Iskandar Ali Mirza

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Iskander Ali Mirza
L. A. Khan
Succeeded byKhawaja Nazimuddin
Personal details
Born
Iskandar Ali Mirza

(1899-11-13)13 November 1899
Pakistani

(1947–1969) [1][failed verification]
Political partyRepublican Party (1955–59)
Other political
affiliations		Muslim League (1950–55)
Spouses
Rifaat Begum
​
(m. 1922⁠–⁠1953)​
​
(m. 1954⁠–⁠1969)​
Children6
Relatives
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Military awardsOrder of the British Empire
General Service Medal

Iskandar Ali Mirza

Islamic Republic of Pakistan's first president
from 1956 to 1958.

Mirza was educated at the

Bogra administration
in 1955.

Playing a crucial role in the ousting of Governor-General

Iran
in 1969.

His legacy and image are viewed negatively by some Pakistani historians who believe that Mirza was responsible for weakening democracy and causing political instability in the country.

Origins

Ancestral roots and family background

Main articles:
Nawab of Bengal

Iskandar Ali Mirza was born in

Nawab of Bengal and later after 1880, Nawab of Murshidabad.[3] Mirza was the eldest[citation needed] child of Nawab Fateh Ali Mirza and Dilshad Begum (1875–1925).[4]

From his grandfather's ancestral roots, he was of Syed Iraqi Arab descent.[5]

The Nawab of Murshidabad family was an influential and wealthy feudal family in Bengal, with close ties to the British monarchy. His father, Fateh Ali Mirza, belonged to the ruling house of Murshidabad, grandson of the first Nawab Mansur Ali Khan.[citation needed] He was the descendant of Mir Jafar.[6]

Education, military and political service in British India (1920–47)

2nd-Lt in the British Indian Army, ca.1920
.

Education

Mirza grew up and completed his schooling in

Bombay, attending the Elphinstone College of the University of Bombay, but left the university to attend the Royal Military College in Sandhurst when he was selected by the British Governor-General for the King's Commission.[7][8][9]

Military Service

Mirza was the first Indian graduate of the military college, and gained his

2nd Lt. on 16 July 1920.[10][9][11] As was customary for newly commissioned British Indian Army officers, he was initially attached for a year to the second battalion of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).[9] On 16 July 1921, he was promoted to lieutenant and was assigned to command a platoon on 30 December 1921.[12]

His military career was spent in the

Indian Political Service (IPS) in August 1926.[9][13]

Indian Political Service

His first assignment was a posting in

captain on 17 October 1927.[14]

During his time spent fighting for the

Nowshera in April 1931.[13] In 1931, Captain Mirza was appointed a district officer and was later posted as deputy commissioner at Hazara in May 1933, where he served for three years until a posting to Mardan as assistant commissioner from October 1936 (deputy commissioner from January 1937).[13] Promoted to major on 16 July 1938,[16] he became the political agent of the Tribal Belt in April 1938, stationed at Khyber. He remained there until 1945.[13][9]

Mirza was appointed and served as the political agent of

Muslim League.[9] About him Abdul Ghaffar Khan wrote: ""According to my instructions the mass movement was launched. A Muslim Deputy-Commissioner, Janab Iskander Mirza, avowing his traditional loyalty to the British, excelled his masters, beating to death Syed Akbar, a Khudai Khidmatgar. He went to the extent of poisoning vegetables in a Khudai Khidmatgar camp. Those who ate them were taken seriously ill. I would rather not expose his other crimes but would rather produce him before the Almighty, whom we all have to face on the Day of judgement."[19]

Political career in Pakistan

Defence Secretary (1947–54)

He was appointed as the first

Khan of Kalat.[21][22]

In 1950, Mirza was promoted to

major-general in the Pakistan Army by the promotion papers approved by Prime Minister Ali Khan. He was appointed as colonel commandant of the Military Police while serving as the Defence secretary in the Liaquat administration. In 1951, Prime minister Ali Khan appointed him as the director of the Department of Kashmir and Afghanistan Affairs (DKA).[citation needed
]

