Khwaja Ahsanullah

Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah KCIE, also known by his pen name Shaheen, was the third Nawab of Dhaka. He was the son of Nawab Bahadur Sir Khwaja Abdul Ghani and Ismatun Nesa Begum and a renowned Urdu litterateur.

Nawab Sir Khwaja Ahsanullah Nawab of Dhaka
Nawab Khwaja Ahsanullah Khan Bahadur KCIE
Reign	1896 - 1901
Predecessor	Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Successor	Nawab Khwaja Salimullah
Born	22 August 1846 Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	16 December 1901 (aged 55) Dacca, Bengal Presidency, British India
Burial	Begum Bazaar, Dacca
Issue	Khwaja Salimullah, Khwaja Atiqullah, Meherbanu Khanam, Bilqis Banu
House	Dhaka Nawab Family
Father	Nawab Khwaja Abdul Ghani
Mother	Ismatun Nesa Begum

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 and 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.[1] By age 22, he handled the maintenance and expansion of the family estates.[2]

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.[2] He published a book of Urdu poems Kulliyat-e-Shaheen which has been preserved at the University of Dhaka. He also published his diaries, titled Tariq-e-Kandan-e-Kashmiriya. In 1884, he started an Urdu magazine, Ahsanut Qasas, which was published in Dhaka.[1]

Philanthropy

Ahsanullah was a noted philanthropist. He donated over 5 million rupees to various charitable projects. He spent over 50,000 rupees 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.[1] He also spend 40 thousand rupees on creating an Engineering College in Dhaka, which is now Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.[3]

Islamic activities

Ahsanullah was an ardent advocate for Muslims. He created a number of mosques and madrassahs including the Madaripur and Begambari mosques and madrassas. He also restored and rebuilt over 15 dargahs and mosques. He was a member of the Central Northern Muhammadan Association and this played a large role in his works.[1] He was a supporter of the Partition of Bengal (1905) which his son Khwaja Salimullah facilitated.[4]

Awards and titles

Ahsanullah was awarded many titles for his social and philanthropic work. Both he and his father were noted allies of the British Raj.[5]

Death

Ahsanullah died on 16 December 1901 of heart failure.[1] He was buried in the family plot in Begum Bazar in Dhaka.

References

1. Ahsanullah, Khwaja - Banglapedia by Mohammad Alamgir
2. Salimullah: life and work Pakistan DAWN - 30 December 2006
3. "Three pioneers who contributed most to BUET". The Daily Star. 1 January 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
4. Squaring the imperial circle The Daily Pioneer - 30 November 2007
5. Buckland 1902:1030

Further reading

• Buckland, C.E. (1902), Bengal Under the Lieutenant-Governors; Being a Narrative of the Principal Events and Public Measures During Their Periods of Office, From 1854 to 1898., Kedarnath Bose.