1) Nowpora\Khowji bazar ,khanyar ,Srinagar : Khawaja Abdul Hakim Kashmiri ( d.Sylhet) was an administrator of Kahshmir during Mughal era
And when Bengal came under Mughal rule in 1612, Abdul Hakim Khawaja kashmiri was posted in Sylhet division of Bengal . Till 1905 , the region of Bengal included Bihar,Orissa and chhota Nagpur .
2) He had daughter Asuri khanam and she got married to his rekative ,Abdul Qadir kashmiri Khawaja .Khawajas & khans were jagirdars of Kashmir during Shahmiri era hence this jagir in middle of city of Srinagar was known after their tribe ” Khanyaar” .
The couple had 3 sons Abdul wahab,Molvi Abdullah Khawaja and Abdullah hakim Khawaja.
Molvi Abdullah got married with daughter of Abdul Saleem Khawaja .
3) Khanyar,Srinagar is named after same tribe of Khan’s .
4) The history of this Khawaja family goes back to about the year 1730 when two brothers – Khwaja Abdul Wahab and Khwaja Abdullah – arrived in Dhaka directly from Kashmir, and settled in a part of old Dhaka known as Begum Bazaar. It is quite obvious that they traveled this long distance in search of their fortune.
5) The elder brother, Khwaja Abdul Wahab, went into business, straightaway, while the younger brother, Khwaja Abdullah, who was a very pious and a learned man, started preaching to the local people the rules and various disciplines of the teachings of Islam. It must have been for this reason that he was addressed as “Moulvi Abdullah”.
6) Molvi Abdullah had six children’s ,among them was Ahsanullah Khawaja kashmiri (d.1995).Khawaja,Khawa Aleemullah ,Molvi Hafeezullah , Khawaja Abdul Rahim , Khawaja Abdul Karim , Khawaja azim and Khawaja Ahsanullah ( now see Ahsanullah & Hafeezullah)
7) Ahsanullah Khawaja married Fatima khanam
and had 5 children’s – Khawaja attikullah ,Khawaja Samiullah Kashmiri , Khawaja Aleemullah Kashmiri ,
among was reviver of ummah ,Samiullah Khawaja kashmiri ( Founder of All India Muslim league) who shaped and revived political system of Muslim world along with Sir Syed Ahmed Ahmed Khan ( next part on him) .
8) Khawaja Ahsan ullah Kashmiri was friend of Sona ullah Shawl ,the care- taker of Khawaja Naqshbandi shrine .In 1886 Nawab of Dhaka Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah, whose ancestors were from Kashmir, sent money that was used for major renovation of the present building of the shrine.(Kashur Encyclopedia کاشر انسایکلوپیڈیا Volume II. Jammu and Kashmir Academy Of Arts Culture and Languages, Srinagar Page 62)
9) Whereas Khawaja Hafeezullah kashmiri married unknown & had one son Khawaja Abdul gafar Khawaja .
9) The Dhaka Nawab family was officially established by Maulvi Khwaja Hafizullah Kashmiri, who acquired considerable wealth via trade in leather and gold. His fortune was built upon trading leather, spices, and salt with notable Armenian and Greek merchants.[10] Akbar, M Ali. “Dhaka Nawab Estate”. Banglapedia. Retrieved 2 December 2017).
He also acquired Aila Phuljhuri in the Bakarganj Sundarbans, a 44,000 acres (180 km2) area bought for Rs 21000 in 1812, at a revenue demand of only Rs 372 annually( Akbar, M Ali. “Dhaka Nawab Estate”. Banglapedia. Retrieved 2 December 2017.) Tareekh -Azmi bring an anecdote ,were in Soni shawl request ” Khan’s” of Deccan to help in renovating shrine of Maqshband sobun – my learned teacher Ustad @Massudul Hassan Kanth asked me ,a week ago ,that how are Khan’s of nowpora ,khayar related to Naqshband sobun ,I hope ,query is answered.
10 ) Khawaja Abdul Gani Grandson of Aleemullah and son of Aleemullah Kashir :
He was friend of care taker of Khawaja Naqshbandi shrine , Rais e kashmir Sonaullah shawl ( Father of Bani e Tehreek i Azadi ,Saad ud din Shawl )
Khawaja Abdul Gani extended his business & took control of most of jagirs of Dhaka – was vested with the personal title of Nawab in 1875, which was made hereditary in 1877
11) Khawaja Abdul Gani wrote a book on his roots in Kashmir : His book, Tawariq-e-Khandan-e-Kashmiria and send Rs 20 thousand to Sonaullah shawl ( Soni Shawl) for the victims of the earthquake in Kashmir .( my learned teacher Ustad Massudul Hassan Kanth asked me ,a week ago ,that how are Khan’s of nowpora ,khayar related to Naqshband sobun ,I hope ,query is answered )
12) Khawaja Ghani Kashmiri constructed roads ,hospitals ,colleges in Dhaka and along with he contributed to renovation of Nehr e zubeida ,canal traversing through jazirat tul Arab
Other contribution :
Before Kashmiri Khawaja came to Dhaka ,Thomas Bowrey, a British merchant sailor, visited Dhaka in the 1670s. In his book, A Geographical Account of Countries Round the Bay of Bengal .He mentions “City of Dhaka is a very large, spacious one, but stands on low, marshy, swampy ground, and the water of that ground is very brackish, which is the only inconvenience”
13) Dhaka University founder : They donated their palace Ishrat Manzil, for the establishment of the Dhaka University and moved to other house 🏡.
14 ) Established Participative democracy : Khwaja Abdul Ghani the Khwaja family for the first time developed interest in the politics and social works of the country. He also organised Dhaka people into panchayet mahallas, which was endorsed by the British.
