Naib Nazim of Dhaka
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The Naib Nazim of Dhaka, officially the Naib Nazim of
Jahangir Nagar Jahangir Nagar () is the former name of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was named after Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Name In 1608, Dhaka was announced by ''Subedar Islam Khan'' as the capital of '' Mughal Bangla''. He christened it as ''Jahangir Nagar'' (City ...
, was the chief
Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...
political officer in the city 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 ...
, the present-day capital of
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 ...
, between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries. It was the second highest office in the political hierarchy of
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 ...
, including as a nominal position during the
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 ...
's occupation of Bengal. The Naib Nazim was the deputy of the
Nawab of Bengal The Nawab of Bengal ( bn, বাংলার নবাব) was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the ''de facto'' independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar, ...
, who was based in
Murshidabad Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district. During ...
. The Naib Nazim was responsible for governing territories in eastern Bengal, including for
revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of goods and services related to the primary operations of the business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some companies receive reven ...
collection,
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
and navy affairs; and administering justice. In the later period of British rule, the Naib Nazims were heavily influenced by
English culture The culture of England is defined by the cultural norms of England and the English people. Owing to England's influential position within the United Kingdom it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate English culture from the culture of the ...
, spoke fluent
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and collected
Western art The art of Europe, or Western art, encompasses the history of visual art in Europe. European prehistoric art started as mobile Upper Paleolithic rock and cave painting and petroglyph art and was characteristic of the period between the Paleol ...
. The 19th century office holder Nusrat Jung was described as an
anglophile An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents. Etymology The word is derived from the Latin word ''Anglii'' and Ancient Greek word φίλος ''philos'', meaning "frien ...
. Dhaka's status as a leading financial and commercial center of Mughal India lent significant influence to the office of the Naib Nazim. The Naib Nazims initially resided in Islam Khan's Fort and the
Bara Katra Bara Katra ( bn, বড় কাটরা; Great Caravanserai) is one of the oldest historical and architectural monuments in Dhaka. The word Katra may have originated from Arabic word Katara which means colonnaded building. 'Katra/ katara' in ...
. The
Nimtali Kuthi The Nimtali arch (known in Bengali as Nimtali Deuri) is an arch in Dhaka, Bangladesh dating from the Mughal period. It was the gateway to the palace of the Naib Nazim of Dhaka, the deputy governor of Bengal Subah in the Mughal Empire. Today, the ...
was their last official residence. The government and era of the Naib Nazims is known as the ''niabat''. Prior to the niabat, Dhaka was the
viceregal A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...
capital of
Subedar Subedar is a rank of junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army; a senior non-commissioned officer in the Pakistan Army, and formerly a Viceroy's commissioned officer in the British Indian Army. History ''Subedar'' or ''subadar'' was the ...
of Bengal. The Naib Nazims can be compared with the position of
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in rank and equivalence. The abolishing of the Naib Nazim's office coincided with Dhaka's decline as the leading city of Bengal. The next time Dhaka's political prominence was revived was during the short lived British province of
Eastern Bengal and Assam Eastern Bengal and Assam was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India between 1905 and 1912. Headquartered in the city of Dacca, it covered territories in what are now Bangladesh, Northeast India and Northern West Bengal. Hist ...
.