His tenure as defense secretary also saw the deployment of Military Police in

East Pakistan Rifles fatally shot four student activists.[citation needed] Within a short span of time, the Military Police had control of the state and its commanding officer submitted the report of their course of action to Major General Iskander Mirza in 1954.[9]

In 1951, he backed the Liaquat administration's decision of appointing the native chiefs of staff of the

Ishfakul Majid, and Major-General N.A.M. Raza.[25]

Initially, it was Major-General

Ayub Khan to the post despite the fact that his name was not included in the nomination list.[26] Ayub's papers of promotion were controversially approved and was appointed as the first native Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army with a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General (acting full General) on 17 January 1951 by Prime Minister Ali Khan.[23]

With Ayub becoming the

navy command of the Pakistan Navy, but it was not until in 1953 when Admiral Choudhri took over the command.[23][28]

Governorship of East Bengal and Cabinet Minister (1954–55)

Main articles:
One Unit
Iskander Mirza meeting the Shah of Iran, as the Governor General of Pakistan

Due to rapid political instability in

Defence Secretary and took over the governorship of East Bengal, in an appointment approved by then Governor-General Sir Malik Ghulam on 29 May 1954.[29]

On 1 June 1954, Mirza took over the

East Bengal Legislative Assembly.[30]

After landing at the then Dacca Airport, Mirza sharply announced in the

Pakistan media representatives, that he would not hesitate to use force in order to establish peace in the province, and personally threatening Maulana Bhashani of shooting him.[29]
: 142 

Iskander Mirza ruled East Pakistan with an iron fist, having arrested 319–659 political activists on his first week, including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Yusuf Ali Chowdhury.[30][29]

By mid-June 1954, the number of arrests reached 1,051, including 33 assembly members and two Dhaka University professors.

Pakistani government in the hearts of the people of East Pakistan despite the fact that Mirza was himself an ethnic Bengali.[29] Amid criticism at the public level in Pakistan, Mirza was relieved from the post of the Governorship to East Bengal to Muhammad Shahabuddin in October 1954.[31][32]
He was the first Bengali to be governor of East Pakistan. On 24 October 1954, he was appointed as
Interior Minister in the Bogra administration of Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Bogra.[33] During this time, he had maintained close political ties to the United States's establishment and was backed by Governor-General Sir Malik Ghulam for this post, which Mirza only remained at until 7 August 1955.[9]

As an Interior Minister, he provided strong political advocacy for the controversial geopolitical program,

One-unit, which he faced strong criticism on by West Pakistan's politicians and the public in general.[34]

Governor-General of Pakistan (1955–56)

In the Bogra administration, he also took care of the matters of the Commonwealth and Kashmir affairs ministry as he had gained major political influence in the administration in 1955.[34] During this time, Governor-General Malik Ghulam survived another fatal attack of Paralysis that made him unable to talk and walk, seeking treatment in the United Kingdom on a two-month leave.[34]

Appointed only as

Finance Minister, to take over the government as a prime minister.[29]

Presidency (1956–58)

Iskander Mirza, being sworn in as the first President of Pakistan.

The newly constituted

Awami League, the Muslim League, and the Republic Party endorsed his presidency.[35]

The Constitution drives the country's

executive powers vested under the elected Prime Minister while the president served as a ceremonial head of state.[35]

On 12 September 1956, he established and became vice-president of the Republican Party that was in direct conflict with the Muslim League, mainly due to disagreements on the idea of republicanism and conservatism.[29] Unable to keep the substantial pressure on Mirza's Republic Party eventually led the Muslim League's successful demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Muhammad Ali on 12 September 1956.[36]

Upon these developments, President Mirza invited the

Awami League to form the central government that appointed Huseyn Suhrawardy as the Prime Minister, who made an alliance with the Republican Party, to take over charge of the government.[37]

Shah of Iran's first state visit to Pakistan

Despite Mirza and Suhrawardy both being

One Unit, alleviating the national economy, and President Mirza's constant unconstitutional interference in the Suhrawardy administration.[37]

