Muslim Kamboh (Uttar Pradesh) - Prominent Kamboh Personages of Meerut

Prominent Kamboh Personages of Meerut

Soon afterward, all the Kambohs except Khawaja-ud-din and Khawaja Meta left Meerut and from these two, the Kambohs of the later-day Meerut derived their origin.

This Meerut Kamboh family had produced many distinguished nobles during Mughal rule in India.

• Hasan Mahmudi Kamboh: Hasan Mahmudi (or Mahdi) Kamboh was a Wazir (minister) of Mahmud of Ghazni (971 A.D. – 1030 A.D) and came to India during one of latter's war expeditions against the country during tenth/eleventh centuries. Hasan Mahmudi Kamboh captured the city of Meerut from its Raja Mai. Many Kamboh soldiers of his regiment are stated to have fallen during the attack. To perpetuate their memory, Husan Mahmudi in 1019 AD erected Jama Masjid adjacent to where his Kamboh soldiers fell fighting during attack on Meerut. The Masjid was later repaired by Mughal Emperor Humayun in sixteenth century.

• Shaikh Abdul Moman Dewan: Though he was a noble from Sambhal, but otherwise was related to Meerut Kambohs. He held the office of Dewan-e-tan (Accountant General) under Shah Jahan. He performed the duties of granting and taking back the grants and pensions and promoting or demoting the officers of the Crown. Two of his sons also held the offices of Dewan-e-tan and Dewan-e-Khals under Nawab Saddula Khan Chanyoti, the Prime Minister of Shah Jahan. The Muslim nobles of Meerut trace their lineage to Dewan-e-tan Shaikh Abdul Moman Kamboh. Nawab Vakar Almalik Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain (Kamboh), a well-known Muslim leader of pre-independence days, the founding father of Muslim League was also from the lineage of Shaikh Abdul Moman Kamboh.
• Nawab Dadan Khan Kamboh: He was a governor of Lahore. He descended from the line of Hasan Mahmudi Kamboh and has his Maqbara at Meerut.
• Nawab Muhabbat Khan Kamboh: He was grandson of Nawab Dadan Khan Kamboh and remained a governor of Peshawar. His Maqbara is located in Meerut.
• Nawab Khair Andesh Khan: He was son of Nawab Muhabbat Khan and is the most noted member of the Kamboh family of Meerut who flourished during the reign of Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb. He held a five thousand mansab under Aurangzeb and later six of thousand under Bahadur Shah. He was conferred the title of Khair Andesh Khan and was also awarded a prize of seven lakh Dirhams. Nawab Muhabbat Khan alias Khair Andesh Khan Kamboh built the Khairnagar Gate and Fort in the city of Meerut. He also built a fine Mosque called Kheir-ul-Masjid wald Muahib in 1691 AD and founded Khairandesh Pur in Etawah and also gave his own name to Mohallas in Etawaha and Delhi. He had been governor of Katehr (Rohilkhand), Bihar, Etawah, Bengal, Kalabagh and Hamuiri at different times of his life

• Nawab Khair Andesh Khan Sani: He was son of Nawab Khair Andesh Khan. His original given name was Muhammad Masih. He held five thousand manasab and the title of Nek Andesh Khan under Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and also a six thousand mansab and a title of Khair Andesh Khan under Emperor Bahadur Shah. He built Khair Nagar in Bareilly and also built an Idgah, a Mubarak palace and many other buildings in Khair Nnagar. He also waged war against king of Bundelkhand and reduced him. His son was given the title of Nek Andesh Khan and a big fief or Jagir in Bareilly.

• Nawab Khairiyat Andesh Khan: He was second son of Khair Andesh Khan. Held a mansab of five thousand and remained governor of Kashmir where he constructed a Bazar known as Nawab Bazar.

• Khair Andesh Khan Salas: He was third son of Khair Andesh Khan and brother Nawab Khairiyat Andesh Khan. He received title of Khair Andesh Khan Salas under Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah and also held the governorship of Kashmir.

• Afiyat Andesh Khan: He was another son of Khair Andesh Khan and remained deputy governor of Etawah.

