Nawab Khwaja Abid Siddiqi

Nawab Khwaja Abid Siddiqi/Kwaja Abid (Qalich Khan title given by Shahjahan) (became Nawab under Aurangzeb and was a Siddiqi by lineage) a loyal general for the Mughal Empire. He is most famous through his grandson Qamar-ud-din Siddiqi, Asaf Jah I, son of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Siddiqi Feroze Jung I.

Birth

Khwaja Abid Siddiqi born in Adilabad near the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand. He came from a family of ulemmas (learned men).

Early life

Khwaja Abid Siddiqi broke with family tradition and became a fighter rather than a scholar. Henry Brigs a historian wrote,

In youth he was trained to the use of the bow, the spear and the sword. Riding on horseback was familiar to him from the moment he could toddle alone from his mother's knee as it is to this day to everybody from the plains of Arabia to the hills of Afghanistan and he was specially taught to regard the cause of the Crescent and the Koran as the great purpose of his existence

It was in 1655 that Khwaja Abid Siddiqi undertook a pilgrimage to Mecca. But on his way there he stopped off in India to present himself before Shah Jahan. The Mughal Emperor bestowed on Khwaja Abid a Kilat (dress of honour) and promised him that after he returned from Mecca he could take up a post on his personal staff. Aurangzeb was trained by him. Under his command Aurangzeb conquered central India and south India.

Later life

He returned from his pilgrimage to India in 1658 to take up his post serving the Emperor Shah Jahan, only to find that the Emperor had been taken ill and so Khwaja Abid decided to throw his lot in with Prince Aurangzeb. Taking command of one of the Mughal armies, Khwaja Abid played a crucial role in the battlefield of Samugarh. For this he was rewarded by being made one of the Emperors most trusted generals.

He then proceeded to follow Aurangzeb around India as the Emperor pursued his dream of bringing all of Hindustan under the Timuri Flag. Many battles were fought and many Forts besieged but it was when attacking Golconda that Kwaja Abid shone through as the Emperors most loyal and courageous general. When Aurangzebs army left to attack Golconda, it was under the command of Khwaja Abids son Firuz Jung. Firuz Jung was so keen on taking the fort in a sudden assault, he sent his father in charge of the storming party. However Khwaja was hit by a musket ball, which completely severed his arm. He returned to the Mughal camp on his horse refusing to dismount. Aurangzebs Vazīr-e Azam (prime minister) noticed that while the surgeons were busy taking bits of bone and iron from his wound, he was stoically sipping coffee.

These family has great taste ot food and living style.

Death

Khwaja Abid Siddiqi died a few days later, his arm was also found identified by the signet ring he always wore on his finger. Nawab Khwaja Abid Siddiqi is buried in a tomb at Kismatpur near Attapur Himayatsagar only a few Kilometres from where he had died at Golconda. He was Chief Commander of Aurangzeb's Army when Golconda conquered. Having had issue, five sons and two daughters. Nawab Qaziuddin Khan Siddqi, Nawab Khwaja Hamid Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Nawab Rahim chin qulich Khan Siddiqi Bahadur and two sons died young. Khadija Begum sahiba and another daughter married to Nawab Riyat khan siddiqi Bahadur.

References

Zubrzycki, John. (2006) The Last Nizam: An Indian Prince in the Australian Outback. Pan Macmillan, Australia. ISBN 978-0-330-42321-2.

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