Wasif Ali Mirza


Sir Sayyid Wasif Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur was the Nawab of Murshidabad during 1906–1959. Sir Wasif Ali Mirza was educated at Sherborne School, Rugby School and later at Trinity College. He succeeded his father Hassan Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur at his death on 25 December 1906. On 11 December 1931, Wasif Ali was forced to surrender the administration of his estates to the Government of India after incurring a debt of 19 lakhs. On 15 August 1947, the Radcliffe Award allotted the district of Murshidabad to Pakistan and the flag of Pakistan was hoisted at the Hazarduari Palace but within two days the two dominions exchanged Khulna, which is now in Bangladesh, and then the flag of India was hoisted at the grand palace on 17 August 1947. The Government of India also resumed him all his estates in 1953. Wasif Ali was also the founder and president of the Hindu–Muslim Unity Association in the year 1937, named Anjuman-e-Musalman-e-Bangla, which promoted Hindu–Muslim unity. The Nawab also built the Wasif Manzil.
Wasif Ali died at the age of 84 at his Calcutta residence at 85 Park Street on 23 October 1959. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Waris Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur.

Life

Early years

Wasif Ali Mirza was the eldest son of Hassan Ali Mirza by his first wife, Amir Dulhan Kulsum-un-nisa Begum. He was born at Hazarduari Palace on 7 January 1875. At the age of 12, Wasif Ali was sent to England for his education. He was accompanied by his younger brother, Nasir Ali Mirza and were under the charge of Mr. Coles, the Principal of Dovetan College in Calcutta as the Atalıq. Wasif Ali was educated at Sherborne School, Rugby School and later at Trinity College, Oxford. After completing his courses young Wasif visited places of importance in England and travelled extensively in Scotland, Ireland, Egypt, Austria, Turkey, Italy, France and Germany. He returned to Murshidabad on 27 October 1895 with his brother.

Later years

Wasif Ali administered the Nizamat on behalf of his father, Hassan Ali Mirza from the years 1895 to 1899. He chaired the municipality of Murshidabad from 1899 to 1901 and also represented Bengal at the coronations of King-Emperor Edward VII and Queen-Empress Alexandra at Westminster Abbey in London in 1902, and also of King-Emperor George V and Queen Empress Mary at the same place in 1911. Wasif Ali succeeded his father, Hassan Ali Mirza after his death on 25 December 1906 as the Nawab of Murshidabad under the oriental titles of Ihtisham ul-Mulk, Raes ud-Daulah, Amir ul-Omrah and Mahabat Jang. Wasif Ali also remained a member of the Bengal Legislative Council eight times and used to take great interest in Municipal matters and was the patron of the Calcutta Historical Society. The Nawab is reputed for efficiently managing his estates and also public charities. He is also well known for his English and Urdu poems. He is also the author of the book "A Mind's Reproduction".
On 11 December 1931, Wasif Ali was forced to surrender the administration of his estates to the Government of India after incurring a debt of 19 lakhs. On 15 August 1947, the Radcliffe Award allotted the district of Murshidabad to Pakistan and the flag of Pakistan was hoisted at the Hazarduari Palace but within two days the two dominions exchanged Khulna, which is now in Bangladesh, and then the flag of India was hoisted at the grand palace on 17 August 1947. The Government of India also resumed him all his estates in 1953. Wasif Ali was also the founder and president of the Hindu-Muslim Unity Association in the year 1937, named Anjuman-e-Musalman-e-Bangla. The Nawab also built the Wasif Manzil, and named it after him.

Death and succession

Sir Wasif Ali died at the age of 84 at his Calcutta residence at 85 Park Street in Calcutta on 23 October 1959. He was survived by six sons and six daughters and was succeeded by his eldest son, Waris Ali Mirza Khan Bahadur.

Personality

Wasif Ali possessed charming and refined manners. His noble appearance, which beamed with intelligence, was the reason he attracted the attention of everyone who came in contact with him. It had been said of him that he had all the attributes of an eastern prince with the bearing of a western gentleman. He had command of English language and literature, together with his knowledge of English manners, customs and etiquette, which he acquired during his lengthy stay in England. The Nawab used to take a keen interest in outdoor but healthy pastimes such as cricket, football and tennis. His love of sport lured him on to tiger hunting and also, boar hunting. In polo, at which he was a crack player, he usually captained a team whose colours were very rarely lowered.