• Nawab Waqar-ul-Mulk Kamboh (or Nawab Waqarul Mulq Maulvi Mushtaq Hussain) : He was born in the Meerut in 24 March 1841 and came of lineage of Shaikh Abdul Momin Kamboh who held the office of Dewan-e-Tun in Shah Jahan's reign. Vaqar Mulq did his engineering from Engineering College Roorki and served as a Law Secretary in the Government of Hyderabad Daccan for some time and then joined Revenue Department. Later he was appointed Governor of newly established State of "VRARANGLE" and with his untiring efforts, the state soon became very prosperous. Waqaul Mulq received the title of Nawab Intezar Jung from the Government of Hydrabad. Then he was appointed Revenue Secretary with the orders of Nizam of Daccan. He served as Secretary, Personal Secretary & Advisor to the Prime Minister Nawab Bashirul Daulla and eventually became deputy Prime Minister of Hydrabad. On 9 December 1890, he was conferred the title of Nawab Waqarul Mulq. On October 1892, Nawab Waqarul Mulq joined M.A.O. college in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. In December 1906, the quartet Nawab Waqarul Mulq, Sir Agha Khan, Sir Shafi of Lahore and Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka organised a Mohammdan Educational Conference in Calcutta and on the same occasion, they also launched a new party called All India Muslim League of which Nawab Waqarul Mulq became the first general secretary. In 1907, he was appointed Honorary Secretary of M.A.O. College. In the same year he resigned from the Secretaryship of the All India Muslim League on health grounds. In 1908, the Government of India honoured him with the title of Nawab. It was the magnetising personality of Nawab Waqarul Mulq which had induced Quaid-e-Azam to join the All India Muslim League which fact changed the history of Indian sub-continent. The welcome address given by Nawab Waqarul Mulq on this occasion is an important document for the Muslims. On account of bad health, Nawab Waqarul Mulq gave up the Secretaryship of Aligarh in 1912 and after a prolonged illness, he died on 27 January 1917. Nawab Waqarul Mulq also remained a member of Scientific Society since 1866.
• Sir Ziauddin Ahmed*: (Urdu:ضیاء الدین احمد ) (13 February 1878 – 23 December 1947) was an Indian mathematician, parliamentarian, logician, natural philosopher, politician, political theorist, versatile educationist and an eminent scholar who was one of famous and the longest serving Vice Chancellor and later on Rector of Aligarh Muslim University, India.
  Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmed was born on 13 February 1878 in Meerut and did his High School from Meerut. He did his Intermediate from Allahabad University in 1893 and then B.A. with Mathematics from Aligarh in 1895 with distinction and won Strachey Gold Medal. He was appointed as Assistant Master in M.A.O. College. He pledged to Sir Syed that he would dedicate his life to MAO College. He was offered many positions including that of deputy Collector, but declined and preferred to teach at MAO College.
  His brilliant academic career won him the scholarship to join the Cambridge University, England in 1901 from where he took his mathematical Tripos topping the University and became a Wrangler. He obtained his PhD degree in 1905 from Gottengen University in Germany. For further education Ziauddin joined Paris University and later Bologna University Italy and then on return to India, he joined the alma mater as a Professor of Mathematics.
  It was due to his untiring efforts that a Medical and Engineering colleges were founded and the Aligarh Muslim College was converted to Aligarh Muslim University where Ziauddin Ahmad worked as a Lecturer, Professor, Principle, Pro Vice Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Rector respectively.

Ziauddin Ahmad can be reckoned as next to Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the spread of education among the Muslims who owe him a profound sense of gratitude.
Ziauddin played a dominant role in the renaissance of Muslim education in the Indian sub-continent after Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and faithfully carried on the torch of education right to the rank and file of the Muslims throughout the sub-continent. As a very faithful successor of Sir Syed, he carried on the task of educating the people in the teeth of opposition when he proceeded to England to receive the coveted Sir Isaac Newton Scholarship. In 1917 Ziauddin was also appointed member of the Calcutta University Commission of which Sir Michael Saddler was the President.
Ziauddin Ahmad rendered yeoman's services to the Muslims of the sub-continent, worked for their progress and welfare and devoted all his life to the eradication of ignorance and illiteracy. He became member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of UP in 1919 and 1922. The second Muslim Kamboh Conference held at Marehra (District Etha U.P) on 21 & 22 April 1935 in Marison Islamia School was presided over by Ziauddin Ahmed.
He was one of the earliest members of the All-India Muslim League. Ziauddin became the Parliamentary Secretary of the Muslim League in the Central Assembly of India in 1938. Ziauddun remained member (M.P.) of Central Assembly of India from 1930 till 1947. In 1946, he was the chief whip of the Muslim League in the Central Assembly. He was awarded the title of Sir by the Government of India.
Later, he did M.A. (Mathematics) from Calcutta University and from Allahabad University in 1897 and 1899, respectively and then D.Sc. from Allahabad. He was the first Muslim who obtained D.Sc. (Mathematics). He joined Trinity College, Cambridge in 1901 for Honors Degree in Mathematics and graduated with excellence by securing the first position. He was also awarded Sir Isaac Newton Scholarship in 1904, a rare academic honour that was ever conferred on an Indian. He was made a member of the Mathematical Society of London and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He did his PhD from Gottingen University, Germany. He also visited Paris University in France and Bologna University in Italy for advanced studies in the field of modern Geometry.
On his return in 1906, Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmed devoted himself to serve his alma mater for the rest of his life. In 1911, he was appointed Secretary of the A.M.U. Foundation Committee as well as Constitution Committee. He was the first Indian Principal of the M.A.O. College and became its first Pro-Vice-Chancellor. He was elected Vice-Chancellor in 1934 and remained so until 1946 with a couple of breaks for several reasons, and thus became the largest serving Vice-Chancellor in the history of Aligarh Muslim University. He was also appointed Rector of the University. He was a great parliamentarian. He was appointed a Member of State Assembly in 1919 as representative of Allahabad University. He was elected a Member of Central Assembly in 1930. His close association with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan made him the embodiment of dignity, excellence and virtue.

