Muhammad Mahabat Khan III
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2012) |
Nawab of Junagarh | |
---|---|
In office 22 January 1911 – 25 February 1948 | |
Succeeded by | Muhammad Dilawar Khanji (claimed) |
Personal details | |
Born | Muhammad Mahabat Khan 2 August 1898 Pakistani (1947–1959) |
Children | Muhammad Dilawar Khanji (son) |
Residence(s) | Junagadh State (present-day Gujarat, India) (ancestral) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan (adoptive) |
Early life
Reign
According to Sir Cyril Hancock, the former Resident of Western States, the Nawab was well loved by his people and the state was well administered. Hancock had a high opinion of Nawab's personal qualities.[2]
During his reign, the Nawab oversaw the opening of the Willingdon Dam, the construction of the Bahadur Khanji Library (named after his ancestor, the first Nawab) and the opening of the Mahabat Khan Free College.[citation needed]
Mahabat Khanji was widely known for his love of animals, particularly
Accession conflict
At the time of Indian independence in August 1947, all of the princely states were advised to accede to either of the two dominions of India or Pakistan. By 15 August 1947, most of these states in the interior of India had chosen to accede to India.[citation needed]
Nawab Mahabat Khan, however, spent the summer of 1947 on holiday in Europe.
Junagadh's population was predominantly Hindu, with the Muslim population accounting for only about a fifth of its total population. [citation needed]
With Pakistan's acceptance of Junagadh's accession on 16 September, the Indian government invaded Junagadh and took drastic action, inducing two of the Nawab's vassals,
Sir Mahabat Khanji, his family (including his dogs), and his
The Indian Army then took over Junagadh on 9 November, installed a new state Governor, and called for a public referendum on the status of the state. The referendum, arranged by the Indian government, was held on 20 February 1948. Of over 200,000 people who voted, 91 percent chose India while the rest chose Pakistan. The following year, on 20 January 1949, Junagadh was merged into the new Indian state of Saurashtra.[citation needed]
Exile and death
After his exile from Junagadh, Sir Mahabat Khanji and his family settled at Karachi, where he died, aged 61, on 17 November 1959 of Cardiac arrest.[citation needed] He was succeeded by his eldest son, Muhammad Dilawar Khanji, who claimed to be rightful Nawab of the state in absentia. The former Junagadh princely family still resides in Karachi.[citation needed]
Honours
- Delhi Durbar Medal-1911
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India(KCSI)-1926
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire(GCIE)-1931
- King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935
- King George VI Coronation Medal-1937
- Pakistan Independence Medal-1948
- Order of the Great Leader, 1st Class (Nishan-e-Quaid-i-Azam) – 1957
See also
References
- ^ a b Kinnear, N. B. (1920). "The past and present distribution of the lion in south eastern Asia". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 27: 34–39.
- ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh 2016, p. 397.
- ^ a b Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India 2010, p. 31.
- ^ Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India 2010, p. 32.
Bibliography
- Ankit, R. (2016), "The accession of Junagadh, 1947–48: Colonial sovereignty, state violence and post-independence India", Indian Economic & Social History Review, 53 (3): 371–404, S2CID 147765080
- Hodson, H. V. (1969), The Great Divide: Britain, India, Pakistan, London: Hutchinson, ISBN 9780090971503
- Raghavan, Srinath (2010), War and Peace in Modern India, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-137-00737-7
External links
- Official Website of State of Junagadh
- Passion royale for pampering pets, The Tribune, 24 May 2003.