Kurwai State
Encyclopedia
The ruling house founded in 1713 by Muhammad Diler Khan, an Afghan adventurer of the Firuz-Khel clan, of the Orakzai
tribe. A contemporary and cousin of Nawab Dost Muhammad Khan
of Bhopal, Diler Khan, seized Kurwai and several surrounding villages. He received high appointments and titles from the Emperor, but ultimately lost his life in a quarrel with his former comrade-in-arms.
Nawab Izzat Khan, the eldest surviving son of Diler Khan, succeeded his father and enjoyed an equally distinguished military career. He joined forces with the Marathas
and augmented his father's conquests, eventually serving at the disastrous third Battle of Panipat
in 1761. Severely wounded in action, rescued and nursed back to health after his maternal uncle had recognised him on the field. After his recovery, he joined Ahmad Shah Abdali, receiving high commands, titles and lands. He returned to Kurwai full of honours, but eventually succumbed to his wounds.
Nawab Hurmut Khan, son of Izzat, succeeded to his father's inheritance
but soon fell foul of his Maratha allies. He spent three years in prison, enduring torture
and ill treatment as they attempted to extort territory and treasure from him. He eventually gave in, ceding several villages and agreeing to an indemnity
of Rs 3 lakhs. The incident rankled and he soon set about searching for new allies. He soon found common cause with the rising British power, hoping that their victory over the Marathas would result in the restoration of lost territory. They disappointed him by annexing those territories along with their other conquests.
The successors of Hurmut Khan ruled their tiny state, largely in peace and quiet. The male line died out when Nawab Muzaffar Khan and his brother Nawab Najaf Khan, both died without leaving surviving sons. After an unseemly tussle with the Nawab of Basoda over the succession, the musnaid was settled on Munawar 'Ali Khan, grandson of Najaf Khan, through his eldest daughter. Nawab Munawar also died without issue, whence the throne passed to his younger brother, Yaqub 'Ali Khan.
Nawab Yaqub 'Ali Khan married his widowed sister-in-law, by whom he produced an only son and four daughters. He died at the relatively early age of thirty, from a mastoid while visiting to Bhopal. His only son, Nawab Sarwar Ali Khan, succeeded aged only four years. The Government of India
appointed a regency council
under the Nawab's redoubtable mother, Umar un-nisa. Together with her British advisers, she not only arranged to prepare her son with and advanced education but also began a programme to transform the administration. Almost no part of it escaped her eagle eye, least of all the suffering of the meanest agricultural class amongst her son's subjects. Known to all as "Sarkar Amma" or Mother of the Government, she established welfare institutions, a rural bank providing interest-free loans and the distribution of seed.
Nawab Sarwar Ali Khan and his sisters received a liberal education
, far removed from anything that their ancestors had enjoyed. He studied at both the Daly College
at Indore
and Mayo College
in Ajmer
, then went as a cadet to Sandhurst. Passing-out in 1921 he received his commission in the Worcestershires, serving with them until his mother demanded his return to assume ruling powers in 1923. At one point, his regimental duties included the guarding of Mahatma Gandhi
, during one of his frequent spells in British custody. Three years later he was married to the Heiress of the larger and more prosperous sister state of Bhopal. The marriage agreement included the stipulation that the eldest son of the marriage would succeed to Bhopal. As matters ensued, the marriage proved not to be a happy one. An only son, Shaharyar Muhammad Khan, was born in 1934. The Royal couple then parted, the Nawab
taking other wives and eventually producing a new family.
Throughout his reign, Sarwar Ali Khan sought to emulate his mother and devote himself to the welfare of his people. He transformed the little state by building new roads, bridges, government offices, schools, courts and police stations, a civil hospital, powerhouse and gaol. He improved sanitation
and installing a telephone network throughout the state. He paid particular attention to creating a modern system of administration and government, eventually setting up a Legislative Assembly, a rare thing indeed amongst the smaller princely states of India. He saw out the transfer of power in 1947, but remained in India throughout his life, involving himself with the welfare of his people for many years. He was a staunch supporter of social reform and strove hard to encourage greater acceptance of the excluded caste
s. A friend of the Harijan
leader, Jagjeevan Ram, he publicly supported their increased participation in the political process and campaigned against the dowry
system and forced marriage
. He died in 1986, greatly missed and sincerely mourned by his former subjects, twenty-three years after his revered mother had made the same journey.
In accordance with the agreement made at his first marriage to the Bhopal princess, the headship of the Kurwai family passed Sarwar Ali Khan's eldest son by his third wife, Nawab Zafar 'Ali Khan.
Orakzai
Orakzai is a Pashtun tribe settled in the Orakzai Agency of Pakistan. It consists of eighteen clans. Most of the members are situated in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.-Location:...
tribe. A contemporary and cousin of Nawab Dost Muhammad Khan
Dost Mohammad Khan, Nawab of Bhopal
Dost Mohammad Khan was the founder of the Bhopal State in central India. He laid out the modern city of Bhopal, the capital of the Madhya Pradesh state....
of Bhopal, Diler Khan, seized Kurwai and several surrounding villages. He received high appointments and titles from the Emperor, but ultimately lost his life in a quarrel with his former comrade-in-arms.
