Begum Samru (c.1750-1836) was a remarkable north Indian ruler who used art and architecture to consolidate her social, political, and financial power in early modern India. Rising from the courtesan households of Mughal Delhi, she became commander of her own mercenary army and later the sovereign of Sardhana, an independent territory near Delhi. A trusted ally of both the Mughal emperor and the English East India Company, she corresponded with two popes and with King Louis Philippe of France, exchanging portraits, letters, and architectural plans.
Art and architecture were central to shaping her identity-as a powerful yet non-threatening ruler, a Catholic patron, and head of a cosmopolitan court. Her story illuminates how women outside hereditary privilege forged paths to recognition, authority, and even global visibility in nineteenth-century India.
| ISBN: | 9781526187116 |
| Publication date: | 31st March 2026 |
| Author: | Mrinalini Rajagopalan |
| Publisher: | Manchester University Press |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 328 pages |
| Series: | Rethinking Art's Histories |
| Genres: |
History of art Gender studies: women and girls Art: financial aspects |
Begum Samru (c.1750-1836) was a remarkable north Indian ruler who used art and architecture to consolidate her social, political, and financial power in early modern India. Rising from the courtesan households of Mughal Delhi, she became commander of her own mercenary army and later the sovereign of Sardhana, an independent territory near Delhi.
Marks She Made features in the following genres: History of art, Gender studies: women and girls, Art: financial aspects
Hardback. £31.50, down from the £35.00 cover price. Not Available.
Marks She Made was written by Mrinalini Rajagopalan and published by Manchester University Press
Marks She Made has 328 pages
Yes it is part of Rethinking Art's Histories series
£31.50, reduced from £35.00. Not Available.