Monthly Archives: April 2025

Forgotten martyrs: Nawab Kadar Ali, his companions were hanged by British at Sitabuldi fort in Nagpur

Amazing Feats, Books (incl.Biographies - w.e.f.01 jan 2018 ), Community Involvement / Social Issues, Events, Exhibitions, Conferences (wef. Nov 18th, 2021), First War of Independence 1857 / Naval Mutiny 1946 / Others PreIndependece (wef. July 27th, 2022), Freedom Fighters (under research project), Leaders, Martyrs of the Nation, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Nagpur, MAHARASHTRA :

More than seven decades after India achieved independence, the role of innumerable martyrs and freedom fighters who gave their blood and offered lives for the motherland, needs to be remembered. 

Many of them got harsh punishments, didn’t get proper last rites, remain forgotten and even those whose sacrifices are known, don’t have monuments or memorials built in their memory.

The martyrdom of Nawab Kadar Ali, and his companions, who planned attack on residency and to take on the East India Company forces in Nagpur, also needs to be recalled. They were hanged here for their role in 1857–the first war of independence.

Though there is no monument named after them and no big memorial, they remain heroes in public memory. The fort that had been a base of 118 Infantry Battalion for years, is opened on three days including August 15 and January 26. Thousands of people arrive on these days, and also pay visit to the grave and offer their respects.

The flame for independence was already lit. History books mention that soon after Meerut, the anger was palpable among soldiers and citizens in this region too. On June 13 1857, a large gathering took place near Mission High School. The soldiers too were anxious and ready. 

Scared, some of the East India Compnay officials ran towards Kamptee Cantonment, while others went inside the Sitabuldi Fort. It was due to treachery that the attack plans had been leaked and the news reached British officers. More EIC forces were called from other places to control and overpower the rebels.

Rani Baka Bai, wife of late Raghoji II, was supporting the British and issued a warning that anyone abetting or aiding the revolutionaries would be arrested and handed to the East India Company. It’s a long story and how the soldiers and citizens suffered, refused to name the leaders of the movement. 

Historical texts say that the signal of a fire balloon was decided. But after the traitors gave information to East India Company officers, Plowden, the commissioner, ordered a regiment to move into the city. The irregular calvary at Tali was dismayed. Major Arrow tried to get information from ring leaders but no one gave names.

Baka Bai summoned all her relations, and dissuaded them with threats. This chilled the spirit of public. However, later when Company officials’ strengthened their hold, the rebels were identified. Arms were collected and after inquiry, Dildar Khan, Inayatullah Khan, Vilayat  Khan and Nawab Kadar Ali were tried and executed.

KILLED, HANGED, BURIED IN A COMMON PIT

The Gazetteer briefly mentions that ‘tucked away between the easter walls of the inner fort and the barracks is a large grave known as Nav Gazah Baba…the grave of Nawab Kadar Ali…and his eight associates..who were killed and hanged by the ramparts of the fort due to their role in the war of independence”. 

“They were all buried in a common pit, nine yards long. The fort recalls to our mind the memory of the brave soldiers who fought in an attempt to preserve the independence of the mother land”. It was treachery that was responsible for the arrests and the punishment.  Those who helped the British, got ‘jagirs’ as rewards.

Ghulam Rasool ‘Ghamgeen’, the poet, wrote these lines in Farsi :

Choo.n Qadar Ali Khan Ameer Kabeer
Shud-az-tohmat, ahl-e-balwa aseer

Bajurm shiraakat girafaar shud
Chau mansoor, Hallaj, bar-daar shud

Duaa’e shahaadat ba-raahe Khuda
shab w roz mi kard aa.n mahtada
…
…
Khirad guft ee.n misra-e-silk-e-noor
Za-daar-e-jafaa shud ba-daar-e-suroor

The last couplet of this long Persian verse, brings out the ‘tarikh’, the year of execution. The complete verse is mentioned in Dr Mohammad Sharfuddin Sahil’s book ‘Tarikh-e-Nagpur’. It shows the impact of the hangings on the people in the region. Nagpur is geographillcally considered to be a part of Central India and is the biggest city in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.

