Loharu State was one of the

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...

s of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

during the period of 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 himsel ...

. It was part of the

Punjab States Agency The Punjab States Agency was an agency of the Indian Empire. The agency was created in 1921, on the model of the Central India Agency and Rajputana Agency, and dealt with forty princely states in northwest India formerly dealt with by the Prov ...

and was a nine-gun

salute state A salute state was a princely state under the British Raj that had been granted a gun salute by the British Crown (as paramount ruler); i.e., the protocolary privilege for its ruler to be greeted—originally by Royal Navy ships, later also ...

. Loharu State encompassed an area of , and was situated in the south-east corner of the undivided

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

province, between the district of Hissar and the

Rajputana Agency The Rajputana Agency was a political office of the British Indian Empire dealing with a collection of native states in Rajputana (now in Rajasthan, northwestern India), under the political charge of an Agent reporting directly to the Governor ...

. In 1901, the state had a population of 15,229 people, of whom 2,175 resided in the town of

Loharu Loharu (also known as Luharu) is a city, municipal committee and assembly constituency in the Bhiwani district of the Indian state of Haryana. It is the administrative headquarters of one of the four administrative sub-divisions of the distric ...

. From 1803 to 1835, the territory of Loharu State also included an

Ferozepur Jhirka Ferozepur Jhirka, also known as Ferojpur Jhirka, is a town, near Nuh city in Nuh district in the state of Haryana, India. History Ferozepur Jhirka was founded in 1419 by Wali (patriarch) of Mewat, Khanzada Feroz Khan who styled himself as Raj ...

enclave within the area directly administered 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 himsel ...

, Outer limits of the state were defined by the peripheral towns of Loharu, Bahal, Isharwal,

Kairu Kairu is a block located in district Bhiwani, Haryana. Positioned in rural area of Bhiwani district of Haryana. The people are from different castes and communities. Agriculture is the main profession of residents of Kairu block. Kairu block is ...

, Jui Khurd and

Badhra Badhra is a tehsil, sub-division and assembly constituency in the Charkhi Dadri district of the Indian state of Haryana. It is located west of district headquarters Charkhi Dadri, south west of city of Bhiwani and east of the national capit ...

. The ''

haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', mean ...

'' of 'Nawab of Loharu', known as ''Mahal Sara'', lies in Gali Qasim Jan in Ballimaran, where his son-in-law, noted poet

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

stayed for a few years, whose own

Ghalib ki Haveli Ghalib ki Haveli ( ur, ALA-LC: ''lit.'' "Ghalib's Mansion") was the residence of the 19th century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib and is now a heritage site located in the Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Old Delhi and reflects the period when the Mu ...

lies a few yard away. Now the '' gali'', which houses the Mahal Sara, is known as ''Kothi Nawab Loharu'' lane in Ballimaran mohalla of

Chandni Chowk The Chandni Chowk, also known as Moonlight Square is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. It is located close to the Old Delhi Railway Station. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. It was bu ...

area in

Old Delhi Old Delhi or Purani Dilli is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan (the Mughal emperor at the time) decided to shift the Mughal capital from Agra. Th ...

History

town, the seat of the state's administration town got its name from the ''Lohars'' (local

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

s) who were employed in the minting of coins for the erstwhile

Jaipur State Jaipur State was a princely state in India during East India Company rule and thereafter under the British Raj. It signed a treaty creating a subsidiary alliance with the Company in 1818, after the Third Anglo-Maratha War. It acceded ...

. The

of Loharu was founded by Ahmad Baksh Khan in 1803 when he received the town of Loharu, (along with the ''

pargana Pargana ( bn, পরগনা, , hi, परगना, ur, پرگنہ) or parganah, also spelt pergunnah during the time of the Sultanate period, Mughal times and British Raj, is a former administrative unit of the Indian subcontinent and each ...

'' of 'Firozepur Jirka' (now in

Nuh district Nuh district (formerly known as Mewat district) is one of the 22 districts in the Indian state of Haryana. There are four sub-divisions in this district: Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirka, Punahana, and Taoru. It has an area of and had a population of 1. ...

), from the

Lord Lake Gerard Lake, 1st Viscount Lake (27 July 1744 – 20 February 1808) was a British general. He commanded British forces during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and later served as Commander-in-Chief of the military in British India. Background He was ...

of British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

as a reward for his services against the

Jat The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...

rulers of Bharatpur.Loharu State
''

The Imperial Gazetteer of India ''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'' was a gazetteer of the British Indian Empire, and is now a historical reference work. It was first published in 1881. Sir William Wilson Hunter made the original plans of the book, starting in 1869.< ...

