Najib-ud-daula
Najib-ud-daula (1703-1770) was a Rohilla Yousafzai Pashtun who earlier served as a Mughal serviceman but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1757 in his attack on Delhi. He was also a House chief in the 18th century Rohilkhand, who in the 1740s founded the city of Najibabad in Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Variants of name
- Najib ad-Dawlah (Pashto: نجيب الدوله)
- Najib Khan Yousafzai (Pashto: نجيب خان)
- Najib Khan
Early life
He born in 1703 in Nazar Khel,village Swabi, KP, Pakistan. He migrated in 1739 to join his uncle Bisharat Khan, who had settled with his families of Pakhtuns at Bisharatnagar, near Rampur. He began his career in 1743 as an immigrant from the village Swabi, District Swabi, now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a soldier. Najib Khan belonged to the UmarKhel section of Mandanh Yousafzai. He migrated from Mohallah Nazar Khel, village Swabi, district Swabi, now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
History
He was at first an employee of Imad ul mulk. He deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1757 in his attack on Delhi. He was then appointed as Mir Bakshi of the Mughal emperor by Abdali. Later in his career he was known as Najib ad-Dawlah, Amir al-Umra, Shuja ad-Dawlah.[1]
From 1757 to 1770 he was governor of Saharanpur, ruling over Dehradun. Many architectural relics of the period of Rohilla he oversaw remain in Najibabad, which he founded at the height of his career as a Mughal minister.[2]
In 1749, Ali Mohammed, who had captured most of Rohilkhand by 1740, gave Najib Khan a northern portion,[3] where he established the present day city of Najibabad, a state of Najibabad independent from other Rohilla tribes, and received the title, ‘Najib ad-Dawlah’.
Imad-ul-Mulkh appointed Najib ad- Dawlah as the governor of Saharanpur.[4]
In 1757, Najib ad-Dawlah, who was then the governor of Saharanpur under Mughal Empire, invaded the city of Dehradun, with his army of Rohillas, and ruled the area for the next decade. His rule was known for its administration, and development of land resources, leading to widespread development and prosperity in the area, with emphasis on agriculture and irrigation. Many mango groves created during the area still exist today. Though after his death in 1770, the Maratha forces expelled the Rohillas from the Dun.[5]
Death
After protecting Rohilkhand, Delhi and Agra for nearly ten years as regent of the Mughal Empire he fell ill and died on 30 October 1770. [6]
References
- ↑ https://etawah.nic.in/history2.htm
- ↑ "Najibabad" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 156.
- ↑ History of Bijnor District The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 8, p. 194-195
- ↑ Third Battle of Panipat by Abhas Verma ISBN 9788180903397 Bharatiya Kala Prakashan
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=olP_A60L-CMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false] p. 57
- ↑ Rule of Shah Alam, 1759-1806 The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 2, p. 411.
