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{{short description|Fifth and last Nawab of Dhaka (1895-1958) (r.1915-1952)}}
{{short description|Fifth and last Nawab of Dhaka (1895–1958) (r.1915–1958)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| name =Nawab Khwaja Habibullah<br>[[Nawab of Dhaka]]
| name         = Nawab Khwaja Habibullah
| title          =
| title        = [[Nawab of Dhaka]]
| image         = Khwaja Habibullah at Ahsan Manzil on Vogue 1947.jpg
| image       = খাজা হাবিবুল্লাহ.jpg
| caption       = Habibullah in 1947
| caption     = Habibullah in 1947
| reign         = 1915–1952
| reign       = 1915–1958
| coronation     =
| coronation   =  
| predecessor   =[[Khwaja Salimullah|Nawab Khwaja Salimullah]]
| predecessor = [[Khwaja Salimullah|Nawab Khwaja Salimullah]]
| successor     =[[Khawja Hassan Askari]]
| successor   = [[Khawja Hassan Askari]]
| spouse         =
| spouse       =  
| issue         =
| issue       =  
| royal house   =[[Dhaka Nawab Family]]
| royal house = [[Nawab of Dhaka|Dhaka Nawab family]]
| father         =[[Khwaja Salimullah|Nawab Khwaja Salimullah]]
| father       = [[Khwaja Salimullah|Nawab Khwaja Salimullah]]
| mother         =
| mother       =
| birth_date     ={{Birth date|1895|4|26|df=y}}
| religion    = [[Sunni Islam]]
| birth_place   =[[Ahsan Manzil]], [[Dacca]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1895|4|26|df=y}}
| spouses       ={{ubl|Ajmiri Begum|Shahriar Khanam|Khurshidi Begum|Amirun Bibi|Ayesha Begum}}
| birth_place = [[Ahsan Manzil]], [[Dacca]], [[Bengal Presidency]], British India
| death_date     ={{Death date and age|1958|11|21|1895|4|26|df=y}}
| spouses     = {{ubl|Ajmiri Begum|Shahryar Khanam|Khurshidi Begum|Amirun Bibi|Ayesha Begum}}
| death_place   =[[Shahbag]], Dhaka, [[East Pakistan]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1958|11|21|1895|4|26|df=y}}
| place of burial=Begum Bazaar, Dhaka
| death_place = [[Shahbagh]], [[Dacca]], [[East Pakistan]], [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]]
|}}
| burial_place = Begum Bazar, Dhaka
 
| module      = {{Infobox military person
'''Nawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur''' (26 April 1895 – 21 November 1958)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HjtAAAAMAAJ|title=Labour Movement in India: 1937-1939|last1=Punekar|first1=S. D.|last2=Varickayil|first2=Robert|last3=Savur|first3=Manorama|last4=Dighe|first4=Sunil|last5=Ganesh|first5=Kamala|last6=Research|first6=Indian Council of Historical|year=1988|publisher=Indian Council of Historical Research|isbn=9788173071065|page=1117|language=en}}</ref> was the fifth [[Nawab of Dhaka]]. He was the son of Nawab Sir [[Khwaja Salimullah]] Bahadur. Under Habibullah's rule, the [[Dhaka Nawab Estate]] went into decline until its actual relinquishment in 1952 by the [[East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950|East Pakistan Estates Acquisition Act]].
  | embed = yes
  | allegiance = {{flag|British Empire}}
  | branch = [[British Indian Army]]
  | serviceyears= 1918–1920
  | rank = [[File:British Army (1920–1953) OF-1a.svg|15px]] [[Jemadar]]
  | servicenumber =
  | unit = [[Bengali Regiment|49th Bengalee Regiment]]
  | commands =
  | battles = {{tree list}}
* [[World War I]]
** [[Mesopotamian campaign]]
{{tree list/end}}
  | awards =
}}
}}
'''Nawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur''' ({{langx|bn|নবাব খাজা হাবিবুল্লাহ বাহাদুর}}; 26 April 1895 – 21 November 1958)<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8HjtAAAAMAAJ |title=Labour Movement in India: 1937-1939 |last1=Punekar |first1=S. D. |last2=Varickayil |first2=Robert |last3=Savur |first3=Manorama |last4=Dighe |first4=Sunil |last5=Ganesh |first5=Kamala |last6=Research |first6=Indian Council of Historical |year=1988 |publisher=Indian Council of Historical Research |volume=22 |isbn=9788173071065 |page=1117 |language=en}}</ref> was a politician from East Bengal, soldier, social worker, and the fifth [[Nawab of Dhaka]]. He was the son of Nawab Sir [[Khwaja Salimullah]] Bahadur. Under Habibullah's rule, the [[Dhaka Nawab Estate]] went into decline until its actual relinquishment in 1952 by the [[East Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950|East Pakistan Estates Acquisition Act]].


