The Begum's Fortune
A tale of two utopias and a mad scientist's super-weapons.
The Begum's Fortune, also published as The Begum's Millions, is an 1879 novel by Jules Verne. It combines utopian and dystopian elements, and is notable for its early depiction of a militaristic, racist antagonist often compared to a proto-Hitler.
Quick Facts
- Title orig
- Les Cinq cents millions de la Bégum
- Translator
- Mrs. Agnes Kinloch Kingston and W. H. G. Kingston (1879), I. O. Evans (1958), Stanford L. Luce (2005)
- Author
- Jules Verne
- Illustrator
- Léon Benett
- Country
- France
- Language
- French
- Series
- Voyages extraordinaires #18
- Genre
- Utopian and dystopian fiction, Science fiction
Facts from the source article.
Plot summary
Two men inherit a vast fortune as descendants of a French soldier who married the immensely rich widow of a native prince, the begum of the title. One heir is a French physician, Doctor Sarrasin; the other is a German scientist, Professor Schultze. Each decides to build a utopian model city on land ceded by the United States government. Sarrasin constructs Ville-France on the western side of the Cascade Range, prioritizing public health. Schultze, a militarist and racist, builds Stahlstadt on the east side, a vast industrial complex devoted to producing ever more destructive weapons, and vows to destroy Ville-France. Most of the action occurs in Stahlstadt, where Schultze rules as dictator. An Alsatian named Marcel Bruckmann infiltrates Stahlstadt, rises in its hierarchy, and warns his French friends of Schultze's plan to use a super-cannon and gas shells against Ville-France, then establish German worldwide rule. The super-cannon's incendiary charge misses Ville-France and flies into space, rendering the cannon unusable. As Schultze prepares a final assault, a gas projectile accidentally explodes in his office, killing him. Stahlstadt collapses without a deputy, goes bankrupt, and becomes a ghost town. Bruckmann and Dr. Sarrasin's son take over, repurposing its arms production to defend Ville-France.
Influence, commentary, and appraisals
The book has been seen as an early premonition of Nazi Germany, with its main villain described by critics as a proto-Hitler. It reflects the mindset in France after its defeat in the Franco-German War of 1870–1871, displaying a bitter anti-German bias absent from pre-1871 Verne works. Walter A. McDougall noted that after the Franco-Prussian War, Verne began inventing mad scientists and evil geniuses. Verne repeatedly ridicules Schultze's racist ideas, though reviewer Paul Kincaid observed that this ridicule itself partakes of ethnic stereotyping in the opposite direction. At the time of writing, French public opinion was moved by subscriptions from San Francisco citizens to a relief fund for French soldiers during the Franco-Prussian war, leading the French government to donate art to the San Francisco Art Association. Researcher George Klein noted that the novel shares its main theme of French patriotism facing futuristic super-weapons with Verne's later work Facing the Flag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who published The Begum's Fortune?
The Begum's Fortune was published by Pierre-Jules Hetzel.
Who illustrated The Begum's Fortune?
The Begum's Fortune was illustrated by Léon Benett.
Which book follows The Begum's Fortune?
The Begum's Fortune is followed by Tribulations of a Chinaman in China.
More in Science Fiction Novels Adapted Into Films
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced