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Begum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Begum, Begüm or Baigum (Turkish: Begüm, Persian: بیگم) is a Turkic title given to female family members of a Baig. The term Begum is derived from the word Baig, and means a female member of the Baig's family.
It is a title given to women of rank in South Asia. It used to be conferred upon women of royalty or aristocracy at special moments in life including the birth of a son. It derived from Arabic, Persian and Urdu signifying that they are void of care. 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 a honorific address to a married or widowed woman. For example, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Begum Khaleda Zia[1].
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.[citation needed]