Dhaka Nawab family
Encyclopedia
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
from mid 19th century to mid 20th century, after the fall of the Naib Nazim
Naib Nazim
-Etymology:The word Naib means assistant or deputy whilst Nazim is similar to a mayor, hence Naib Nazim is similar in function to a deputy mayor.He is also custodian of the house....
s. The hereditary title of Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
, similar to the British peerage, was conferred upon the head of the Family by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
as a recognition of their loyalty in the time of the Sepoy Mutiny. The Family is a legal entity, created by a Waqf
Waqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
nama back in 1854. The self definition is a Family instead of an Estate due to certain legal considerations imposed by the East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950
East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950
The East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950 was a law passed by the newly formed Democratic Government for its eastern provinces...
.
They were not sovereigns, but played an important role in the politics of South Asia. The family was owner of Dhaka Nawab Estate, and were seated at Ahsan Manzil
Ahsan Manzil
Ahsan Manzil was the official residential palace and seat of the Dhaka Nawab Family. This magnificent building is situated at Kumartoli along the banks of the Buriganga River in Bangladesh. The construction of this palace was started in the year 1859 and was completed in 1869. It is constructed in...
. Nawab of Dhaka was the title of the head of family and estate. Khwaja Alimullah
Khwaja Alimullah
Khwaja Alimullah was the first Nawab of Dhaka. He was the founder of the Dhaka Nawab Family.He was the nephew and heir of the merchant prince Khawaja Hafizullah, son of Khwaja Ahsanullah, and father of Khwaja Abdul Ghani, the first Nawab of Dhaka to be recognized by the British Raj.- Legacy of...
was the first Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Dhaka instated by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani Mian KCSI was the first Nawab of Dhaka recognized by the British Raj.He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, water works, newspaper, and the zoological garden to Dhaka...
was the first person in the family to wield that title as a statesman.
Considerable infighting within the Nawab family lead to the decline of the estate. In 1952 the East Pakistan Estates Acquisition Act formally abolished the estate. Successive land reform in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
brought an end to the remaining landholdings of the Nawab family. In 1952 the East Pakistan Estate Acquisition Act relinquished the title of Nawab. Khwaja Habibullah
Khwaja Habibullah
Nawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur was the fifth and last Nawab of Dhaka. He was the son of his more prominent father, Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur...
Khan Bahadur was the last reigning Nawab of Dhaka.
Ancestry
The ancestors of the Khwajas were Muslim merchants in KashmirKashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
and North India. The history of Dhaka Nawab Family begins with Khwaja Abdul Kader Kashmiri, who migrated from Kashmir to Sylhet
Sylhet
Sylhet , is a major city in north-eastern Bangladesh. It is the main city of Sylhet Division and Sylhet District, and was granted metropolitan city status in March 2009. Sylhet is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills...
sometimes in the 18th century. He married Asuri Khanam, the daughter of Khwaja Abdul Hakim Kasmiri, an Administrator of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. Abdul Hakim also migrated to Sylhet and died there. His son Moulvi Khwaja Abdullah, an alem
Alem
Alem is a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Maasdriel, and lies about 10 km north of 's-Hertogenbosch.In 2001, the town of Alem had 450 inhabitants...
, arrived in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and settled in Begumbazar. After his death in 1796 he was buried there with Shah Nuri.
Foundation
The transition from Khwaja family to the Dhaka Nawab family was largely founded by Khwaja Hafizullah Kashmiri, a merchant prince of Dhaka, who acquired considerable wealth from trading in leather, salt and spices together with Marwari trading partners. He also purchased some floundering zamindari estates, on sale everywhere in BengalBengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
under Permanent Settlement
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, with far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire Empire and the...
, and indigo factories in Barisal District
Barisal District
Barisal is a district in southern Bangladesh. It is also the headquarters of Barisal Division.-Geography and climate:Latitude: 22.75, Longitude: 90.36, Altitude: 4....
and Mymensingh District
Mymensingh District
Mymensingh is one of the districts of Dhaka division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya state of India and Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur district, on the east by districts of Netrokona and Kishoreganj, and on the west by districts of Sherpur, Jamalpur and Tangail...
