India, Sept. 12 -- 1Why has Begam Hazrat Mahal remained such a shadowy figure, despite her courageous resistance to British forces? One reason is that for years after the Uprising, its history was told only by the British, the winning side, who publicly played down the idea of leaders, but played up the idea of mutinous soldiers. This was easier to explain than to look at other causes of unrest like annexation and refusing to acknowledge adopted heirs, as in Jhansi. It was embarrassing to record that the East India Company had been held at bay in Lucknow for nearly a year by a woman leader. 2What was the most surprising discovery you made while researching the life of the Begam? You've learnt of a substantial African presence in Lucknow. Africans were initially in a strong position, as soldiers in the king's army, as courtiers in the case of Diyanut-ud Daula, as servants in the royal households, as guards at the treasury, even as wives to the king. After the Revolt, those remaining in Lucknow were poorly treated by the British because they had refused to give up their support for the king. 3You write about attempts to discredit Begam Hazrat Mahal. How did she respond to these efforts? Yes, this was quite striking. It was only after the British were evacuated to safety from the Lucknow Residency in November 1857 that the rumours began and they were well in place by the time the recapture of the city started in March 1858. Propaganda was an important tool. There is no indication of how the Begam responded to the rumours but this would not have deterred her in any way even if she had been aware of them. 4How did Hazrat Mahal devise military strategies, while simultaneously negotiating with the East India Company? She was a woman almost without fear. Because she was not part of the Awadh elite, she was able to see more clearly than most of them how to proceed. She had good advisors like Raja Jai Lal Singh and chief minister Sharaf-ud-Daula to help her in military and political matters. 5What do we know about Hazrat Mahal's life in Nepal after she went into exile? We know virtually nothing. The British Library has "misplaced" the records of the British Kathmandu Residency during this period. There is more information in the National Archives in Delhi, but it would take a long time to go through them thoroughly. It would be worthwhile for a scholar to look closely at the Delhi records. As far as we can tell, the Begam led a quiet and secluded life after entering Kathmandu and she was short of money too....