RELIGIOUS FIGURE

Begum Samru

1746 - 1836

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Joanna Nobilis Sombre (c. 1753 – 27 January 1836), popularly known as Begum Samru (née Farzana Zeb un-Nissa), a convert Catholic Christian, started her career as a nautch (dancing) girl in 18th-century India, and eventually became the ruler of Sardhana, a small principality (jagir) near Meerut. She was the head of a professionally trained mercenary army, inherited from her European mercenary husband, Walter Reinhardt Sombre. This mercenary army consisted of Europeans and Indians. She is also regarded as the only Catholic ruler in Northern India, as she ruled the principality of Sardhana in 18th- and 19th-century India. Read more on Wikipedia

Her biography is available in 21 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 19 in 2024). Begum Samru is the 3,086th most popular religious figure (down from 3,063rd in 2024), the 1,059th most popular biography from India (up from 1,098th in 2019) and the 63rd most popular Indian Religious Figure.

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Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES

Among religious figures, Begum Samru ranks 3,086 out of 3,187Before her are Yasser Al-Habib, Alphonse Lacroix, Mari Emmanuel, Margot Käßmann, Patrick Joseph Hayes, and Rufino Santos. After her are Trinley Thaye Dorje, Edward Bouverie Pusey, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, Rawil Gaynetdin, Daniil of Bulgaria, and Saad al Ghamdi.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1746, Begum Samru ranks 39Before her are André Thouin, Louise du Pierry, James Wyatt, Peter Jacob Hjelm, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Henry Grattan.  Among people deceased in 1836, Begum Samru ranks 53Before her are Stephen F. Austin, William B. Travis, Heinrich XIX, Prince Reuss of Greiz, Dániel Berzsenyi, Charles Wilkins, and Tenskwatawa.

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In India

Among people born in India, Begum Samru ranks 1,059 out of 1,861Before her are Ebrahim Alkazi (1925), Rajmohan Gandhi (1935), Kartik Aaryan (1990), Bappi Lahiri (1952), Arun Shourie (1941), and V. Shantaram (1901). After her are Tina Desai (1987), Nandini Satpathy (1931), Rajeshwari Chatterjee (1922), Anita Hassanandani (1981), Ramdev (1965), and Pankaj Udhas (1951).

Among RELIGIOUS FIGURES In India

Among religious figures born in India, Begum Samru ranks 63Before her are Mohan Bhagwat (1950), Mirza Tahir Ahmad (1928), Simon Pimenta (1920), Joseph Parecattil (1912), Ravi Zacharias (1946), and George Koovakad (1973).