The fort for a long period remained the base of 118 Infantry Battalion of Territorial Army. Every year, on August 15 and January 26, fort is opened for public so that it can pay respect to the freedom fighters. It’s also opened on May 1 i.e. Maharashtra Day. [Illustration is representive]

source: http://www.newsbits.in / NEWS Bits / Home> Top News / by Shams Ur Rehman Alavi / August 15th, 2021

Haidargarh Basoda: The princely state that survived for two centuries in Central India

Royal Families, PreIndependence -Descendants (wef. Jan 02nd,2022), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haidargarh-Basoda (Vidisha District) , MADHYA PRADESH :

Bhopal :

Once it was a princely state, today it’s a dot on the map of Madhya Pradesh. Haidargarh-Basoda, a principality, remained in existence for nearly two centuries in the centre of India.

It was also known as Nawab Basoda and is known for its unique history. However, after independence when the state merged and lost its identity, not even made a district and relegated to the status of a town, the place lost focus and its heritage and traditions could not be properly documented.

However, it’s well known in history that Nawab Diler Khan was the founder of the State that later got divided into Haidargarh Basoda, Kurwai and Muhammadgarh. The original princely state* had come into being in the year 1713 AD, [and was later carved into three separate states]. Mughal power was weakening after nearly 190 years.

It was during the reign of Emperor Farrukhsiyar, the great grandson of Aurangzeb, that Nawab Diler Khan managed to establish his principality in this region. The death of Nawab Diler Khan is recorded in the year 1732. After him, it was his son Nawab Izzat Khan who succeeded.

However, Nawab Izzat Khan and his younger brother Ahsan Ullah Khan had the territory divided. The latter, Nawab Ahsan Ulla Khan also divided his state into two parts, one of which was known as Haidagarh Basoda or Nawab Basoda. The Basoda state came into being in early 1750s. 

After Nawab Ahsan Ulla Khan’s death in 1790, his son Nawab Wakaullah Khan remained the chieftain but he died five years later. His wife was regent and the minor son Nawab Asud Ali Khan became the ruler when he attained the rightful age. It was during this period that the first war of independence or mutiny [as British termed it] took place. 

Nawab Asud Ali Khan passed away in 1864. He was succeeded by his son Nawab Omar Ali Khan who was an author and a traveller. He went across the world and wrote about his visits. He passed away in 1895. He was succeeded by his son Nawab Mohammad Haidar Ali Khan.

It was during this period that the state became known as Haidargarh. Then, Nawab Masood Ali Khan became Nawab and after a three year stint, state got merged when India became independent. The title remained. After 1971, privy purses were abolished. He passed away in 1976.

“After our grandfather Nawab Masood Ali Khan, his son Nawab Kiswhar Ali Khan succeeded him”, says Siddiq Ali Khan, a descendant of the family. ‘My father Anwar Ali Khan is the younger brother of Kishwar Ali Khan”, he further says. How the family coped with the state was merged?

“Most of the members of our clan took care of the lands. Apart from this, some of us are in different professions”, says Khan, who lives in Bhopal. “We had agrarian land and hence the family got engaged in it, though some took jobs and became doctors, engineers. One of our uncles, Bakhtiyar Ali Khan, studied in Cambridge school in Bhopal. My father has also been in politics”, Siddiq Ali Khan, further adds.

The Haidargarh Basoda state [now Haidergarh] was spread over an area of over 103 sq km i.e. 40 sq miles. Now, it is located near Gyaraspur town in Vidisha district adjoining Bhopal. Haidargarh, now spelt Haidergarh Basoda, is a civic body. The fort and the family’s ancestral palace still stand as testimony to the fact that this small panchayat was once was a principality with a rich history. 

