Arcot (Princely State)

Information

DynastyRowther
Revenue₹ 30000
Annexation31st July 1801
StateTamil Nadu
ReligionMuslim
Urdu Nameآرکوٹ

Present Head/Ruler

HH Nawab MUHAMMED ABDUL ALI, 8th Prince of Arcot since 1993 (Amir Mahal Palace, Triplicane, India) born 9th August 1951, Sherriff of Chennai (then Madras) for two terms, from 1984-1985 and again from 1988-1989. He is recognised by the Government as the ‘ First Nobleman ‘ in the Muslim community of south India. He enjoys a rank equivalent to that of state cabinet ministers and is officially recognised by the President of India as the Prince of Arcot. He is the founder secretary-general of Harmony India, (founded-1990) an association to promote communal amity, secularism and National Integration. He is also a jury member of the National Foundation of Communal Harmony. The Prince is a patron of music, art and literature and his hobbies include photography, gardening and reading books, married HH Sayeeda Begum, and has issue, two sons.

  • Nawabzada Mohammed Asif Ali, Dewan and Heir Apparent, Patron Carnatic Family Association; Deputy Agent, The Prince of Arcot Endowments; C.E.O., Acorn Tech Ltd.; Member, Madras Club, Madras Gymkhana Club, etc. ; Captain, Madras Gymkhana Cricket Team; Musician and composer; he is presently administering his ancestral endowments, including the Wallajah Mosque in Chennai and several madarssas in Tamil Nadu; married 19th January 2004, at Amir Mahal, Royapettah, Madras, (a distant cousin), Nawabzadi Seema Begum Sahiba (née Ahmed), and has issue, two sons.
    • Sahibzada Muhammad Ibrahim Ali Khan
    • Sahibzada Muhammad Isa Ali Khan
  • Nawabzada Mohammed Naser Ali, married Nawabzadi Aasia Zainab.

Short History

Arcot, sometimes named Carnatic, is a town located in modern Tamil Nadu in India, near Madras. Capital city of a state ruled since 1692 by the Nawabs of Arcot, as viceroys of the Moghul Emperors. The Nawabs of Arcot trace their line back to 2nd Caliph Umar bin al Khattãb. Arcot was absorbed by the U.K. Colonial Government in 1801, due to violation of the treaty of 1792 and was annexed by the British in 1825 and the state extinguished in 1855. The dynasty continues as Princes of Arcot. The Prince of Arcot still holds the unique position in Indian politics of being the only member of a royal family who is recognized as a Prince, his rank being that of a State Cabinet Minister. 