'', 1909, v. 16, p. 169. Sir Amir-ud-din Ahmad Khan, Nawab of Loharu, 1884-1920

Ahmad Baksh Khan was succeeded by his eldest son, Sams-ud-din Khan amsudin Ahmad Khan in 1827; his reign did not last long: in 1835 he was executed by the

for being involved in the conspiracy to kill the

British Resident A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indir ...

to Delhi, Sir William Frazer,Loharu family’s get-together in capital – Islamabad
''

Dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizo ...

'', 26 May 2005. Noted Urdu poet

Daagh Dehlvi Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi ( ur, , 25 May 1831 – 17 March 1905) was a poet known for his Urdu '' ghazals''. He belonged to the old Delhi school of Urdu poetry.

was a son of Nawab Samsuddin Khan. subsequently the pargana of Firozepur was taken away by the British and the state of Loharu was given to his brothers, Amin-ud-din and Zia-ud-din Khan. Both were themselves kept under surveillance after the

Indian Rebellion of 1857 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 fo ...

for some time, before being released and their positions restored. Alauddin Ahmed Khan succeeded his father Amin-ud-din Khan in 1869 and received the title of Nawab. Alauddin's son, Amir-ud-din Ahmad Khan (1859–1937), after managing the state on his father's behalf, succeed him in 1884, though from 1893 to 1903, he remained administrator and adviser of the state of

Maler Kotla The State of Malerkotla or Maler Kotla was a princely state in the Punjab region during the era of British India. The last Nawab of Maler Kotla signed the instrument of accession to join the Dominion of India on 20 August 1948. Its rulers belo ...

during this time, the state was being handled by his younger brother, Bashiruddin Ahmed Khan. In 1903, Amir- ud-din Ahmad Khan also received the K.C.S.I honour from the British Government and after 1 January 1903 was allowed a 9 gun personal salute. He later became a member of the

Viceroy 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 ...

's legislative council. The Nawab of Loharu State dealt with the dissenting kisans (farmers) and his troops opened fire on a Kisan Meeting on 8 August 1935, killing dozens of kisans. Loharu State, State Court Fee Stamp, 8 Annas

Loharu State, State Court Fee Stamp, 8 Annas

In 1920, he abdicated to his second son, Aizzuddin Ahmad Khan, though he died early in 1926, leaving the state to his son,

Amin ud-din Ahmad Khan Amin ud-din Ahmad Khan (23 March 1911 – 12 June 1983) was the last ruling Nawab of princely state of Loharu, reigning from 1926 to 1947. Born on 23 March 1911 in Delhi, he studied at Aitchison College, Lahore, later, Member of the Chamb ...

(1911–1983) - the last Nawab.Genealogy of the Nawabs of Loharu
''

Queensland University , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = Bri ...

''. However, since the new Nawab was still young, Amirud-din Ahmad Khan stepped in and took care of the state till 1931. After the

Independence of India The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

in 1947, the state acceded to the Union of India and many of the ruling family and the city's Muslim inhabitants re-settled in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, though the Nawab and his direct descendants (except for the eldest daughter of Nawab Aminuddin Ahmed, Mahbano Begum who lives in Islamabad), stayed on, in India.

Nawabs of Loharu

Notable members of the Loharu dynasty

The ruling family of Loharu was linked by blood or marriage to several important Muslim personalities of the 19th century, including: *

(1796 — 1869), renowned

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

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 ...

poet, married Umrao Begum, daughter of Nawab Ilahi Bakhsh Khan (younger brother of the first Nawab, Ahmad Baksh Khan). *

Daagh Dehlvi Nawab Mirza Khan Daagh Dehlvi ( ur, , 25 May 1831 – 17 March 1905) was a poet known for his Urdu '' ghazals''. He belonged to the old Delhi school of Urdu poetry.

(1831 – 1905), a noted Urdu poet was a son of second Nawab, Shamsuddin Ahmad Khan. *

Syed Ahmed Khan Sir Syed Ahmad Khan KCSI (17 October 1817 – 27 March 1898; also Sayyid Ahmad Khan) was an Indian Muslim reformer, philosopher, and educationist in nineteenth-century British India. Though initially espousing Hindu-Muslim unity, he ...

(1817 – 1898), educationist KCSI *

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (13 May 1905 – 11 February 1977) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of India from 1974 to 1977. Born in Delhi, Ahmed studied in Delhi and Cambridge and was called to the bar from the I ...

(1905–1977),

President of India The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

(1974–1977) * Ibrahim Ali Khan Pataudi (r. 1913–1917),

Nawab of Pataudi The term Nawab of Pataudi refers to the lineage of rulers of the former princely Pataudi State in Northern India. Pataudi was established in 1804 by the British East India Company, when Faiz Talab Khan, an Afghan Muslim Pashtun of the Barech tri ...

, married Shahar Bano Begum, daughter of Nawab Amiruddin Ahmad Khan.