[*Originally Nawab Diler Khan established a state in 1713 AD that was later carved into three separate states and Basoda came into being in 1753]

source: http://www.newsbits.in / NEWS Bits / Home> Heritage / by Shams Ur Rehman Alavi / February 15th, 2023

Eva Fathima Basheer Receives India Book of Records Award

Amazing Feats, Karnataka (under research project), NRI's / PIO's, Women/Girls(since May26-2021)

Aramboor (Sullia, Dakshina Kannada), KARNATAKA / Sharjah, U.A.E :

Sharjah, UAE: 

Eva Fathima Basheer, a Grade 3 student of GEMS Millennium School, Sharjah, has been recognised by the India Book of Records for her exceptional feat of reading English storybooks for the longest uninterrupted duration by a child.

At just nine years old, Eva read aloud from six English storybooks for 4 hours, 31 minutes, and 38 seconds without a break. She received the India Book of Records Achievers Award for this accomplishment at a ceremony held on 29 March 2025 at the organisation’s centre in Faridabad, Haryana.

Apart from this record, Eva has excelled in academics, securing gold medals in various national and international Olympiads conducted by reputed institutions. She is also actively involved in extra-curricular and social activities, including cleanliness drives, environmental awareness campaigns, fundraising efforts, and promoting safety practices.

Eva’s interests extend to writing stories, poems, and articles, as well as drawing and singing.

She hails from Aramboor in Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, and currently lives in Sharjah with her parents.

source: http://www.english.varthabharati.in / Vartha Bharati / Home> Gulf / by Vartha Bharati / March 29th, 2025

Why Guru ki Maseet in Punjab has no Muslim worshippers

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Uniquely Indian - Inter Faith (wef. February 08th, 2023), World Opinion

Hargobindpura, PUNJAB :

Guru ki Maseet at Hargobindpura, Punjab

A 17th century mosque in Punjab declared declared as a symbol of religious tolerance by the UNESCO and UNDP has no Muslim worshippers. Called Guru ki maseet (Mosque of the Guru) it is being looked after by the Sikhs.

Its story dates to the early 17th century. When the sixth Sikh Guru, Hargobind Singh, took over the throne, Emperor Akbar’s efforts to bring all religions together had already failed. In the reign of Jahangir, animosities based on religious difference had begun to surface across India.

Soon, Hargobind Singh realized that in the midst of growing tension and threats, only spirituality would not work.

With this idea, Guru Hargobind Singh started wearing two swords on his body. He called them the swords of Piri and Miri. Piri referred to spirituality and Miri to power. He also raised an army to fight wars.

In one of his armed campaigns, his army camped on the banks of the Beas River. Soon a big settlement came up here and it was called Hargobindpur. Today one can reach this place while travelling on Hoshiarpur-Batala Road in Punjab.

The township had people of all religions. Soon a temple and a Gurudwara were built there. There were only a few Muslims there and they had no place of worship. As their numbers were low, building a mosque was not feasible at the community level.

They went to Guruji and told him their problem.

Guru Hargobind Singh instructed his authorities to build a mosque for the Muslims to worship. In no time the mosque was built on a small hillock on the banks of the Beas River. The sound of Azan from the mosque reverberated in the air for the next several hundred years.

Guru ki Maseet at Hargobindpura, Punjab

However, after the partition of India and many Muslims leaving for Pakistan in 1947, this mosque was deserted. All the Muslim families of Hargobindpura had left for Pakistan.

As the mosque was related to Guru Hargobind Singh, the Nihang Sikhs built a Gurudwara there. Today, the sounds of Gurbani resonate there the place every morning and evening.

In the last decade of the twentieth century, Muhammad Rizwanul Haq of the Punjab Waqf Board visited the town and met many Sikh leaders. He requested the Sikhs that since this mosque was built on the orders of Sikh Guru it should be allowed to remain a mosque.

The Sikh leaders consulted historians; they too concurred with the idea of the place being retained as a mosque.

