position at Delhi. His widow, the princess Elizabeth of Bourbon, still
resides at Bhopal in great state, being possessed of abundant wealth
and ranking second only to the Begum. She is the acknowledged head of
a large number of descendants of John of Bourbon, amounting to five or
six hundred, who remain at Bhopal and preserve their faith--having a
church and Catholic priest of their own--as well as the traditions of
their ancestry, which, according to their claim, allies them to the
royal blood of France.

No mention of Bhopal can fail to pay at least a hasty tribute in
commemoration of the forcible character and liberal politics of
the Begum, who has but of late gone to her account after a long and
sometimes trying connection with the administration of her country's
affairs. After the death of her husband--who was accidentally killed
by a pistol in the hands of a child not long after the treaty with the
English in 1818--their nephew, then in his minority, was considered as
the future nawab, and was betrothed to their daughter, the Begum being
regent during his minority. When the time came, with his majority, for
the nuptials, the Begum refused to allow the marriage to take place,
for reasons which need not here be detailed. After much dispute a
younger brother of the nephew was declared more eligible, but the
Begum still managed in one way or another to postpone matters, much to
his dissatisfaction. An arbitration finally resulted in placing him
on the throne, but his reign was short, and he died after a few years,
leaving the Begum again in practical charge of affairs--a position
which she improved by instituting many wise and salutary reforms and
bringing the state of Bhopal to a condition of great prosperity. The
Pearl Mosque (_Monti Masjid_), which stands immediately in front
of the palace, was built at her instance in imitation of the great
cathedral-mosque of Delhi, and presents a charming evidence of her