The Nawab of Dhaka (
Bengali
Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to:
*something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia
* Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region
* Bengali language, the language they speak
** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim
zamindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as ...
in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. The title of ''
nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
'', similar to the
British peerage
The peerages in the United Kingdom are a legal system comprising both hereditary title, hereditary and life peer, lifetime titles, composed of various Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks, and forming a constituent part of the Orders ...
, was conferred upon the head of the family by
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
as a recognition of the first Nawab's loyalty and contribution to the social welfare activities.
Although the Nawabs of Dhaka were not sovereigns, they played an essential role in the politics of South Asia—and the relations with external entities. The family was proprietary of the Dhaka Nawab estate, seated at
Ahsan Manzil
Ahsan Manzil is the erstwhile official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka. The building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was started in 1859 and was completed in ...
palace. "Nawab of Dhaka" was the title of the head of family and estate from 1843.
Khwaja Alimullah was the first holder of the title, and
Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani (30 July 1813 – 24 August 1896) was the second Nawab of Dhaka and the first to assume the title of Nawab as hereditary, recognized by the British Raj.
He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, wat ...
was the first Nawab of Dhaka when the title was made hereditary by Queen Victoria.
Considerable infighting within the Nawab's family gradually led to the decline of the estate. In 1952, the East Pakistan Estates Acquisition Act formally abolished the estate.
Khwaja Habibullah
Nawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur (26 April 1895 – 21 November 1958) was the fifth Nawab of Dhaka. He was the son of Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur. Under Habibullah's rule, the Dhaka Nawab Estate went into decline until its actual relinqui ...
Khan Bahadur was the last Nawab of Dhaka to hold the office. Successive land reform in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
and
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
brought an end to the remaining landholdings of the Nawab family.
History
![Nawab's Dilkusha Garden, Dhaka (1904)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Nawab%27s_Dilkusha_Garden%2C_Dhaka_%281904%29.jpg)
The Nawabs of Dhaka were
Persian and Urdu
The Persian language and Urdu have had an intricate relationship throughout the history of the latter. Persian historically played a significant role in the formation and development of the modern Urdu, and today acts as its prestige language.
...
-speaking
aristocrats tracing their ancestry to
Kashmiri Khan Mughal merchants who arrived in
Mughal Bengal
The Bengal Subah ( bn, সুবাহ বাংলা; fa, ), also referred to as Mughal Bengal ( bn, মোগল বাংলা), was the largest subdivision of the Mughal Empire (and later an independent state under the Nawabs of Beng ...
during the reign of emperor
Muhammad Shah
Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Muḥammad Shah (born Roshan Akhtar; 7 August 1702 – 26 April 1748) was the 13th Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1719 to 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. After being chosen by the ...
to pursue trade, but eventually settled in the districts of
Dhaka
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
,
Sylhet and
Bakerganj
Bakerganj (বাকেরগঞ্জ) is a town in Barisal District, Barisal Division, Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in ...
.
Maulvi Khawaja Abdullah Kashmiri, who moved from Delhi in the late
Mughal era, is recorded as the first patriarch of the family in Bengal. Having established a successful business in Sylhet, he invited his father and brother from Kashmir.
Later, the family settled in Dhaka.
The Dhaka Nawab family was officially established by
Khwaja Hafizullah Kashmiri son of Khawaja Abdullah Kashmiri, who acquired considerable wealth via trade in leather and gold. His fortune was built upon trading leather, spices, and salt with notable Armenian and Greek merchants.
He also purchased some floundering
zamindari
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as ...
estates, on sale everywhere in
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
under
Permanent Settlement
The Permanent Settlement, also known as the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land that had far-reaching consequences for both agricultural met ...
, and indigo factories in
Barisal District
Barisal District, officially spelled Barishal District from April 2018, is a district in south-central Bangladesh, formerly called Bakerganj district, established in 1797. Its headquarters are in the city of Barisal, which is also the headqua ...
and
Mymensingh District
Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Ne ...
.
In the following years, they married into renowned families in the locality to strengthen their hold over the newly acquired territories.
Hafizullah acquired Atia Pargana in the former
Mymensingh District
Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Ne ...
(currently in the
Tangail District
Tangail ( bn, টাঙ্গাইল জেলা) formerly a small Mohokuma of Greater Mymensingh district is a district (''zila'') in the central region of Bangladesh. In 1969, Tangail district was created by Tangail Mohokuma from its 237 ...
