Amir Mohammad Khan

For other uses, see Amir Khan (disambiguation).

Malik Amir Muhammad Khan (1910-1967), Ex-Governor West Pakistan

Malik Amir Mohammad Khan (died 1967) also known as Nawab of Kalabagh (Urdu: نواب کالا باغ) was a prominent feudal lord, politician and the seventh nawab of Kalabagh state, in Mianwali District of north western Punjab, Pakistan. He belonged to the Awan tribe of ancient repute. He was crowned as Nawab of Kalabagh after the death of his father Malik Ata Muhammad Khan in 1924. He also served as Governor of West Pakistan. He belongs to the nobility of the sword as his ancestors were Nawabs for nearly 900 years.

History of Kalabagh

Kalabagh, on the bank of Indus River, was a state ruled by the Nawabs for nearly 900 years, since the time of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. During the British Raj Kalabagh was not made a princely state by the British. It was a jagir that had been ruled by the Nawabs since 1100, while most of the other states were mere inventions of the British.

The state was captured by his ancestors who were Awan of Arabs origin. He was very proud of his Awan origin. He always maintained that he was descended from an individual named Qutb Shah, a ruler of Herat and a general in the army of Mahmud of Ghazni, who himself was a Hashemite descendant of the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali (but by a wife other than the Prophet's daughter, Fatimah). As Sir Lepel Henry Griffin states:

“	'All branches of the tribe (Awans) are unanimous in stating that they originally came from neighourhood of ghazni to India, and all trace their genealogy to Hazrat Ali the son-in-law of the Prophet. Kutab Shah, who came from Ghazni with Sultan Mahmud, was the common ancestor of the Awans…….It was only in the Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Shahpur districts that they became of any political importance……. In Shahpur District the Awans held the hilly country to the north west, Jalar, Naoshera and Sukesar, where the head of the tribe still resides.	”
—From ''Sir Lepel H. Griffin, The Panjab Chiefs' (1865 Edition) p.570-571.

It is asserted that Qutb Shah and six of his sons accompanied and assisted Mahmud in his early eleventh century conquests of what today forms parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Northern India. It is claimed that in recognition of their services and valour, Mahmud bestowed upon Qutb Shah and his sons (who, according to tribal traditions, settled primarily in the Salt Range) the title of Awan, meaning "helper".

Kalabagh, on the bank of Indus River, was claimed to have been a quasi-independent territory, ruled over by the Awan Chief, supposedly since the time of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. It is also claimed that this area was later taken over by the Sikhs during the early 19th century, and later, during the British Raj, it was returned to the Chief family as Kalabagh jagir.

The learned author of "Chiefs and families of note in the Delhi, Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat divisions of the Panjab" states that, "Kalabagh, the home for generations of the local Awan maliks, is one of the most ancient towns in this part of Panjab".

It is stated in the Imperial gazetteer of India that "Kalabagh Estate. — Estate in the District and tahsil of Mianwali, Punjab, with an area of 107 square miles. It is held by Muhammad Khan Malik Yar, the AwanMalik of Kalabagh. Over 300 years ago the Awan Maliks settled at Dhankot, a natural fastness on the Indus above Kalabgh."

Sir Ibbetson Denzil writes in "Panjab Caste," that "Their story is that they are descended from Qutb Shah of Ghazni, him-self a descendant of Ali, the son-in-law of Mahomet, but by a wife other than the Prophet's daughter, who came from Hirat about 1035 A.D. and settled in the neighbourhood of Peshawar. Thence they spread along the Salt-range, forming independent clans by whom the Chief of Kalabagh was acknowledged as the head of the tribe.................................... In the genealogical tree of the Kalabagh family which used to be the chief family of the tribe, in which tree their descent is traced from Qutb Shah.”

