The Animal-loving Nawab of Junagadh
As Nawab, Mahabat Khanji was known for his love of animals, particularly dogs. At one point, he owned over 300 of them and is known to have spent several thousand rupees on grand birthday and 'marriage' parties of his favourite dogs. However, Mahabat Khanji's love for animals also extended to the regional wildlife, particularly the Asiatic lion, which at the time was on the verge of extinction. The Nawab helped to forestall this by preserving vast tracts of the Gir forest in order to provide the lions with a stable habitat. He was also interested in animal husbandry, and his efforts in the field served to greatly improve the breeding stock of the local Kathiawadi stallions and of the Gir cows.
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 College.
Read more about this topic: Muhammad Mahabat Khan III