). Hafizullah bought a 4-anna (one fourth) share of the pargana, including
Dhamrai
Dhamrai ( bn, ধামরাই) is an upazila of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Geography
Dhamrai Upazila is located about 40 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Dhaka. It is one of the six Upazilas of the Dhaka di ...
, the
Atia Mosque built in 1608, and much of
Madhupur forest in 1806, on the strength of a mortgage bond for Rs. 40,000. Profits gained from this purchase compelled him to engage further in the purchasing of land properties. He also acquired Aila Phuljhuri in the Bakarganj Sundarbans, a area bought for Rs 21000 in 1812, at a revenue demand of only Rs 372 annually. After clearing of the jungle was affected, in the late 1870s, its estimated total rental income appeared as high as Rs 2,20,502.
Due to an absence of any surviving male successor of Hafizullah, his estate upon his death descended to his nephew
Khwaja Alimullah,
son of his deceased elder brother Ahsanullah, whom he had groomed as an estate manager. His landed acquisitions were added to those of his uncle, consequently making the united
zamindari
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as ...
as one of the largest in the province. Before his death in 1854, Alimullah made a ''
waqf
A waqf ( ar, وَقْف; ), also known as hubous () or '' mortmain'' property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law. It typically involves donating a building, plot of land or other assets for Muslim religious or charitab ...
'' for a united status of the zamindari which was to be managed jointly by a ''
mutawalli''.
![Ahsan Manzil 1965](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Ahsan_Manzil_1965.jpg)
His nephew, Khwaja Alimullah, who was the third son of Khwaja Ahsanullah, is reported to have been an enterprising member of the clan, effectively laying the foundation upon which successive heads of the family established their prosperity and power. He purchased
Ahsan Manzil
Ahsan Manzil is the erstwhile official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka. The building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was started in 1859 and was completed in ...
, which was then a French trading house. He had learnt English and encouraged members of his family to learn English, in addition to forging alliances with Englishmen by mixing with them freely. He had partaken in development work for the Dhaka Municipality, and with the aid of the British, he set up the Ramna Race course. He bought thoroughbreds for his race course and established the Gymkhana Club.
He purchased the famous diamond,
Daria-e-Noor at a government auction in 1852, held by Hamilton and Company of Calcutta. The diamond was initially exhibited at
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held), was an international exhibition which took p ...
in Hyde Park but failed to sell for a desirable price, and was resultantly sent back to India. The diamond is presently being held in a vault of the
Central Bank of Iran
The Central Bank of Iran (CBI), also known as ''Bank Markazi'', officially the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, بانک مرکزی جمهوری اسلامی ايران, Bank Markazi-ye Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān; SWIFT Code: B ...
in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
.
In 1846 he made a Waqfnama in favour of his second son
Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani (30 July 1813 – 24 August 1896) was the second Nawab of Dhaka and the first to assume the title of Nawab as hereditary, recognized by the British Raj.
He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, wat ...
,
and made him a powerful Mutawalli (Manager) for the management of all the properties of the family. This aided in preserving the family wealth, as it could not be divided amongst descendants. That Waqfnama was the main key responsible for the future success of the family. Despite being a Sunni Muslim himself, Khwaja Alimullah financed the Muharram Festival of the Shia Muslims in Dhaka. He started in 1843 after the death of
Ghaziuddin Haider who was the Naib Nazim of Dhaka. He died in 1854 and was buried in the Begum Bazar graveyard.
Khwaja Abdul Ghani, son of Khwaja Alimullah and Zinat Begum, was rendered the Mutawalli of the estate. On the succession of Khwaja Abdul Ghani to the management that the prosperity of the house reached its zenith. Under him the land control of the family was extended to many parganas in the districts of Dhaka, Bakerganj,
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...
, and Mymensingh. For management he split the zamindari into 26 sub-circles, each governed by a ''kachari'' (office) headed by a ''
naib'' (manager) with a number of ''amlas'' (officials). He was vested with the personal title of
Nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
in 1875, which was made a hereditary title by Queen Victoria on 1 January 1877.
With Khwaja Abdul Ghani the Khwaja family for the first time developed interest in the politics and social works of the country. He also organised Dhaka people into
panchayet
The Panchayat raj is a political system, originating from the Indian subcontinent, found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is the oldest system of local government in the Indian subcontinent, and historical men ...
mahalla
is an Arabic word variously translated as district, quarter, ward, or "neighborhood" in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations.
