Gulbahar Begum
Gulbahar Begum, 1863, princess of Punjab. Originally a courtesan, she served as ahl-i-nishat (‘object of pleasure’) to Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) who ultimately married her in 1833. She retained her religion even after her marriage to him. She caused a riot in Lahore when she converted a Hindu servant to Islam. She enjoyed a handsome pension till her death.
