| Prithimpassa পৃথিমপাশা | |
|---|---|
 PrithimpassaImambara | |
| Current region | Kulaura,Moulvibazar,Sylhet |
| Etymology | Prithimpasha |
| Place of origin | Greater Khorasan,Persia |
| Founder | Sakhi Salamat |
| Members | Ismail Khan Lodi Nawab Ali Amjad Khan Nawab Ali Haider Khan Nawab Ali Abbas Khan |
| Connected families | Nawab of Murshidabad Nawab of Awadh Nawab of Patna Zamindars of Monraj |
| Estate(s) | Prithimpassa Nawab Estate Monraj Saheb Estate Prithimpassa Suto Saheb Estate |
ThePrithimpassa family, also known as theNawabs of Longla,[1][2] are aShia royal family from thePrithimpassa Union,Kulaura Upazila,Moulvibazar,Sylhet, Bangladesh. The family was of the erstwhile feudal nobility ofEast Bengal. They played important roles in theIndian Rebellion of 1857, thePartition of India andSylhet referendum in 1947, and theBangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The family was founded by Sakhi Salamat, aShi'itePersian nobleman fromKhorasan province,Greater Khorasan an area near the Afghanistan-Iran border which falls in present-dayIran. Salamat had arrived in theIndian subcontinent at the end of the 15th century. After initially residing at the court of theLodi sultans ofDelhi, he later moved toSylhet, where he was granted land in the Prithimpassamouza (located in thepargana of Longla) and first married the daughter of Birchandra Narayan, aHindu prince of the Ita royal family inRajnagar mouza.
Dev Bhallav, aBrahminShiqdar of Longla, was on a pilgrimage when he needed money, and so he borrowed fifteen gold coins from Salamat. On another occasion, Salamat visited Bhallav's home and Bhallav's daughter appeared in front of them out of curiosity. Salamat arbitrarily spat and the saliva fell on the body of Bhallav's daughter. In reaction, Bhallav deemed that both of theirBrahmin status had been lost and thus married her off to Salamat, and then migrated to Kashidham.[3]
Ismail Khan Lodi was the son of Sakhi Salamat. He was titled Nawab Amir-ul-Umara in the court ofDaud Khan Karrani, Sultan of Bengal. The father of the King,Sulaiman Khan Karrani made him the Governor ofOrissa. The title Khan-e-Jahan was later conferred on him by Daud Khan too. He married the daughter of Daud Khan. Ismail Khan Lodi partook in theBattle of Rajmahal against theMughal Empire. AfterAkbar saw Ismail's bravery he took the aid of his generalShaikh Alauddin Chisti and made Ismail Khan Lodi the local Nawab and provided him assurance over his rule. Ismail had a son namedNawab Shams ad-Din Muhammad Khan (1624–1682).[4]
Ismail's grandson was Muhammad Rabi Khan (d. 1774), who grew to become a respectedmaulvi and scholar ofPersian at the court of theNawab of BengalAlivardi Khan inMurshidabad as well as theNaib Nazim of Dhaka. He became a teacher to several children of the ruling Nawab family which includedSarfaraz Khan,Zain ud-Din Ahmed Khan andNawazish Muhammad Khan. On one occasion, a scorpion entered into hisjama without Rabi noticing, whilst he was assembled at the Nawab's court. A while later, the scorpion bit into Rabi, burning his skin and turning him red-faced. Intending to maintain his professionalism at the court, Rabi strived to keep his posture and not react loudly. However, those close to him including Nawab Alivardi Khan noticed something was wrong and asked him what the problem was to which Rabi explained. Impressed by how much respect Rabi showed to him, Alivardi Khan subsequently granted him the title ofDanishmand (learned one in Persian) for his wisdom as well as largejagirs in 1735. Rabi returned to Prithimpassa after Alivardi's death and also received land-grants from the likes of NawabMir Qasim and EmperorAlamgir II. There was even a calendar in his honour at the palaces of the Nawabs in Murshidabad.[5] In 1756, he founded abazaar near the family estate known as Rabir Bazar (Rabi's market) which remains in existence today in theKulaura Upazila.[6]
Rabi Khan's son was Muhammad Ali Khan. Muhammad served as theAssistant Qadi of Sylhet in 1773 and later served as the Qadi ofTaraf. He assisted the British forces against the rebelliousNaga andKuki tribes in 1793 and as a reward received his own troops and ajagir. Ali Zafar Khan was the second son of Muhammad Ali Khan. He established theZamindars of Monraj a hereditary family under the PrithimpassaNawab. Zafar was aNawabzada by birth and classed as aZamindar. His established family is currently headed by his descendants.
