Loharu State encompassed an area of 222 square miles (570 km2), and was situated in the south-east corner of the undividedPunjab province, between the district ofHissar and theRajputana Agency.[2] In 1901, the state had a population of 15,229 people, of whom 2,175 resided in the town ofLoharu.[3] From 1803 to 1835, the territory of Loharu State also included anFerozepur Jhirka enclave within the area directly administered by theBritish raj,[4][5] Outer limits of the state were defined by the peripheral towns of Loharu,Bahal,Isharwal,Kairu,Jui Khurd andBadhra.
Thehaveli of 'Nawab of Loharu', known asMahal Sara, lies in Gali Qasim Jan in Ballimaran, where his son-in-law, noted poetMirza Ghalib stayed for a few years, whose ownGhalib ki Haveli lies a few yard away.[6][7] Now thegali, which houses the Mahal Sara, is known asKothi Nawab Loharu lane in Ballimaran mohalla ofChandni Chowk area inOld Delhi.[8]
Loharu town, the seat of the state's administration town got its name from theLohars (localblacksmiths) who were employed in the minting of coins for the erstwhileJaipur State.[9] Theprincely state of Loharu was founded by Ahmad Baksh Khan in 1803 when he received the town of Loharu, (along with thepargana of 'Firozepur Jirka' (now inNuh district), from theLord Lake of BritishEast India Company as a reward for his services against theJat rulers ofBharatpur.[5][10][11]
Sir Amiruddin Ahmad Khan Nawab of Loharu,1884-1920.
Ahmad Baksh Khan was succeeded by his eldest son, Sams-ud-din Khan [Samsudin Ahmad Khan], in 1827; his reign did not last long: in 1835 he was executed by theBritish Raj for being involved in the conspiracy to kill theBritish Resident to Delhi,Sir William Frazer,[12][13] Noted Urdu poetDaagh Dehlvi was a son of Nawab Samsuddin Khan.[14][15] Subsequently, the pargana of Firozepur was taken away by the British and the state of Loharu was given to his brothers, Amin-ud-din and Zia-ud-din Khan. Both were themselves kept under surveillance after theIndian Rebellion of 1857 for some time, before being released and their positions restored.
Alauddin Ahmed Khan succeeded his father Amin-ud-din Khan in 1869 and received the title of Nawab. Alauddin's son, Amir-ud-din Ahmad Khan (1859–1937), after managing the state on his father's behalf, succeeded him in 1884, though from 1893 to 1903, he remained administrator and adviser of the state ofMaler Kotla – during this time, the state was being handled by his younger brother, Bashiruddin Ahmed Khan. In 1903, Amir- ud-din Ahmad Khan also received theK.C.S.I honour from the British Government and after the1903 Durbar Honours from 1 January 1903 was allowed a 9 gun personal salute.[5][16] He later became a member of theViceroy of India'slegislative council.[3][17] The Nawab of Loharu State dealt with the dissenting kisans (farmers) and his troops opened fire on a Kisan Meeting on 8 August 1935, killing dozens of kisans.
Loharu State, State Court Fee Stamp, 8 Annas, issued under NawabAmin ud-din Ahmad Khan (r. 1926–1947)
In 1920, he abdicated to his second son, Aizzuddin Ahmad Khan, though he died early in 1926, leaving the state to his son,Amin ud-din Ahmad Khan (1911–1983) - the last Nawab.[18] However, since the new Nawab was still young, Amirud-din Ahmad Khan stepped in and took care of the state till 1931.[citation needed]
After theIndependence of India in 1947, the state acceded to theUnion of India and many of the ruling family and the city's Muslim inhabitants re-settled inLahore,Pakistan, though the Nawab and his direct descendants (except for the eldest daughter of Nawab Aminuddin Ahmed, Mahbano Begum who lives in Islamabad), stayed on, in India.[12][19]
The ruling family of Loharu was linked by blood or marriage to several important Muslim personalities of the 19th century, including:
Mirza Ghalib (1796 — 1869), renownedUrdu andPersian poet, married Umrao Begum, daughter of Nawab Ilahi Bakhsh Khan (younger brother of the first Nawab, Ahmad Baksh Khan).
Daagh Dehlvi (1831 – 1905), a noted Urdu poet was a son of second Nawab, Shamsuddin Ahmad Khan.[14][15]
Mir Muhammad Khan, was a fine vocalist in the court of Maharaja Loharu, a descendant of Mir Allahbux who a famous vocalists and the court-musician ofRajaNahar Singh ofBallabhgarh State.[20]
Ala-uddin Ahmad Khan II (Born 1938): After staying in Kolkata for many year, he now lives in Loharu town; where the Loharu fort, now in ruins, stands in its center,[21] and a major tourist attraction[22]
Note:British Punjab province era district borders are not an exact match in the present-day due to various bifurcations to district borders — which since created new districts — throughout the historicPunjab Province region during the post-independence era that have taken into account population increases.
^The State of LoharuIndian States: A Biographical, Historical, and Administrative Survey, by Somerset Playne, R. V. Solomon, J. W. Bond, Arnold Wright. Asian Educational Services, 2006.ISBN81-206-1965-X.Page 691.
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