Khan Sahib is a compound of khan (leader) and

sahib Sahib or Saheb (; ) is an Arabic title meaning 'companion'. It was historically used for the first caliph Abu Bakr in the Quran. The title is still applied to the caliph by Sunni Muslims. As a loanword, ''Sahib'' has passed into several lang ...

(master) - was a formal

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

of respect and honour, which was conferred mainly on Muslim, but also to

Parsi Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim conq ...

, Irani, and

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

subjects of the

British Indian Empire 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 himse ...

. It was a title one degree lower than Khan Bahadur, but higher than that of Khan. The title was conferred along with a Title Badge and a citation (or ''sanad'') and the recipient was entitled to prefix the title to his name. The title was conferred on behalf of the British Indian Government by the

Viceroy and Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 19 ...

. The title "Khan Sahib" was originally conferred by the

Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by the

for the same purpose. Hindu subjects of the British Indian Empire were conferred the title of "

Rai Sahib Rai Sahib / Rao Saheb / Roy Sahib / Rao Sahib abbreviated R.S., was a title of honour issued during the era of British rule in India to individuals who performed faithful service or acts of public welfare to the nation. From 1911 the title was a ...

". Since there were no separate titles for Parsi and Jewish subjects, the British Indian Empire conferred the Muslim title of Khan Sahib to Parsi and Jewish subjects as well. The chronological list of recipients below is not exhaustive. .1943 Captain(R) Khan Sahib Fetha Sher Khan Malik personnel distinction render 43 years service to British Army during world war 1 and 2. . 1918 khan sahib Pir karam shah of shorkot for personal distinction through Bernus court * 1904 Khan Sahib Karmally Joosab for personal distinction. * 1912, Ismail Merathi, Indian poet and educationist, was given the title for his literary and educational services. * 1914, Khan Sahib Syed Ahmad Dehlvi, the author of Farhang e Asifiya. * 1925, Khan Sahib M. K. Khader Pillay, Municipal President of

Alwaye Aluva (; also known by its former name Alwaye) is a town in the Ernakulam District in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around from the city center on the banks of Periyar River. A major transpor ...

, Madras Presidency * 1930,Khan Sahib Musharraf Hossain, Inspector of Schools, Dacca Division, of Kashba Majail, Pangsha, Faridpur. * 1931, Chaudhry Niaz Ali Khan of Jamalpur for public service spanning 30 years by the 32nd Viceroy and Governor-General of India,

Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941), was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy an ...

* 1934, Mir Afzal Khan, Deputy Superintendent of Police, for meritorious police services awarded by the 22nd Viceroy and Governor-General of India, The Earl of Willingdon KHANSAB (AWARD) COL KHAN MUHAMMAD KHAN

*Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan from Poonch, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan was given the Khan Sahib title for his commitment and selfless service to the people of Kashmir on 11 June 1942 by Viceroy & Governor-General of India on behalf of the British Government.''Yagana e Kashmir'' by Brig M. Sadiq Khan and Dr Ghulam Hussain Azhar *

Aziz al-Hasan Ghouri Aziz al-Hasan Ghouri (also known as Aziz al-Hasan Majzoob or Khwaja Aziz al-Hasan; 12 June 1884 – 17 August 1944) was an Indian Islamic scholar, poet and the primary biographer of Ashraf Ali Thanwi. He was an alumnus of Muhammadan Anglo-Orient ...

* Khan Shaib Md Yousuf Uddin Sarker, of Burirhat, Taragonj, Rangpur, Bangladesh was awarded with ‘Khan Sahib’ title in the year 1947 by Viceroy and Governor General of India on behalf of British Government for his commitment and selfless extraordinary service for controlling a Hindu-Muslim riot in the area Alampur, Kursha, Harial kuthi, Ikorchali, Soyar, Radhanagor in Taraganj of Rangpur Bangladesh and thereby saving many lives.

References

{{Reflist Court titles Titles in India Titles in Pakistan Titles in Bangladesh Jews and Judaism in India Jews and Judaism in Pakistan Parsi people Islam in India Islam in Bangladesh Islam in Pakistan

See also

References