BENGAL, BIHAR and ORISSA (Kingdom)

PRESENT HEAD OF HOUSE:

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Became independent of the Mughal Rulers in 1703, defeated by the British at Plassey, losing their independence. The last Nawab Nazim abdicated and was reduced in status to that of a Zamindar. Rulers were....

• Mirza Muhammed, an Arab by descent and an employee at the court of Azam Shah, married a lady of the Turki tribe of Afshar settled in Khurasan, and had issue.

  • Haji Ahmad Khan, married and had issue.

    • Nawazish Muhammad Khan [Mirza Muhammed Raza], served as the paymaster (bakhshi) of the Nawab's troops and superintendent of customs at Murshidabad, Naib Nazim of Dhaka, married Ghaseti Begum, eldest daughter of Nawab Nazim Ali Verdi Khan (see below). He died sp in December 1755.

    • Sayed Ahmed Khan Saulat Jang, Naib Faujdar of Ghoraghat and Rangpur, Naib Nazim of Purnia, married the 2nd daughter of Nawab Nazim Ali Verdi Khan (see below), and had issue.

      • Shawkat Jang, Naib Nazim of Purnia, was granted the subahdari of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, by the Mughal Emperor. He died 16th October 1756 at Purnia.

    • Zainuddin Ahmed Khan Haibat Jang [Mirza Muhammad Hashim], Naib Nazim of Bihar, married Amina Begum, youngest daughter of Nawab Nazim Ali Verdi Khan (see below), and had issue. He died 1748.

      • Suraj-ud-Dowlah Nawab Nazim Mirza Muhammed Khan (qv)

      • Mirza Mehdi Ikramuddaula, died young of smallpox.

  • Nawab Nazim Ali Verdi Khan [Mirza Muhammed Ali] (qv)

  • Nawab Shah Khanum, married in about 1726, Sujah-ul-Mulk Hisam-ud-Dowlah Nawab Nazim Mir Muhommed Jaffer Khan Bahadur Mahabat Jang (see below)

1. Nawab Nazim MURSHID QULI JAFAR KHAN, 1st Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1703/1727, nothing is known for certain of his family, he became subedar to the Mughal court, diwan and faujdar of Golkonda, later appointed diwan of Bengal in 1701 with the title of Kartalab Khan, he was granted the title of Murshid Quli Khan in 1703, next year he was allowed to rename Moqsudabad in Bengal after himself, Murshidabad, raised to the post of Nazim of Bengal in 1716, granted the titles of Jafar Khan and later Mutamin-ul-Mulk Ala-ud-daula Jafar Khan Nasiri Nasir Jang Bahadur, and his rank was also raised to 7000. He transferred the capital of the province from Dhaka to Murshidabad in 1717, married and had issue. He died 30th June 1727.

   • Zinatunnissa Begum, married Nawab Nazim Shujauddin Muhammed Khan (qv)

2. Nawab Nazim SHUJA UDDIN MUHAMMED KHAN, 2nd Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1727/1739, he was granted the title of Mutaman-i-Mulk Shujauddaula Asad Jang from the Mughal Emperor, he was an impartial and just ruler, kind and liberal to his officials, married Zinatunissa Begum, and had issue. He died in 1739 and was buried in the garden called Farahbag at Murshidabad.

   • Nawab Nazim Sarfraz Khan (by Zinatunissa) (qv)

   • Mirza Muhammad Taqi, Naib Nazim of Orissa.

   • Durdana Begum, married Rustam Jang Murshid Quli Khan II, Naib Nazim of Dhaka and later of Orissa, and had issue. He might have died as a fugitive in the Deccan.

     • Daughter, married Mirza Aga Bakar, Persian Noble and Zamindar of Salimabad, died 1754, and had issue.

       • Mirza Aga Sadeq

3. Nawab Nazim ALAUDDIN HAIDAR JANG SARFRAZ KHAN, 3rd Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1739/1740, Diwan of Bengal, died 6th April 1740 at Giria.

4. Nawab Nazim ALI VERDI KHAN, 4th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1740/1756, appointed as the superintendent of the filkhana (elephant stables) and was also given charge of the zardozkhana (department of embroidered clothes), appointed faujdar of the chakla Akbarnagar (rajmahal) in 1728 and was invested with the title of 'Aliverdi', appointed Naib Nazim of Bihar in 1733, was granted the title of Mahabat Jang and the rank of panch hazari mansabdar, received from Emperor Muhammad Shah the recognition of his authority as the subahdar of Bengal along with the titles of Shuja-ul-mulk and Husamuddaula (the valorous of the state and the sword of the empire), married Sharifunnisa Begum (amongst others), and had issue. He died 9th April 1756 aged about 80.

   • Ghaseti Begum [Mihrunissa], married Nawazish Muhammad Khan (see above). She died sp in 1760, drowned in the Buriganga River.

   • (name unknown) Begum, married Shawkat Jang (see above).

