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Bahawalpur (princely state)

Coordinates: 28°50′N 71°43′E / 28.833°N 71.717°E / 28.833; 71.717
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

State of Bahawalpur
بہاولپور دی ریاست
1748–1955
Flag of Bahawalpur
Flag
Coat of arms of Bahawalpur
Coat of arms
Motto: "دوست صادق (Dost Sadiq)"
English: Faithful Friend
Bahawalpur State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
Bahawalpur State in the Imperial Gazetteer of India
CapitalBahawalpur
GovernmentPrincipality (1748–1955)
Nawab Amir of Bahawalpur 
Prime Minister of Bahawalpur 
• 1942–1947
Sir Richard Marsh Crofton
• 1948–1952
Sir John Dring
• 1952 – 14 October 1955
A.R. Khan
Historical eraEarly Modern Period
• Established
1748
• Merged into West Pakistan
14 October 1955
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Mughal Empire
West Pakistan
Today part ofPakistan
Bahawalpur
Subdivision of Pakistan
1748–14 October 1955
Flag of Bahawalpur
Flag

Map of Pakistan with Bahawalpur highlighted
CapitalBahawalpur
Area 
• 
45,911 km2 (17,726 sq mi)
History 
• Established
1748
• Disestablished
14 October 1955

Bahawalpur (Urdu, Punjabi: بہاولپُور) was a princely state in subsidiary alliance with British Raj and later Dominion of Pakistan, that was a part of the Punjab States Agency. The state covered an area of 45,911 km2 (17,726 sq mi) and had a population of 1,341,209 in 1941. The capital of the state was the town of Bahawalpur.[1]

The state was founded in 1748 by Nawab Bahawal Khan Abbasi. On 22 February 1833, Abbasi III entered into a subsidiary alliance with the British, by which Bahawalpur was admitted as a princely state. When British rule ended in 1947 and British Raj was partitioned into India and Pakistan, Bahawalpur joined the Dominion of Pakistan. Bahawalpur remained an autonomous entity until 14 October 1955, when it was merged with the province of West Pakistan.[1]

Styles & Titles

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The ruling prince: ba-Fazlah taalah Ala Hazrat Jalalat ul-Mulk, Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula, wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab (personal name) Khan (reign numeral) Abbasi Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Farman rawa-i-Mamlukat Khudadad Bahawalpur, i.e. By the Grace of God, His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula, and Muin ud-Daula, Nawab (personal name) Khan (reign numeral) Abbasi Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Commander of the God gifted kingdom of Bahawalpur.

The principal consort of the ruling prince: Nawab (personal name) Begum Sahiba, with the style of Her Highness.

The other wives of the ruling prince: (personal name) Begum Sahiba.

The Heir Apparent: Nawabzada (personal name) Khan Abassi, Wali Ahad Bahadur.

The other sons of the ruling prince*: Sahibzada (personal name) Abassi.

The daughters of the ruling prince*: Sahibzadi (personal name).

Other male descendants of the ruling prince, in the male line: Sahibzada (personal name) Khan Abassi.

* The senior members of the family sometimes use the title of Prince and Princess when communicating with foreigners.

Noor Mahal palace, constructed in 1872 by Sadeq Mohammad Khan IV

History

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1871 —    
1881 573,494—    
1891 650,042+13.3%
1901 720,877+10.9%
1911780,641+8.3%
1921781,191+0.1%
1931984,612+26.0%
19411,341,209+36.2%

IN the 10th Century, Arab from Bagdad captured western part of South Asia and founded Bagdad-ul-Jadid (New Baghdad). When more Muslims immigrants spilled through the fertile valley of the Indus River, the Princely State of Bahawalpur was born.

Bahawalpur is neither just a tale nor a traveling account. It pertains to one of the interesting episodes of the history of the South Asia. The story tells how adventurous Abbasid, after the downfall of their empire at Bagdad got another lease of life on the South Asian soil. Baghdad to Bahawalpur is the life story of people who have for the past many centuries have been serving Islam and the Islamic values in the South Asia. The city was home to various Nawabs (rules).