Nawab Izzat Khan, the eldest surviving son of Diler Khan, succeeded his father and enjoyed an equally distinguished military career. He joined forces with the Marathas
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
and augmented his father's conquests, eventually serving at the disastrous third Battle of Panipat
Third battle of Panipat
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat , about 60 miles north of Delhi between a northern expeditionary force of the Maratha Confederacy and a coalition of the King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Abdali with 2 Indian Muslim allies—the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab, and the...
in 1761. Severely wounded in action, rescued and nursed back to health after his maternal uncle had recognised him on the field. After his recovery, he joined Ahmad Shah Abdali, receiving high commands, titles and lands. He returned to Kurwai full of honours, but eventually succumbed to his wounds.
Nawab Hurmut Khan, son of Izzat, succeeded to his father's inheritance
Inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
but soon fell foul of his Maratha allies. He spent three years in prison, enduring torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
and ill treatment as they attempted to extort territory and treasure from him. He eventually gave in, ceding several villages and agreeing to an indemnity
Indemnity
An indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnitor may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnitee...
of Rs 3 lakhs. The incident rankled and he soon set about searching for new allies. He soon found common cause with the rising British power, hoping that their victory over the Marathas would result in the restoration of lost territory. They disappointed him by annexing those territories along with their other conquests.
The successors of Hurmut Khan ruled their tiny state, largely in peace and quiet. The male line died out when Nawab Muzaffar Khan and his brother Nawab Najaf Khan, both died without leaving surviving sons. After an unseemly tussle with the Nawab of Basoda over the succession, the musnaid was settled on Munawar 'Ali Khan, grandson of Najaf Khan, through his eldest daughter. Nawab Munawar also died without issue, whence the throne passed to his younger brother, Yaqub 'Ali Khan.
Nawab Yaqub 'Ali Khan married his widowed sister-in-law, by whom he produced an only son and four daughters. He died at the relatively early age of thirty, from a mastoid while visiting to Bhopal. His only son, Nawab Sarwar Ali Khan, succeeded aged only four years. The Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
appointed a regency council
Regency Council
right|thumb|Regency Council: Ostrowski, Kakowski, LubomirskiThe Regency Council of the Kingdom of Poland was a semi-independent and temporary highest authority during World War I, formed by Germany and Austria-Hungary in the occupied Polish territories in September 1917. It was supposed to stay...
under the Nawab's redoubtable mother, Umar un-nisa. Together with her British advisers, she not only arranged to prepare her son with and advanced education but also began a programme to transform the administration. Almost no part of it escaped her eagle eye, least of all the suffering of the meanest agricultural class amongst her son's subjects. Known to all as "Sarkar Amma" or Mother of the Government, she established welfare institutions, a rural bank providing interest-free loans and the distribution of seed.
Nawab Sarwar Ali Khan and his sisters received a liberal education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, far removed from anything that their ancestors had enjoyed. He studied at both the Daly College
Daly College
The Daly College, located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, was founded by Sir Henry Daly of the British Indian Army during India's colonial British Raj. It was established in 1881, and is one of the oldest co-educational boarding school in the world....
at Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
and Mayo College
Mayo College
Mayo College is a public school founded by the 6th Earl of Mayo, who was Viceroy of India from 1869 to 1872.The school is located in Ajmer, in the state of Rajasthan, India....
in Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer , formerly written as Ajmere, is a city in Ajmer District in Rajasthan state in India. Ajmer has a population of around 800,000 , and is located west of the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur, 200 km from Jodhpur, 274 km from Udaipur, 439 km from Jaisalmer, and 391 km from...
, then went as a cadet to Sandhurst. Passing-out in 1921 he received his commission in the Worcestershires, serving with them until his mother demanded his return to assume ruling powers in 1923. At one point, his regimental duties included the guarding of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, during one of his frequent spells in British custody. Three years later he was married to the Heiress of the larger and more prosperous sister state of Bhopal. The marriage agreement included the stipulation that the eldest son of the marriage would succeed to Bhopal. As matters ensued, the marriage proved not to be a happy one. An only son, Shaharyar Muhammad Khan, was born in 1934. The Royal couple then parted, the 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....
taking other wives and eventually producing a new family.
Throughout his reign, Sarwar Ali Khan sought to emulate his mother and devote himself to the welfare of his people. He transformed the little state by building new roads, bridges, government offices, schools, courts and police stations, a civil hospital, powerhouse and gaol. He improved sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
and installing a telephone network throughout the state. He paid particular attention to creating a modern system of administration and government, eventually setting up a Legislative Assembly, a rare thing indeed amongst the smaller princely states of India. He saw out the transfer of power in 1947, but remained in India throughout his life, involving himself with the welfare of his people for many years. He was a staunch supporter of social reform and strove hard to encourage greater acceptance of the excluded caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s. A friend of the Harijan
Harijan
Harijan was a term used by Gandhi for Dalits. Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God...
leader, Jagjeevan Ram, he publicly supported their increased participation in the political process and campaigned against the dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
system and forced marriage
Forced marriage
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will...
. He died in 1986, greatly missed and sincerely mourned by his former subjects, twenty-three years after his revered mother had made the same journey.
In accordance with the agreement made at his first marriage to the Bhopal princess, the headship of the Kurwai family passed Sarwar Ali Khan's eldest son by his third wife, Nawab Zafar 'Ali Khan.