President Mirza demanded the resignation of Prime Minister

motion of confidence at the National Assembly.[37] Threatened by President Mirza's dismissal, Prime Minister Suhrawardy tendered his resignation on 17 October 1957 and was succeeded by I. I. Chundrigar but he too was forced to resign in a mere two months.[38]

President Mirza had widely lacked the parliamentary spirit, distrusting the civilians to ensure the integrity and sovereignty of the country.[35] His unconstitutional interference in the civil administration made the elected prime ministers effectively unable to function, as he had dismissed four elected prime ministers in a matter of two years.[35] On his last nomination, he appointed Feroz Khan as the seventh Prime Minister of the country, who had been supported by the Awami League and the Muslim League.[9]

Martial law

Main articles:
Martial law in Pakistan

After the

legislative elections held in 1954, the Awami League had been successfully negotiating with the Muslim League for a power-sharing agreement to form the national government against the Republican Party.[39]

By 1958,

martial law against his own party's administration led by Prime Minister Feroze Khan by abrogating the writ of the Constitution and dissolving the national and provisional assemblies at midnight on 7/8 October 1958.[39]

In the morning of 8 October 1958, President Mizra announced via national radio that he was introducing a new constitution "more suited to the genius of the Pakistan nation",[40] as he believed democracy was unsuited to Pakistan "with its 15% literacy rate".[40] Upon abdicating, Mirza took the nation into confidence, saying that:

Three weeks ago, I (Iskander Mirza) imposed martial law in Pakistan and appointed General Ayub Khan as Supreme Commander of the [Armed Forces] and also as Chief Martial Law Administrator.... By the grace of God... This measure which I had adopted in the interest of our beloved country has been extremely well received by our people and by our friends and well wishers abroad... I have done best to administer in the difficult task of arresting further deterioration and bringing order out of chaos... In our efforts to evolve an effective structure for future administration of this country... Pakistan Zindabad, Pakistan Zindabad!

— President Iskander Mirza, abdicating on 1958.10.27, [41]

This martial law imposed by the country's first Bengali president was the first example of

Ayub Khan, as the Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA), which proved his undoing within three weeks.[39]

Dismissal and end of presidency

The

Ayub Khan.[42] However, the two men had very different points of view on running the government with the new situation, even though they were responsible for bringing about the change.[42]

I did not mean to do it.... The martial law would be for the shortest possible duration until the new elections....

— President Mirza, 1958, [42]

President Mirza had not envisaged any change in his previous powers; he wanted to retain the ability to maneuver things in keeping with his own whims.

martial law, President Mirza realized the delicate position he got himself into.[42] In an interview with Dawn, President Mirza regretted his decision saying: "I did not mean to do it"[42] while offering assurances that martial law would be for the shortest possible duration.[42]

In 1958, President Mirza accepted the resignation of

civil-military relations continued to be a dominant factor between President Mirza and General Ayub Khan.[42]

In an attempt to consolidate the powers under his control, President Mirza appointed a new

high handed" method.[43]

The new administration did not satisfy CMLA Ayub Khan who had more control in the administration than President Mirza.[42] Ayub dispatched the military unit to enter the presidential palace on midnight of 26–27 October 1958 and placed him in an airplane to be exiled to England.[44][45] Subsequently, Admiral A. R. Khan and four army and air force generals: Azam, Amir, Wajid, and Asghar Khan were instrumental in the dimissal of President Mirza.[45][42]

Exile and death

Mirza's state funeral in the Sepahsalar Mosque, Tehran

Exiled in 1959, Mirza lived the remainder of his

Pakistani billionaires in London made his life in exile tolerable.[47]

At the London hospital where he died, he once said to his wife, Nahid: "We cannot afford medical treatment, so just let me die."[47]

He died of a heart attack on 13 November 1969, his 70th birthday. Yahya Khan, the president of Pakistan, denied him a burial in East Pakistan. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, sent his personal plane to London to bring President Mirza's body to Tehran, where he was given a state funeral. Hundreds of Iranians, including Prime Minister Abbas Hoveyda, and Pakistani expatriates in Iran bade farewell and offered their prayers.[46]

