radhanp

RADHANPUR

BRIEF HISTORY

The family shares joint descent with the Babi dynasty of Junagadh and Balasinor. Nawab Jawan Mard Khan I, the third son of Nawab Safdar Khan, Deputy Viceroy of Gujarat, became Governor of Radhanpur in 1715. His son, Nawab Jawan Mard Khan II, followed his father into the Imperial service, rising to high office as Deputy Viceroy of Gujarat. Attacked by the Marathas in 1753, he conducted a gallant defence of the capital, Ahmedabad. Lack of funds forced him to sue for an honourable surrender, to which the Marathas agreed, granting the Babis large domains covering the districts of Balasinor, Kheda, Gogha, Patan, Vadnagar, Sami, Munjpur, Visalnagar, Tharad, Kheralu, Radhanpur, Tervada and Vijapur. Thereafter Jawan Mard Khan II retired to Radhanpur to establish an independent principality. His sons, Ghazi ud-din and Nizam ud-din were suspected of involvement in the rebellion by Shambhuram and Rohila Pathan and lost most of their territories, save Radhanpur, Sami, Munjpur, Tharad, Tervada, Dhanora and Palipur. Sami and Munjpur were erected into a separate jagir for Kamal ud-din, younger son of Ghazi, but lapsed to Radhanpur on his death.

A British administrator took over the active government of the state during the minority of Nawab Zorawar Khan, who succeeded at the age of three. He received sole charge of the state in 1837, when he reached his majority and died in 1874. His son and successor, Nawab Bismillah Khan, introduced a large number of administrative reforms, but died leaving a minor son in 1895, when British administration resumed. Nawab Haji Muhammad Sher Khan reached his majority and assumed full charge of his state in 1907 but expired without issue, three years later. His younger brother succeeded but also died without sons in 1936. Nawab Jalal ud-din Khan left his state to his son-in-law, Murtaza Khan, from a junior branch of the dynasty. Nawab Murtaza Khan reigned as the last independent Nawab of Radhanpur. He signed the instrument of accession to the Dominion of India on 14^th August 1947.

SALUTE:
11-guns.
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
ARMS:
Paly of six vert and murrey, a chevron rompu argent. Helmet: Argent with ornaments or. Crest: A dexter hand grasping a bow and arrow proper. Supporters: Antelope proper. Motto: "Az Karan Safdar" (By favour of Safdar, i.e. by favour of the Emperor) gules on a riband vert. Lambrequins: Vert and murrey.

STYLES & TITLES:
The ruling prince: Nawab (personal name) Khan Sahib Bahadur, Nawab of Radhanpur, with the style of His Highness.
The consort of the ruling prince: Nawab (personal name) Begum Sahiba, with the style of Her Highness.
The sons of the ruling prince: Nawabzada (personal name) Khanji Sahib.
The daughters of the ruling prince: Nawabzadi Bima (personal name) Bakhte Sahiba.
The grandsons and other male descendants of the ruling prince, in the male line: Suba Shri (personal name) Khanji Sahib.
The granddaughters and other female descendants of the ruling prince, in the male line: Bima (personal name) Bakhte Sahiba.

ORDERS & DECORATIONS:
None.

RULES OF SUCCESSION:
Male primogeniture, amongst the adherents of the Islamic faith.
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
SOURCES:
Rancodji Amarji. Tarikh-i-Sorath: A History of the Provinces of Sorath and Halar in Kathiawad. Education Society Press, & Thacker & Co. Ltd., London, 1882.
Burke’s Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, since 1826.
Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. Volume VIII. Kathiawar. Government of Bombay, Bombay, 1884.
Waman P. Kabadi (ed.), Indian Who’s Who 1937-38. Yeshanand & Co, Bombay, 1937.
Sir Roper Lethbridge, KCIE. The Golden Book of India. Macmillan and Co, London, 1893.
List of Ruling Princes and Chiefs in Political Relations with the Government of Bombay and their Leading Officials, Nobles and Personages. Government of India Central Publication Branch, Calcutta, 1931.
M. F. Lokhandwala (transl.). Mirat-i-Ahmadi, a Persian History of Gujarat (English Translation), Translated from the Persian Original of Ali Muhammad Khan. Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1965.
Memoranda of Information regarding certain Native Chiefs. Volume I, Bombay. IOR/L/PS/20/F76/I, Oriental & India Office Collection, British Library, St Pancras, London.
Memoranda on The Indian States 1940 (Corrected up to the 1st January 1940). Manager of Publication, Government of India, Delhi, 1940.
Papers regarding the administration of Radhanpur and neighbouring states (includes a genealogical table of the Babi family of Radhanpur and Junagadh etc., pp 450-51). Bombay Pol 20 Jul 1830, draft 367/1829-30, E/4/1 052 pp 755-61. IOR/F/4/1142/30291, Oriental & India Office Collection, British Library, St Pancras, London.
The Ruling Princes, Chiefs and Leading Personages in the Western India States Agency, 1^st edition. Rajkot, 1928.
The Ruling Princes, Chiefs and Leading Personages in the Western India States Agency, 2^nd Edition, Delhi, 1935. IOR/V/27/70/71. Correction slips to 2nd Edition 1936-1946, IOR/V/27/70/72, Oriental & India Office Collection, British Library, St Pancras, London.
Thacker’s Indian Directory, Thacker’s Press & Directories, Ltd, Calcutta 1863-1956.
Who Was Who, Vol. I to Vol. VII, A&C Black, London, 1915 - 1980.
Who’s Who in India 1911.
Who’s Who in India, Burma & Ceylon, Who’s Who Publishers (India) Ltd, Bombay, 1940.
Capt. H. Wilberforce-Bell, The History of Kathiawad, from the earliest times. William Heinemann, London, 1916.

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Sahibzada Muzammil Khan Babi,
Father Lawrence Ober, SJ.

RADHANPUR 2

RADHANPUR 3

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