Murtaza Ali Khan Bahadur
Encyclopedia
Nawab Sayyid Murtaza Ali Khan Bahadur (22 November 1923-8 February 1982) was the titular Nawab of Rampur from 1966 to his death in 1982, succeeding his father, Raza Ali Khan Bahadur.
in Britain and at St.Stephen's College in New Delhi. In 1943, Murtaza was commissioned into the British Indian Army and served as an aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, India
, General (later Field-Marshal) Sir Claude Auchinleck
. He was promoted to Captain in 1946 and in that year was made the Brigadier of the Rampur State Forces. Also that year, Murtaza was appointed an MBE.
From 1946 until Independence, Murtaza served as the Minister of the Army for Rampur State and as the Minister for the Household, Education and Public Works until 1949 when Rampur State formally merged with India.
. It is an interesting historical fact that Murtaza Ali contested an election from Rampur opposite his own mother Rafat Jamani Begum in 1972 and won. In 1971, the Indira Gandhi regime stripped Nawab Murtaza and his fellow former rulers of what little rights they had left, formally ending Nawab Murtaza's standing as a monarch.
Murtaza Ali Khan was arrested in 1990s for smuggling charges for smuggling banned goods from Pakistan where his daughter was married and lived.
.
Early life
Sayyid Murtaza Ali Khan Bahadur was born on 22 November 1923 at the Rafat Mahal, Khasbagh Palace in Rampur, the eldest son of Nawabzada (Crown Prince) Raza Ali Khan Bahadur. At the time, Murtaza's grandfather Hamid Ali Khan Bahadur was the Nawab. Upon his grandfather's death in 1930, Murtaza's father became Nawab of Rampur and Murtaza became the heir apparent. He received a strong education, first at the Doon School in Dehradun, then at Wellington CollegeWellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
in Britain and at St.Stephen's College in New Delhi. In 1943, Murtaza was commissioned into the British Indian Army and served as an aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
, General (later Field-Marshal) Sir Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
. He was promoted to Captain in 1946 and in that year was made the Brigadier of the Rampur State Forces. Also that year, Murtaza was appointed an MBE.
From 1946 until Independence, Murtaza served as the Minister of the Army for Rampur State and as the Minister for the Household, Education and Public Works until 1949 when Rampur State formally merged with India.
Titular Nawab of Rampur
Following the death of his father in 1966, Murtaza succeeded as titular Nawab of Rampur. From 1969 until 1971, he served as a member in the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly, as well as an MP in the Lok SabhaLok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
. It is an interesting historical fact that Murtaza Ali contested an election from Rampur opposite his own mother Rafat Jamani Begum in 1972 and won. In 1971, the Indira Gandhi regime stripped Nawab Murtaza and his fellow former rulers of what little rights they had left, formally ending Nawab Murtaza's standing as a monarch.
Personal life
In 1943, Murtaza married Her Highness Nawab Aftab Dulhan Sakina uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba of Pirpur (11 September 1928-3 August 1993) the daughter of a minor chieftain. The couple had a son and a daughter:- 1. Nawabzada Syed Muhammad 'Ali Khan Bahadur, who became a US citizen and married thrice, having issue by his third wife Jeeva Varghese:
- 1. Nawabzadi Zohra Begum Sahiba (5 August 2000-)
- 2. Nawabzada Syed Akbar 'Ali Khan (30 November 2001-)
- 2.Nawabzadi Murtazai Begum Sahiba, who married Sayyid Intikhab Hyder Abadi and had three daughters:
- 1. Sayyida Narqis Abadi
- 2. Sayyida Nida Abadi
- 3. Sayyida Sana Abadi
Murtaza Ali Khan was arrested in 1990s for smuggling charges for smuggling banned goods from Pakistan where his daughter was married and lived.
Last Years
From 1966 to 1975, Nawab Murtaza served as President of the Raza Rampur Library Trust. He became a vice-chairman on its board of trustees in 1975 and remained in that capacity until his death on 8 February 1982 after a 16-year reign, aged 58. As his son had become a US citien and had therefore forfeited his rights as Heir Apparent, Nawab Murtaza was succeeded as titular Nawab of Rampur by his younger brother, Sayyid Zulfikar Ali Khan BahadurZulfikar Ali Khan Bahadur
Major Nawab Sayyid Zulfikar Ali Khan Bahadur was an Indian politician and army officer who ruled as titular Nawab of Rampur from 1982 to 1992, succeeding his elder brother Murtaza Ali Khan Bahadur.-Early life:...
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Titles
- 1923-1930: Nawabzada SayyidSayyidSayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
Murtaza Ali Khan - 1930-1943: Nawabzada Sayyid Murtaza Ali Khan, Wali Ahad Bahadur
- 1943-1946: LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Nawabzada Sayyid Murtaza Ali Khan, Wali Ahad Bahadur - 1946-1966: BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Nawabzada Sayyid Murtaza Ali Khan, Wali Ahad Bahadur, MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error... - 1966-1982: Brigadier His Highness 'Ali Jah, Farzand-i-Dilpazir-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mukhlis ud-Daula, Nasir ul-Mulk, Amir ul-Umara, Nawab Sayyid Murtaza 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Mustaid Jang, Nawab of Rampur, MBE
Honours
- Order of Hamid of Rampur (Nishan-i-Hamidiya), 1st Class
- Order of Good Fortune of Rampur (Nishan-i-Iqbal), 1st Class
- 1939-1945 Star-1945
- War Medal 1939-1945-1945
- India Service Medal-1945
- Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)-1946