Family Tree

Malik Surkhru Khan                                                   Malik Muhammad Azam Khan                                                   Malik Allah Yar Khan                                                   Khan Bahadur Muzzafar Khan (Died 1885)                                                   Khan Buhadur Yar Muhammad Khan                                                   Khan Buhadar Malik Atta Muhammad Khan                                                   Malik Amir Mohammad Khan

Career

He was appointed Chairman Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation with the rank of a Central Minister in 1959, and subsequently Governor of West Pakistan on 12 April 1960 by Pakistan President General Ayub Khan. Both Amir Mohammad Khan and Sandhurst trained General Wajid Ali Khan Burki were instrumental in Ayub Khan's Rise to power, until today the three families retain adjoining houses in Islamabad.

An autonomous and harsh ruler with great administrative capabilities, he remained Governor of West Pakistan till September 18, 1966. He was an Aitchison College and then Oxford graduate. His role during the Indo-Pak war of 1965 is praised as he kept the law and order, controlled the prices, trafficking of the raw material and prevented the smuggling.

He has also been described as a man of principles and traditions. He liked to remain in the national dress and his cabinet members tried to please him by doing so. He once declined to shake hands with the British Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Pakistan. Ayub Khan asked him to receive her at Airport but he didn't do that.

Amir Muhammad Khan(left) with president Ayub Khan (right)

After a distinguished military career, Lt. Gen. Jahandad Khan served as Governor of Sind during 1984-87. In 1965-66 he was Military Secretary to the then Governor of West Pakistan, the Nawab of Kalabagh. He wrote a book, Pakistan Leadership Challenges, in which Kalabagh comes across as a sound, no-nonsense and commonsensical administrator, firmly wedded to the values and traditions of the feudal class. British assessment of Kalabagh was very similar. In his book, Jahandad hints at a somewhat sinister aspect of the Ayub regime. In 1963 the regime faced strong opposition from the Jamaat-i-Islami. Ayub himself “felt gravely threatened by Maudoodi”. “Some sycophants” sought to persuade him that “the physical elimination” of the Maulana would bring peace to the country. At a public meeting in Gujranwala, Maudoodi was shot at but escaped unhurt. During a visit to Lahore, Ayub told Kalabagh that Maudoodi was “an agitator with bad designs”, and sought the Nawab's “help in putting an end to his agitational politics”. The Nawab demurred, and later lamented to his friend Dr Hafeez Toosi that such a proposal should have been broached to him.

On 26 November 1967 he was found murdered under mysterious circumstances at his home in Kalabagh.

Criticism

He is considered as a controversial figure by many politicians, journalist, and historians. Although himself being an Aitchison Collegeand then Oxford graduate, his policies were not education friendly. He strengthened the martial law government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan by his harsh tactics.

Descendants

His son Malik Muzaffar Khan won the National Assembly seat from NW-44, Mianwali-I in December 1970 elections. His other son Malik Allah Yar also remained the member of Majlis-e-Shoora during General Zia-ul-Haq's military regime. His grandson Malik Amad Khan won the National Assembly seat from NA-71 Mianwali-I , in February 2008 elections as an independent candidate. His granddaughter, Sumaira Malik, is still a member of the National Assembly.

See also

• Kalabagh
• Kalabagh Dam

References

• Panjab Caste, by Sir Ibbetson, Denzil, p.170
• Siysat ke Firauns, (Pharaohs of Politics), by Wakil Anjam, Ferozsons Ltd, 1992. p.423-436
• Tarikh-ul-Awan, by Malik Sher Muhammad Khan Awan Lahore.
• The Panjab Chiefs: Historical and Biographical Notices of the Principal Families in the Lahore and Rawalpindi Divisions of the Panjab, Volume 2, Lepel Henry Griffin
• Gazetteer of the Jhelum District, 1904 & Punjab Census Report, 1911
• Chiefs and families of note in the Delhi, Jalandhar, Peshawar and Derajat divisions of the Panjab, by Charles Francis Massy p. 543
• Imperial gazetteer of India , Volume 14 p.290
• PANJAB CASTES, by : Ibbetson, Denzil, Sir, 1847-1908, p169-170

Notes

Political offices
Preceded by Akhter Husain	Governor of West Pakistan 1960 – 1966	Succeeded by Gen (R) Muhammad Musa