.
Some of the major land acquisitions of Hafizullah were:
- Atia pargana in the then Mymensingh district (now in the Tangail district). Hafizullah bought a 4-anna (one fourth) share of the pargana, including Dhamrai, the Atia Mosque built in 1608 and much of MadhupurMadhupurMadhupur is a city and a municipality in Deoghar district in the Indian state of JharkhandIt has a crockery factory named La Opala.Ltd which is only one of it's own types in India .-Geography:Madhupur is located at . It has an average elevation of...
forest, in 1806 on the strength of a mortgage bond for Rs. 40,000. Profits from this purchase inspired him to buy more land properties.
- Aila Phuljhuri in the Bakarganj Sundarbans, a 44000 acres (180 km²) area bought for Rs 21000 in 1812, at a revenue demand of only Rs 372 annually. After claring of the jungle was affected, in the late 1870s, its estimated total rental income appeared as high as Rs 2,20,502.
Establishment
Due to an absence of any surviving male successor of Hafizullah, his estate on his death descended on his nephew Khwaja Alimullah, son of his deceased elder brother Ahsanullah, whom he groomed as an astute estate manager. His landed acquisitions were added to those of his uncle, consequently making the united zamindari one of the largest in the province. Before his death in 1854, Alimullah made a waqfWaqf
A waqf also spelled wakf formally known as wakf-alal-aulad is an inalienable religious endowment in Islamic law, typically denoting a building or plot of land for Muslim religious or charitable purposes. The donated assets are held by a charitable trust...
for a united status of the zamindari which was to be managed jointly by a mutawalli.
Expansion
On the succession of Khwaja Abdul Ghani (son of Alimullah) 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, TripuraTripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
, and Mymensingh. For management he split the zamindari into 26 sub-circles, each governed by a kachari
Kachari
Kachari or Cachari may refer to:*Kachari people*Kachari Kingdom*Kachari language*The Kachari Ruins in Dimapur...
(office) headed by a naib
Naib
Naib is an Arabic term for a local leader in some parts of the Ottoman Empire and eastern Caucasus.Naib or NAIB may also refer to:*National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics...
(manager) with a number of amla
Amla
Amla may refer to:* Indian gooseberry, called amla in Hindi. Amla is the size of a lemon, spherical, bitter and yellow-green.* Hashim Amla, a South African cricketer of Indian descent* Ahmed Amla, a South African cricketer and brother of Hashim...
s (officials). He was vested with the personal title of Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
in 1875, which was made hereditary in 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 mahalla
Mahalla
A mahalla is an urban division in Uzbekistan. Historically, mahallas were autonomous social institutions built around familial ties and Islamic rituals. Before the establishment of the Soviet rule in Uzbekistan, Mahallas fulfilled local self-government functions connecting private sphere with...
s, which was endorsed by the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
in view of his support to the Raj during the Sepoy Mutiny.
Consolidation
Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah, Abdul Ghani's son, adopted a unique strategy to consolidate the zamindari control that was threatened by the operation of the Bengal Tenancy Act, 1885. When this Act was enacted, he started buying off intermediate tenures and raiyati rights with family surplus and settling them as khas
Khas
Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,...
. Under this arrangement the Khwajas became their own tenants. This strategy kept much of the estate intact when the zamindari system was abolished in 1951.
Decline
Nawab Salimullah, the eldest 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.The tottering Dhaka Nawab Estate was brought under the Court of Wards 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.
Nawab Khwaja Salimullah of Dhaka and the Muslim aristocrats who formed the bulwark of the Muslim League in 1906 inspired Muslim peasants against the Swadeshi movement
Swadeshi movement
The Swadeshi movement, part of the Indian independence movement, was an economic strategy aimed at removing the British Empire from power and improving economic conditions in India by following the principles of swadeshi , which had some success...
