Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji (2 August 1900-7 November 1959) was the last ruling Nawab of the princely state
of Junagadh
in British India from 1911 to 1947. Famed for his extravagance and his love of dogs, his decision to accede his relatively small princely state of Junagadh which was land locked in India
with the Dominion of Pakistan
during partition of India
at Independence which led to the Indian Army
taking military action. He is credited with successfully continuing the pioneering conservation effort which saved the world's last few Asiatic Lion
s, that were by then only left on his territory, from almost certain extinction
.
, the fourth son of HH Nawab Sir Muhammad Rasul Khanji, GCSI (1858–1911; r. 1892-1911). As the fourth son, Mahabat was not expected to succeed to the musnaid of Junagadh; however, following the death of his three elder brothers by the time he was eight, he was made heir apparent, and succeeded his father upon his death in 1911. Mahabat was educated at Mayo College
, and ruled under a regency
until his formal accession on 31 March 1920. The following year, he was raised to a 15-gun personal and local gun salute; in 1926, he was knighted.
, which at the time was on the verge of extinction. The Nawab helped to forestall this by preserving vast tracts of the Gir forest
in order to provide the lions with a stable habitat. He was also interested in animal husbandry, and his efforts in the field served to greatly improve the breeding stock of the local Kathiawadi stallions and of the Gir cows
.
His largesse was not confined to animals, however; during his reign, the Nawab saw the opening of the Willingdon Dam, the construction of the Bahadur Khanji library (named after his ancestor, the first Nawab) and the opening of the Mahabat Khan College.
In 1947, Junagadh was less than 20% Islamic in composition, including the ruler himself. The Nawab decided to accede to Pakistan on 15 August 1947, although the state was surrounded by India on three sides. There was no direct border with Pakistan. Also most of the Muslims, were split between accession to India or Pakistan. With Pakistan's acceptance of Junagadh's accession on 13 September, the Indian government took drastic action, inducing two of the Nawab's vassals to accede to India for recognition as independent states. At the same time, the Congress Party sent political agitators to Junagadh to ferment rebellion against the Nawab, bringing about the downfall of the state administration. Terrified for his family and his life, Mahabat Khanji, his family (including his dogs) and his prime minister, Shah Nawaz Bhutto
, fled by plane to Pakistan on 24 October, never to return.
The Indian Army then took Junagadh on 9 November, installed a new state governor, and called for a public referendum on the status of the state. The referendum, arranged by the Indian government, was held on 20 February 1948; of over 200,000 people who voted, a scant 91 chose Pakistan over India. The following year, on 20 January 1949, Junagadh was merged into the new Indian state of Saurashtra.
, where he died, aged 59 on 17 November 1959 after a 48 year reign. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Dilawar Khanji.
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Junagadh
Junagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
in British India from 1911 to 1947. Famed for his extravagance and his love of dogs, his decision to accede his relatively small princely state of Junagadh which was land locked in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
with the Dominion of Pakistan
Dominion of Pakistan
The Dominion of Pakistan was an independent federal Commonwealth realm in South Asia that was established in 1947 on the partition of British India into two sovereign dominions . The Dominion of Pakistan, which included modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, was intended to be a homeland for the...
during partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
at Independence which led to the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
taking military action. He is credited with successfully continuing the pioneering conservation effort which saved the world's last few Asiatic Lion
Asiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion also known as the Indian lion, Persian lion and Eurasian Lion is a subspecies of lion. The only place in the wild where the lion is found is in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
s, that were by then only left on his territory, from almost certain extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
Early life
Nawabzada Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III was born on 2 August 1900 at JunagadhJunagadh
Junagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,...
, the fourth son of HH Nawab Sir Muhammad Rasul Khanji, GCSI (1858–1911; r. 1892-1911). As the fourth son, Mahabat was not expected to succeed to the musnaid of Junagadh; however, following the death of his three elder brothers by the time he was eight, he was made heir apparent, and succeeded his father upon his death in 1911. Mahabat was educated at 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....
, and ruled under a regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
until his formal accession on 31 March 1920. The following year, he was raised to a 15-gun personal and local gun salute; in 1926, he was knighted.
