Joanna Nobilis Sombre (c. 1753 – 27 January 1836), popularly known as Begum Samru (née Farzana Zeb un-Nissa),[2][3] a convert Catholic Christian,[4] started her career as a nautch (dancing) girl in 18th century India, and eventually became the ruler of Sardhana, a small principality (jagir) near Meerut.

[10] Begum Samru was of slight stature, (never growing more than 4'8'' tall[11]), fair complexion and distinguished by exceptional leadership abilities of an uncommon order.

[12] When she was in her early teens, she married (or started living with) a mercenary soldier Walter Reinhardt Sombre of Luxembourg, who was operating in India.

Walter Reinhardt Sombre, then 45 years old, came to Chawri Bazar and fell for the charms of Farzana, then a tawaif of 14, says Johan Lall in his "Begum Samru - Faded Portrait in a Gilded Frame".

[13] A soldier of fortune, Sombre moved from Lucknow to Rohilkhand (near Bareilly), then to Agra, Deeg and Bharatpur and back to the Doab.

When British General Lord Lake met the Begum in 1802, in a fit of enthusiasm he gave her a hearty kiss, which appalled her troops.

Having annihilated an advance by the 74th Highlanders and a picket detachment commanded by a Colonel Orrock, her army then withstood a cavalry charge from the Raj before marching from the field in good order.

[9] Several stories and novels have been written based on her political and diplomatic astuteness and on crucial battles fought by troops directly commanded by her.

[20][21][22] A 1882 land revenue settlement report records that the idol of Sitla Mata was brought to Gurugram 400 years earlier (15th century).

Thanks to the Begum's parleys, the Sikhs did not enter the city and went back to Punjab after getting a generous monetary gift from Shah Alam.

Thankful for her intervention, the emperor bestowed special honours on her at the royal court and declared her to be "his most beloved daughter".

Not only that, she was also confirmed in her estate at Sardhana, which was the subject of a dispute with Louis Balthazar alias Nawab Zafaryab Khan, another son of her late husband, General Sombre, by his first wife, Badi Bibi (senior wife).Until his death, Emperor Shah Alam and his major wives treated her almost as a relative, and embraced her when she entered the zenana (women) quarters.

The Begum Samru is depicted as a prominent noble lady in TV drama series Beecham House first aired June 2019.

[28] Begum Samru appears as the antagonist in the British colonial author William Browne Hockley's short story "The Natch".