Courtiers

Jaglan Zail of Bidhwan was adjacent to the Loharu State. Mir Muhammad Khan, was a fine vocalist in the court of Maharaja Loharu, a descendant of Mir Allahbux who a famous vocalists and the court-musician of

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

Nahar Singh Raja Nahar Singh (died 1858) was a Jat Ruler of the princely state of Ballabhgarh in Faridabad District of Haryana, India . He fought The East India Company in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The small kingdom of Ballabhgarh is only 20 miles f ...

of Ballabhgarh State.Amala Dāśaśarmā, 1993
Musicians of India: Past and Present : Gharanas of Hindustani Music and Genealogies
/ref>

Post-Independence

Loharu descendants in India

, the last ruling Nawab: Served in the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

, seeing action during the liberation of

Portuguese India The State of India ( pt, Estado da Índia), also referred as the Portuguese State of India (''Estado Português da Índia'', EPI) or simply Portuguese India (), was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded six years after the discovery of a se ...

in 1961. He was later elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan state, and ended his chequered career as the

governor of Himachal Pradesh This is a list of governors of Himachal Pradesh. Sh.Rajendra Arlekar, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar is the 21st governor (30th if governors with additional charge also counted) of Himachal Pradesh since July 2021. Out of the regular 20 governors ...

(1977–1981) and governor of Punjab (1981–1982). * Ala-uddin Ahmad Khan II (Born 1938): After staying in Kolkata for many year, he now lives in Loharu town; where the Loharu fort, now in ruins, stands in its center,"Eighth Nawab" of Loharu Alauddin Ahmed Khan
''

The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers: United States Daily California *''Oakland Tribune'' * ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo) *'' San Gabriel Valley Tribune'' Indiana *''Kokomo Tribune'' *'' Peru Tribune'' * ''The Trib ...

'', 23 August 2007. and a major tourist attractionBhiwani district
''www.haryana-online.com''. * Aimaduddin Ahmad Khan, or 'Durru Mian' (Born 1944) married to Fauzia Ahmad Khan:

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

politician, member Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, Health Minister Of Rajasthan state, settled in

Jaipur Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...

* Noor Bano (Born 1939): Married to Syed

Zulfiqar Ali Khan Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan (Urdu: ذوالفقار علی خان; 10 December 1930 – 8 March 2005) , was a four-star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and later a diplomat. He is noted as a first four-star air officer who c ...

of Rampur (Titular Nawab of Rampur), and a member

11th Lok Sabha General elections were held in India in 1996 Indian general election, April–May 1996 to elect the members of the 11th Lok Sabha. The result of the election was a hung parliament, which would see three Prime Ministers in two years and force t ...

and

13th Lok Sabha The 13th Lok Sabha (10 October 1999 – 6 February 2004) is the thirteenth session of the Lok Sabha (House of the People, or lower house in the Parliament of India). It was convened after 1999 Indian general election held during September–Oc ...

Loharu descendants in Pakistan

Jamiluddin Aali Nawabzada Mirza Jamiluddin Ahmed Khan PP, HI (20 January 1925 – 23 November 2015), also known as Jamiluddin Aali or Aaliji, was a Pakistani poet, critic, playwright, essayist, columnist, and scholar. Early life and career Nawabzada Mir ...

, (20 January 1925 – 23 November 2015), Urdu poet, playwright.Jamiluddin Aali - ''Pakistani Poet''
''

'', 5 June 2008. * Mahbano Begum, (born 1934, Loharu), eldest daughter of Nawab Aminuddin Ahmad Khan, married to H. E. Dr. S. M. Koreshi, Ambassador of Pakistan. *

Junaid Jamshed Junaid Jamshed Khan ( ur, ; 3 September 1964 – 7 December 2016) was a Pakistani singer-songwriter, television personality, fashion designer, actor, and preacher. After graduating with a degree in engineering from the University of Engineeri ...

, (died 2016, Havelian) son of granddaughter of last Nawab of Loharu, Pakistani Artist and Personality

Adjacent states and jagirs

Jind State Jind State (also spelled Jhind State) was a princely state located in the Punjab region of north-western India. The state was in area and its annual income was Rs.3,000,000 in the 1940s. Jind was founded and ruled by Jat Sikh rulers of Sidhu cla ...

, bordering south east *

Patiala State Patiala State was a self-governing princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but ra ...

, bordering south * Jaglan Zail of Bidhwan, bordering north was directly administered by the British raj.

References

External links

*
Genealogy of the Nawabs of Loharu
''

'' {{coord, 28.45, N, 75.82, E, source:kolossus-cawiki, display=title Princely states of India Princely states of Punjab History of Punjab Muslim princely states of India Bhiwani district 1806 establishments in India 1947 disestablishments in India