==Biography==
==Biography==
Habibullah was born on 26 April 1895 in Dhaka.<ref name=bpedia>{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Habibullah, Khwaja}}</ref> His father was Nawab Sir [[Khwaja Salimullah]] Bahadur of the [[Dhaka Nawab Family|Dhaka Nawab family]]. The Nawab family traced its ancestry to [[Kashmiris|Kashmiri]] merchants who settled in Bengal for trade.<ref name="Hundred">{{cite book|title=Hundred Years of Bangabhaban, 1905-2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rBFuAAAAMAAJ|year=2006|publisher=Press Wing Bangabhaban|isbn=978-984-32-1583-3|page=20|quote=It was at this time that a recently settled Muslim trading family of the city of Dhaka, originally from Kashmir, gave up trade and invested their wealth in buying land from the auctions. The founder of this Kashmiri Muslim family in Dhaka was [[Khwaja Alimullah]].}}</ref> Habibullah went to school at [[St. Paul's School, Darjeeling|St. Paul's School]] in [[Darjeeling]], and later continued his education in England.<ref name=bpedia /> In 1915, at the death of his father, he succeeded as the Nawab of Dhaka.<ref name=bpedia />
Habibullah was born on 26 April 1895 in Dhaka.<ref name=bpedia>{{Cite Banglapedia |article=Habibullah, Khwaja}}</ref> His father was Nawab Sir [[Khwaja Salimullah]] Bahadur of the [[Nawab of Dhaka|Dhaka Nawab family]]. The family traced its ancestry to [[Kashmiris|Kashmiri]] merchants who settled in Bengal for trade during Mughal and British times.<ref name="Hundred">{{cite book |title=Hundred Years of Bangabhaban, 1905-2005 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rBFuAAAAMAAJ |year=2006 |publisher=Press Wing Bangabhaban |isbn=978-984-32-1583-3 |page=20 |quote=It was at this time that a recently settled Muslim trading family of the city of Dhaka, originally from Kashmir, gave up trade and invested their wealth in buying land from the auctions. The founder of this Kashmiri Muslim family in Dhaka was [[Khwaja Alimullah]].}}</ref> Habibullah went to school at [[St. Paul's School, Darjeeling|St. Paul's School]] in [[Darjeeling]], and later continued his education in England.<ref name=bpedia /> In 1915, at the death of his father, he succeeded as the Nawab of Dhaka.<ref name=bpedia />


In 1918, Habibullah joined the [[Bengali Platoon]] of the [[British Indian Army]]. He served in the British mandate of Mesopotamia as an honorary lieutenant.<ref name=bpedia /> He served in Dhaka district board and Dhaka municipality board. He took part in the [[Khilafat Movement]].<ref name=bpedia /> He was the representative of Dhaka in the Bengal legislative council from 1924 till 1932.<ref name=bpedia />
In 1918, Habibullah joined the [[Bengali Platoon]] of the [[British Indian Army]]. He served in the British mandate of Mesopotamia as an honorary lieutenant.<ref name=bpedia /> He served in Dhaka district board and Dhaka municipality board. He took part in the [[Khilafat Movement]].<ref name=bpedia /> He was the representative of Dhaka in the Bengal legislative council from 1924 till 1932.<ref name=bpedia />


