Khan Sahib
Encyclopedia
Khan Sahib - a compound of khan
(leader) and sahib
(master) - was a formal title
of respect and honour, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim
, Parsi
and Jewish subjects of the British Indian Empire. It was a title one degree higher than the title of Khan
.
The title was conferred along with a medal 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 title "Khan Sahib" was originally conferred by the Mughal Empire
on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by the British Indian Empire for the same purpose. Hindu subjects of the British Indian Empire were conferred the title of "Rai Sahib". 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.
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
(leader) and sahib
Sahib
Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib is "associate, companion, comrade, friend" though it also includes "Sahib is an Urdu term which literally translates to "Owner" or "Proprietor". The primary Arabic meaning of Sahib...
(master) - was a formal title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
of respect and honour, which was conferred exclusively on Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
and Jewish subjects of the British Indian Empire. It was a title one degree higher than the title of Khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
.
The title was conferred along with a medal 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 title "Khan Sahib" was originally conferred by the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by the British Indian Empire for the same purpose. Hindu subjects of the British Indian Empire were conferred the title of "Rai Sahib". 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.
Recipients
The chronological list of recipients below is not exhaustive.- In 1927, 3rd June to Khan Sahib Ghulam Ahmed Khan, Barrister of Law. Grand Father of Brig.(R) Ahmed Qaiser Alam Khan S.I.(M)
- In 1926 to Munshi Tufail Muhammad
- In [Year?] to Sorabji Ruttonji
- In 1920 to Rana Talia Muhammad KhanRana Talia Muhammad KhanKhan Bahadur Rana Talia Muhammad Khan, O.B.E. was the first Muslim Inspector-General of Police in British India, serving as Inspector-General of Police of Patiala State and the Northwest Frontier Province and a former British Indian Army officer...
for meritorious services (later awarded higher title of "Khan Bahadur")
- In 1931 to Chaudhry Niaz Ali KhanChaudhry Niaz Ali KhanChaudhry Niaz Ali Khan , founder of the Dar ul Islam Movement and the Dar ul Islam Trust in South Asia and the Dar ul Islam Trust Institutes in Pathankot, India and Jauharabad, Pakistan, was a civil engineer, civil servant, landowner, agriculturalist and philanthropist...
of JamalpurJamalpurJamalpur may refer to:Bangladesh* Jamalpur District* Jamalpur Sadar UpazilaIndia* Jamalpur, Munger, Bihar* Jamalpur, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh* Jamalpur , West Bengal...
for public service spanning 30 years by the 32nd Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of WillingdonFreeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of WillingdonMajor Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Governor-General of India, the country's 22nd.Freeman-Thomas was born in England and...
- In 1933 to Dossabhoy Muncherji RajaDossabhoy Muncherji RajaDossabhoy Muncherji Raja was the first native Indian to be appointed 'Principal Appraiser' of precious stones for the customs office of the Bombay Presidency, which was then a province of British India....
- In 1934 to Muhammad Afzal for public service
- In 1937 to Khan Sahib Abdul Majeed Shaikh (Jamadar british india army) for his bravery saving many peoples from mental gunman.Without fearing his own life he snatched gun from gunman.(Aurangabad/Ahemadnagar) Maharashtra
- In 1938 to Khan Sahib Abdul Razzak Quraishi,Khan Sahib Molluvi Khondkar Hossain Reza,Inspector of Police,Calcutta,Bengal Residency,British-India.
- In 1939 to Khan Sahib Abdul Ghafur, Deputy Police Commissioner. Calcutta, British-India.
- In 1945 to Syed Ahmed QuadriSyed Ahmed QuadriSyed Ahmed Quadri was an administrator, educationist, and senior officer in the government of the Nizam of Hyderabad and later on in the government of India and the UNO.-Ancestry:Syed Ahmed Quadri was born in Tekmal in 1908...
- In 1945 to Qazi Zafar HussainQazi Zafar HussainKhan Sahib, Qazi Zafar Hussain came from a qadi's family which had, since the 16th century, been prominent among the landed aristocracy of the Soon Valley. He belonged to Awans tribe of ancient repute. He was awarded the title of Khan Sahib by the British Crown. This was a formal title, a compound...
- In 1942 to Khan Sahib ghulam mohiuddin (British Ambassador) for his bravery saving many peoples from mental gunman.Without fearing his own life he snatched gun from gunman.(Aurangabad/Ahemadnagar) Maharashtra