Predecessor

  • Aghibatti Muhammed Khan, married and had issue.
    • Nawab Muhammed Sa’adatullah Khan I (qv)
    • Unknown male, married and had issue.
      • Nawab Dost Ali Khan (qv)
      • Nawabzada Bakir Ali Khan
  • Nawab ZULFIQAR ALI KHAN, 1st Nawab of Arcot 1692/1703
  • Nawab DAUD KHAN, 2nd Nawab of Arcot 1703/1710
  • Nawab MUHAMMED SA’ADATULLAH KHAN I, 3rd Nawab of Arcot 1710/1732
  • Nawab DOST ALI KHAN, 4th Nawab of Arcot 1732/1740 (grandnephew), married and had issue. He died 1740.
    • Nawab Safdar Ali Khan (qv)
    • Nawabzada Hasan Ali Khan, died 1740.
    • Nawabzadi (name unknown), married Nawab Husain Dost Khan [Khande Sahib], briefly usurping Nawab of Arcot (qv)
  • Nawab SAFDAR ALI KHAN, 5th Nawab of Arcot 1740/1742, married and had issue. He died 1742.
    • Nawab Muhammed Sa’adatullah Khan II (qv)
  • Nawab MUHAMMED SA’ADATULLAH KHAN II, 6th Nawab of Arcot 1742/1744, died 1746.
  • Nawab ANWARUDDIN MUHAMMED KHAN, 7th Nawab of Arcot 1744/1749, born about 1672, married and had issue. he died 31st July 1749.
    • Nawab Muhammed Ali Khan (qv)
    • Nawabzada Abdul Rahim Khan
    • Nawabzada Mahfuz Khan
  • Nawab MUHAMMED ALI KHAN, 8th Nawab of Arcot 1749/1795, born 1717, married and had issue. He died 16th October 1795.
    • Nawabzada Amir ul-Umra, married and had issue. He died 1801.
      • Nawab Azimuddaula (qv)
    • Nawab Umdat ul-Umra (qv)
    • ??Nawab Ghulam Husain Khan of Chinyapatan-Madras, had issue.
      • Nawabzada Ahmadullah Shah [Ahmad Ali Ziauddin], born 1787/1789, died 15th June 1858.
    • Nawabzadi Malikunnissa Begum fl 1804-1815.
  • Nawab HUSAIN DOST KHAN, 9th Nawab of Arcot 1750/1752 (usurper) , died 1752.
  • Nawab UMDAT ul-UMRA, 10th Nawab of Arcot 1795/1801, born 1748, married and had issue. He died 15th July 1801.
    • Nawabzada Ali Husain, died 1802.
  • Nawab AZIMUDDAULA, 11th Nawab of Arcot 1801/1819, born 1775, married and had issue. He died 3rd August 1819.
    • Nawab Azam Jah (qv)
    • Nawab Azim Jah (qv)
    • Nawabzada Rashiduddaula, married and had issue.
      • Muhammed Ibadullah Khan Bahadur, born 1837, Khan Bahadur [cr.1876]
      • Muhammed Anwaruddin Khan Bahadur, born 1849, Khan Bahadur [cr.1876].
      • Muhammed Abdul Ali Khan Bahadur, born 1858, Khan Bahadur [cr.1876].
  • Nawab AZAM JAH, 12th Nawab of Arcot 1819/1825, born 1797, married and had issue. He died 1825.
    • Nawab Ghulam Muhammed Ghous Khan (qv)
    • Nawab Ghausia Begum, she was granted the title of Nawab Begum in 1822.
  • HH Nawab GHULAM MUHAMMED GHOUS KHAN, 13th Nawab of Arcot 1825/1855, born 1824, married (amongst others), HH Nawab Khair un-Nisa Begum, her title is personal and was recognized on 16th December 1890. He died sp on 7th October 1855.
  • HH Nawab AZIM JAH, 1st Prince of Arcot 1867/1874, born 1800, created HH Prince of Arcot (Amir-e-Arcot) in 1867 by Queen Victoria, and was given a tax free pension in perpetuity. This is separate to the 1947 agreement, and the Indian Government continues to honour it, married and had issue. He died 14th January 1874 at Shadi Mahal.
    • HH Nawab Sir Zahiruddaula Bahadur (qv)
    • HH Nawab Intizam ul-Mulk Muazzaluddaula Bahadur (qv)
    • generation
      • Nawab Abdul Wahab Khan Bahadur, married his cousin, Nawabzadi (name unknown) Begum (see below), and had issue.
        • Nawab Abdul Latif Farrokhi, born 15th March 1893 in Madras, married (a), 1923, his cousin Hydiathunissa Begum, married (b), 1931, his cousin Amathul Bashir Mubarakunissa Begum (see below).
        • Maulana Nawab Tajumal Huzavir Khan Bahadur.
    • generation
      • Nawabzadi (name unknown) Begum, married her cousin Nawab Abdul Wahab Khan Bahadur (see above)
  • HH Nawab Sir ZAHIRUDDAULA Bahadur G.C.S.I., 2nd Prince of Arcot 1874/1879, G.C.S.I., he enjoyed a personal salute of 15 guns, married and had issue. He died 1879.