The city is known for its famous palaces such as the Noor Mahal, Sadiq Ghar Palace, and Darbar Mahal, as well as the ancient fort of Derawar in the Cholistan Desert. It is located near the historical and ancient cities of Uch and Harappa, which were once a stronghold of the Delhi Sultanate and the Indus Valley Civilization. The city is home to one of the natural safari parks in Pakistan, Lal Suhanra National Park.

According to the Abbassi historians, the city of Bahawalpur was founded in 1748 by Nawab Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi I, who ruled the area until the state joined Pakistan in 1947. The state was spread over 451 kilometers and was ruled by Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur who decided to join Pakistan at the time of independence in 1947.

Religion

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The state was predominantly Muslim. According to the 1941 census, Muslims made up 81.9% of the state's population.

Religious groups in Bahawalpur State (British Punjab province era)
Religious
group
1901[2] 1911[3][4] 1921[5] 1931[6] 1941[7]
Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. % Pop. %
Islam 598,139 82.97% 654,247 83.81% 647,207 82.85% 799,176 81.17% 1,098,814 81.93%
Hinduism [a] 114,670 15.91% 109,548 14.03% 114,621 14.67% 149,454 15.18% 174,408 13%
Sikhism 7,985 1.11% 16,630 2.13% 19,071 2.44% 34,896 3.54% 46,945 3.5%
Christianity 83 0.01% 199 0.03% 283 0.04% 1,054 0.11% 3,048 0.23%
Jainism 0 0% 15 0% 1 0% 12 0% 351 0.03%
Zoroastrianism 0 0% 2 0% 8 0% 20 0% 0 0%
Buddhism 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Judaism 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Others 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 17,643 1.32%
Total population 720,877 100% 780,641 100% 781,191 100% 984,612 100% 1,341,209 100%
Note: British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historic Punjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.

Legacy

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Derawar Fort was a major fort for the Nawabs in the Cholistan Desert

The Nawabs gifted portions of their land in Lahore to Punjab University, while the mosque at Aitchison College was also gifted by the Nawab. The Bahawalpur Block of the King Edward Medical College was also donated by the Nawab.[8][need quotation to verify]

Rulers

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Darbar Mahal palace, constructed in 1905 by Bahawal Khan V

The rulers of Bahawalpur took the title of Amir until 1740, when the title changed to Nawab Amir. Although the title was abolished in 1955 by the Government of Pakistan, the current head of the House of Bahawalpur (Salah ud-Din Muhammad Khan) is referred to as the Amir. From 1942, the Nawabs were assisted by Prime Ministers.

One Rupee gold coin of Sadeq Mohammad Khan V

20th century onwards, Sadeq Muhammad Khan V was the Nawab and later Emir of Bahawalpur State from 1907 to 1966. He became the Nawab on the death of his father, when he was only three years old. In 1955 he signed an agreement with the Governor-General of Pakistan, Malik Ghulam Muhammad, under which Bahawalpur became part of the province of West Pakistan, with effect from 14 October 1955, and the Ameer received a yearly privy purse of 32 lakhs of rupees, keeping his titles.[9] Other members of the present day form of the royal family include: HH Nawab Brig. Muhammad Abbas Khan Abbasi (Last Nawab of Bahawalpur, former Governor of Punjab); Nawab Salahuddin Ahmed Abbasi (Urdu: نواب صلاح الدین عباسی) who is a member of parliament in Pakistan.[10] He is also the grandson of Sadeq Mohammad Khan V, who was the last ruling Nawab of the Princely State Bahawalpur.[11][12] Prince Muhammad Bahawal (who studied at Aitchison College in Lahore, and graduated from King's College London with a degree in International Political Economy and joined PTI), Prince Falahuddin Abbasi (who died in London in April 2016 from cancer), Begum of Bahawalpur, Princess Aiysha Yasmien Abbasi and Princess Safia Nausheen Abbasi.[13][14][15]

