Queen Elizabeth’s Death and the Crown’s ‘Badshaahat’ in Urdu Poetry

Urdunama

The longest reigning British Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II passed away on 8th September at the age of 96. Her funeral ceremony is set to be held on Monday, 19th September in Westminster Abbey. Hundreds of foreign royals and heads of state are expected to attend the funeral, and the event is said to be the biggest diplomatic gathering in decades.
The British people are mourning the death of their queen as they wait for 12 hours in an 8 km long queue to pay their respects and see the queen's coffin in London. But, why is she passing away so overwhelming for us, Indians? The answer is simple - because this momentous occasion makes one sit up and take notice of the legacy the British Crown will always be remembered for.
A lot had been written against the Crown. One of the texts that remind us of the horrific crimes committed during the Raj against Indians is an iconic poem by Josh Malihabadi. Tune in to this episode of Urdunama, Fabeha Syed talks about the angrezi hukoomat, the 'Badshaahat' of King George VI, and reads Malihabadi's iconic poem, 'East India Company ke Farzandon se Khitaab' (An Address to the Heirs of the East India Company).