History
Historically, mahallas were autonomous social i ...
s, which was endorsed by the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
in consideration of his support to the Raj during the
Sepoy Mutiny
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the for ...
. Nawab Abdul Ghani made several contributions towards benevolent and charitable work, not only in the city and elsewhere in Bengal but also beyond the Indian subcontinent. His most conspicuous public act was the water works system in Dhaka city. The filtered water was supplied free of charge to the people of Dhaka. In addition he established a number of schools, madrasas and donated funds for the Mitford hospital in Dhaka, Kolkata Medical College and Aligarh College. He supported women to act in dramas in spite of the opposition of leaders of the conservative society. At the beginning of the Christian era, each year, he arranged a grand fair in Shahbagh Garden, and maintained a Portuguese Band to entertain guests on festive occasions. He oversaw and financed the construction of
Buckland Bund.
Nawab Abdul Ghani handed over the responsibility of the Dhaka Nawab Estate to his eldest son,
Khwaja Ahsanullah
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah KCIE (22 August 1846 – 16 December 1901) was the third Nawab of Dhaka. He also authored books in Persian and Urdu under the pen name of Shaheen. Ahsanullah is recognised for his philanthropic works in Ben ...
on 11 September 1868, but continued to supervise the estate until his death on 24 August 1896. Khwaja Ahsanullah was born in Dhaka in the year 1846. He was an Urdu-Persian poet and his pen name was "Shaheen". He was known to compose verses spontaneously, and at the spur of the moment, at the request of his acquaintances. His works disclose a manifestly joyous and optimistic outlook on life. His selected poems, ''Kulliyat-e-Shaheen'' is preserved in the Dhaka University. His book, ''Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Kashmiriyah''
is a vital addition to Urdu-Persian literature and history. Both father and son had the title of Nawab conferred upon them in 1875, and in 1877, this title was made hereditary for the eldest member of the line.
"Nawab Ahsanullah established the Ahsanullah School of Engineering, and being thoughtful of the health of the residents of Dhaka he, along with his father, contributed towards the establishment of a water tank from which filtered water would be supplied to the citizens of Dhaka as far back as 1874.
Nawab Salimullah
Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur (7 June 1871 – 16 January 1915) was the fourth Nawab of Dhaka and one of the leading Muslim politicians during the British rule in India. In 1906, the Muslim League was officially founded at the educationa ...
, the second son of Ahsanullah took up the management of the zamindari in 1902. But soon family feuds started and Salimullah lost the grip on the estate. The estate management deteriorated to the extent of rising revenue arrears and estate debts. For political considerations, the government backed up Nawab Salimullah financially, which included a confidential official loan to Salimullah (1912) to clear up his personal debts. Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka and the Muslim aristocrats who formed the bulwark of the Muslim League in 1906 inspired Muslim peasants against the
Swadeshi movement
The Swadeshi movement was a self-sufficiency movement that was part of the Indian independence movement and contributed to the development of Indian nationalism. Before the BML Government's decision for the partition of Bengal was made public in ...
(1905–1911) in support of
Partition of Bengal. Together with
Nawab Ali Chowdhury
Syed Nawab Ali Chowdhury (29 December 1863 – 17 April 1929) was Nawab of Dhanbari of Tangail in East Bengal (modern day Bangladesh). He was one of the founders of Dhaka University. He was the first Muslim minister of united Bengal. He was min ...
, he was instrumental in initiating
A. K. Fazlul Huq into politics, who isolated Muslim League from peasants and defeated Sir
Khwaja Nazimuddin
Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin ( bn, খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন; ur, ; 19 July 1894 – 22 October 1964) was a Pakistani politician and one of the leading founding fathers of Pakistan. He is noted as being the first Bengali to ha ...
at the Patuakhali Constituency in the election of 1937. Dhaka Nawab Family, together with the
Ispahanis of
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
still kept a firm grip on a majority of Muslim students while the Bengal chapter of the All India Muslim Students Association was renamed as All Bengal Muslim Students League in 1938.
