Mary Short

Mary Short was born in India to the British medical doctor James Short and his Armenian wife Mary Carrapiet or Minas. Her father left for England in 1807 and abandoned his family. She was raised under difficult financial circumstances in Agra. She had two siblings, John and Eliza, who suffered from mental problems.

In 1822, Mary Short eloped with king Haydar I Ghazi and married him. She converted to Islam and was given the name Nawab Sultan Mariam Begum Sahiba. She was the favorite wife of the king, who gave her the title Padshah Begum, a title translated by the British to "queen". She remained in the royal harem for five years, until the death of her husband in 1827. The king constructed a palace in European style for her, called Vilayati Bagh.

In 1827, her husband died and was succeeded by his son in another marriage. As a widow, Mary Short left the royal harem and converted to Catholicism. She died of tuberculosis.

• Speirs, Malcolm. The Wasikadars of Awadh: A History of Certain Nineteenth Century Families of Lucknow. India, Rupa & Company, 2008.