History

The office was created between 1716 and 1717, when prime minister
Murshid Quli Khan Murshid Quli Khan ( fa, , bn, মুর্শিদকুলি খান; 1660 – 30 June 1727), also known as Zamin Ali Quli and born as Surya Narayan Mishra, was the first Nawab of Bengal, serving from 1717 to 1727. Born a Hindu in the D ...
transferred the capital of Bengal from Dhaka to Murshidabad. Emperor
Farrukhsiyar Farrukhsiyar or Farrukh Siyar () (20 August 16839 April 1719) was the tenth emperor of the Mughal Empire from 1713 to 1719. He rose to the throne after assassinating his uncle, Emperor Jahandar Shah. Reportedly a handsome man who was easily sw ...
appointed Khan as the Subedar of Bengal. As the authority of the Mughal imperial court declined, Khan replaced the position of Subedar with a hereditary
Nawab Nawab (Balochi language, Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب; bn, নবাব/নওয়াব; hi, नवाब; Punjabi language, Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ; Persian language, Persian, Punjabi language, Punjabi , Sindhi language, Sindhi, Urd ...
. In the former capital Dhaka, he anointed a deputy to administer eastern Bengal. The earliest prominent Naib Nazims of Dhaka included Khan Muhammad Ali Khan (1717), Itisam Khan (1723-1726) and
Lutfullah Tabrizi Mīrzā Lutfullāh Khān Tabrīzī ( fa, , bn, মীর্জা লুৎফুল্লাহ তবরীজী), also known as Murshid Qulī Khān II, was an 18th-century administrator who served under the Nawabs of Bengal as the Naib Nazim ...
(1728-1733). During the tenure of
Sarfaraz Khan Sarfarāz Khān ( bn, সরফরাজ খান, fa, ; c. 1700 – 29 April 1740), born ''Mīrza Asadullāh'', was a Nawab of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan's maternal grandfather, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal (Bengal, Bihar and Orissa) nomin ...
, Dhaka saw rapid economic growth.
Nawazish Muhammad Khan Nawazish Muhammad Khan ( fa, ; died 1755), also known as Mirza Muhammad Raza, was a Mughal aristocrat and the deputy governor of Dhaka in the 18th century. Biography Mirza Muhammad Raza was the son of Haji Ahmad, the elder brother of Alivardi ...
ruled through his wife
Ghaseti Begum Mehar un-Nisa Begum ( fa, ), better known as Ghaseti Begum ( bn, ঘসেটি বেগম, Ghôśeṭi Begôm), was the eldest daughter of Alivardi Khan, Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa during 1740–1758. Early life Ghaseti Begum was the ...
and his deputy Husain Quli Khan. Jasarat Khan, appointed by
Alivardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Mar ...
, was the Naib Nazim during the
Battle of Plassey The Battle of Plassey was a decisive victory of the British East India Company over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies on 23 June 1757, under the leadership of Robert Clive. The victory was made possible by the defection of Mir Jafar, ...
in 1757, the year which heralded great political change in Bengal. After a brief suspension, Jasarat Khan continued to hold the office until 1778, with support from the British East India Company. Muhammad Reza Khan interrupted Jasarat Khan's tenure in 1763, 1775 and 1779. After the death of Jasarat Khan, his three grandsons Hashmat Jung (1779–1785), Nusrat Jung (1785–1822) and Shamsuddaula (1822–1831) held the office. From 1793, the family was pensioned off with the royal title of Naib Nazim of Dhaka. The nominal office was formally abolished in 1843. Ghaziuddin Haidar was the last Naib Nazim. Here is a list of Naib-Nazims of Dhaka: * Khan Muhammad Ali Khan (1717) * Itisam Khan (1723–1726) * A son of Itisam Khan (1726–1727) * Mirza
Lutfullah Tabrizi Mīrzā Lutfullāh Khān Tabrīzī ( fa, , bn, মীর্জা লুৎফুল্লাহ তবরীজী), also known as Murshid Qulī Khān II, was an 18th-century administrator who served under the Nawabs of Bengal as the Naib Nazim ...
(a grandson-in-law of
Murshid Quli Khan Murshid Quli Khan ( fa, , bn, মুর্শিদকুলি খান; 1660 – 30 June 1727), also known as Zamin Ali Quli and born as Surya Narayan Mishra, was the first Nawab of Bengal, serving from 1717 to 1727. Born a Hindu in the D ...
) (1728–1734) *
Sarfaraz Khan Sarfarāz Khān ( bn, সরফরাজ খান, fa, ; c. 1700 – 29 April 1740), born ''Mīrza Asadullāh'', was a Nawab of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan's maternal grandfather, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal (Bengal, Bihar and Orissa) nomin ...
(1734–1739) ** Galib Ali Khan (1734–1738) ** Murad Ali Khan (1738–1739) * Abdul Fattah Khan (1739–1740) *
Nawazish Muhammad Khan Nawazish Muhammad Khan ( fa, ; died 1755), also known as Mirza Muhammad Raza, was a Mughal aristocrat and the deputy governor of Dhaka in the 18th century. Biography Mirza Muhammad Raza was the son of Haji Ahmad, the elder brother of Alivardi ...
(1740–1754) (son in law of
Alivardi Khan Alivardi Khan (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating Sarfaraz Khan in 1740 and assumed power himself. During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Mar ...
) ** Hossain Quli Khan (1740–1754) ** Murad Dowlat (1754–1755) * Jasarat Khan (1755–1762 and 1765–1778) ** Mohammed Ali (1762–1762) ** Mohammed Reza Khan (1763–1765) * Hashmat Jung Syed Muhammad (the eldest grandson of Jasarat Khan) (1779–1785) * Nusrat Jung (the second grandson of Jasarat Khan) (1785–1822) * Shamsuddaula (the third grandson of Jasarat Khan) (1822–1831) * Jalaluddin Muhammad Qamaruddaulah (a son of Shamsuddaula) (1831–1834) * Ghaziuddin Haider (a son of Qamaruddaulah) (1834–1843) The British-era Naib Nazims of Dhaka were influenced by the Western culture and way of life. They learnt the English language and patronised Western art. According to
Charles D'Oyly Sir Charles D'Oyly, 7th Baronet (1781–1845), was a British public official and painter from Dacca (now Dhaka). He was a member of the Bengal Civil Service based in Calcutta, Dacca and Patna from 1797 to 1838. Although he held senior positions wi ...
, Nusrat Jung's audience chamber was filled with English prints and paintings. Nusrat Jung was well versed in history and current affairs and could speak English fluently. Nusrat Jung was the longest serving Naib Nazim. Dhaka's trade and commerce grew during the niabat. Exports by European companies from Dhaka quadrupled. The Naib Nazims relied on Dhaka's wealthy Armenian community and Marwari bankers. The
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
-ruled city was home to a
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
merchant class. The city hosted factories of the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, English and Portuguese.