(1905–1911) in support of Partition of Bengal
Partition of Bengal
Partition of Bengal may refer to the partition of the Bengal region during two separate occasions:*Partition of Bengal *Partition of Bengal...
. Together with Nawab Ali Chowdhury, he was instrumental in initiating A. K. Fazlul Huq
A. K. Fazlul Huq
Not to be confused with the cricket ground in Dhaka Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Sher-e-Bangla Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq was a well-known Bengali statesman in the first half of the 20th century...
into politics, who isolated Muslim League from peasants and defeated Sir Khwaja Nazimuddin at the Patuakhali Constituency in the election of 1937. Dhaka Nawab Family, together with the Ispahani
Ispahani
Surname or family name Ispahani is used by certain descendants of clans that originated in or around city of Isfahan or Esfahan, that migrated to India and other regions retaining the original and phonetically more accurate spelling Ispahan from the ancient name of the city Ispadana...
s of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
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.
Fall
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
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
'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
Language Movement
The Bengali Language Movement, also known as the Language Movement , was a political effort in Bangladesh , advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of Pakistan...
that began that year.
Pre-Nawabi heads of the family and the estate
- Khwaja Abdul Kader Kashmiri: (? – ?) First migrated to Bengal from Delhi. Father of the following.
- Khwaja Abdullah: (? – 1796) Settled in Dhaka.
- Khwaja Hafizullah: (? – 1795)
List of the Nawabs of Dhaka
- Nawab Khwaja AlimullahKhwaja AlimullahKhwaja Alimullah was the first Nawab of Dhaka. He was the founder of the Dhaka Nawab Family.He was the nephew and heir of the merchant prince Khawaja Hafizullah, son of Khwaja Ahsanullah, and father of Khwaja Abdul Ghani, the first Nawab of Dhaka to be recognized by the British Raj.- Legacy of...
: (? – 1858) First to assume the title of Nawab. - Nawab Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani Mian KCSIKhwaja Abdul GhaniNawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani Mian KCSI was the first Nawab of Dhaka recognized by the British Raj.He introduced the panchayat system, gaslights, water works, newspaper, and the zoological garden to Dhaka...
: (1813–1896) First to assume the title of Nawab as hereditery. Second Nawab of the family. - Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah KCIEKhwaja AhsanullahNawab Khwaja Ahsanullah , Khan Bahadur KCIE, was the Nawab of Dhaka. He was a renowned Urdu litterateur.-Early life:He was born in 1846 the son of Khwaja Abdul Ghani and Ismatun Nesa. As a young child he learned Urdu, Arabic and Persian in addition to his native Bengali. He was noted as being a...
: (1846–1901) Third Nawab of the family. - Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Salimullah GCIE, KCSIKhwaja SalimullahNawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur, GCIE, KCSI was the fourth Nawab of Dhaka and one of the leading Muslim politicians during the British Raj. It was he who, in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905, made correspondance and discussed with Nawab Muhsinul Mulk at Aligarh over the issue of...
: (1871–1915) Fourth Nawab of the family. - Nawab Bahadur Khwaja HabibullahKhwaja HabibullahNawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur was the fifth and last Nawab of Dhaka. He was the son of his more prominent father, Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur...
: (1895–1958) Fifth Nawab of the family. - Nawab Bahadur Khwaja Hassan AskariKhwaja Hassan AskariNawab Major Khawaja Hasan Askari , the last Nawab of Dacca was born at the Ahsan Manzil Palace in Dacca. The eldest son of Nawab Habibullah Bahadur of Dacca and Shahryar Begum , he became the Nawab of Dacca after his father’s death in 1958.-Early life:Nawab Hasan Askari completed his early...
: (1920–1984) First inheritor of the estate after abolition of titles. Sixth Nawab of the family.