Gaus Ali Khan was Muhammad's elder son and he was notable for sheltering 300 insurgentsepoys who had looted the Chittagong Treasury during theIndian Rebellion of 1857.[7]
.jpg)
Moulvi Nawab Ali Amjad Khan (1871–1905), an Honorary Magistrate and educationist, had hobbies of horse riding, polo andhunting. He was known to have single-handedly shot 43 tigers.[8] During his tenure, the family had become the wealthiest in Sylhet.[9] He founded the Rangirchhara Tea Estate, the largest native-run tea garden in Bengal.[10] The estate library was opened in 1921. In 1932, he established theAli Amjad Government Girls' High School inMoulvibazar. He gave out scholarships to schools acrossAssam andChittagong, awarded gold medals to students inTripura, financially assisted needy students and joined theAligarh Muslim University Committee. In 1901, he accompaniedLord Curzon toSilchar. He gifted a poor boy in his area with one of his own elephants. During a trip toCalcutta, he gottyphoid fever and died. Amjad's wife was Syeda Fatima Banu, daughter of Syed Aminuddin Hasan of theNarpati Haveli Bari inChunarughat,Habiganj.[11]They had two sons;Ali Haider and Ali Asghar.
Nawab Ali Haider Khan (1896 – 30 June 1963) was politically active throughout the early 20th century. His work included serving as Minister of Agriculture in the cabinet ofMuhammed Saadulah, serving as Minister of Power and Water Development in the cabinet ofGopinath Bordoloi, leading the Independent Muslim Party and playing a prominent role in the1947 Sylhet referendum. He was a member of theAssam Legislative Assembly from 1937 to 1946.[12]
Ali Safdar Khan (1919–1974), popularly known asRaja Saheb, was the eldest son of Haider and born in theHazarduari Palace at Murshidabad. Wife: Sahebzadi Sirajunessa Khatun, the second daughter of Ali Ather Khan from Prithimpassa Chhoto shaheb bari. Safdar was a leftist political leader of the Ballisara peasant movement of the 1960s. He and his brother Ali Sarwar Khan (15 May 1924 – 21 July 1995) took part in theBangladesh Liberation War as commanders of a regiment from the Tripura borders. Safdar later died on 1974 in Dhaka. Safdar's own son,Ali Abbas Khan was a former member of parliament, educationist and social worker. Safdar's other son, Ali Naqi Khan, was a chairman of PrithimpashaUnion Parishad. Safdar's other son, Ali Baquar Khan Hasnain was also a chairman of PrithimpassaUnion Parishad.[5]
Ali Sarwar Khan (1924–1995), He was the youngest child of Nawab Ali Haider Khan. Wife: Sahebzadi Syedatunnessa Begum, the eldest daughter of Nawab of Patna, India MLA Nawabzada Syed Mohammad Mehdi. He was twice MLA during his political tenure. They got married in 1948, October in Patna India in Bawli the Mansion of Nawabzada Syed Mohammad Mehdi. He had his education from St. Edmonds, Shillong and Aligarh University, India. He was a very conscientious and disciplined man and was a very good sportsman. In school he earned his name in boxing. In his father's Estate he played a prominent and constructive role. He was an accomplished hunter and was a consummate tea planter. During his early years he worked in Etah Tea Estate in 1951. He was twice Member of Constituent Assembly. The first time, on 9 December 1970, and again in 1973. He was a freedom fighter and was in charge of the Tripura front. He set up the Muraicherra Tea Estate tea manufacturing factory at the Tea Estate. He died on 21 July 1995 in Dhaka. His son Ali Hamid Khan was a Historian and Social Worker. His other son Ali Wajid Khan was the Senior vice president of Kulaura Upazila Awami League.
