UpdateBot at 20:18, 21 June 2022

2022-06-21T20:18:01Z

New page

{{about|the Nawab of Dacca|the Bengali educator|Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah
| title = [[Nawab of Dhaka]]
| image = Khwaja Ahsanullah.jpg
| reign = 1896–1901
| coronation =
| predecessor = [[Khwaja Abdul Ghani]]
| successor = [[Khwaja Salimullah]]
| spouse = {{ubl|Wahidunnesa Begum|Farhat Begum|Kamrunnesa Bibi|Khodeja Begum}}
| royal house = [[Dhaka Nawab Family]]
| father = Khwaja Abdul Ghani
| mother = Ismatun Nesa Begum
| issue = [[Khwaja Salimullah]], [[Khwaja Atiqullah]], [[Meherbanu Khanam]], Bilqis Banu
| birth_date = {{birth date|1846|8|22|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dacca]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1901|12|16|1846|8|22|df=y}}
| death_place = Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India
| place of burial= Begum Bazaar, Dacca
|}}
Nawab Bahadur [[Sir]] '''Khwaja Ahsanullah''' [[Order of the Indian Empire|KCIE]] (22 August 1846 – 16 December 1901) was the third [[Nawab of Dhaka]]. He also authored books in [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Urdu]] under the [[pen name]] of '''Shaheen'''. Ahsanullah is recognised for his philanthropic works in [[Bengal]], most notably his donations to the present [[Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology]].

==Early life==
Ahsanullah was born in 1846 as the son of [[Khwaja Abdul Ghani]] and Ismatun Nesa. As a young child he learned [[Urdu]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]] in addition to the Islamic education of Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh. He was noted as being a very gifted child, and mastered the religious Islamic doctrine at a very young age.<ref name=khwaja/> By age 22, he handled the maintenance and expansion of the family estates.<ref name="saleem">{{cite news |title=Salimullah: life and work |url=http://www.dawn.com/events/pml/review27.htm |work=Dawn |date=30 December 2006}}</ref>

==Literature==
Ahsanullah wrote widely in Urdu under the pen name Shaheen and much of his spare time was spent composing literature in Urdu and Persian. Those around him noted that he had a talent for composing spontaneous poetry which generally evoked sunny imagery.<ref name="saleem" /> He published a book of Persian and Urdu poems ''Kulliyat-e-Shaheen'' which has been preserved at the [[University of Dhaka]]. He also published his diaries, titled ''Tarikh-e-Khandan-e-Kashmiriyah''. In 1884, he started an Urdu magazine, Ahsanut Qasas, which was published in [[Dhaka]].<ref name=khwaja/>

==Philanthropy==
Ahsanullah was a noted philanthropist. He donated over 5 million rupees to various charitable projects, and renovated the [[mazar (mausoleum)]] of [[Pir Yemeni]].<ref name=khwaja>{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Ahsanullah, Khwaja|author=Alamgir, Mohammad}}</ref> He spent over 50,000 [[rupee]]s on famine relief in [[Barisal District]], [[Mymensingh District]] and [[Dhaka District]] in 1896. He also was one of the chief backers for the building of [[Comilla]]. Many hospitals were funded and constructed by him, including the Patuankali Begam Hospital, Lady Dufferin Women's Hospital, and the [[Mitford Hospital]].<ref name=khwaja/> He also spend 40 thousand rupees on creating an engineering college in Dhaka, which is now [[Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/campus/2008/01/01/camspotlight.htm|title=Three pioneers who contributed most to BUET|work=The Daily Star|date=1 January 2008|access-date=2018-12-10}}</ref>

===Islamic activities===
Ahsanullah was an ardent advocate for Muslims. He created a number of mosques and madrasas including the Madaripur and Begambari mosques and madrassas. He also restored and rebuilt over 15 [[dargah]]s and mosques. He was a member of the Central Northern Muhammadan Association and this played a large role in his works.<ref name=khwaja/> He was a supporter of the [[Partition of Bengal (1905)|1905 Partition of Bengal]] which his son [[Khwaja Salimullah]] facilitated.<ref>{{cite news |title=Squaring the imperial circle |url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnist1.asp?main_variable=Columnist&file_name=Premen%2FPremen2.txt&writer=Premen |work=The Daily Pioneer |date=30 November 2007}}</ref>

==Awards and titles==
Ahsanullah was awarded a Khan Bahadur in 1871, a Nawab in 1875, a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1891, a Nawab Bahadur in 1892, a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in 1897, and a member of the Governor-General's Legislative Council in 1890 and again in 1899.<ref name=buckland/>

Ahsanullah was awarded many titles for his social and philanthropic work. Both he and his father were noted allies of the [[British Raj]].<ref name=buckland>{{citation |last=Buckland |first=C.E. |title=Bengal Under the Lieutenant-Governors; Being a Narrative of the Principal Events and Public Measures During Their Periods of Office, From 1854 to 1898. |volume=2 |url=https://archive.org/details/bengalunderlieut02buckiala/page/1030/mode/1up |publisher=Kedarnath Bose |year=1902|page=1030}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Ahsanullah died on 16 December 1901 of heart failure.<ref name=khwaja/> He was buried in the family plot in Begum Bazar in Dhaka.

Ahsanullah was married to Wahidunnesa Begum, Farhat B. Nawab Begum, Kamrunnesa Bibi (d. 1900) and Khodeja Begum (d. 1900).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Family Tree |url=https://www1.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=gupshup1&view=0&pid=47&ver=3255 |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=www1.tribalpages.com}}</ref> His one son, [[Khwaja Salimullah]], and a grandson, [[Khwaja Habibullah]] went on to become the 4th and the 5th nawabs of Dhaka respectively. Ahsanullah's another grandson, through his daughter Bilqis Banu, [[Khawaja Nazimuddin]], served as the governor general (1948–1951) and the prime minister (1951–1953) of Pakistan.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahsanullah, Khwaja}}
[[Category:1846 births]]
[[Category:1901 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Dhaka]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Dhaka]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Urdu-language poets]]

Khwaja Ahsanullah - Revision history

UpdateBot at 20:18, 21 June 2022