Jahanara Habibullah (1915–2003) was a distinguished author celebrated for her memoir, Remembrance of Days Past: Glimpses of a Princely State during the Raj, which offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the life of a princely state during the British Raj. Born into a prominent family in Rampur, she chronicled a world of courtly tradition, culture, and ceremony that vanished after the Partition of India.
Born in 1915 in the princely state of Rampur, Jahanara was the daughter of Sahibzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan, the state’s long-serving Chief Minister, and Aliya Sultan Begum, who was from the princely family of Loharu and related to the poet Mirza Ghalib. This prestigious lineage placed her at the centre of court life. Growing up in the royal court, she was immersed in classical music, poetry, and grand ceremonies.
Her family’s progressive outlook was evident when, in 1931, at the young age of 15, Jahanara made the groundbreaking decision to abandon the purdah (the practice of female seclusion). This act placed her among the first generation of unveiled Muslim women in South Asia. Her upbringing was also marked by extensive travel, including a trip to Europe in the 1930s, which was highly unusual for a woman of her standing at the time. Her sister, Askari Begum, became the wife of Nawab Raza Ali Khan, the last ruling Nawab of Rampur, further cementing her close ties to the royal family.
After a brief first marriage, Jahanara married Isha’at Habibullah, an Oxford-educated executive, in 1942. Following the Partition of India in 1947, the couple migrated to Karachi, Pakistan. There, Isha’at became a pioneering business leader, eventually becoming the first Pakistani chairman of the Pakistan Tobacco Company. In Karachi, Jahanara became a prominent figure in the post-colonial elite, renowned for her hospitality and for preserving the rich culinary traditions of Rampur.
The couple had two daughters, Muneeza and Naushaba. This family line produced a remarkable multi-generational literary tradition: Jahanara’s cousin was the acclaimed writer Attia Hosain, her daughter Muneeza Shamsie became a respected literary critic, and her granddaughter Kamila Shamsie is a celebrated contemporary novelist.
Jahanara Habibullah’s most significant contribution is her memoir, Remembrance of Days Past: Glimpses of a Princely State during the Raj. She began writing around 1980 at the age of 65, partly as a therapeutic outlet while caring for her terminally ill husband. Encouraged by her friend Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, she documented the world she knew before it disappeared.
The book was first published in English in 2001, translated by Tahira Naqvi, and later in its original Urdu in 2003. It stands as a vital primary source on life within a princely state, offering a rare woman’s perspective from inside the zenana (women’s quarters). The memoir is structured around festivals, rituals, and ceremonies, providing rich descriptions of weddings, Eid and Muharram celebrations, and the pageantry of the Rampur court. It meticulously documents the Indo-Muslim court culture, including its music, literature, and famed cuisine, preserving a fabled world for posterity.
Tragically, Jahanara died in her sleep in 2003, just before the launch of her Urdu edition. The event was transformed into a memorial service, a testament to her cherished place in Pakistan’s cultural memory. Her work continues to be valued by historians and scholars for its unique insight into a bygone era.