The funeral ceremony was marred by the absence of Iskander Mirza's relatives living in Pakistan. The military government barred them from leaving Pakistan in time despite the best efforts of Ardeshir Zahedi, Iran's foreign minister, and President Iskander Mirza's friends in Pakistan and Iran. There are unfounded rumors that after the

Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979), his grave was desecrated.[46]

Family

Mirza was married twice: his first marriage took place on 24 November 1922, when he married an Iranian woman, Rifaat Begum (1907–23 March 1967). The couple had two sons and four daughters.[48]

Humayun Mirza is the only surviving son of Iskander Mirza. He was born in

Harvard. He married Josephine Hildreth, the daughter of Horace Hildreth, the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan.[49] He retired from the World Bank in 1988. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland
. He is the author of a book "From Plassey to Pakistan: The Family History of Iskander Mirza." Humayun's younger brother, Enver Mirza, had died in a plane crash in 1953.

In October 1954, while in West Pakistan, Mirza's second marriage took place in Karachi after he fell in love with an Iranian aristocrat, Naheed Amirteymour (1919-2019), daughter of Amirteymour Kalali. She was a close friend of Begum Nusrat Bhutto. It was this friendship that brought Zulfikar Ali Bhutto into the political arena of Pakistan.[50]

Legacy

Iskandar Ali Mirza is often criticized by Pakistani historians for imposing martial law.[9] Historians have noted that Mirza held that Pakistanis "lacked the parliamentary spirit and because of the lack of training in the field of democracy and the low literacy rate among the masses, democratic institutions cannot flourish in Pakistan".[9] He believed that the judicial authorities should be given the same powers which they used to enjoy during the British Indian Empire.[9][51][17]

Mirza's political ideology reflected

religious separation in state matters.[9] Mirza had never had a high opinion of politicians.[47] He was well known for his conviction that the politicians were destroying the country. He felt that in order to work towards real and responsible democracy, the country must have what he called "controlled democracy".[47]

Historians also asserted that Mirza's role as the head of state led him to play an active part in power politics, building an image of being a kingmaker in the country's politics.[9] Mirza took full advantage of the weaknesses of politicians and played them against each other, first offsetting the influence of the Muslim League by creating the Republican Party.[9]

Your services are indispensable for Pakistan. When the history of our country is written by objective historians, your name will be placed even before that of Mr. Jinnah....

— Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 1958, [50]

During his short span of four years as the head of state, four prime ministers were changed, three of them were his appointees, while the only popularly elected Bengali prime minister was dismissed. Iskander Mirza is thus widely held responsible for the instability that brought the active role of Pakistan armed forces into politics.[9]

By the 1950s, Mirza had moved his personal wealth to Pakistan which was confiscated by the government of Pakistan when he was exiled, and it was reported by Hindustan Times in 2016, that his family estate in Murshidabad, West Bengal, was left in ruins.[52]

Honours

(ribbon bar, as it would look today)

Notes

  1. Urdu
    : اسکندر علی مرزا

References

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  15. ^ Mohammad H.R. Talukdar Memoirs of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Dacca University Press (1987) "after serving in the army for some time and being wounded in a skirmish with the Pathans, joined the political service and spent most of his professional life among the Pathan s as a British political agent in the tribal areas. He spoke Pushto fluently and had learned the art of offering suitable inducements and of playing off one party against another." pg. 102
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  47. ^ a b c d Humayun Mirza, From Plassey to Pakistan: The Family History of Iskander Mirza, 1999, Ferozsons, Lahore
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  49. ^ "Grounding the Humanities". www.bucknell.edu. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  50. ^ a b "ZAB calls Iskander Mirza 'Greater Than Jinnah'". Indian Press News. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
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External links

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Political offices
New office
Defence Secretary of Pakistan

1947–1954 		Succeeded by
Akhter Husain
Preceded by Governor of East Bengal
1954 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of the Interior
1954–1955 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor-General of Pakistan
1955–1956 		Position abolished
New office President of Pakistan
1956–1958 		Succeeded by
Ayub Khan
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