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.

1) Syar ul Mutakhireen ,Syed Golam Hussain .

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

Kashmiris are founder of All India Muslim Muslim League : Khawaja Salimullah kashmiri .


17) Khawaja Salimullah kashmiri ( KSK hence forth) was first person ( مجدد سیاسیۃ) from sub-continent who revived the politicle outlook of Muslim world democratically .

18 ) By the start 1901 ,Khawaja Salimullah Kashmiri (realised that Muslim world not only lag behind in education but revival of democratic process & involvement is must aswell .

19 ) 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.

20 ) Then 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.

21) 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.

9) 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 .

10) Kashmiris were revivers of socio- economic – politicle system of the world – Kashmir was known as High school of education ( vidya – peeth ) – Why we lag behind now ? Every one among us must introspect and realise their plight .To me ,the reason behind the downfall fall of our legacy is ” Religious Fanaticism,irrational emotionalism ,hero worship & educational backwardness .

Resource person : DrAshraf Kashmiri
Email : drashrafshafikashmiri@gmail.com

Your additional information & comments are must .

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-اقبال

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– Iqbal

3)Banglapedia : encyclopedia of Bangladesh

4) Living crafts in Bangladesh .