribution 164

Section 4
Feudalism and Modernity
1. The Nawab of Bhopal and the Independence Movement 169
2. 'Gandhigiri' in Bhopal 175
3. The Last Qfy in Bhopal 178
4. The Battle for Bhopal as Capital 182
5. The Facade of Sovereignty 185
6. The Koh-i-Noor Connection 187
7. The Buzz of the Bee Attack 190
8. The Russian Revolution and People's
Movements in Bhopal 193
9. The Nawab's Incognito Guest 197
10. When the Awam Prayed for the Nawab 200
11. Holi in the Erstwhile Bhopal State 203
12. The Trocadero Tart 206
Section 5
A Janus-Faced City - The Past in the Present
1. Annus Horribilis - Lest We Forget 211
2. Bairagarh: The Invisible City 217
3. BHEL - The Priceless Jewel of Bhopal 219
4. Bhopal's Presence in Bollywood 223
5. Crumbling Gates to Eternity - The Darwazas of Bhopal 226
6. Dar-ul-Kohala - The Club Indolent 229
7. Faiz Ahmad Faiz - The Secular Sufi for All Times 231
8. The Vanishing Hills of Bhopal 235
9. Hira Haircutting Salon - The first Haircutting Salon in Bhopal 239
10. Hum Pardesi Panchi Baba 241
11. Lyall Book Depot - Bhopal's Own Librairie Galignani 244
12. Putlighar - Minar-e-Bhopal 247
13. A Sunday with R. K. Laxman 250
14. Remembering Miss Auer 256
15. Shakeela Bano Bhopali - The Forgotten Quwwali Queen 258
16. Bhatsuar - The Bhopali Jugaad 262
17. The 'Bhoot Bangla' Tales - Bhopal's Own Ghost Stories 266
18. The Bhopali Zubaan 269
19. Bhopali Cuisine - Evolution and Influences 272
20. The First Newspaper and Cinema Hall of Bhopal 276
21. The Hammam in Bhopal - An Enduring Legacy 280
22. 1he Panchakki of Bhopal 284
23. Majmagiri - The Medium is the Message 287
24. Remains of the Bygone Day - The Tribal Culture of Bhopal 289
25. Theatre in Bhopal - No Royal Patronage! 293
26. Sweet, Unheard Music 297
27. Pattiabazi in Bhopal 300
28. Traditional Attire of the Erstwhile State of Bhopal 303
29. The Two Mystics of Bhopal 307
30. What's in a Name? 309
31. Bharat Bhavan - The Profound Muse 312
32. Hockey Chronicles - From the 'Khapote' to Olympic Gold Medals and Back 322
Bibliography 326