Malka Jaan


Malka Jaan was an Indian courtesan, singer, poet and Kathak dancer who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was known as Malka Jaan of Calcutta and Malka Jaan of Benaras. She was a prominent figure in the cultural life of Banaras and later Calcutta, and is best known as the mother and early musical guru of Gauhar Jaan, a pioneering recording artist of India.

Early life

Malka Jaan was born Adeline Victoria Hemmings, the daughter of a British soldier and a local Hindu woman named Rukmini. She was born in Allahabad since childhood she was a talented singer and dancer from a young age. In 1872, she married Robert William Yeoward, a factory engineer of Armenian descent. The couple had a daughter, Eileen Angelina Yeoward, in 1873 in Azamgarh. The marriage ended in 1879 due to her husband's affair, and Victoria and her daughter faced financial hardship.

Career

In 1881, after her divorce, Victoria and her daughter moved to Banaras. They were mentored by a Muslim nobleman named Khursheed. In Banaras, Victoria and Eileen converted to Islam. Victoria adopted the name Malka Jaan, and her daughter was renamed Gauhar Jaan. Malka Jaan, already trained in music and dance, became a well-regarded courtesan in the city. To distinguish herself from other popular performers with the same name, she was known as "Badi" Malka Jaan.
Malka Jaan relocated to Calcutta in 1883 and quickly established herself in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah at Matiaburj. Malka Jaan became one of the city's most celebrated performers between the 1870s and 1890s. Within three years, she had purchased a building at 24 Chitpore Road, which became a cultural hub for music and poetry. She was a noted poet and published a collection of Urdu poems titled Makhzan-e-Ulfat-e-Malka Jan.
As a successful musician and courtesan, Malka Jaan oversaw her daughter Gauhar Jaan's extensive musical training. Gauhar received instruction in various classical and light classical forms from renowned masters at their home in Calcutta. Under her mother's guidance, Gauhar Jaan learned Kathak dance, Hindustani classical music, Bengali kirtan, and Rabindra Sangeet. Malka Jaan ensured that Gauhar was fully trained and poised to begin her own career. Gauhar gave her first performance in the royal court of Darbhanga in 1888 and became a court musician.

Personal life

At the age of 15, she met Robert William Yeoward, an engineer of Armenian descent, who fell in love with her and married her in 1872. The couple had a daughter, Eileen Angelina Yeoward, born in Azamgarh in 1873 but the marriage ended in 1879.

Death

Malka Jaan died around 1907. Her death was a significant turning point in her daughter's life.

Contemporaries

There were four singing contemporaries of Malka Jaan with first names pronounced the same way as hers and sometimes spelled in English in different ways. The name Malka Jaan was common among courtesans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and there were several prominent singers with this name. The title "Badi" was prefixed to her name to distinguish her from other contemporary performers who shared the name Malka Jaan. The most famous Malka Jaans of that era were:
  • Malka Jaan of Agra a contemporary of Gauhar Jaan, she was renowned for her powerful, full-throated style of thumri singing. She recorded for the Gramophone Company and was a court musician for Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
  • Malka Jaan of Mulk Pukhraj another famous courtesan and singer of the time
  • Malka Jaan of Chulbuli a nautch girl who also left recorded discs.
  • Malka Jaan of Gaya a performer who also made recordings.

Inspiration and honours

Begum Akhtar in her early days wanted to pursue a career in Hindi films, but after listening to the singing of Malka Jaan and her daughter Gauhar Jaan, she gave up the idea completely and devoted herself to learning Hindustani classical music, in fact, her first teacher was Ustad Imdad Khan, who accompanied the mother-daughter duo, Malka Jaan and Gauhar Jaan, on sarangi.

Legacy

She is remembered for her contributions to Urdu poetry and as an accomplished performer in her own right. Her voice was recorded by The Gramophone Company, and her mansion was a celebrated cultural salon. Beyond her musical talents, Badi Malka Jaan was also a poet who wrote in Urdu. Her collection of verses, Makhzan-e-ulfat-e-Malka, has been rediscovered and published. Her most enduring legacy, however, is her role in shaping and mentoring her daughter, Gauhar Jaan, who would go on to become a national icon and India's first recording superstar. It was in their Calcutta home on Chitpore Road that the young Gauhar Jaan received training from some of the best masters of the time.

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