Khan Bahadur – a compound of Khan "Leader" and Bahadur "Brave" – was an honorary title in British India conferred on Indian subjects who were adherents of Islam or Zoroastrianism. The equivalent title for Hindus, Buddhists and Indian Christians was Rao Bahadur/Rai Bahadur and Sardar Bahadur for Sikhs. The title of Khan Bahadur was one degree higher than the title of Khan Sahib.
| Khan Bahadur | |
|---|---|
 Title Badge for Khan Bahadur | |
| Type | Civilian Honour |
| Country |  British India |
| Presented by | .svg){kind=small} Viceroy of India |
| Eligibility | Muslim Indian, Zoroastrian Indian |
| Status | Discontinued (since 1947) |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Nawab Bahadur |
| Equivalent | Rao Bahadur Sardar Bahadur |
| Next (lower) | Khan Sahib |
The title was conferred on individuals for faithful service or acts of public welfare to the British Empire. Recipients were entitled to prefix the title to their name and were presented with a special Title Badge and a citation (Sanad). It was conferred on behalf of the Government of British India by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.[1]
Awarding of the Khan Bahadur title was discontinued in 1947 upon the independence of India.[2]
The title "Khan Bahadur" was originally conferred in Mughal India on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by British India for the same purpose and extended to cover other non-Hindu subjects of India. Hindu subjects of British India were conferred the title of "Rai Bahadur".
Recipients
edit
The following is an incomplete chronological list of selected recipients:
- 1881: Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh[3] C.I.E, Former Chief Justice of Hyderabad State, Founder of Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library
- Raja Mir Syed Muhammad Baquar Ali Khan C.I.E. of Morni, Kotaha and Pindrawal
- 1887: Nawab Sirjaul Islam[4]
- 1886: Khan Bahadur Fazal Husain Khan, District Superintendent of Police, Bareily, Uttar Pradesh
- 1891: Mian Ghulam Farid Khan Bahadur, former Extra-Assistant Commissioner in Punjab and Honorary Magistrate of Batala.[5]
- Khan Bahadur Khalifullah Rowther Sahib, Dewan of Pudukkottai State
- 1898: Khan Bahadur Humayun Beg Wazir of Hunza.[6]
- 1903: Khan Bahadur Din Muhammad, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Kasur, in the Lahore District of the Punjab.[7]
- 1905: Muhammad Habibullah was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur by the Indian government[8]
- 1912: Khan Bahadur Sayed Rustom Ali (Registrar, Court of the Political Resident, Aden).[9]
- 1912: Khan Bahadur Nadir Husain, District Superintendent of Police, Bengal.[10]
- 1914: Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hira Khan (Civil Engineer from University of Roorkee (Gold Medalist); Supervisor, Public Works Department, Lucknow, United Provinces.[11]
- 1915: Khan Bahadur Atta Ullah Khan Tarar, Kolo Tarar Hafizabad, former Muslim member of the Council of State from the undivided Punjab.
- 1918: Khan Bahadur Sir Nawab Shah Jahan Khan, Was the Nawab of Dir (princely state), He became the Khan Bahadur in 1918)
- 1919: Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hussain Khan Swati, 5th Chief of Swati tribe.[12]
- 1923: Khan Bahadur Mian Muhammad Said, Bar-at-law, British-Indian Police and Minister in Royal State of Kapurthala.[13]
- 1925: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Gada Husain, (retired) Deputy Collector, United Provinces.[14][15]
- 1925: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Alimuzzaman Chaudhuri. M.L.C. Landholder and Chairman, District Board and Municipality, Faridpur.[16]
- 1929: Khan Bahadur Major General Fateh Naseeb Khan, Senapati, Alwar State, Rajputana
- 1930: Khan Bahadur Syed Niaz Qutb (also spelled as Qutab), Postmaster General.[17][18][19][20]
- 1931: Khan Bahadur Chaudhary Karam Elahi Chattha, Ahmed Nagar Wazirabad, Chief of Chattha, former Zaildar Gujaranwala undivided Punjab.
- 1932: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Muhammad Fazlul Karim, Magistrate, collector, and administrator of Refugees, Bengal.[21]
- 1933: Khan Bahadur Chaudhry Irshadullah Ranjha, Kot Sher Muhammad, Chief of Kirana Bar, MLA Member Punjab Legislative Assembly, former Zaildar Gujarat undivided Punjab.
- 1934: Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman Khan, Divisional Inspector of Schools.[22]
- 1935: Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman Khan, Divisional Inspector of Schools.[22]
- 1936: Khan Bahadur Khalifa Mohammad Asadullah, the first Muslim and second Indian to run the Imperial Library of the Raj in Calcutta and the first Indian to become a fellow of the Library Association, London.[23][24]
- 1937: Sheikh Abdullah (1874–1965), Indian educationalist, social reformer, lawyer, and the founder of Women's College, Aligarh.[25][26]
- 1938: Khan Bahadur Waliur Rahman, Planter and Proprietor of several tea gardens in Duars, Assam.[27]
- 1939: Khan Bahadur Muhammad Humayun, District Collector 1937-1939, ICS - Nellore.[28]
- 1940: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Muhammad Yahya, (retired) Deputy Magistrate, Deputy Collector and Chief Manager, Dacca Nawab Estate.[29]
- 1941: Khan Bahadur Syed Abdur Rauf, MLA,Lawyer, Calcutta, Howrah.
- 1942: Khan Bahadur Yousof Hossain Chaudhury, Vice-President, District School Board, Faridpur.[30] [19] [The chieftains of Punjab] [The Gazette of Attock 1970].