The Animal-loving Nawab of Junagadh
As Nawab, Mahabat Khanji was (and still is) known for his extreme love of animals, particularly dogs; at one point, the Nawab possessed over 300 canines and would later be much celebrated (and maligned) for spending thousands of rupees on grand birthday and marriage parties for his favourites. However, Mahabat Khanji's love for animals also extended to the regional wildlife, particularly the Asiatic lionAsiatic Lion
The Asiatic lion also known as the Indian lion, Persian lion and Eurasian Lion is a subspecies of lion. The only place in the wild where the lion is found is in the Gir Forest of Gujarat, India...
, which at the time was on the verge of extinction. The Nawab helped to forestall this by preserving vast tracts of the Gir forest
Gir Forest National Park
The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India...
in order to provide the lions with a stable habitat. He was also interested in animal husbandry, and his efforts in the field served to greatly improve the breeding stock of the local Kathiawadi stallions and of the Gir cows
Gir cattle
The Gir or Gyr is one of the principal Zebu breeds originating in India. It has been used locally in the improvement of other breeds including the Red Sindhi and the Sahiwal. It was also one of the breeds used in the development of the Brahman breed in North America...
.
His largesse was not confined to animals, however; during his reign, the Nawab saw the opening of the Willingdon Dam, the construction of the Bahadur Khanji library (named after his ancestor, the first Nawab) and the opening of the Mahabat Khan College.
The Accession Conflict
At the time of Indian independence in 1947, all of the princely states were ordered to accede to either the Dominion of India or the Dominion of Pakistan. Although the majority of the rulers chose to accede to India, several states, including Hyderabad, Kashmir and Junagadh which held minority Muslim populations or were ruled by Muslims, saw a period of dispute over where to go.In 1947, Junagadh was less than 20% Islamic in composition, including the ruler himself. The Nawab decided to accede to Pakistan on 15 August 1947, although the state was surrounded by India on three sides. There was no direct border with Pakistan. Also most of the Muslims, were split between accession to India or Pakistan. With Pakistan's acceptance of Junagadh's accession on 13 September, the Indian government took drastic action, inducing two of the Nawab's vassals to accede to India for recognition as independent states. At the same time, the Congress Party sent political agitators to Junagadh to ferment rebellion against the Nawab, bringing about the downfall of the state administration. Terrified for his family and his life, Mahabat Khanji, his family (including his dogs) and his prime minister, Shah Nawaz Bhutto
Shah Nawaz Bhutto
Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, CIE, OBE, OBI was a politician hailing from Larkana in Sindh province of British India, which is now part of Pakistan.-Early life:Bhutto, the son of Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto, was born into Arain family of Sindh...
, fled by plane to Pakistan on 24 October, never to return.
The Indian Army then took Junagadh on 9 November, installed a new state governor, and called for a public referendum on the status of the state. The referendum, arranged by the Indian government, was held on 20 February 1948; of over 200,000 people who voted, a scant 91 chose Pakistan over India. The following year, on 20 January 1949, Junagadh was merged into the new Indian state of Saurashtra.
Exile and Death
After his exile from Junagadh, Mahabat Khanji and his family settled at KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, where he died, aged 59 on 17 November 1959 after a 48 year reign. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Dilawar Khanji.
Titles
- 1900-1908: Nawabzada Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji
- 1908-1911: Wali Ahad Bahadur Nawabzada Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji
- 1911-1926: His Highness SriSriSri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
Diwan NawabNawabA 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....
Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, NawabNawabA 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....
SahibSahibSahib 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...
of JunagadhJunagadhJunagadh is the headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The city is the 7th largest in Gujarat. The city is located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of state capital Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. The city is in western India. Literally translated,... - 1926-1931: His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, Nawab Sahib of Junagadh, KCSIOrder of the Star of IndiaThe Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion... - 1931-1937: His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, Nawab Sahib of Junagadh, GCIE, KCSI
- 1937-1942: Captain His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, Nawab Sahib of Junagadh, GCIE, KCSI
- 1942-1946: MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, Nawab Sahib of Junagadh, GCIE, KCSI - 1946-1959: ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
His Highness Sri Diwan Nawab Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, Nawab Sahib of Junagadh, GCIE, KCSI
Honours
- Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St JohnVenerable Order of Saint JohnThe Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(GCStJ)-1911 - Delhi Durbar Medal-1911
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI)-1926
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1931
- King George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee MedalThe King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
-1935 - King George VI Coronation MedalKing George VI Coronation MedalThe King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
-1937 - Pakistan Independence Medal-1948