Nawab Major Khawaja Hasan Askari, the last Nawab of Dhaka was born on 21 August 1921 at the Ahsan Manzil Palace in Dhaka .The eldest son of Nawab Habibullah Bhadur of Dacca and Shahryar Begum (the grand-daughter of Nawab Sir Ahsanullah), he became the Nawab of Dhaka after his father’s death in 1958.
Nawab Hasan Askari completed his early education from the maktab at the Ahsan Manzil Palace and later joined the Muslim High School. His mother died when he was only ten years old after which he was sent to study at the Aligarh School and College from where he completed his B.A in 1940. At Aligarh he was part of the cricket team and the captain of riding club and was also the recipient of the Quaid-e-Azam Award, an honor that bestowed upon him during Qaid-e-Azam’s visit to Aligarh University. On completion of his academic career he joined the Army in 1942 and then went on to do an internship in the south of India. He then went on to join the 7th Cavalry Regiment Armored Corp and took part in action on the Burma Front against Japanese. It is said he was the first Indian Officer who carried out operation with tanks on the Burma Front and is also reported to have sustained injuries on his legs and head during the war.
In 1946 he left the British Indian army as his father required his assistance to campaign to gain the allegiance of most of Bengal for the newly emerging Pakistan. He rejoined the army after partition in 1948. In 1946 he was engaged to Bilquis Shehzadi,daughter of Nawab Hafeezuddin Khan of the State of Surat. He was married in 1948 in Hyderabad where they were the guests of Nizam of Hyderabad and the bridal party stayed in one of their palaces. They have one daughter and four sons.
Nawab Hasan Askari served in the East Bengal Regiment. In 1949 he was transferred to the Nowshera Armored Corp and in 1950 joined Governor General’s Body Guard as the First Adjutant when his uncle Khawaja Nazimuddin was the Governor General of Pakistan. In 1951 he returned to Dacca and served with the East Bengal Regiment in various parts of the country. In 1954 he was posted back to Rawalpindi and served with the famous 5th Regiment of the Armored Corp also known as the Probyns Horse regiment .He served between Rawalpindi and Manser Camp till 1959.
His father Nawab Habibullah Bahadur died on 21 November 1958 and Nawab Hasan Askari became the last Nawab of Dacca on 22 November 1958. The army then transferred him to East Pakistan and he simultaneously served at the army’s recruiting office in Dacca. Due to a heart problem in 1961, Nawab Hasan Askari requested to resign from the Army. During this period there was tremendous pressure on him by the people of Dacca and Pakistan to participate in politics. He contested the 1962 Elections and won a seat in the National Assembly with the support of people of Dacca and its surrounding areas. He was appointed minister of the provincial cabinet in East Pakistan with portfolios of communications, waterways and railways. He started the first rail car service in East Pakistan which was then followed in West Pakistan and is credited with having had started the work of the new railway system in Dacca.
During the 1965 war he the Chief Warden of Dacca and was later appointed Warden General of East Pakistan a post at which he remained till the fall of Dacca in 1971. He was awarded the Hilal-e-Khidmat by the President Major General Ayub Khan in the 1960s for his services to the nation. He was the President of East Pakistan Muslim League till the fall of Dacca.
He was the fore-bearer of family traditions and interacted with people from all classes. His house was open to anyone seeking any kind of help: monetary or legal assistance or the settlement of disputes. He maintained links with people who were involved with the political, military, academic, spiritual happenings in East Pakistan and West Pakistan as well as with foreign diplomats to be able to provide support for his people.
He also maintained links with the army, industrialists and political figures of West Pakistan to ensure that the policies of state supported the interests, the aspirations and the welfare of the people of East Pakistan. He was the arbitrator of communal issues and problems and used his status of the Nawab of Dacca and his personal qualities to provide assistance and support to the young nation. Nawab Hasan Askari was greatly respected for his kindness and support. It is said that he was a true prince and was almost always accessible to the common man. He believed in the ideals of and served the Muslim League devotedly and always remained a committed leader.