Habibullah had supported the 1932 [[Communal Award|communal award]] proposal of the British Raj. In 1935 he was the president of the Bengal Muslim League and member of the executive of the All India Muslim league.<ref name=bpedia /> From 1937 to 1941 he was a minister in the cabinet of [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]].<ref name=bpedia /> He joined the second cabinet of Haq against the wishes of the Muslim League for which he was suspended from the league till 1946. In 1946, he stood in the assembly election of Bengal as an independent candidate but suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of his relative, [[Khwaja Khairuddin]] who was on a [[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] ticket.<ref name=bpedia />
Habibullah had supported the 1932 [[Communal Award]] proposal of the British Raj. In 1935 he was the president of the Bengal Muslim League and member of the executive council of the All India Muslim league.<ref name=bpedia /> From 1937 to 1941 he was a minister in the cabinet of [[A. K. Fazlul Huq]].<ref name=bpedia /> He joined the second cabinet of Haq against the wishes of the Muslim League for which he was suspended from the league till 1946. In 1946, he stood in the assembly election of Bengal as an independent candidate but suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of his relative, [[Khwaja Khairuddin]] who was on a [[Muslim League (Pakistan)|Muslim League]] ticket.<ref name=bpedia />


Habibullah presided over the committee that organized the [[Independence Day (Pakistan)|Pakistan Independence Day]] celebrations in Dhaka, and, on 15 August 1947, raised the flag of Pakistan at [[Lalbagh Fort]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kudaisya |first1=Gyanesh |author-link1=Gyanesh Kudaisya |last2=Tan |first2=Tai Yong |author-link2=Tan Tai Yong |year=2005 |orig-year=First published 2000 |title=The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aPOBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA61 |publisher=Routledge |page=61 |isbn=0-415-28908-4}}</ref> After the partition of India he held the position of vice-president in East Pakistan Muslim League.<ref name=bpedia /> During his reign as the Nawab of Dhaka, the estate continued the decline that had begun under his father.<ref>{{cite book |last=Alamgir |first=Md. |year=2005 |title=A Short Note on Ahsan Manzil Museum and the Nawabs of Dhaka |location=Dhaka |publisher=Jhingephul |page=18 |quote=Nawab Sir Salimullah could not properly take care or direct the Estate due to his heavy involvement with politics. The revenue income of the estate decreased and the Nawab ran into large debts ... During the time of Nawab Habibullah, the Nawab Estate fell into very miserable conditions because of mismanagement.}}</ref>
Habibullah presided over the committee that organized the [[Independence Day (Pakistan)|Pakistan Independence Day]] celebrations in Dhaka, and, on 15 August 1947, raised the flag of Pakistan at [[Lalbagh Fort]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kudaisya |first1=Gyanesh |author-link1=Gyanesh Kudaisya |last2=Tan |first2=Tai Yong |author-link2=Tan Tai Yong |year=2005 |orig-year=First published 2000 |title=The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aPOBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA61 |publisher=Routledge |page=61 |isbn=0-415-28908-4}}</ref> After the partition of India he held the position of vice-president in East Pakistan Muslim League.<ref name=bpedia /> During his reign as the Nawab of Dhaka, the estate continued the decline that had begun under his father.<ref>{{cite book |last=Alamgir |first=Md. |year=2005 |title=A Short Note on Ahsan Manzil Museum and the Nawabs of Dhaka |location=Dhaka |publisher=Jhingephul |page=18 |quote=Nawab Sir Salimullah could not properly take care or direct the Estate due to his heavy involvement with politics. The revenue income of the estate decreased and the Nawab ran into large debts ... During the time of Nawab Habibullah, the Nawab Estate fell into very miserable conditions because of mismanagement.}}</ref>


