Khan Muhammad Khan
Encyclopedia
Colonel Khan Muhammad Khan (Urdu
: کرنل خان محمد خان)was a prominent soldier and politician in Poonch
, serving in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly
and later as Chairman of the War Council during the 1947 War of Independence
.
and Sudhnati in the first elections of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, held in 1934. His political rival, Ch. Khan Bahadar Khan Bhango, received less than 1000 votes and consequently lost his security deposit
.
He was returned to the Tehsil Bagh and Sudhnoti seat in subsequent Legislative Assembly elections until 1946, when he stepped aside voluntarily in favour of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan
, who later became the first president of Azad Kashmir
.
In 1947 he became Chairman of the War Council during War of Independence, and later became a Member of the Defence Council. He also organised 60,000 ex-servicemen from the Sudhan tribe to fight against Dogra
rule in Poonch.
He dedicated his life and the resources he had, to improving the lives of the Muslims of "Poonch" particularly and the Muslims of Kashmir generally. His main political concern was the plight of Muslims under the oppressive double tier rule of "Raja Poonch" and "Maharaja of Kashmir". He worked against various social evils prevailing amongst his people at that time. He motivated his people to give up the superfluous and frivolous social practices like Dowry, lavish spending on birth, death and marriage rituals, naswar
and cigarettes, he emphasized the importance of education for all. It is basically thanks to his efforts that Azad Kashmir today has a comparatively higher literacy rate then the neighbouring areas of NWFP and Punjab. He founded the Sudhan Educational Conference which still provides free education for the poor, he also set up a muthi bhar atta scheme where a handful of each family's surplus flour was collected everyday and used to fund projects such as the construction of the Jamia mosque
and the Darul Allum Madrassa in Pallandri.
Every year on 11 November, the anniversary of his death in 1961, thousands of people gather and pay homage at his tomb in Pallandri.
His home town of Chechan in Sudhanoti has been renamed Khanabad in his honour, and the Khan Muhammad Khan degree college of Pallandri is named after him. Cadet College Palandri
has also one House named Khan House named after him.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: کرنل خان محمد خان)was a prominent soldier and politician in Poonch
Poonch
Poonch is a town and a municipal committee in Poonch District in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Based on the Mahābhārata evidence, and the evidence from 7th Chinese traveler Xuanzang, the districts of Poonch along with Rajauri and Abhisara had been under the sway of the Republican Kambojas...
, serving in the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
and later as Chairman of the War Council during the 1947 War of Independence
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
.
History
Sardar Khan Muhammad Khan first entered politics with his election to the seat of Tehsil BaghBagh
Bagh is the chief town of Bagh District in Azad KashmirBagh, the district headquarters of district Bagh is 100 Kilometers from Muzaffarabad via Kohallah & 80 Kilometers via Suddhen Gali, 205 Kilometers from Islamabad and 48 kilometers from Rawalakot. This town is situated on the confluence of two...
and Sudhnati in the first elections of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, held in 1934. His political rival, Ch. Khan Bahadar Khan Bhango, received less than 1000 votes and consequently lost his security deposit
Deposit (politics)
A deposit is a sum of money that a candidate must pay in return for the right to stand for election to certain political offices, particularly seats in legislatures.-United Kingdom:...
.
He was returned to the Tehsil Bagh and Sudhnoti seat in subsequent Legislative Assembly elections until 1946, when he stepped aside voluntarily in favour of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan
Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan
Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan also known as Bani-e-Kashmir "Father of Kashmir" and Ghazi-e-Millat, is the founder of Azad Kashmir. Born in Horna Mirah, a village of District Poonch of Kashmir, Sardar Ibrahim obtained his LLB from the University of London in 1943, and began his practice as a...
, who later became the first president of Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
.
In 1947 he became Chairman of the War Council during War of Independence, and later became a Member of the Defence Council. He also organised 60,000 ex-servicemen from the Sudhan tribe to fight against Dogra
Dogra
The Dogras are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group in South Asia. Being a diversified group, the Dogras include both Savarnas such as Brahmins, Rajputs and Non-savarnas. The Dogras also incluide merchant castes such as Mahajans...
rule in Poonch.
He dedicated his life and the resources he had, to improving the lives of the Muslims of "Poonch" particularly and the Muslims of Kashmir generally. His main political concern was the plight of Muslims under the oppressive double tier rule of "Raja Poonch" and "Maharaja of Kashmir". He worked against various social evils prevailing amongst his people at that time. He motivated his people to give up the superfluous and frivolous social practices like Dowry, lavish spending on birth, death and marriage rituals, naswar
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
and cigarettes, he emphasized the importance of education for all. It is basically thanks to his efforts that Azad Kashmir today has a comparatively higher literacy rate then the neighbouring areas of NWFP and Punjab. He founded the Sudhan Educational Conference which still provides free education for the poor, he also set up a muthi bhar atta scheme where a handful of each family's surplus flour was collected everyday and used to fund projects such as the construction of the Jamia mosque
Jamia Masjid Sialkot
Jamia Masjid is the largest mosque in Sialkot, Pakistan. It has a capacity of 50,000. It has two small and one large minarets; the large minaret is the biggest landmark in Sialkot. There is notable mirror work on front walls of the main prayer hall....
and the Darul Allum Madrassa in Pallandri.
Every year on 11 November, the anniversary of his death in 1961, thousands of people gather and pay homage at his tomb in Pallandri.
Awards and honours
For his commitment and selfless service to the people of Kashmir, he was given title of Khansahib on 11 June 1942, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government awarded him the honourary titles of Baba-e-Poonch and Gazi-e-Kashmir.His home town of Chechan in Sudhanoti has been renamed Khanabad in his honour, and the Khan Muhammad Khan degree college of Pallandri is named after him. Cadet College Palandri
Cadet College Palandri
Cadet College Palandri, is a Military High School, located in Palandri, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.-History:Cadet College Palandri was announced in 1976, by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto due to efforts of Col M Naqi Khan, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, along with two other cadet colleges at Larkana and...
has also one House named Khan House named after him.