Khawaja Hasan Askari was the guardian of the various philanthropic institutions like the Nawab Salimullah Orphanage, madrassah’s supported by his family, Salimullah Medical College, Ahsanullah Engineering College also supported by Nawab of Dacca family. He was the director of P.I.A, I.D.B.P and various Banks, P.I.D.C, President of Pakistan Jute Mills Association, Dacca Club and Dacca Race Club, East Pakistan Cricket Board. He was also member of the chamber of commerce.
At the time of Bangladesh’s creation, Nawab Hasan Askari went through very difficult times. He remained in Dacca till 1975.Towards the end of 1974 at the request of then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was visiting Dacca, Sheikh Mujeeb- ur- Rehman agreed upon Nawab Hasan Askari leaving Dacca for Karachi. Sheikh Mujeeb -ur- Rehman was of the opinion that the Nawab of Dacca must stay in Bangladesh: in his country and with his people. In January 1975 Nawab Hassan Askari left East Pakistan for Karachi. He left behind a cause for which he and his family had strived for with great commitment, provided financial and political support for and had been part of the struggle for human rights and self determination of the Muslims of the Sub continent.
Nawab Hassan Askari lived in Karchi for the remainder of his life. During the remaining year’s of his life till 1984 his health deteriorated- he never overcame the grief of leaving his home country and his people and felt distort over the breakup of Pakistan, a cause for which he and his family had strived. He died in Karachi on 9 August 1984 and has been laid to rest in Karachi at the Defence Army Graveyard where his wife Begum Bilquis Askari was also laid to rest in 1995.
Source : Family of Nawab Khawaja Hasan Askari
Also see: http://www.nawabbari.com/bios/hasanaskari.html
Palaces of the Nawabs
- Ahsan Manzil Palace
- Israt Manzil PalaceIsrat Manzil PalaceIsrat 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 Conference in 1906...
- Nishat Manzil Palace
- Shahbag Garden House
- Dilkusha Garden House
- Paribagh Garden House
- Baigunbari Park
- Company Bagan
- Farhat Manzil
- Hafiz Manzil
Other members of the family
Extendaded kin of the Dhaka Nawab Family, mostly bearing the family name Khwaja, though not part of the direct lineage, featured prominently in the history of Bangladesh.- Khwaja Hafizullah: (? – 1815) Son of Khwaja Abdullah. Real founder of the estate.
- Nawabzada Khwaja Atiqullah: (1882–1945) Third son of Khwaja Salimullah.
- Nawabzadi Meherbanu Khanam: (1902–1954) Daughter of Khwaja Ahsanullah.
- Nawabzadi Bilquis Bano Begum: (? – ?) Daughter of Khwaja Ahsanullah. Mother of Sir Khwaja Nazimuddin and Khwaja ShahabuddinKhwaja ShahabuddinKhwaja Shahabuddin was a former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. He also served as a minister of Pakistan central government. Originally he hailed from Dhaka and was an activist of Muslim League....
.
- Nawabzada Khwaja Ahsanullah: (1915–?)
- Nawab Khwaja Yusuf Jan, Khan Bahadur: (1850–1923) Builder of modern sewerage system in Dhaka, founder of the Mohammedan Association, and a leading agitator in favor of Partition of BengalPartition of BengalPartition of Bengal may refer to the partition of the Bengal region during two separate occasions:*Partition of Bengal *Partition of Bengal...
. A member of the Dhaka Municipality (1884–1923), Chairman of Dhaka Municipality (1897–1901; 1905–1916) and Vice-Chairman (1901–1905) of Dhaka Municipality. Chairman (1921–1923) and Vice-Chairman (1897–1905) of Dhaka District Board. Member of the East Bengal Legislative Assembly since 1907, as a representative of the municipalities of Dhaka Division. Honorary Magistrate of Dhaka for 28 years. He was awarded by the British government a Certificate of Honour (1903) and the titles of Khan Bahadur (1904) and Nawab (1910).