• Other important personages of this Kamboh family included Azamu-du-din, Mohammad Muazam, Farhat Andesh Khan; Mubarak Ali Khan; Ahmad Ullah Khan; and Nawab Khan Bahadur Asadullah Khan, Altaf Ali Khan, and Sheikh Lali, Aijaz Hussain Kamboh, Sir Yamin Khan etc. etc. Azamu-du-din and Mohammad Muazam were class I Umras during Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah. Mubarak Ali Khan held the office of honorary Magistrate and died in 1876. His son Ahmad Ullah Khan was also honorary Magistrate and exercised special Magisterial powers throughout the whole district. He was conferred the title of Nawab by Indian Government and died in 1892. The next representative of the family was Nawab Asadullah Khan, who, like his father, was also an honorary Magistrate as well as vice-chairman and then a Chairman of the Meerut Municipal Boards. He was conferred the title of Khan Bahadur in 1888 and that of Nawab in 1895 by the Indian Government. Islamulla, brother of Asadullah Kahan was District Superintendent of Police in the erstwhile provinces and his another brother Saifullah Khan was also a deputy collector. Altaf Ali Khan was from the lineage of Khair Andesh Khan Sani and was great aristocrat of Bareilly where he held a big Jagir (fief). Aijaz Hussain Kamboh, a descendant relative the Kamboh Nawabs of Meerut was unanimously elected Chairman of the District Board in 1835 AD. Sheikh Lali had constructed the Lala Bazar of Meerut.

• Nawab Sir Muhammad Yamin Khan: a near relative of the Kamboh Nawabs, was a prominent legal luminary, statesman, politician, parliamentarian and one of the senior most members of the All India Muslim League. British Government recognised him for his outstanding social and legal services and conferred upon him the titles of "Sir" and "Nawab". A close confidant of Quaid-e-Azam, Sir Yamin Khan was a member of the working committee of All India Muslim League. He also remained Deputy President of the Indian legislative Council. Sir Muhammad Yamin Khan was also the President of the third Kamboh Conference held in Bareilly in 1936. His brother Chaudhry Muhammad Yamin Khan was also a highly educated person and a prominent Judge of pre-independence period. After partition, the family had moved to Karachi, Pakistan where Yamin Khan soon died. Muhammad Yamin was the second Kamboj member to be knighted as Sir and also was the second Kamboj member of the Indian Parliament (M.P.). He had also been a member of the Municipal Board since 1918 and served it as vice-chairman & Chairman for a long time. The Chairmanship of the Meerut Municipal Board remained for the first half century of its existence with the Nawab family of the Meerut Kambohs.

Besides the above, there were many other members of the family who occupied distinguished positions and served with distinction during the Mughal and British reigns.

There was another family of Musalman Kambohs of Meerut related to the above which was headed by Khan Bahadur Muhammad Sadik (born 1833 AD). This family traced descent from Nawab Asad Khan who settled in Meerut three centuries ago and was Wazir (minister) during time of Mughal Emperors. Muhammad Sadik's father Haji Mumtaz Ali Khan Kamboh who has served the Government as Revenue Officer and Honorary Magistrate. Muhammad Sadik had been Deputy Magistrate in irrigation department and received Sanad in Darbar as well as Khilat from Lord Cunning. He also received Certificate at the Imperial Assemblage of Delhi in 1877 on the occasion of Proclamation of Her Most Gracious Majesty as Empress of India and a title of Khan Bahadur in 1887 on the occasion of Jubilee of Her Majesty's reign.

The important Gate of Meerut known as Kamboh Gate was built by Nawab Abu Mohammad Khan Kamboh (1658 AD) belonging to this family. Mausoleum or Maqbara of Abu Muhhamad Kamboh is also located in Meerut which was built by his family members in 1688 AD. There is another Maqbara of the same family containing the remains of Abu Yar Muhhamad in Meerut (1039H).