Habib Miyan
Encyclopedia
Habib Miyan 151 years of age of Rajasthan
, Jaipur
, India
, claimed on numerous occasions to have been born in the 1850s. If true, he lived to be nearly 152 years old.
His real age has been disputed, however, because no birth records exist to verify his claim. According to his state-issued pension book and other official records, Miyan was born May 20, 1857. If this birthdate is ever verified, Miyan would have been the world's oldest living person from the death Jeanne Calment
in 1997 until his own death in 2008. He would also be the oldest person ever to have lived, beginning on November 1, 1992, when he reached age 122 years, 165 days. (Calment lived to 122 years and 164 days).
nor other researchers have verified Miyan's age. His claim was based upon documents issued in 1938, identifying a man named Rahim Khan as having been born in 1878. Miyan's assertion that he was, in fact, Rahim Khan is greeted by many with suspicion. He also claimed to have been born in 1851 and, more recently, 1851.
He was the world's longest-registered old-age pensioner, having started receiving his pension in 1938 after retiring from the Jaipur State Army. He also became the oldest Hajj
pilgrim to visit Mecca
in 2004, after benefactors donated funds to underwrite the trip.
Although his birthday had become a public event once his age claim came to public notice, Miyan did not celebrate in 2008 because he was distressed by recent bombings in India that had claimed 68 lives.
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, claimed on numerous occasions to have been born in the 1850s. If true, he lived to be nearly 152 years old.
His real age has been disputed, however, because no birth records exist to verify his claim. According to his state-issued pension book and other official records, Miyan was born May 20, 1857. If this birthdate is ever verified, Miyan would have been the world's oldest living person from the death Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
in 1997 until his own death in 2008. He would also be the oldest person ever to have lived, beginning on November 1, 1992, when he reached age 122 years, 165 days. (Calment lived to 122 years and 164 days).
Disputed claim
Neither Guinness World RecordsGuinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
nor other researchers have verified Miyan's age. His claim was based upon documents issued in 1938, identifying a man named Rahim Khan as having been born in 1878. Miyan's assertion that he was, in fact, Rahim Khan is greeted by many with suspicion. He also claimed to have been born in 1851 and, more recently, 1851.
Distinctions
The Limca Book of World Records recognized him as the oldest living man in the world in its 2005 edition, but the Guinness Book of Records did not.He was the world's longest-registered old-age pensioner, having started receiving his pension in 1938 after retiring from the Jaipur State Army. He also became the oldest Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
pilgrim to visit Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in 2004, after benefactors donated funds to underwrite the trip.
Although his birthday had become a public event once his age claim came to public notice, Miyan did not celebrate in 2008 because he was distressed by recent bombings in India that had claimed 68 lives.
Quotes
- "I may have seen many springs, but I still get excited about my birthdays. After all, who doesn't like getting gifts?"
- On his birthday in 2007, while talking to PTIPress Trust of IndiaPress Trust of India is the largest news agency in India. It is headquartered in Delhi and is a nonprofit cooperative among more than 450 Indian newspapers and has a staff of about 2,000 writers spread across 150 offices nationwide...
at his home, Miyan said, "Kisi raees ki mehfil ka jikra kya hai amir, khuda ke ghar bhi na jayenge bin bulawe ke ("May you discuss a party of a rich man, I will not even go to God's house without invitation.)