Soon a consensus was reached. Once again the kar seva started and the mosque was renovated. Some people from the Punjab Waqf Board also came there but most of the kar seva was done by Sikhs.

Nihang Sikhs who look after the mosque sitting outside Guru ki Maseet

The mosque was restored to its original shape in 2002.

For its inauguration, the locals invited Imam Maulana Hamid Hussain Qasmi of Amritsar’s Jama Masjid to lead the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the mosque.

Even today there is no Muslim living in Hargobindpur and yet the mosque stands tall. Today, Guru ki Maseet is cared for by Nihang sevadars.

In 2003, this historic mosque gained international recognition when UNESCO and the UNDP’s Culture for Peace project highlighted its importance as a symbol of religious tolerance. 

(The author is a senior journalist)

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Harjinder / April 01st, 2025

Jamia Millia Islamia hosts exhibition on rare Quran calligraphy from the 15th to the 20th Century

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Books - Holy Quran, Koran / Translations, Commentaries / by Indian Muslims (wef. February 11th, 2025), Calligraphers of India (wef. Jan 05th, 2025)

NEW DELHI :

New Delhi : 

Jamia Millia Islamia has launched a special week-long exhibition showcasing rare and ancient Quran manuscripts at its Dr. Zakir Husain Library during the holy month of Ramadan. The exhibition, titled “Muqaddas Quran,” was inaugurated by Professor Mazhar Asif Sheikh-ul-Jamia and features a diverse collection of calligraphy spanning from the 15th to the early 20th century.

Through meticulously crafted posters, the exhibition traces the development of Islamic calligraphy from the 7th to the 14th century, offering a comprehensive visual exploration of how Quranic calligraphy evolved over time.

Alongside the manuscripts, the exhibition presents an impressive collection of printed Qurans in various national and regional languages, including Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, and Bengali. The display also includes translations in foreign languages such as Chinese, Japanese, German, Turkish, Russian, English, Spanish, Albanian, Myanmar (Burmese), and Persian. A special Quran in Braille was also featured, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and ensuring that visually impaired individuals can access the sacred text.

Professor Mazhar Asif, Sheikh-ul-Jamia(Vice Chancellor )of Jamia Millia Islamia, expressed his satisfaction with the exhibition, saying, “It is a privilege for the university to open its rare collection during the holy month of Ramadan, allowing people to benefit from the teachings, knowledge, and moral values of the Quran. The Quran promotes helping the poor, equality, and justice, and by presenting this exhibition to the public, we aim to encourage accountability, bringing people from darkness to light.”

The exhibition also showcases rare Arabic manuscripts, including Tafseer Baizawi and Tafseer of Ibn Abbas, both from the 16th century. Additionally, books in eleven foreign languages and six regional translations illustrate the rich diversity of Jamia’s collection.

Professor Asif highlighted the rarity of the Japanese translation of the Quran, which was produced by the Islamic Society of Koshikawa in Tokyo, calling it an extremely rare edition globally.

Professor Mohammad Mahtab Alam Razvi, Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia, emphasized the significance of the exhibition. “This collection reflects our rich heritage of Quranic manuscripts and printed copies from the 15th century to the early 20th century, including small Quranic manuscripts. With thirty-five rare handwritten manuscripts and twenty-seven printed translations, the exhibition offers valuable insights into the evolution of Quranic script.”

Dr. Lucas S. Nigrale, who also participated in the event, spoke about the importance of such exhibitions during Ramadan, a time for reflection, devotion, and learning. “This exhibition shines a light on the Quran’s timeless wisdom and universal message,” Dr. Nigrale said, expressing hopes for future exhibitions that further promote awareness and cultural dialogue at the university. The Dr. Zakir Husain Library holds a total of 2,243 Quranic manuscripts.

The exhibition serves as an important platform for enhancing public understanding of the Quran’s linguistic, intellectual, and literary traditions. It highlights the eternal teachings of the Quran in a contemporary context, fostering greater cultural and educational dialogue.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by Mohammad Akram / March 30th, 2025