.jpg)
TheZamindars of Monraj (Bengali:মনরাজের জমিদার), also known as theMonraj Saheb family (Bengali:মনরাজ সাহেব খান্দান), were the erstwhile aristocrats of Monraj village,Kulaura,Moulvibazar District,Bangladesh. The Zamindars of Monraj are a branch of the Prithimpassa family who were the erstwhileNawabs ofLongla.[citation needed] The family areShia's.[13] Some of the family have migrated to Overseas.[14]
The Monraj Saheb family was founded byNawabzada Ali Zafar Khan who was the second son ofNawab Qazi Muhammad Ali Khan ofPrithimpassa and the younger brother ofNawab Gaus Ali Khan.[citation needed] The family's earliest recorded ancestor, Sakhi Salamat, was aPersian nobleman fromGreater Khorasan.[15] who had arrived in theIndian subcontinent at the end of the 15th century. After initially residing at the court of theLodi sultans ofDelhi, he later moved toSylhet, where he was granted land in the Prithimpassamouza (located in thepargana of Longla).
The Zamindars of Monraj held a lot of land inKulaura,Shillong,Manipur,Assam,Tripura and other parts of India. One of the most notable assets owned was the Coal mine inNagaland. The family held all these properties until theEast Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950.[citation needed]
Nawabzada Ali Zafar Khan was the firstZamindar of Monraj and the Son ofPrithimpassa's Nawab Muhammad Ali Khan. Ali Zafar married into the Ghagtia Chowdhury Bari of Kulaura, and had two sons the youngest being Ali Gohor Khan.[citation needed]
Zamindar Ali Gohor Khan was the 2nd Zaminder of Monraj and the Second son ofNawabzada Ali Zafar Khan. Ali Gohor was a strong supporter of the Muslim Party. He had his education fromAligarh University. Ali Gohor married into the Koula Chowdhury Bari ofKulaura and had two sons named Ali Akthar Khan and Ali Afsar Khan. Due to his marriage into Koula he became related to the Kanihati Chaudhury family.[citation needed]
Zamindar Ali Ashjad Khan was the 3rd Zaminder of Monraj and the eldest grandson ofNawabzada Ali Zafar through his first child. Ali Ashjad had 4 daughters but no sons. One daughter married Abdul Jabbar Chowdhury of the Bizli Chowdhury family. Another married Syed Shamsuddin Hussain of Tarpi Saheb Bari. Another marriedZamindar Syed Ali Akthar of Pallakandi Saheb Bari and another marriedZamindar Ali Ather Khan of Prithimpassa Chhoto Saheb Bari.
Zamindar Ali Akthar Khan born in 1893 was the last Zaminder of Monraj. He was the final Zamindar up until theEast Bengal State Acquisition and Tenancy Act of 1950. During his tenure he purchased a lot of land inKailashahar,Shillong,Guwahati andManipur. And he also started a partnership business in a coal mine atNagaland. He studied at thePresidency University, Kolkata. Ali Akthar married Syeda Nadira Banu from Narapati West Haveli,Habiganj. Through this marriage he became the brother-in-law of Syed Gaziul Haque the grandson ofNawab Faizunnesa. His wife Nadira Banu was the direct descendant ofSyed Nasiruddin, hence the Monraj Shaheb Family became related to theSyeds of Taraf. Ali Akthar had two sons, Anwar and Zafar. Ali Akthar died in 1971.[citation needed]
Ali Anwar Khan was the Saheb of Monraj. He studied atSaint Edmund's School inShillong. He then studied atMC College. After his studies, he obtained a job in theBangladesh Water Development Board. Ali Anwar married Pirzadi Syeda Sanwara Akther from Nasirpur Saheb BariBrahmanbaria. Syeda Sanwara Akther was also a direct descendant ofSyed Nasiruddin. Anwar had 2 sons named Ali Azhar Khan and Ali Asrar Khan and 2 daughters. Ali Anwar died in 2016.[citation needed]
Ali Zafar Khan (Kona Shaheb) was the second son of Ali Akthar. He was the Headmaster of Champa Ray Tea Estate inKamalganj. He married Jamila Khatun Chowdhury of Durmut Chowdhury Bari ofHabiganj and has two sons named Ali Ashraf Khan and Ali Imran Khan. He lived inChunarughat until his death in 2023.
Ali Imam Khan (Bason Shaheb) was the only son of Ali Afsar. He lived in Monraj his entire life until his death. He has 4 sons named Ali Raja Khan, Ali Khan, Ali Sabbir Khan, Ali Manjil Khan and 2 daughters.
Ali Asrar Khan (Ripon) is second son of Ali Anwar Khan and the current Head of the Monraj Shaheb Family. He resides inLondon.[citation needed]