The tottering Dhaka Nawab Estate was brought under the
Court of Wards
The Court of Wards and Liveries was a court established during the reign of Henry VIII in England. Its purpose was to administer a system of feudal dues; but as well as the revenue collection, the court was also responsible for wardship and liv ...
in September 1907. The first steward of the Estate was HCF Meyer who was followed by LG Pillen, PJ Griffith, and PD Martin, all members of the
Indian civil service
The Indian Civil Service (ICS), officially known as the Imperial Civil Service, was the higher civil service of the British Empire in India during British rule in the period between 1858 and 1947.
Its members ruled over more than 300 million p ...
.
On 16 December 1901, while he was posted in Mymensingh, he received a telegram informing him of the demise of his father, and on his arrival in Dhaka the next morning, as the eldest son, and with the "unanimous consent of all parties concerned" was installed as the new Nawab. Nawab Salimullah was a great educational reformer, and like his father, was inclined to prodigal liberality. He was a great philanthropist, rendering financial assistance to many poor students, and established the largest orphanage of undivided Bengal, which was named "Salimullah Muslim Orphanage". For the benefit of Muslim students he donated the well-known "Salimullah Muslim Hall" in Dhaka, which was then the largest residential Hall in any Asian University.
Nawab Sir Salimuilah is mainly remembered today for three of his greatest achievements. Firstly, the part he played in the partition of Bengal which was implemented on 16 October 1905, aimed at freeing the Bengali Muslims from the bondage of Hindu domination, and to secure their socio-economic progress by establishing a separate Muslim majority province; secondly, for being the founder of such a strong political party as the All India Muslim League in December 1906, and the establishment of Dhaka University in 1912.
As has so often happened in the great families of India, after five generations of splendour, the Nawab Family now entered on a period of decline. Extravagant living and the necessity of maintaining an ever-increasing number of dependents were the main causes of the trouble, but to them must be added, the considerable sums spent by Nawab Ahsanullah and Nawab Salimuilah on public service or pro-Partition propaganda. The family was heavily in debt and in view of the political importance of the family, its estates were brought under the Court of Wards in 1909.
Nawab Salimullah was the first man of the Nawab Family of Dhaka to actively participate in politics. He is reported to have said that, his grandfather, Nawab Sir Abdul Ghani, and his father, Nawab Sir Khwaja .Ahsanullah, were men of international renown and were imbibed with the love of their country and people, but, they refrained from participating in politics. It was in his destiny to open the door to politics for the Nawab Family of Dhaka. Nawab Sir Salimullah died in Calcutta on 16 January 1915, and his coffin was brought to Dhaka by a special launch, and he was buried in the family graveyard in Begum Bazar."
In 1934, the family had estates that covered almost 200,000 (~ 810 km
2) acres and was well spread over different districts of Eastern Bengal, together with properties in Shillong, Assam, had an yearly rent of £120,000. With its wealth, social status and close relationship with the Raj, the family of the Nawab of Dacca was the single most powerful Muslim family in Bengal.
The Dhaka Nawab Estate was abolished in 1952 under the East Bengal Estate Acquisition and Tenancy Act (1950). Only the Ahsan Manzil complex and khas lands held under raiyati rights were exempted from the operation of the Acquisition Act. But due to many unresolved family claims many assets of the Estate were still controlled by the Court of Wards. The land reforms board, which is the successor of the Court of Wards, still holds those assets on behalf of the family.
The influence of Dhaka Nawab family on the Muslim Students League eroded after the partition, particularly after
Muhammad Ali Jinnah's pronouncement on the state language issue in 1948. The anti-Khwaja faction of the Muslim League broke away from the All Bengal Muslim Students League, and established East Pakistan Muslim Students League in 1948. This Students League spearheaded the
Language Movement that began that year.
Brief genealogy
* Khwaja Abdul Kader Kashmiri
** Khwaja Abdullah (d. 1796)
***
Khwaja Hafizullah Khwaja Hafizullah Kashmiri (1735–1815), also known as Moulavi Hafizullah, was an 18th-century merchant of Kashmiri origin. He and his nephew, Khwaja Alimullah, were the founding members of the Dhaka Nawab Estate, the largest zamindari held by any ...
(1735–1815)
*** Khwaja Ahsanullah
****
Khwaja Alimullah (d. 1854) First to assume the title of Nawab.
*****
Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani (30 July 1813 – 24 August 1896) was the second Nawab of Dhaka and the first to assume the title of Nawab as hereditary, recognized by the British Raj.
He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, wat ...
(1813–1896) Second Nawab of Dhaka and first to assume the title of Nawab as hereditary.
