October 21, 2001
The fabled jewels of the Nizams of Hyderabad are on display at the National Museum New Delhi. The family who collected them were not known for their wealth in the city of their origin, Samarqand. The treasures were collected in India. They were of such magnitude that the last Nizam, 9th in line from Khwaja A’abid was considered the richest man in the world at the beginning of the 20th Century.
The first to come to India from the ancestral home in Samarqand was Khwaaja A’abid. A’abid is Arabic for devotee worshipper and servitor. Aabid’s father called Allahdaad A’alam Shaikh [The gift of God, Preceptor of the World}. Allahdaad,was the son of, Abdul Rahman Shaikh Azeezan of Samarqand.
As descendents of Shaikh Shahabuddeen of the Suhrawardi silsilaa or tradition of Sufis the family enjoyed high social status and esteem. They were Gurus who provided guidance for people seeking spiritual elevation.
The narrator says
“Shaikh Azeezan sat on the prayer mat of ‘Irshaad’ [guidance and direction] to help seekers [iradatmand] and fostered devotrees who came to him by providing the training necessary.”
After education and training in Samarqand Khwaja A’abid moved to Bokhara to be Qazi or Judge. He rose to the job of ShaikhulIslam or top juridical authority for interpreting Islamic Law and practice.
In the 29th regnal year of Shah Jahan, around 1657 A’abid had the desire to undertake the pilgrimage to the Holy cities of Mecca and Medina and needed money. He travelled to India via Kabul and was recruited into the Imperial service. A ceremonial robe of honour was bestowed upon him and Rupees Six Thousands gifted to him to defray the expenses of his journey to the Holy Land.
A’abid returned in time to take part in the battle of Dharmat near Ujjain where the combined armies of Awrungzeyb and Murad Bakhsh inflicted a sanguinary defeat on the army sent by Shah Jahan to block their northward progress.
After the victory Khwaja A’abid, now a ‘Khan’ received the rank of a Mansabdaar of four thousand with a command of seven hundred cavalry. In the 4th regnal year of Awrungzeyb Aalamgir A’abid was made Sadr-i-kul or in charge of administering pensions allowances and grants for scholars sages and others engaged in intellectual and spiritual activity. In the tenth year of the reign the Khwaja’s command rank was raised to fifteen hundred cavalry and he was relieved of the duties of sadr-i-kul and given charge of the province of Ajmer Sharif. A ceremonial robe of honour [khil’at] and an elephant were bestowed upon him.
After a stint as governor of Multan Khwaja A’abid was appointed Meer Haaj or Chief of the group of persons performing the Haj pilgrimage. In the twenty third year he was given the title Qulij Khan.
According to one tradition the warlike title arises from the sound made when a sword is drawn from the scabbard. A’abid was now with the Prince Mu’azzam in pursuit of the rebel prince Muhammad Akbar.
From the twenty ninth year of the reign the Emperor himself was in the Deccan and Khwaja A’bid was with him in the siege of Bijapur. Here he was given a quiver manufactured in the Imperial workshops by the Emperor.
After Bijapur was subdued Awrungzeyb moved on to Golconda. The Qutb Shahi ruler took shelter in the fort. Hyderabadi troops surrounded the fort to defend it from the Mughal army. Awrungzeyb asked his men to clear the area outside the fort of all opposing forces. Qulij Khan Khwaja A’bid intrepid warrior that he was took a forward position and went right up to the fort engaging and destroying the enemy.
At this point a mortar was fired at him from the fort. The solid cannonball landed on the shoulder and separated his arm from the torso.
Without turning a hair Khwaja A’bid mounted his horse and rode back to his camp.
The Emperor asked the Prime Minister, Jumdatul Mulk Asad Khan to visit the injured chief and make inquiries after his welfare. When Asad Khan arrived at Khwaja A’abid Qulij Khan’s tent he found the chief sitting at ease on the carpet drinking coffee with the ramaining hand while the surgeon [jarraah] was busy taking out the splinters of bone from his shoulder. The Khan was conversing with visitors and praising the surgeon for his skill with the repair work ‘taankey lagaaney waalaa khoob milaa hey!’[We have a marvel here working with the needle]
Despite the best surgery and attention Khwaaja A’bid succumbed to his wounds. He was succeeded by his son Ghaziuddeen Khan Firoz Jung whose mausoleum and seminary stands at Ajmeri Darwaazaa Shahjahaanaabaad Delhi. When we have a government which is conscious of the heritage that building [it was Anglo Arabic College at independence]will house a museum of Delhi in Mughal and Medieval India and exhibitions such as the Nizam’s Jewels will be held there.
We shall return to Ghaziuddin Firoz in another column.