Begum

Begum is a feminine honorific used in South Asia and parts of the Muslim world to denote a woman of high status. The term derives from the Persian title beg, meaning leader or chieftain, with the suffix -um forming a feminine form. In historical contexts, Begum was applied to wives or widows of noblemen (begs or sayyids), aristocratic women, and occasionally to female rulers or regents in Mughal and other Persianate courts.

During the Mughal period and in subsequent princely states in the Indian subcontinent, Begum served as a title for women of the royal family or elite households; it was used in regions such as Awadh, Bengal, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and the Deccan. In some cases, it denoted rank within a reigning dynasty or the status of a widow of a nobleman. The usage varied by time and locality; it could be a formal title or an honorific in social contexts. In contemporary times, Begum remains a traditional title in some communities and is also used as a feminine given name or surname.

Notable individuals bearing Begum as a given name or title include Begum Rokeya, an early 20th-century Bengali writer and educationist who advocated women's rights. The name is common across Urdu, Bengali, and other South Asian languages, and it is also found among the diaspora.