******
Khwaja Ahsanullah
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah KCIE (22 August 1846 – 16 December 1901) was the third Nawab of Dhaka. He also authored books in Persian and Urdu under the pen name of Shaheen. Ahsanullah is recognised for his philanthropic works in Ben ...
(1846–1901) Third Nawab of Dhaka.
*******
Khwaja Salimullah
Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur (7 June 1871 – 16 January 1915) was the fourth Nawab of Dhaka and one of the leading Muslim politicians during the British rule in India. In 1906, the Muslim League was officially founded at the educationa ...
(1871–1915) Fourth Nawab of Dhaka.
********
Khwaja Habibullah
Nawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur (26 April 1895 – 21 November 1958) was the fifth Nawab of Dhaka. He was the son of Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur. Under Habibullah's rule, the Dhaka Nawab Estate went into decline until its actual relinqui ...
(1895–1958) Fifth and last Nawab of Dhaka.
*********
Khwaja Hassan Askari (1920–1984)
******* Bilqis Banu
********
Khawaja Nazimuddin
Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin ( bn, খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন; ur, ; 19 July 1894 – 22 October 1964) was a Pakistani politician and one of the leading founding fathers of Pakistan. He is noted as being the first Bengali to ha ...
(1894–1964) 2nd
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The prime minister of Pakistan ( ur, , romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen cabinet, despite the president of Pa ...
********
Khwaja Shahabuddin
Khawaja Shahabuddin (31 May 1898 – 9 February 1977) was a politician of Kashmiri-Bengali descent from East Pakistan who was a minister in the Government of Pakistan and member of the Dhaka Nawab family. He was the younger brother of Khawaja ...
(1898–1977)
*********
Khwaja Wasiuddin
Khwaja Wasiuddin (1920–1992) was an army general and diplomat. He started his career as a young officer in the British Indian Army and later became a senior general in Pakistan Army. He was the permanent representative of Bangladesh to the U ...
(1920–1992)
*******
Khwaja Atiqullah
Khwaja Atiqullah ( ur, ; 1876–1945) was a Bengali British Indian politician and member of the Dhaka Nawab Family.
Early life
He was born on 26 July 1876. He was taught by private British teachers. He learned English, Persian and Urdu. He w ...
(1882–1945)
*******
Meherbanu Khanam (1902–1954)
***** Hosaini Bibi
******
Khwaja Yusuf Jan
Nawab Khan Bahadur Khwaja Yusuf Jan (21 January 1850 – 8 November 1923), was a Kashmiri-Bengali politician and member of Dhaka Nawab family.
Early life
Jan was born on 21 January 1850 to a Kashmiri Muslim family in Dhaka, Bengal Presidency, Bri ...
(1850-1923) Politician.
*******
Khwaja Muhammad Afzal (1875–1940) Poet.
Other members of the family
* Khan Bahadur Khwaja M. Azam - Politician.
* Khan Bahadur Khwaja Ismail Zabih - Politician.
* Khwaja Nooruddin - Politician, journalist.
* Syed
Khwaja Khairuddin - Politician and Mayor of Dhaka. Head of East Pakistan Muslim League.
* Begum
Shamsunnahar Khwaja Ahsanullah
Shamsunnahar Khwaja Ahsanullah (born 21 September 1934) is a Bangladeshi politician from Bangladesh Nationalist Party, a former two-term Jatiya Sangsad member from the Women's Reserved Seats and a member of the Dhaka Nawab family.
Career
Shams ...
, wife of Nawabzada Khwaja Ahsanullah, former leader of the
BNP, former BNP MP (1991–1995), 1996, 2001-2006
Contributions
Literature
Extended kin of the Dhaka Nawab Family played a vital role in the history of
-
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
literature in Bengal.
Khwaja Haider Jan Shayek
Khawaja (Persian: خواجه ''khvâjəh'') is an honorific title used across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, particularly towards Sufi teachers.
It is also used by Kashmiri Muslims and the Mizrahi Jews—particul ...
, Khwaja Kawkab, Khwaja Atiqullah Sayeda,
Khwaja Muhammad Afzal and Sir
Khwaja Nazimuddin
Sir Khawaja Nazimuddin ( bn, খাজা নাজিমুদ্দীন; ur, ; 19 July 1894 – 22 October 1964) was a Pakistani politician and one of the leading founding fathers of Pakistan. He is noted as being the first Bengali to ha ...