- 1943: Khan Bahadur Aziz al-Hasan Ghouri[31]
- 1944: Al Haj Nawab Jam Kambhu Khan Chief of Samma (title of Nawab, Khan Bahadur, swords of honour), Khan Sahib Jam Mitha Khan (Khan Bahadur, Chief, Sanghar), Nawab Jam Jan Muhammad Khan (Member Legislative Assembly, title of Nawab, Sardar Bahadur, Khan Bahadur, OBE) S/O Jam Sharif Khan S/O Jam Nawaz Ali Khan who was the Nawab of the Samma and Junejo Tribes.
- 1946: Lieutenant Colonel Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hassan Khan (1900–1948), He belonged to Rasulpur near Domeli near Jehlum. He served in the British Royal Army during both World Wars, and the Pakistan Army in the 4th Battalion of Engineers Regiment. First Director General Survey of Pakistan. Appointed by Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He died on 21 December 1948. His son Lieutenant Colonel Qurban Hassan Khan (Late), 18th PMA Long Course, Chief Instructor Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), later adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. His grandson Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Hassan Khan serves in the Pakistani Army.
- Zoroastrian recipients
- Khan Bahadur Ardeshir Irani, director of first Indian talkie picture Alam Ara.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ H. Taprell Dorling. (1956). Ribbons and Medals. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. p. 111.
- ^ Sharma, B. K. Introduction to the Constitution of India, published by Prentice-Hall, India, 2007, ISBN 8120332466, p. 83.
- ^ "Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library".
- ^ Sirajul Islam; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Islam, Nawab Sirajul". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. OL 30677644M. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Who's Who in India. Newal Kishore Press, Lucknow. 1911.
- ^ "Grant of the title of Khan Bahadur to Humayun Beg Wazir of Hunza". Foreign Department. February 1898.
- ^ Sanad dated 1 January 1903, signed in Delhi by Viceroy and Governor General of India, Lord Curzon
- ^ Aḥmad Saʻīd (1997). Muslim India, 1857–1947: a biographical dictionary. Institute of Pakistan Historical Research. p. 144.
- ^ Bahadur, R. (1912). Who's who in India - Supplement. Рипол Классик. ISBN 9785872301257.
- ^ Second Supplement to Who's Who in India. Lucknow Newul Kishore Press. 1914
- ^ Second Supplement of Who's Who in India brought up to 1914. Lucknow Newul Kishore Press. 1914. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Alt URL
- ^ "Hazara Gazetteer 1907, page 27". Internet archive.
- ^ P, Kabad: Waman. Indian Who's who. Yeshanand & Company.
- ^ "The Gazette of India Extraordinary, Jan 1st 1925". The Gazette of India: 6–7. 1925.
- ^ "The New Year's Honours List". The Civil and Military Gazette. 1 January 1925. pp. 3–4.
- ^ The Quarterly Civil List for Bengal. Corrected up to 1st April 1930. Appendix. Part II. List of Title-Holders and Recipients of Decorations, etc., in Bengal. Page No. 67
- ^ Report of the Committee of Bengal Chamber of Commerce, published in year 1931. Proceedings of the Annual General Meeting 1932, i to xxi. Bengal Chamber of Commerce, India. 1931.
- ^ The India Office and Burma Office List ... Harrison and sons, Limited. 1920. p. 29.
- ^ The India Office and Burma Office List ... Harrison and sons, Limited. 1928. p. 950.
- ^ Vārshika Riporṭa. Department of India Posts and Telegraphs, British Government of India. 1929.
- ^ Government of Bengal. The Bengal Civil List (Published annually). Corrected up to 1 July 1944. No. 279. Part II - List of Persons in Bengal Holding Titles Conferred or Recognized by His Excellency The Viceroy. Page 443
- ^ a b Chowdhury, Saifuddin. "Khan, Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman1". Banglapedia. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ Patel, Jashu; Kumar, Krishan (2001). Libraries and Librarianship in India. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780313294235.
- ^ "Khan Bahadur Khalifa Muhammad Asadullah: A Pioneer of Library Movement in South Asia" (PDF). Pakistani Librarian.
- ^ "The Other Sheikh Abdullah". 24 September 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
- ^ "Aligarh Muslim University || Halls". www.amu.ac.in.
- ^ The Bengal Civil List (Published half yearly) corrected up to 1 January 1937; Appendix – List of Title-Holders and Recipients of Decorations, etc. Page 696
- ^ Government of Madras (2004). Gazetteer of the Nellore District: Brought Upto 1938. Asian Educational Services. p. 254. ISBN 978-81-206-1851-0.
- ^ Government of Bengal. The Bengal Civil List (Published annually). Corrected up to 1 July 1944. No. 279. Part II - List of Persons in Bengal Holding Titles Conferred or Recognized by His Excellency The Viceroy. Page 444
- ^ Government of Bengal. The Bengal Civil List
- 1944: "Khan Bahadur Sardar Aurangzeb", the Rais of Malal, As an Assistant Commissioner in the Indian Civil Services. (Published annually). Corrected up to 1 July 1944. No. 279. Part II - List of Persons in Bengal Holding Titles Conferred or Recognized by His Excellency The Viceroy. Page 445
- ^ Proceedings of the joint sitting of the two chambers of the United Provinces Legislature. Official report. Vol. 16. United Provinces of Agra and Oudh (India). Legislature. 1940. p. 29. OCLC 15722918.
Khan Babadur Khwaja Azizul Hasan Ghori, B.A., Inspector of Schools, Allahabad