- Khwaja Muhammad Afzal: (1875–?) Son of Khwaja Yusuf and disciple of noted poet Mahmud Azad, Khwaja Muahammad adopted the pen name Afzal to write diwanDiwan (poetry)-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
s in PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and ghazalGhazalThe ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s in UrduUrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. His best known work is Gam-e-ma-Paikar, a three volume chronicle in verses.
- Khwaja Haider Jan Shayek: (?-?) Son of Khwaja Khalilullah, an influential member of the family, Khwaja Fayezuddin adopted the pen name Shayek to write diwans in Urdu. His correspondence with Mirza GhalibMirza GhalibDabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan , pen-name Ghalib and Asad , was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule...
, where Ghalib addressed him as the Parrot of Bengal, is compiled under the title of Inshaye Shayek.
- Khwaja Asadullah Kaukab: (?-?) A relative of the Nawabs, Personal munshiMunshiMunshi was the Hindi-Urdu name of a contractor, writer or secretary, used in Mughal Empire and later British India of the native language teachers or secretaries employed by Europeans....
of Khwaja Abdul Gafur and disciple of Shah Najibullah, the eminent mystic of Bihar, Khwaja Asadullah adopted the pen name Kaukab to write diwans in Persian. His best known work is Durbeen, a collection of Persian devotional poems.
- Sir Khwaja Nazimuddin: Politician/Statemsman
- Khwaja Shahabuddin: Politician/Statemsman
- Khwaja Khairuddin: Politician/Statemsman
- Khwaja Nuruddin: (1900–1968) Son of Khwaja Mohammad Ashraf, publisher of Morning News, the first English daily newspaper in Dhaka, member of the Council of the Bengal Provincial League (1921), and alderman in the Calcutta Corporation.
- Khwaja Abdul Halim: (1921–2006)Son of Khwaja Abdul Gafoor He joined the erstwhile East Pakistan Civil Service. He worked as a Magistrate in Moulvibazar, Sylhet. He also served in Chuadanga as an ASDO (Additional Sub-Divisional Officer) and in Pabna as a SDO (Sub-Divisional Officer). After the independence of Bangladesh, he was placed as a Section Officer in the Ministry of Commerce. Subsequently, he was also promoted to the level of Deputy-Secretary of the Local Govt & Rural Development Ministry. In 1973, he was ADC of Dinajpur and also held the charge of Deputy Commissioner there. In 1976, he joined Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) as Secretary and served there until his retirement in 1979. During the rule of President Ziaur Rahman, he was called back from retirement and was assigned Special Magistrate of Joydevpur. He was a good hockey player and played for Dhaka University. He also worked for East Pakistan Radio.
- Farooq SobhanFarooq SobhanFarooq Sobhan is a former Bangladeshi diplomat and civil society leader. He served in various capacities in the Bangladesh government and foreign service as one of the leading diplomats of the country...
: (1940– ) Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh, High-Commissioner of Bangladesh to India (1992–95).
- Khwaja Sharjil Hassan: (1946–2005), Acting Foreign Secretary, Bangladeshi Consul General to the US, UAE and Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Ambassador of Bangladesh to UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, Russia and Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
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- Khwaja Moinul Hassan: Poet/educationist.
- Khawaja Abdur Rahman: (1946–2004),Joint Secretary,Ministry of Foods, Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.
- Khwaja Saifullah: Son of late Nawabzada Khwaja Hafizullah & Grandson of Late Nawab Habibullah Bahadur, Nawab of Dhaka is working as Social compliance & Environmental Advisor in the Clothing Industry Working in GTZ: GERMAN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION a Project of BMZ Germany Federal Ministry of Economics Cooperation & development with Ministry of Commerce Bangladesh Promoting social and environmental standards in clothing Industry.
- NaimNaimnaim is a messaging and chat program written by Daniel Reed in C; it supports the protocols AIM, ICQ, IRC, and RPI's protocols. Unlike most messaging clients, it is not graphical; it runs from the console using the ncurses library. naim is free software, licensed under the GNU GPL.naim is a...