15 ) Kashmiri Khawaja introduced gaslights, water works, newspaper, and the zoological garden to Dhaka.
16 ) Khawaja Ghani Kashmiri donated Rs 35 thousand for the construction of Buckland Bund, Rs 20 thousand for the renovation of husaini dalan, Rs 10 thousand for the construction of the road leading to the tomb of shah ali baghdadi, Rs 25 thousand to build a Female Ward in the Mitford Hospital, Rs 10 thousand for the victims of the famine of 1867, Rs 10 thousand for the victims of flood in 1885, Rs 10 thousand to the Lady Dufferin Relief Fund, Rs 20 thousand for the wounded soldiers of the Russo-Turkish war (1877), Rs 20 thousand for the victims of the earthquake in Kashmir, and Rs 40 thousand for the renovation of Nahr-i-Zubaida at Makka
Khawaja Salimullah Kashmiri
18) Khawaja Salimullah kashmiri ( KSK hence forth) was first person ( مجدد سیاسیۃ) from sub-continent who revived the politicle outlook of Muslim world democratically .
19 ) By the start 1901 ,Khawaja S.Kashmiri ( ksk) realised that Muslim world not only lag behind in education but revival of democratic process & involvement is must aswell .
20 ) Formation of Mohammedan provincial union :- Salimullah kashmir called upon the then Muslim leader & presided over a meeting of Muslim leaders from all over East Bengal in Northbrook Hall where a political front called Mohammedan Provincial Union was formed.
Then he Muhammadan Educational Conference was held at Shahbag in Dhaka( kashmiris constructed shahbagh garden ) , in capital of the then East Bengal and Assam Province in the year 1906.
6) The conference was sponsored by Nawab Khwaja Salimullah Kashmiri . The conference was inaugurated on 27 December 1906 and continued till 29 December 1906 as Conference on Education.
7) According to Keay, John (2000). India: A History. Atlantic Monthly Press,Samiullah kashmiri spent 10 lac rupees and called Muslim upon every Muslim leader of that time at his Palace to join him on annual meeting of the All-India Muhammadan Educational Conference .More than 3000 leaders from Muslim leaders joined him .
8)The annual meeting of the All-India Muhammadan Educational Conference was held in Dhaka from 27 December until 30 December 1906.
Salimullah kashmiri ( KSK) presented a detailed scheme through politicle democratic rights of Muslim world can be revived and this is how he founded All India Muslim league .
1)Khawaja Salimullah kashmiri donated 4800 Kanal land in dhaka city to establish oldest university of Dhaka .
2) Father of current prime minster sheikh mujeebur rehman was studentbof this university .Even first medical college of Bangladesh was affliliated with this university .
3) Kashmir House into National museum of Bangladesh : Ahsan Manzil was the official residential palace and seat of the Khawaja family of kashmir ,in 1958 they handed it over to Department of archeology .
Khawaja Salimullah Kashmiri ” Patron Anjuman kashmiri Musalman (1908 ) & Khawaja Muhammad Azam( 1914)
In 1908 – Khawaja Salim ullah kashmiri and his brother in law Khawaja Muhammad Azam presided the the first political establishment of Kashmiris .
3 Ajuman Kashmiri musalman
3) انجمن کشمیری مسلمان
Diaspora of kashmiris ,who were exiled mainly during Muslim afghani occupation and Hindu dogra occupation of kashmir ,established well organised politicle organization in capital of punjab ( Lahore) in 1896 under Miya Karim Baksh and Dr Rahim Baksh Dar of Sopore .it seem to be first recorded organisation backed by Anjuman Himayatul islam of Hamid ud din Qazi
Ghulam Muhammad Khadim became it’s President in 1901. ( Separate blog soon)
4) Allama Iqbal became it’s member and along with his close Munshi Muhammad din fouq worked for the socio- politico economic rights of exiled kashmiri diaspora .
5) Kashmiri Muslim conference ( 1908) :
5) کشمیری مسلم کانفرنس 1908
After returning from London ,Khadim made allama Iqbal as General secretary and Fouq as secretary in 1908 and changed the name of Anjuman into Kashmiri Muslim Conference .
6) In 1908 ,Muhammadan educationol conference was conducted under the president ship of Khawaja Salimullah kashmiri in Amritsar for the upliftment of Muslim student of subcontinent .
7) Khadim sent both Allama & Fouq to Amritsar ( Amritsar – Kashmiri Saani) to represent Kashmir and requested Khawaja Salim ullah to address Anjuman of kashmiri diaspora – He accepted the request.
9) Allama Iqbal prepared ” Spasnama ” – “document of Thankfulness in farsi and read it before Khawaja Salimullah – and requested Salimullah to be Patron of ” Kashmiri Muslim conference” .
10 ) Khawaja Salimullah accepted the honour and told them ” I am a proud kashmiri and it’s my previledge if I can do something for my kashmir .
11) Just after that , Khawaja Salimullah called upon viceroy of India and impressed upon educationol upliftment and recruitment of kashmiri Muslim in british army .Before 1908 ,there was ban on recruitment of kashmiri Muslim in british army and it was due to his efforts that ,by the end of 1947b,there were 30000 – 60000 kashmiri especially from tribal area of poonch who took part in world war 2 aswell .
12 ) President of Kashmiris ( 1914)
:Another household of Kashmiri nawabs of khawaja khan bahadur muhammad azzam brother in law of salimullah became president of ” Kashmiri Muslim conference ” in 1906 .
13 ) This ” Kashmiri Muslim Conference ” became
All India muslim conference in 1932 .
Further reading
Yours DrAshraf Kashmiri
Email : drashrafshafikashmiri@gmail.com
Whatsapp : +966
Feel free to add more information and send me any rare book ,photograph , documents or even oral history – let’s document our glorious history .
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