==Personal life and death==
==Personal life and death==
[[File:Khawaja Nazimuddin at Ahsan Manzil.jpg|thumb|Habibullah's wife Ayesha Begum (far left)]]
Habibullah was married to Ajmiri Begum, Shahriar Khanam (d. 1931), Khurshidi Begum, Amirun Bibi and Ayesha Begum (d. 2008).<ref name=family>{{Cite web |title=Family Tree |url=https://www1.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=gupshup1&view=0&pid=50&ver=3255 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=www1.tribalpages.com}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=November 2025}}
Habibullah was married to Ajmiri Begum, Shahriar Khanam (d. 1931), Khurshidi Begum, Amirun Bibi and Ayesha Begum (d. 2008).<ref name=family>{{Cite web |title=Family Tree |url=https://www1.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=gupshup1&view=0&pid=50&ver=3255 |access-date=2022-06-13 |website=www1.tribalpages.com}}</ref> He had a total of five sons and two daughters.<ref name=family/> Habibullah's cousin, [[Khwaja Nazimuddin]], was the Prime Minister of Pakistan during 1951–1953.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Special report: Parliament in Chaos 1951-1958 |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1353861 |date=2017-08-25|access-date=2022-06-13 |work=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>
 
He had a total of five sons and two daughters.<ref name=family/>{{Self-published inline|date=November 2025}} His cousin, [[Khawaja Nazimuddin|Khwaja Nazimuddin]], was the [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]] (1951–1953).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Special report: Parliament in Chaos 1951-1958 |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1353861 |date=2017-08-25 |access-date=2022-06-13 |work=Dawn |language=en}}</ref>


In later days, he retired from politics because of health related reasons. He left the [[Ahsan Manzil]] Palace and resided in another of the royal residences, Green House, in Dhaka's Paribagh area. He died on 21 November 1958 and was buried alongside his father at the Nawab family graveyard in Begumbazar in Dhaka.<ref name=bpedia />
In later days, he retired from politics because of health related reasons. He left the [[Ahsan Manzil]] Palace and resided in another of the royal residences, Green House, in Dhaka's [[Paribagh]]. He died on 21 November 1958 and was buried alongside his father at the Nawab family graveyard in Begumbazar in Dhaka.<ref name=bpedia />


==References==
==References==
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[[Category:Nawabs of Dhaka]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Dhaka]]
[[Category:Pakistani people of Kashmiri descent]]
[[Category:Pakistani people of Kashmiri descent]]
[[Category:All India Muslim League members]]
[[Category:All-India Muslim League politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengalis]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengali people]]
[[Category:British Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:British Indian Army personnel]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Indian independence activists from Bengal]]
[[Category:Bengal MLAs 1937–1945]]
[[Category:Bengal MLAs 1937–1945]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dhaka]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi military personnel]]

Latest revision as of 21:15, 26 February 2026

Nawab Khwaja Habibullah
Nawab of Dhaka
Habibullah in 1947
Reign1915–1958
PredecessorNawab Khwaja Salimullah
SuccessorKhawja Hassan Askari
Born(1895-04-26)26 April 1895
Ahsan Manzil, Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died21 November 1958(1958-11-21) (aged 63)
Shahbagh, Dacca, East Pakistan, Pakistan
Burial
Begum Bazar, Dhaka
Spouses
  • Ajmiri Begum
  • Shahryar Khanam
  • Khurshidi Begum
  • Amirun Bibi
  • Ayesha Begum
HouseDhaka Nawab family
FatherNawab Khwaja Salimullah
ReligionSunni Islam
Military career
Allegiance British Empire
Service/branchBritish Indian Army
Years of service1918–1920
Rank Jemadar
Unit49th Bengalee Regiment
Battles/wars