: Film actor in Bangladesh, married to Bangladeshi film actress Shabnaz.
- FaisalFaisalFaisal is an Arabic given name and means The separator between good and Evil.Faisal may refer to:* Faisal ibn Turki ibn Abdullah Al Saud -- one of the imams of the Second Saudi State.* Faisal bin Turki, Sultan of Muscat and Oman...
: Model and actor in Bangladesh, married to Bangladeshi model and actress Joya AhsanJoya Ahsan-Early life:In her early age Joya was attracted to music and dancing. Although her father wanted her to be a service-holder, Joya was interested in building her career in music and drawing. Besides her studies, she took a diploma course in Rabindra Sangeet and also undertook training in classical...
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- Khan Bahadur Khwaja Ismail Zabih (1885–1959)
- Khan Bahadur Khwaja Muhammed Azam
- Khan Bahadur Khwaja Mu'azzam
- Khwaja Abul Hasan Mumtaz (?-1964)
- Abdus Salim (1905–1967)
- Khwaja Zakiuddin (1918–2003)
- Khwaja Wasiuddin (1921–1992)
- Dr. Khwaja Alqama
Literature
Extended kin of the Dhaka Nawab Family played a vital role in the history of UrduUrdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
-Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
literature in Bengal. Khwaja Haider Jan Shayek, Khwaja Asaduddin Kawkab, Khwaja Atiqullah Sayeda, Khwaja Muhammad Afzal and Khwaja Nazimuddin and others contributed considerably to Urdu and Persian literature in the 19th and 20th centuries. The family maintained close connection with highly noted literary figures like Mahmud Azad and Hakim Habibur Rahman.
- 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 LibraryDhaka University LibraryThe Dhaka University Library started in 1921 with a collection of eighteen thousand books received from Dhaka College and Law College. The Library now has over five lakh eighty thousand books and journals. Moreover, it has around thirty thousand rare manuscripts...
. - Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah wrote Urdu poems by his pen-name Shaheen collected in Kulliat-e-Shaheen, and a history of his family collected in Tawarikh-e-Khandan-e-Kashmirian. He was also a composer and lyricist of thumriThumriThumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
songs, and a finacer 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.See also
- A. K. Fazlul HuqA. K. Fazlul HuqNot to be confused with the cricket ground in Dhaka Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Sher-e-Bangla Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq was a well-known Bengali statesman in the first half of the 20th century...
- Huseyn Shaheed SuhrawardyHuseyn Shaheed SuhrawardyHuseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
- Hakim Habibur RahmanHakim Habibur RahmanHakim Habibur Rahman was an Unani physician, litterateur, journalist, politician and chronicler in early 20th-century Dhaka, Bangladesh....
- Photographic Society of Bengal
- Asiatic Society of BangladeshAsiatic Society of BangladeshThe Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiatic Society of Pakistan in Dhaka in 1952. It was renamed as the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in 1972. Ahmed Hasan Dani, a noted historian and archaeologist of Pakistan played an important role in founding this society. He was assisted by...
- ShahbagShahbagShahbag is a major neighbourhood and a police precinct or Thana in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. It is also a major public transport hub, and serves as a junction between two contrasting sections of the city—Old Dhaka and New Dhaka—which lie, respectively, to its north and south...
- DilkushaDilkushaDilkusha is a residential colony in Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, India. Near the banks of the River Gomti, the colony has been the residence of government officials for more than a hundred years. Dilkusha is situated 4 km from Hazrat Gunj in central Lucknow, and is close to...
- Chisti Behesti's Tomb
- Khilafat MovementKhilafat MovementThe Khilafat movement was a pan-Islamic, political campaign launched by Muslims in British India to influence the British government and to protect the Ottoman Empire during the aftermath of World War I...
- United Bengal Movement
- Language MovementLanguage MovementThe Bengali Language Movement, also known as the Language Movement , was a political effort in Bangladesh , advocating the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of Pakistan...