Powers

The annual revenue of the Naib Nazim was 1 million imperial rupees, which was a very high amount during the era. His duties were to administer justice, supervise trade professions, identify and punish seditious persons, collect and deposit revenue punctually at the treasury and maintain military bases, forts and the
navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
. For administration expenses, the revenues of Dhaka,
Mymensingh Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north ...
,
Sylhet Sylhet ( bn, সিলেট) is a metropolitan city in northeastern Bangladesh. It is the administrative seat of the Sylhet Division. Located on the north bank of the Surma River at the eastern tip of Bengal, Sylhet has a subtropical climate an ...
and other districts were assigned to him. The Naib Nazim owned riverside properties for the upkeep of naval boats and personnel. The properties were, however, confiscated by the British gradually. The Naib Nazim of Dhaka had revenue and administrative powers until 1790. As a result of Mughal defeat in the
Battle of Buxar The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October 1764, between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, led by Hector Munro, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, Nawab of Bengal till 1764; the Nawab of Awadh, Sh ...
, the Naib Nazim's functions were greatly reduced. In 1790,
Lord Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...
abolished the powers of the Naib Nazim. Dhaka formally passed to the control of the East India Company in 1793. Later Naib Nazims held the office nominally, as a symbol of the Mughal aristocracy under
company rule in India Company rule in India (sometimes, Company ''Raj'', from hi, rāj, lit=rule) refers to the rule of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent. This is variously taken to have commenced in 1757, after the Battle of Plassey, when ...
. All Mughal positions were permanently abolished in India after the
Mutiny 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 for ...
, which led to the establishment of the
British Indian Empire The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...
as a crown colony.


Residence

The Naib Nazims initially resided in Islam Khan's fort (now located in the premises of the
Dhaka Central Jail Dhaka Central Jail was the largest jail in Bangladesh, located in the old section of Dhaka, the country's capital. The jail has been used to house criminals as well as political prisoners, especially during the Language Movement of 1952, the 6 P ...
). After the British took control of the fort, the Naib Nazims moved to the
Bara Katra Bara Katra ( bn, বড় কাটরা; Great Caravanserai) is one of the oldest historical and architectural monuments in Dhaka. The word Katra may have originated from Arabic word Katara which means colonnaded building. 'Katra/ katara' in ...
(Great Caravenserai Palace). In 1766, the
Nimtali Kuthi The Nimtali arch (known in Bengali as Nimtali Deuri) is an arch in Dhaka, Bangladesh dating from the Mughal period. It was the gateway to the palace of the Naib Nazim of Dhaka, the deputy governor of Bengal Subah in the Mughal Empire. Today, the ...
became the official residence of the Naib Nazims. Today, only the gateway of the Nimtali Kuthi survives.


Customs

The Naib Nazims were associated with medieval glory and elegance. They wore the finest
muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...
and
silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
dresses, smoked
hookah A hookah (Hindustani language, Hindustani: (Nastaleeq), (Devanagari), IPA: ; also see #Names and etymology, other names), shisha, or waterpipe is a single- or multi-stemmed instrument for heating or vaporizing and then smoking either tobacco ...
s, played
polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
, went on
hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
trips and maintained
harem Harem (Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A hare ...
s. An annual grand Eid procession was brought out by the Naib Nazims.


See also

*
Nawab of Dhaka The Nawab of Dhaka (Bengali: "ঢাকার নবাব"), originally spelt in English Nawab of Dacca, was the title of the head of largest Muslim zamindar in British Bengal and Assam, based in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. The title of ''na ...
*
Prime Minister of Bengal The Prime Minister of Bengal was the head of government of Bengal Presidency, Bengal Province and the Leader of the House in the Bengal Legislative Assembly in British India. The position was dissolved upon the Partition of Bengal (1947), Partitio ...
*
Legislative Council of Eastern Bengal and Assam The Eastern Bengal and Assam Legislative Council () was the legislative council of Eastern Bengal and Assam, a province of the British India covering Bangladesh and Northeast India. It would meet in the Government House of Dacca, the provincia ...


References

{{reflist History of Dhaka Mughal nobility Rulers of Dhaka