Honours

Wasif Manzil

Wasif Manzil was built by Sir Wasif Ali Mirza under the direction and supervision of Mr. Vivian, officer of the Public Works Department of the Nadia Rivers Division and Surendra Barat, a Bengali engineer. This building, rather palace was used by the Nawab as his residence. The building is extremely close to the Hazarduari Palace. It is built on the Nizamat Fort Campus between the campus's Dakshin Darwaza and the Hazarduari Palace, just opposite the campus's South Zurud Mosque and parallel to the Bhagirathi River.

Family

Wives

The following is a list of the principal wives of Sir Wasif Ali Mirza. He married:
  • H.H. Nawab Sultan Dulhan Faghfur Jahan Begum Sahiba at Calcutta in 1898. She was the daughter of Wasif Ali's paternal uncle, Wala Kadir.
  • Nawab Mumtaz Mahal Imami Begum Sahiba in 1903. She was the widow of Ahmad Kadir, and the daughter of Kaiwan Kadir.
  • Nawab Mehar Jahan Dildar Ara Begum Sahiba. She was the daughter of Ahmad Kadir.
Sir Wasif Ali also had two mut‘ah wives as follows:Sugra Khanum
  • ''Sushila Khanum''

Descendants

The following is a list of the children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren of Sir Wasif Ali Mirza:
  • Sayyid Waris Ali Mirza Bahadur, who succeeded Sir Wasif Ali Mirza as the next Nawab of Murshidabad.
  • Sayyid Fatehyab Ali Mirza Bahadur
  • Sayyid Kazem Ali Mirza Bahadur. He was born at Murshidabad on 31 October 1911 and was the son of Nadir Jahan Begum. He was educated at the Nawab Bahadur Institution in Murshidabad and St. Xavier's College in Calcutta. He was also the manager of the Murshidabad Wakf Estates and chaired the Murshidabad Municipality and President of the Murshidabad District Sch Bord in 1956. He was also the MLA for Murshidabad South-West Bengal and also for West Bengal, for Lalgola and Murshidabad. Kazem was the Deputy Minister for Cottage & Small Scale Industries, and for Public Works, MP of the sixth Lok Sabha for Murshidabad. He married Husun Agaz Ara Begum, the elder daughter of his paternal uncle, Iskander Kadir Sahibzada Sayyid Nasir Ali Mirza Bahadur, by his wife, Muhammadi Begum and Hashmat Feroz Najam Ara Begum, who was also the younger daughter of Iskander Kadir Sahibzada Sayyid Nasir Ali Mirza Bahadur, by his wife, Muhammadi Begum. Kazem Ali Mirza died at Calcutta on 14 July 1988 and was survived by 3 sons and 7 daughters as follows:
  • * Sayyid Shahinshah Ali Mirza.
  • * Sayyid Shariyar Ali Mirza.
  • * Sayyid Wasif Ali Mirza.
  • * Kishwar Jahan Begum.
  • *Anwar Jahan Begum .
  • * Raffat Jahan Begum.
  • * Nadir Jahan Begum.
  • * Sarfaraz Jahan Begum.
  • * Nighat Jahan Begum.
  • * Naheed Jahan Begum.
  • Sayyid Said Ali Mirza Bahadur. He died at a very young age.
  • Sayyid Sajjad Ali Mirza Bahadur. He was born in 1950 and assumed the claims of his elder half brother after the latter's death in November 1998 and pursued it in court, but failed to establish one before he died. He married Afshan Begum and died before 2006 and was survived by two daughters.
  • Husna Ara Begum. She was born in 1900. She married Nawab Ali Haider Khan, elder son of Nawab Ali Amjad Khan of the Prithimpassa Nawab Family and leader of the Independent Muslim Party, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Power and Water Development in Assam. Husna Ara Begum died in 1982. They had three children as follows:
  • * Ali Safdar Khan
  • * Syed un-Nisa Begum
  • * Ali Sarwar Khan
  • Safia Banu Ara Begum. She married Baqir Ali Khan.
  • Qamarat Ara Begum.
  • Hashmat un-Nisa Begum. She married Sayyid Muhammad Sadiq Ali Mirza, son of Sayyid Zaigham Mirza, by his wife, Khurshid un-nisa Begum Sahiba,. She Hashmat un-Nisa died at Calcutta in 1995, having had issue Sayyid Md Abbas Ali Mirza Bahadur and Sayyid Raza Ali Meerza.
  • Jamal Ara Begum. She married Nawab Ali Asghar Khan, younger son of Nawab Amjad Ali Khan of the Prithimpassa Nawab Family and MLA India 1946. Jamal Ara Begum died at Decca on 22 March 1984 and was survived by a son.
  • A daughter.. She married Muhammad Ali Khan.
  • Mehmooda Begum. She married Nawab Yasub Ali Meerza.