   • Amina Begum, married Zainuddin Ahmed Khan and had issue (see below). She died 1760, drowned in the Buriganga River.

5. Suraj-ud-Dowlah Nawab Nazim Mirza MUHAMMED KHAN, 5th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1756/1757 (grandson), born 1733, Naib Nazim of Bihar, he was cruel and profligate, being offended with the English for giving protection to a native official who had escaped with treasure from Dacca, he attacked and took Calcutta on the 20th of June 1756. Calcutta was retaken by Clive and Admiral Watson on the 2nd of January 1757, and on the 23rd of June, Suraj-ud-Dowlah, routed at Plassey, fled to Rajmahal, where he was captured. He married 1stly, August 1746 Umdatunnisa (Bahu Begum), daughter of Mirza Iraj Khan, married 2ndly, Lutfunissa Begum, originally a Hindu slave girl called Rajkunwar, who was in the service of Amina Begum, died November 1790, and had issue. He was put to death on the 4th of July 1757 at Murshidabad, by order of Miran, son of Mir Jafar, who had conspired against Suraj-ud-Dowlah and had been present at Plassey without taking part in the battle, and is buried at Khushbagh along with his favourite wife, Lutfunnisa Begum.

   • Zohra Begum (by Lutfunissa), born 1753, married Mir Asad Ali Khan, and had issue, four daughters. She died 1774.

6. Sujah-ul-Mulk Hisam-ud-Dowlah Nawab Nazim Mir MUHOMMED JAFFER Khan Bahadur Mahabat Jang, 6th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1757/1760 and 1763/1765, 2nd son of Syed Ahmad Najafi, born 1691, became Commander-in-Chief of Bengal in 1740 with the title of ‘Khan Bahadur’, in 1744 for his valour and bravery in the Mahratta war, he was raised to the rank of the commander of four thousand horse, in addition to his Commander-in-Chief, became Naib Subahdar (Deputy Governor) of Orissa and collector of revenue and magistrate of Midnapur and Hijli in 1746, he married (amongst others), (a) Munni Begum, died 10th January 1813, aged 97, married (b), in about 1726 (Senior Wife) Nawab Shah Khanum (step-sister of Ali Verdi Khan), married (c), Bubbu Begum, and had issue. He died 17th January 1765.

   • Nasir-ul-Mulk Ala-u-Dowlah Nawab Mir Muhommed Sadik Ali Khan (Miran), died 2nd July 1760 (killed by lightning).

   • Sujah-ul-Mulk Najimuddaula Nawab Nazim Mir Najimuddin Ali Khan Bahadur Mahabat Jang (by Muni Begum) (qv)

   • Saif-ul-Mulk Saifuddaula Nawab Nazim Syed Najabut Ali Khan Bahadur Shahamut Jang (by Muni Begum) (qv)

   • Syed Ashrab Ali Khan, he died sp of smallpox.

   • Mutamun-ul-Mulk Mubarakuddaula Nawab Syed Mubarak Ali Khan Bahadur Feroze Jang (by Bubbu Begum) (qv)

Nasir-ul-Mulk Imtiaz-u-Dowlah Nawab Nazim Mir MUHOMMED QASIM ALI KHAN Bahadur Nasirat Jang, Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1760/1763, married a daughter of his predecessor and died in obscurity about 1777 in Delhi.

7. Sujah-ul-Mulk Najimuddaula Nawab Nazim NAJIMUDDIN ALI KHAN Bahadur Mahabat Jang, 7th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1765/1766, born 1750, died sp on 3rd May 1766 unmarried, buried in the Jaffraganj cemetery.

8. Saif-ul-Mulk Saifuddaula Nawab Nazim Syed NAJABUT ALI KHAN Bahadur Shahamut Jang, 8th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1766/1770, died sp in March 1770.

9. Mutamun-ul-Mulk Mubarakuddaula Nawab Syed MUBARAK ALI KKHAN Bahadur Feroze Jang, 9th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1770/1793, born 1759, married (amongst others), (a), Fais-un-nissa Begum, also called Walida Begum and had issue 12 sons and 13 daughters. He died 6th September 1793 and was buried in Jaffraganj Cemetery.

   • Nasir-ul-Mulk Azud-u-Dowlah Nawab Syed Baber Ali Khan Bahadur Delir Jang (eldest, son of Fais-un-nissa Begum) (qv)

   • Nawab Mangli Abdul Kasim Khan Bahadur (second son), married and had issue.

     • Mir Safdar Ali Khan, married and had issue.

       • Shuja-ul-Mulk Asafuddaula Nawab Bahadur Syed Zainulabidin Khan Bahadur Firuz Jang, born 8th December 1838, Nawab Bahadur [cr.1867] (personal distinction only).

10. Nasir-ul-Mulk Azud-u-Dowlah Nawab Syed BABER ALI KHAN Bahadur Delir Jang Baber Jang, 10th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1793/1810, married and had issue. He died 28th April 1810.

