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Mumtaz -Ul-Mulk Nawab Fazl Ali Khan, Saif Jung. (also spelled Fazal Ali Khan, or Fazl Ali, c. 1705 – 1773), was a Nawab of Ghazipur. He succeeded his father Nawab Sheikh Abdullah after his death in 1744.

Biography

Nawab Fazl Ali Khan was a significant political figure in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh during the 18th century. He was the eldest son of Nawab Sheikh Abdullah of Ghazipur, a prominent ruler in the region. Following Abdullah's death in 1744, Fazl Ali was absent from Ghazipur, and his younger brother Karam-ullah was appointed as the governor. Fazl Ali subsequently appealed to Safdar Jang, the Nawab of Awadh, and secured the governorship by agreeing to an additional payment of one lakh rupees. The same year he was given the title of Mumtaz -Ul-Mulk and Saif Jung. Fazl Ali Khan was also a nephew of Rustam Ali Khan (the previous Nizam) and thus Rustam Ali didn't had any heir, he became the heir of all his ansistoral property and was given a pention of 7200 per annum, sanctioned by Warren Hastings.

Karam-ullah, unwilling to openly oppose his brother, sought the support of Nawal Rai, Safdar Jang's deputy, who appointed Shahbaz Khan to act as an agent in Ghazipur to monitor Fazl Ali's administration. Fazl Ali's tenure faced criticism, leading to his removal in 1747 and the reinstatement of Karam-ullah as governor. Fazl Ali subsequently joined Safdar Jang's court and participated in the campaign against Ahmad Shah Abdali's forces, where he played a notable role in supporting the Mughal army. This earned him the favor of Safdar Jang, and following Karam-ullah's death in 1748, Fazl Ali was restored as governor of Ghazipur. At this time, the annual revenue demand was raised to five lakh rupees.

In 1750, Safdar Jang suffered a defeat at the hands of the Bangash Nawab of Farrukhabad. As part of this conflict, Muhammad Amin Khan occupied Ghazipur, forcing Fazl Ali to leave without resistance. However, the Pathans could not maintain their hold on the district, and Fazl Ali regained control the following year. In 1754, after Shuja-ud-Daula succeeded Safdar Jang as Nawab of Awadh, Fazl Ali was removed from his position due to revenue shortfalls, and Muhammad Ali Khan was appointed in his place. Muhammad Ali Khan, however, faced difficulties maintaining order in the region, and Fazl Ali was reappointed as governor. His jurisdiction was expanded to include Azamgarh.

During this period, Fazl Ali's administration encountered challenges, and in 1757, Shuja-ud-Daula's deputy, Beni Bahadur, and Raja Balwant Singh of Banaras were sent to Ghazipur to address the situation. Fazl Ali attempted resistance but was defeated and fled to Bhojpur (Patna), later he was given a pention and a village by the subahdar of Bengal & Bihar, later he was made a jagirdar of Chakla(Gorakhpur). The governorship of Ghazipur was subsequently transferred to Balwant Singh, with an annual revenue demand of eight lakh rupees.Fazl Ali acquired a considerable estate during his tenure, often through forced sales. His property holdings reportedly amounted to 1,647 villages and parts of 47 others. Balwant Singh treated all this as a piece of waste paper. However Warren Hastings tried to resolve the issue in 1781. Thus a remuneration of ₹ 1 Lakh was awarded to Muhammad Azim Ali Khan, nephew of Fazl Ali in 1788, he also received an annual grant of Rs. 10,000, with family's ancestral forts, houses, and gardens remained with him until his passing in 1807. Following this, pensions totaling Rs. 6,600 were granted to seven family members, lasting until their deaths. Azim Ali reestablished the estate of Qasimabad.

Fazl Ali's tenure as governor of Ghazipur reflects the complexities of 18th-century regional politics in North India. His interactions with Safdar Jang, Shuja-ud-Daula, and other prominent figures of the period highlight the shifting alliances and administrative challenges of the time. His rule, though marked by periods of success and influence, also faced significant opposition and eventual decline in the face of changing political circumstances. Fazl Ali died in 1773, and was buried at his ancestral tomb of Nawab kila burzi at Ghazipur, near his father, his last direct descendent died at Saidpur in late 1800s.

• Painting of Nawabganj palace made by a British painter
• 1784 painting showing the view of Nawabganj Palace built by Sheikh Abdullah in 1736
• Picture of the ruins of Sheikh Abdullah's tomb built by Fazal Ali after his father's death in 1744, the tomb of Fazl Ali was build by maulvi Amrullah, his wife's brother, many of his family members including him and his grandfather Muhammad Qasim is buried here.

Further reading

•https://books.google.co.in/books?id=T5RafkUBcvMC&pg=PA134&dq=Sheikh+Abdullah,+Ghazipur&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwigzrL-27SKAxWlTGwGHTV7GRIQ6AF6BAgGEAM#v=onepage&q=Sheikh%20Abdullah%2C%20Ghazipur&f=false •https://books.google.com/books?id=dxDWbsztdVQC&q=Qasimabad •https://www.jstor.org/stable/44141845

References

1. ^ SRIVASTAVA, ASHIRBADI LAL (1954). THE FIRST TWO NAWABS OF AWADH,ED.2ND. SHIVA LAL AGARWALA,AGRA.
2. ^ "नवाब कासिम का किला बदहाल". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Retrieved 2024-11-08.
3. ^ Nevill, H. r (1909). Ghazipur A Gazetteer Vol.29.
4. Ansari, Saiyad Hasan (1986). Evolution and Spatial Organization of Clan Settlements: A Case Study of Middle Ganga Valley. Concept Publishing Company.
5. "Sadat". www.lucknow.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2010-05-02. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
6. "History | District Ballia | India". Retrieved 2024-12-16.
7. Rizvi, Syed Najmul Raza (1980). "A ZAMINDAR FAMILY OF EASTERN UTTAR PRADESH (A brief study of Rajahs of Azamgarh) (1609-1771 A.D.)". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 41: 239–247. ISSN 2249-1937.
8. "History | District Mau, Uttar Pradesh Government | India". Retrieved 2024-12-16.

• Nawabs of India
• People from Ghazipur