Khwaja Hafizullah Kashmiri (1735–1815), also known as Moulavi Hafizullah, was an 18th-century merchant of Kashmiri origin. He and his nephew, Khwaja Alimullah, were the founding members of the Dhaka Nawab Estate, the largest

zamindar A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as ...

i held by any landholder in Eastern Bengal during the British colonial period. House of Khwaja Hafizullah on Buriganga

Hafizullah collaborated with the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

and

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

merchants in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...

and developed a business in hides, skins, salt and spices. Under the act of the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, he bought some lots for the estate. In 1806, he acquired his first lot in the Atia pargana in the then

Mymensingh district Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is a district in Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh, and is bordered on the north by Meghalaya, a state of India and the Garo Hills, on the south by Gazipur District, on the east by the districts of Net ...

for a 4-anna share of a mortgage bond for Rs. 40,000. In 1812, he bought Aila Phuljhuri in the Sundarbans of about 44,000 acres for Rs. 21,000 at a revenue demand of Rs. 372 per year.

Death and legacy

Hafizullah had three wives including Dhan Bibi. On his death, his estate was inherited by his nephew Khwaja Alimullah, a son of his elder brother Ahsanullah.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hafizullah, Khwaja 1735 births 1815 deaths People of Kashmir region Nawabs of Dhaka 18th-century Indian businesspeople 19th-century Indian businesspeople Place of birth unknown Date of birth unknown Place of death unknown Date of death unknown