Nawab Amir of Bahawalpur Tenure
Muhammad Bahadur Khan 1689 – 1702
Muhammad Mubarak Khan I 1702 – 1723
Sadeq Muhammad Khan I 1723 – 1743
After Formation of Princely State
Muhammad Bahawal Khan I 1743 – 1749
Muhammad Mubarak Khan II 1749 – 1772
Muhammad Bahawal Khan II 1772 – 1809
Sadeq Muhammad Khan II 1809 – 1827
Muhammad Bahawal Khan III 1827 – 1852
Sadeq Muhammad Khan III 1852 – 1853
Haji Fath Muhammad Khan 1853 – 1858
Rahim Yaar Khan Abbasi 1858 – 1866
Sadeq Mohammad Khan IV 1866 – 1899
Mohammad Bahawal Khan V 1899 – 1907
Sadeq Mohammad Khan V 1907 – 1955
State Abolished
Sadeq Mohammad Khan V 1955 – 1965
Abbas Khan Abbasi 1965 – 1988
Salahuddin Ahmed Abbasi 1988 – present
Tenure Prime Minister of Bahawalpur[16]
1942 – 1947 Richard Marsh Crofton
1948 – 1952 John Dring
1952 – 14 October 1955 A.R. Khan
14 October 1955 State of Bahawalpur abolished

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "History of Bahawalpur State and its Culture" (PDF). Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS).
  2. ^ "Census of India 1901. [Vol. 17A]. Imperial tables, I-VIII, X-XV, XVII and XVIII for the Punjab, with the native states under the political control of the Punjab Government, and for the North-west Frontier Province". 1901. p. 34. JSTOR saoa.crl.25363739. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Census of India 1911. Vol. 14, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1911. p. 27. JSTOR saoa.crl.25393788. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  4. ^ Kaul, Harikishan (1911). "Census Of India 1911 Punjab Vol XIV Part II". p. 27. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Census of India 1921. Vol. 15, Punjab and Delhi. Pt. 2, Tables". 1921. p. 29. JSTOR saoa.crl.25430165. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Census of India 1931. Vol. 17, Punjab. Pt. 2, Tables". 1931. p. 277. JSTOR saoa.crl.25793242. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  7. ^ India Census Commissioner (1941). "Census of India, 1941. Vol. 6, Punjab". p. 42. JSTOR saoa.crl.28215541. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  8. ^ Burma, D. P.; Chakravorty, Maharani (2011). From Physiology and Chemistry to Biochemistry. Pearson Education India. p. 159. ISBN 978-81-317-3220-5.
  9. ^ "The Role of Islam in the Legal System of Pakistan from 1947 to 1977", The Role of Islam in the Legal System of Pakistan, Brill, 2005, pp. 5–30, doi:10.1163/ej.9789004149274.i-250.5, ISBN 9789004149274
  10. ^ "Bahawalpur, Hh Muhammad Bahawal Khan Abbasi, Nawab of, (23 Oct. 1883–1907)", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u183391
  11. ^ Hawkins, Cynthia; Croul, Sidney (3 October 2011). "Viruses and human brain tumors: cytomegalovirus enters the fray". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 121 (10): 3831–3833. doi:10.1172/jci60005. ISSN 0021-9738. PMC 3195487. PMID 21968105.
  12. ^ McKeith, Eimear (2008). "Defining Space, Eimear McKeith, Original Print Gallery, Dublin, February – March 2008". Circa (124): 73–75. doi:10.2307/25564927. ISSN 0263-9475. JSTOR 25564927.
  13. ^ "Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi joins PTI". pakistantoday.com.pk. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Prince Bahawal graduates from King's College". The Nation. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2018.
  15. ^ Correspondent, A (10 April 2016). "Falahuddin Abbasi dies". Dawn. Pakistan. Retrieved 8 November 2018. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  16. ^ "UK National Archives". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  1. ^ 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis

Further reading

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28°50′N 71°43′E / 28.833°N 71.717°E / 28.833; 71.717