Mahmudabad Estate

Mahmudabad Estate or Mahmoodabad Estate was one of the largest feudal estates in the erstwhile Kingdom of Oudh.^[1] The rulers are generally referred to as Raja of Mahmudabad or Raja of Mahmoodabad.

History

The Mahmudabad Estate was founded in 1677 by Raja Mahmud Khan.^[2]

Rulers and family

The family is descended from Qazi Nasrullah, who was the Chief Qazi of the Caliph of Baghdad, and who came to India as an ambassador in the court of Shaheb-ud-din. His descendant became commander for Mohammad Bin Tughlaq in 1345, and was rewarded with a large Jagir in Awadh. Later his great grandson was granted the hereditary titles of Nawab and Khan Bahadur by Padshah Akbar as a reward for winning a battle against Hemu. Rulers and immediate family were:^[1][3]

• Sheikh Nathu, founder of family, in 1360 was employed by King of Delhi and was rewarded large estates in Fatehpur for his services
• Nawab Daud Khan, descendant of Sheikh Nathu, general in Delhi army, was created a Nawab
• Nawab Bahadur Bazid Khan Muzaffar Jang, grandson of Daud Khan,
• Nawab Mahmud Khan, son of Daud Khan, Imperial governor of Jaunpur Sultanant, founded Mahmudabad in 1677
• Nawab Inayat Khan, he served as Commander in the army of Padshah Jahangir, and was granted the titles of Umadatul Malli, Amirul-Mulk, Ghanzanfer-ud-daullah, Muzaffar Jung
• Nawab Muhammad Qayum Khan
  • Nawab Muhammad Marahmat Khan, Naib Nazim of Awadh
• Nawab Muhammad Inam Khan, married a Shi'i Shaykhzadah woman, and had issue. Divided estate between his two sons. He died in the 1760s
  • Nawab Muhammad Ikram Ali Khan, retained Mahmudabad
  • Nawab Muhammad Mazhar Ali Khan, converted to Shi'ism, inheriting the smaller portion of the estate in Belehra, BaraBanki District, married and had issue, ancestor of the Rajas of Bilehra and Paintipur. He died in the 1790s
• Nawab Muhammad Amir Ali Khan
  • Nawab Muhammad Ikram Ali Khan, remained Sunni, married and had issue. He died about 1775
    • Raja Sarfaraz Ali Khan
    • Raja Musahib Ali Khan
  • Raja Sarfaraz Ali Khan, died without issue
  • Raja Musahib Ali Khan, built up his holdings to 232 villages and established good relations with the Awadh court by supporting it against rebels, although he remained a Sunni, he initiated mourning rites for the Imam Husayn in a building inside the fort at Sitapur. He died in 1810 (or 1819) without issue
  • Rani (wife 1810–1838), adopted a relative (cousin) from the Belehra branch in 1836, she died in 1838
  • Raja Muhammad Nawab Ali Khan Qaim Jang 1838/1858, adopted from Belehra, (brother of Raja Ibad Ali Khan, the Raja of Paintipur), he was granted the title of Raja as a hereditary distinction in 1850, as well as the titles of Muqim-ud-Daula and Qaim Jung by the King of Awadh, fought against the British in the 1857 war of independence; married and had issue. He died in 1858
    • Amiruddaula Saidul ul-Mulk Mumtaz Jung Raja Sir Muhammad Amir Hasan Khan, Khan Bahadur Khan Amirul Omara Saeedul Mulk Muzzafar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula
  • Amiruddaula Saidul ul-Mulk Mumtaz Jung Raja Sir Muhammad Amir Hasan Khan, Khan Bahadur Khan Amirul Omara Saeedul Mulk Muzzafar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula 1858/1902, born 1849, took over management of the Taluq in March 1867, K.C.I.E., President of the British Indian Association 1882/1890, Vice-President of the British Indian Association 1871/1877 and 1897/1900; married and had issue, two sons and two daughters. He died 1902 (1903?)
    • Hon. Maharaja Khan Bahadur Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan, Khan Bahadur Amirul Omara Saeedul Mulk Muzaffar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula
    • Rajkumari Banib Zaadi Mohammad-un-Nisa Begum, died without issue
    • Rajkumari Banib Zaal Begum, died without issue.
    • Rajkumar Mohammad Ali Ahmed Khan, died without issue.
• Hon. Maharaja Khan Bahadur Sir Mohammad Ali Mohammad Khan, Khan Bahadur Khan Amirul Omara Saeedul Mulk Muzzafar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula 1902/1931, born May 1879 in Amrota, Sitapur District, K.C.S.I. [cr.1922], C.S.I. [cr.1921], K.C.I.E. [cr.1909]; first Indian home member in U.P. and First Vice-Chancellor of Muslim University, Aligarh; married 1stly, 1906, and had issue, five children. He died 23 March 1931.
  • Maharajkumari Bibi Baqar-un-Nisa
  • Maharajkumari Bibi Sadiq-un-Nisa
  • Nawab Raja Mohammad Amir Ahmed Khan, Khan Bahadur Khan Amirul Omara Saeedul Mulk Muzzafar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula
  • Maharajkumar Mohammed Amir Haider Khan, married Maharajkumari Rani Kaniz Ali, and had issue.
    • Shri Mohammad Amir Kazim Khan, born 29 February 1936 in Mahmudabad, educated at London University, B.A. (Hons.) in History, (1969) and MSc (Politics and Sociology), 1979; Councillor, London Borough of Islington 1982/1986; Vice-Chair, Race Relations sub-Committee; ILEA Teacher Research Fellow, Institute of Education 1982/1986; married 22 September 2000 in London, UK, Anita Khan, and has issue.
      • Yumna Zahra Nadezhda Khan
  • Maharajkumar Mohammed Mahmud Hasan Khan (by second wife), born 12 December 1921, he was granted the estate of Basaha; he married Kunwar Rani Razia Sultan Begum [Razia Shahzadi], daughter of Nawab Sajid Yar Jung Bahadur of Hyderabad, and had issue.
    • Rajkumar Mohammed Amir Naqi Khan, Zamindar of Basaha; Member, Board of Trustees, Shia College, Lucknow; Life member of Anjuman-e-Wazifa Saddat Momineen; Member, Kathak Acharya Lachchu Maharaj Janmotsav Ayojan Samiti; Founder Director Lachchu Maharaj Ballet Centre, U.P.; Member of U.P Tourism Policy and Planning Cell; married Kunwar Rani Kulsum Begum, daughter of Mirza Jawad Ali Baig, and grand daughter of the Late Nawab Raza Yar Jung of Hyderabad (and niece of Salar Jung III), and has issue. (Iqbal Manzil Palace, Wazir Ganj, Lucknow, U.P., India)
      • Kunwar Hussain Abbas Khan
      • Kumari Maliha Khan
      • Kumari Sakina Khan
  • Nawab Raja Mohammad Amir Ahmed Khan, Khan Bahadur Khan, Amirul Omara, Saeedul Mulk Muzzafar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula 1931/1973, born 5 November 1914, educated at Lucknow and then in England, he formed the All India Muslim Students Federation in 1937, served as Honorary Treasurer of the Muslim League for several years, placing all his wealth at its disposal. He migrated to Iraq in 1947 after Independence and later to Pakistan in 1957, but was disillusioned by the political turmoil there; he travelled initially throughout the Middle East and later migrated to the UK, settling down in London where he remained Director of the Islamic Culture Centre from 1968 till his death in 1973; he was an accomplished poet in Urdu and Farsi; he married in 1928, Rani Kaniz Abdi Saheba of Bellehra (collateral branch of the Mahmudabad Royal Family), and had issue. He died 14 October 1973 in London and was buried at Mashhad in Iran. (Mahmudabad House, Clifton Road, Karachi, Pakistan)
    • Rajkumari Amatul Husain Imam
    • Rajkumari Rabab Mehdi
    • Nawab Raja Mohammad Amir Mohammad Khan, Khan Bahadur Khan Amirul Omara Saeedul Mulk Muzzafar Jung Ghanzanfaru-daula educated at Aldenham public school and then went on to Pembrok College Cambridge and then to Imperial College London, married Rani Vijay Mehta, and has issue
      • Rajkumar Mohammed Amir Ahmed Khan, born 1982, educated at La Matinere College, Lucknow and at Winchester College public school in England, keen equestrian and has represented his school in squash
      • Rajkumar Mohammed Amir Hasan Khan, born 1986, educated at Winchester College public school in England, like his brother, he is a keen equestrian and has also represented his school in squash

