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BHOPAL, NAWAB OF
Neg. No: 8854
Neg. Size: 12"x10"
Neg. Date: None
 

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Sitter: Major-General H.H. Sikander Saulat, Iftikhar ul-Mulk, Haji Nawab Hafiz Sir Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Bahadur, Nawab of Bhopal, GCSI (3.6.1932, CSI 1921), GCIE (3.6.1929), CVO (17.3.1922), Assoc. KStJ. (1894-1960)

Major-General H.H. Sikander Saulat, Iftikhar ul-Mulk, Haji Nawab Hafiz Sir Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Bahadur, Nawab of Bhopal

Image published in:

Biog: 

b. at Sardar Manzil Palace, Bhopal, 9th September 1894, third son of H.H. Sikander Saulat, Iftikhar ul-Mulk, Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum Sahiba, Nawab Begum of Bhopal, GCSI, GCIE, CI, GBE by her consort, H.H. Ali Jah, Ihtisham ul-Mulk, Nasir ud-Daula, Sultan Dola, Nawab Mian Ahmed Ali Khan Bahadur, Nawab Consort of Bhopal.

Educ. Muslim Anglo-Oriental (MAO) Coll., Aligarh and Allahabad Univ. (BA 1915), LLD. Presdt. Bhopal Municipal Brd. 1915-1916, Chief Sec. 1916-1922, Law and Justice Minister 1922-26, C-in-C Bhopal State Forces. Succeeded on the abdication of his mother, 29th April 1926. Chancellor of the Muslim University Aligarh 1930-1935, Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes 1931-1932 and 1944-1947 (Mbr. Standing Committee, 1926-47). Hon Major-General, IA 15/10/1946 (Hon Col. 19/7/1939, Hon Lt-Col. 9/3/1927). Hon Colonel 4th (Bhopal) Btn. 16th Punjab Regiment, 15/10/1943. Hon. Lieut. The Poona Horse (17th Queen Victoria’s Own Cavalry), 2/6/1923. Hon. Air Vice Marshal, RAF 15/8/1945 (Hon. Air Cdre. 1/2/1943). Hon. ADC to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales 1921-22, to H.E. The Viceroy 1922-26, and to H.M. The King-Emperor, 25/1/1946-1952. Rcvd. Delhi Durbar (1911), Silver Jubilee (1935), and Coronation (1937 and 1953) medals, 39/45 and Burma stars, Defence, War and IGS medals (1945), Indian Independence medal (1947). Merged his state into Madhya Pradesh, 1st June 1949.

Married (firstly) at Peshawar, Punjab 5th September 1905, H.H. Nawab Maimunah Sultan Shahbanu Begum Sahiba (b.1900), MP (Lok Sabha) for Bhopal 1962-1966, daughter of Shahzada Humayun (a great grand son of HM Shah Shuja ul-Mulk of Afghanistan), by his wife (a sister of Colonel Nawab Sir Muhammad Aslam Khan, Sardar Bahadur, KCIE, KCVO, OBI); 
married (secondly) at Bhopal, 1948 H.H. Nawab ……. Begum Sahiba. He d. at Bhopal, 4th February 1960, having had issue three daughters. He was succeeded by his second daughter.

Note: The Nawab of Bhopal was destined to succeed Jinnah as the second Governor-General of Pakistan, but was forced by pressure of his responsibilities in India to forego that honour when Jinnah died suddenly.

The eldest daughter and heiress, Colonel Nawab Suraya Jah Gauhar-I-Taj Abida Sultan Begum Sahiba, opted for Pakistan and was deprived of her hereditary rights by the government of India. She served as Pakistani Ambassador in Brazil and Minister Plenipotentiary to Chile.

Date: 1925-1926 (?)

Occasion: Visit to England, 27 September 1925 to 19 May 1926, to assure his succession as ruler of Bhopal (?)

Location: The Lafayette studio, 160 New Bond Street, London.

Descr: FL standing.

Costume: [Probably] Uniform of a Bhopal Victoria Lancer.

Orders, Decorations & Medals: Badge of a Companion of The Order of the Star of India [CSI cr 1921]; (1) badge of a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order [CVO cr 1922];(2) Coronation Medal 1911; Delhi Darbar Medal 1911; probably Sultania Gold (?) Medal, also known as Tamgha-i-Farmanrawa (Ruler's Medal)

Furniture & Props: -

Photographer: Lafayette Ltd., 160 New Bond Street, London.

Evidence of photographer at work: -

No of poses: 1.

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Provenance: Pinewood Studios; acquired 1989.

References:

Biog: Dictionary of National Biography; Who's Who; The Times, 5 February 1960, p 15c; Who's Who In India, Lucknow, 1911; John Lord, The Maharajahs, London, 1972, pp 99-101. Abida Sultaan, Memoirs of a Rebel Princess, Karachi, 2004

Date: -

Occasion: The Times, 5 February 1960, p 15c & 20 March 1926, p 11f, 18 May 1926, p 7d; see also The Times, 14 September 1925, p 11i, 26 September 1925, p 11f; 28 September 1925, p 17b; 2 October 1925, p 15b; 8 October 1925, p 13g, 10 October 1925, p 16c; 12 October 1925, p 19b; 13 November 1925, p 14b, 24 November 1925, p 17b; 13 March 1926, p 15b; 8 April 1926, p 11f; 4 May 1926, p 11b; 8 May 1926, p 4g & 20 May 1926, p 13b.

Costume: -

Orders, Decorations & Medals: (Order of the Star of India & Royal Victorian Order) Burke's Peerage; (Coronation & Darbar medals) Howard N. Cole, Coronation and Royal Commemorative Medals 1887-1977, London, 1977; (Sultania Gold medal) A.N. McClenaghan.

Reproduced: The Illustrated London News, 3 April 1926, p 624 (cropped); The Times, 5 February 1960, p 15c, (cropped, with obituary).

Acknowledgements: (Orders, etc.) Mrs. S.K. Hopkins, Head of Department of Uniform, Badges and Medals, The National Army Museum, London; (Costume and Orders, etc.) A.N. McClenaghan, Editor, Durbar Magazine; Christopher J Buyers.

1. Announced in the Gazette of India, 1 January 1921 - "for war service"

2. Announced in the Gazette of India, 28 July 1922 - "for the Prince of Wales's tour"