Nawab Khwaja Habibullah Bahadur (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; 26 April 1895 – 21 November 1958)[1] was a politician from East Bengal, soldier, social worker, and the fifth Nawab of Dhaka. He was the son of Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur. Under Habibullah's rule, the Dhaka Nawab Estate went into decline until its actual relinquishment in 1952 by the East Pakistan Estates Acquisition Act.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Habibullah was born on 26 April 1895 in Dhaka.[2] His father was Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur of the Dhaka Nawab family. The family traced its ancestry to Kashmiri merchants who settled in Bengal for trade during Mughal and British times.[3] Habibullah went to school at St. Paul's School in Darjeeling, and later continued his education in England.[2] In 1915, at the death of his father, he succeeded as the Nawab of Dhaka.[2]

In 1918, Habibullah joined the Bengali Platoon of the British Indian Army. He served in the British mandate of Mesopotamia as an honorary lieutenant.[2] He served in Dhaka district board and Dhaka municipality board. He took part in the Khilafat Movement.[2] He was the representative of Dhaka in the Bengal legislative council from 1924 till 1932.[2]

Habibullah had supported the 1932 Communal Award proposal of the British Raj. In 1935 he was the president of the Bengal Muslim League and member of the executive council of the All India Muslim league.[2] From 1937 to 1941 he was a minister in the cabinet of A. K. Fazlul Huq.[2] He joined the second cabinet of Haq against the wishes of the Muslim League for which he was suspended from the league till 1946. In 1946, he stood in the assembly election of Bengal as an independent candidate but suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of his relative, Khwaja Khairuddin who was on a Muslim League ticket.[2]

Habibullah presided over the committee that organized the Pakistan Independence Day celebrations in Dhaka, and, on 15 August 1947, raised the flag of Pakistan at Lalbagh Fort.[4] After the partition of India he held the position of vice-president in East Pakistan Muslim League.[2] During his reign as the Nawab of Dhaka, the estate continued the decline that had begun under his father.[5]

Personal life and death[edit | edit source]

Habibullah was married to Ajmiri Begum, Shahriar Khanam (d. 1931), Khurshidi Begum, Amirun Bibi and Ayesha Begum (d. 2008).[6][self-published source?]

He had a total of five sons and two daughters.[6][self-published source?] His cousin, Khwaja Nazimuddin, was the Prime Minister of Pakistan (1951–1953).[7]

In later days, he retired from politics because of health related reasons. He left the Ahsan Manzil Palace and resided in another of the royal residences, Green House, in Dhaka's Paribagh. He died on 21 November 1958 and was buried alongside his father at the Nawab family graveyard in Begumbazar in Dhaka.[2]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Punekar, S. D.; Varickayil, Robert; Savur, Manorama; Dighe, Sunil; Ganesh, Kamala; Research, Indian Council of Historical (1988). Labour Movement in India: 1937-1939. Vol. 22. Indian Council of Historical Research. p. 1117. ISBN 9788173071065.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Islam, Sirajul; Miah, Sajahan; Khanam, Mahfuza; Ahmed, Sabbir, eds. (2012). "Habibullah, Khwaja". Banglapedia: the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Online ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Banglapedia Trust, Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. ISBN 984-32-0576-6. OCLC 52727562. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  3. Hundred Years of Bangabhaban, 1905-2005. Press Wing Bangabhaban. 2006. p. 20. ISBN 978-984-32-1583-3. It was at this time that a recently settled Muslim trading family of the city of Dhaka, originally from Kashmir, gave up trade and invested their wealth in buying land from the auctions. The founder of this Kashmiri Muslim family in Dhaka was Khwaja Alimullah.
  4. Kudaisya, Gyanesh; Tan, Tai Yong (2005) [First published 2000]. The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia. Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 0-415-28908-4.
  5. Alamgir, Md. (2005). A Short Note on Ahsan Manzil Museum and the Nawabs of Dhaka. Dhaka: Jhingephul. p. 18. Nawab Sir Salimullah could not properly take care or direct the Estate due to his heavy involvement with politics. The revenue income of the estate decreased and the Nawab ran into large debts ... During the time of Nawab Habibullah, the Nawab Estate fell into very miserable conditions because of mismanagement.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Family Tree". www1.tribalpages.com. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  7. "Special report: Parliament in Chaos 1951-1958". Dawn. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2022.