    • generation
      • Nawab Salauddin Khan Bahadur, married and had issue.
        • Amathul Bashir Mubarakunissa Begum, married 1931 her cousin Nawab Abdul Latif Farrokhi (qv).
    • Muhammed Karimullah Khan Bahadur, born 1851, Khan Bahadur [cr.1875] .
    • Muhammed Rahmatullah Khan Bahadur, born 1862, Khan Bahadur [cr.1875].
    • Muhammed Karamatullah Khan Bahadur, born 1870, Khan Bahadur [cr.1875].
    • Muhammed Ibadullah Khan Bahadur, born 1839?, Khan Bahadur [cr.1875].
    • Nawabzadi (name unknown) Begum (2nd daughter), married 1864 Ahmad Muhiuddin Khan Bahadur, born 1835, son of Ibruth Jang Bahadur, and his wife, a niece of the Hon. Sir Sharful Umra Bahadur, K.C.S.I., title of Khan Bahadur was granted 1874 as a personal distinction, he served as Secretary to the Prince of Arcot from 1877 to 1883, Member of the Madras Muhammadan Library, Founder of the Anjuman-i Islamiah of Madras, which afterwards was amalgamated with the Madras Central Muhammadan Association, when he was elected as a Vice-President of the latter, Vice-President of the Anjuman-i Himayat-i-Islam, Madras, founder of the Muslim Herald, the first Muhammadan-English tri-weekly newspaper in India.
    • Nawabzadi (name unknown) Begum, married Abdul Vasa Khan Bahadur, born 1843, title of Khan Bahadur was granted 1875 as a personal distinction.
  • HH Nawab INTIZAM ul-MULK Muazzaluddaula Bahadur, 3rd Prince of Arcot 1879/1889, he enjoyed a personal salute of 15 guns, married HH Nawab Azimatunissa Begum and had issue. He died 1889
    • HH Sir Nawab Muhammed Munawar Ali Khan Bahadur (qv)
    • Nawabzada Ghulam Muhammed Ghaus Khan Bahadur, born 1861, Khan Bahadur [cr.1876]
    • Nawabzada Abdul Ali Khan Bahadur, born 1863, Khan Bahadur [cr.1876], personal use only.
    • Nawabzadi (name unknown) Begum, married Bashir Ahmad Khan Bahadur, born 1860, he was granted the title of Khan Bahadur as a personal distinction in 1887.
    • Nawabzadi (name unknown) Begum, married Ghulam Muhammad Khan Bahadur, born 1850, he was granted the title of Khan Bahadur as a personal distinction in 1887.
  • HH Nawab Sir MUHAMMED MUNAWAR ALI Khan Bahadur, 4th Prince of Arcot 1889/1903, born 1856, Khan Bahadur [cr.1876], K.C.I.E. [cr.1879], married and had issue. He died 1903 at Delhi.
    • Umdat ul-umra Amir-ul-umra Siraj ul-Umra Madar ul-mulk Umdat ul-Mulk Azimud Dowlah Asadud Dowlatul Ingleez Nawab Azim Jah HH Sir Ghulam Muhammed Ali Khan Bahadur (qv)
    • Nawab Azim Jah Anwaruddin Khan Bahadur, married and had issue.
    • HH Nawab Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan Bahadur (qv)
    • Hydiathunissa Begum, married 1923 her cousin Nawab Abdul Latif Farrokhi (qv)
  • Umdat ul-umra Amir-ul-umra Siraj ul-Umra Madar ul-mulk Umdat ul-Mulk Azimud Dowlah Asadud Dowlatul Ingleez Nawab Azim Jah HH Sir GHULAM MUHAMMED ALI Khan Bahadur, 5th Prince of Arcot 1903/1952, born 26th February 1882, succeeded his father in 1903, educated at the Newington Court of Wards Institution, Khan Bahadur [cr.1897], K.C.I.E. [cr.1909], G.C.I.E. [cr.1917], President of South India Islamia League, President of All India Muslim Association, Member of the Madras Legislative Council 1904/06, Member of the Council of Governor-General of India 1910/13, recieved the Delhi Durbar Medal 1911, married and had issue, daughters only. He died 1952.
  • HH Nawab GHULAM MOHIUDDIN Khan Bahadur, 6th Prince of Arcot 1952/1969, Sheriff of Madras in 1935, married and had issue. He died October 1969.
    • HH Nawab Ghulam Muhammed Abdul Khader (qv)
  • HH Nawab GHULAM MUHAMMED ABDUL KHADER, 7th Prince of Arcot 1969/1993, married and had issue. He died 30th August 1993.
    • HH Nawab Muhammed Abdul Ali (qv)
  • HH Nawab MUHAMMED ABDUL ALI, 8th Prince of Arcot (see above)