    • Nawab Sujah-ul-Mulk Mubarakuddaula Ali Jah Nawab Syed Muhommed Zainulabdin Khan Bahadur Feroze Jang (qv)

    • Burhan-ul-Mulk Ihtishamuddaula Walah Jah Nawab Syed Ahmad Ali Khan Bahadur Mahabat Jang (qv)

11. Nawab Sujah-ul-Mulk Mubarakuddaula Ali Jah Nawab Syed MUHOMMED ZAINULABDIN KHAN Bahadur Feroze Jang, 11th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1810/1821, married and had issue, three daughters. He died 6th August 1821.

    • Rais-un-nissa Begum, married 1826 Sujah-ul-Mulk Ihtishamuddaula Humayun Jah Nawab Syed Mubarak Ali Khan Bahadur Feroze Jang (her cousin, see below).

12. Burhan-ul-Mulk Ihtishamuddaula Walah Jah Nawab Syed AHMAD ALI KHAN Bahadur Mahabat Jang, 12th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1821/1824, married and had issue, one son. He died 30th October 1824.

    • Sujah-ul-Mulk Ihtishamuddaula Humayun Jah Nawab Syed Mubarak Ali Khan Bahadur Feroze Jang (qv)

13. Sujah-ul-Mulk Ihtishamuddaula Humayun Jah Nawab Syed MUBARAK ALI KHAN Bahadur Feroze Jang, 13th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1824/1838, born 1810, awarded Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, with the Insignia, by King William IV of Great Britain, married 1826 Rais-un-nissa Begum (daughter of Nawab Ali Jah) and had issue, one son and one daughter. He died 3rd October 1838.

    • Nawab Nazim Mutizum-ul-Mulk, Muhsinuddaula Feradun Jah Syed Mansur Ali Khan Bahadur Nasirat Jang (qv)

    • Sultana Satiara Begum

14. HH Nawab Nazim Mutizum-ul-Mulk Muhsinuddaula Feradun Jah Syed MANSUR ALI KHAN Bahadur Nasirat Jang, 14th Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 1838/1880 (abdicated), born in October 1830, upon his abdication he received the lesser title of Nawab Bahadur and was denied the use of the qualification of His Highness, married Shams i Jehan Begum, died 1905, Gaddinashin Begum of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa; two concubines, Malika Zamani and Shah-un nisa, were elevated to the status of wives after investigation by the British Authorities, in England he 'married' a further two wives, Sarah Vennell and Julia Lewis, and had issue, over 100 children, most by informal liaisons, married 1stly, Shams i Jehan Begum, died 1905, married 2ndly, Malika Zamani Begum, married 3rdly, Shah-un-nissa Begum, married 4thly, Sarah Vennell, married 5thly (bigamously), Julia Lewis. He died 1884.

    • Kurshid Qadar Nawab Bahadur Syed Iskander Ali Mirza, Sultan Saheb (by the Gaddinashin Begum), married and had issue. He died before 1902.

      • Syed Nadir Ali Mirza, married and had issue.

        • Syed Hassan Ali Mirza

      • Syed Mohammad Fateh Ali Mirza, married (amongst others), Dilshaid Begum and had issue.

        • Qumar Taj Begum, born 1902, married 1stly, Hashim Rahmatullah, married 2ndly, 1938 in Bihar, Syed Zainuddin Hossain Meerza, Nawab of Khagra. She died 1971.

        • Syed Iskander Mirza, born 15th November 1899, 4th Governor-General of Pakistan 1955/1956, 1st President of Pakistan 1956/1958, educated at Elphinstone College, and at Sandhurst Academy in England for army training in 1918, inducted into the British Indian Army in 1919, joined the Indian Political Service in 1926 and was posted as Assistant Commissioner in North West Frontier Province. He was promoted to District Officer in 1931. He served the Ministry of Defense, Government of India, as a Joint Secretary, appointed as the first Defense Secretary of Pakistan at the time of Independence, serving for seven years, appointed Governor in May 1954. From October 1954 to August 1955, he served as the Interior Minister, and then as the Minister of States and Frontier Regions in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra. Assumed the post of acting Governor General on 7th August 1955, elected as the first President of Pakistan the following year. He married 1stly, Begum Iskander Mirza [née Rifaat Shirazi], married 2ndly, Begum Nahid Afkhamy, and had issue. He died 13th November 1969.

          • Syed Humayun Mirza (by 1st marriage), born 9th December 1928 in Poona, India, educated at the Doon School then college in England and graduated with a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Harvard. Held senior Management positions at the World Bank where he worked for 30 years culminating as Senior Adviser to the Vice President, author of "From Plassey to Pakistan", married 1stly (div.) Josephine Hildreth [Dodie Begum], daughter of Horace A. Hildreth, US Ambassador to Pakistan 1953/1957, married 2ndly, Marilia, and has issue, two daughters.

            • Zareen Mirza (by first marriage)

            • Samia Mirza (by second marriage)