Other members:

• Raja Kazim Ali Khan, Raja of Belehra, married and had issue.
  • Rajkumar Habib Ali Khan, born 1894 in Bellehra, married 1929 in Lucknow, Munir Fatima, and had issue
    • Kunwar Mohammed Raza Kazim
    • Kunwar Abul-Hasan Kazim
    • Kunwar Baqir Kazim

Raja Mohammad Amir Ahmed Khan, during the freedom struggle, had been an important member of the Muslim League and a close friend of Jinnah. In 1962, he migrated to Pakistan, leaving his young son and heir behind in Lucknow. The vast Mahmudabad properties in UP were then seized as "enemy property" by Government of India under Enemy Properties Act.^[4] When the old raja died in London in 1974, his son Raja Mohammad Amir Khan began a long legal battle to get back his inheritance. In a landmark judgement in Sep 2005, the Supreme Court directed the government to release the Mahmudabad properties and restore them to the present raja. The properties include Butler Palace and large chunks of Hazratganj in Lucknow, the Metropole Hotel in Nainital and much of Sitapur town.^[5]

References

External links

• Naqvi, Saba (13 March 2006). "Suleiman, After Vanvas". Outlook India. Retrieved 19 July 2013. 
• Contractor, Farzana Behram. "The Riyasat of Raja Mehmoodabad". Retrieved 19 July 2013. 
• Zabeeh, Zia-ur-Rahman. "Raja Sahib of Mahmudabad". Retrieved 19 July 2013.