KCIE, CIE and others contributed considerably to Urdu and Persian literature in the 19th and 20th centuries. The family maintained close connection with literary figures like Mahmud Azad and
Hakim Habibur Rahman
Hakim Habibur Rahman ( bn, হাকিম হাবিবুর রহমান, ur, حکیم حبیب الرحمان )
(23 March 188123 February 1947) was an ''Unani'' physician, litterateur, journalist, politician and chronicler in early 20 ...
.
Khwaja Muhammad Azam wrote ''Islami Panchayet Dhaka'' (1911) in Urdu. His son, Khwaja Muhammad Adel, co-edited ''Jadu'', a monthly journal with Hakim Habibur Rahman.
Khwaja Abdur Rahim Saba (d 1871) wrote Urdu poems. His manuscript, ''Daste Saba'' is preserved in the
Dhaka University Library
The Dhaka University Library is the central library of the University of Dhaka which started in 1921 with a collection of eighteen thousand books received from Dhaka College and Law College. The Library now has over six lakh eighty thousand (680 ...
. Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah wrote Urdu poems by his pen-name Shaheen collected in ''Kulliat-e-Shaheen'', and a history of his family collected in ''Ta'arīkh-e-Khândan-e-Kashmirian''. He was also a composer and lyricist of
thumri
Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dr ...
songs, and a financier of ''Ahsanul Kasas'' (15 February 1884), an Urdu weekly magazine of Dhaka.
Photography
It was in the later part of the 19th century that the art of photography got its momentum in Dhaka under the patronage of Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah and his son Nawab Khwaja Salimullah. Khwaja Ahsanullah joined the Calcutta-based Photographic Society of India in 1888.
Palaces of the Nawabs
#
Ahsan Manzil Palace
Ahsan Manzil is the erstwhile official residential palace and seat of the Nawab of Dhaka. The building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Construction was started in 1859 and was completed in ...
#
Israt Manzil Palace
Israt Manzil was one of the royal residences of the Nawabs of Dhaka. The mansion served as a retreat for members of the Dhaka Nawab Family.
Israt Manzil is best known for hosting the opening session of the All India Muhammadan Educational Conf ...
#
Nishat Manzil Palace
Nishat is a town on the eastern outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of the union capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Nishat is famous for the Nishat Gardens (''Nishat Bagh''). And is a very popular tourist destination. The Nishat Bagh ...
#
Shahbag Garden House
Shahbag or Shahbagh (also Shahbaugh, bn, শাহবাগ, Shāhbāg, ) is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or ''thana'' in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub. It is a juncti ...
#
Dilkusha Garden House
#
Paribagh Garden House
# Baigunbari Park
# Company Bagan
# Farhat Manzil
# Hafiz Manzil
#
Nilkuthi Mojibnagar
# Mansur Castle
See also
*
A. K. Fazlul Huq
*
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy ( bn, হোসেন শহীদ সোহ্রাওয়ার্দী; ur, ; 8 September 18925 December 1963) was a Bengali barrister and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 t ...
*
Hakim Habibur Rahman
Hakim Habibur Rahman ( bn, হাকিম হাবিবুর রহমান, ur, حکیم حبیب الرحمان )
(23 March 188123 February 1947) was an ''Unani'' physician, litterateur, journalist, politician and chronicler in early 20 ...
*
Asiatic Society of Bangladesh
The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non political and non profit research organisation registered under both Society Act of 1864 and NGO Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiatic Society ...
*
Shahbag
Shahbag or Shahbagh (also Shahbaugh, bn, শাহবাগ, Shāhbāg, ) is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or ''thana'' in Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub. It is a juncti ...
*
Dilkusha, Dhaka
*
Khilafat Movement
*
United Bengal Movement
*
Bengali language movement
Notes
References
* Ghose, Loknath ''The Modern History of Indian Chiefs, Rajas & Zaminders'', Calcutta,1879
* Buckland, C.T. ''Sketches of Social Life in India'', London, 1884
* Chatterji, Joya (2002)
irst Published 1994 Bengal Divided: Hindu Communalism and Partition, 1932–1947. Cambridge University Press. p. 80. .
External links
Official Web Site of the Dhaka Nawab family*
* https://www.bh.org.il/jewish-community-baghdad-iraq/
{{Nobility of the Raj, bengal
Bangladeshi families
Dhaka Nawab family