General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Nawab Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kingdom of Saxony, Kings of ...

Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan V Abbasi (; 29 September 1904 – 24 May 1966) was the 12th and final

(''ruler'') of the state of Bahawalpur from February 1907 to October 1955, and then as a titular figure until his death in 1966. He became the Nawab on the death of his father when he was only two years old. A

Council of Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the Interregnum, throne is vacant and a new monarch has not y ...

, with Sir Rahim Bakhsh as its president, ruled on his behalf until 1924. The Nawab served as an officer with the British Indian Army, fighting in the Third Afghan War (1919) and commanding forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. By 1947, its institutions consisted of departments run by trained civil servants; there was a Ministerial Cabinet headed by a

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

; the State Bank was the Bank of Bahawalpur, with branches outside the State, including

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. There was a High Court and there were lower courts, as well as a trained police force and an army commanded by officers trained at the Royal Indian Military Academy at Dehra Doon. The Nawab had a keen interest in

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

, which was free till A level and the state's government provided scholarships of merit for higher education. In 1951, the Nawab donated 500 acres in Bahawalpur for the construction of Sadiq Public School.The Nawab was known for his relationship with the Quaid-i-Azam ( Muhammad Ali Jinnah), Founder of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. In August 1947, on the withdrawal of British forces from the British India, the Nawab decided not to accede his State at once to the new

Dominion of Pakistan The Dominion of Pakistan, officially Pakistan, was an independent federal dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations, which existed from 14 August 1947 to Pakistan Day, 23 March 1956. It was created by the passing of the Indian Independence ...

. However, on 3 October 1947, after some delay, he relented and became the first ruler of a princely state (Bahawalpur) to accede successfully. As tens of thousands of Muslim refugees flooded into the state from the new India, he set up the Ameer of Bahawalpur Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Fund to provide for their relief. In 1953, the Ameer represented Pakistan at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1955, he signed an agreement with the

governor-general of Pakistan The governor-general of Pakistan () was the Political representation, representative of the Monarchy of Pakistan, Pakistani monarch in the Dominion of Pakistan, established by the Indian Independence Act 1947. The office of governor-general was ...

, Malik Ghulam Muhammad, under which Bahawalpur became part of the province of West Pakistan, with effect from 14 October 1955, and the Amir received a yearly privy purse of 32 lakhs of rupees, keeping his titles. The same year, he was promoted to the rank of general in the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

Early life

Abbasi was born at Derawar on 29 September 1904 as the only son and heir of Bahawal Khan V, the

of Bahawalpur. He visited

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

with his father in 1906–07. He was educated at Aitchison College,

, and was placed under the guardianship of E. M. Atkinson. At the age of 15, Sadiq fought in the Third Afghan War in 1919, was

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

ed in 1922 when he reached his majority and was invested with the throne two years later by the Viceroy of India, Rufus Isaacs, Lord Reading. In 1929, he visited Egypt and was a guest of King Fuad I. Very fond of cars, he bought a Rolls-Royce Phantom, 45WR, bodied by Thrupp & Maberly, one of the two cars on display at the Cairo Show. His last wife was Linda Sayce, a British citizen. The couple had three sons.

Reign

When his father died on 15 February 1907 near

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

, on his return journey to Bahawalpur from a pilgrimage to

, he succeeded him as the

of Bahawalpur. As he was a minor on the occasion, the administration of the State was placed under a

. It comprised Indian officials, with the following members: the President, Rahim Baksh; Khuda Baksh Khan (Revenue Member); Diwan Asa Nand (Financial Member); and Abdul Rahman Khan (Military Member). In 1913, he sailed for

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

with Charles H. Atkins, formerly Political Agent in the Punjab, travelling via

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. During his stay in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, he was received by

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

. He attended the Delhi Durbar of 1911. He served as aide-de-camp to the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

during his visit to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

in 1921.

The Bahawalpur State under his rule was considered to be an important

sovereign state A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that Sovereignty#Sovereignty and independence, a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the ter ...

in Punjab. The Bahawalpur State had a special privilege as it was larger than some states of the present time . Its rulers also enjoyed special protocol and titles conferred by the British since 1866 as they were accorded 17 guns salute and had special access to the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. Bahawalpur state also had a separate mint to strike coins for its public and the facility remained intact until 1940. The British Government established a Regency Council under the supervision of Maulvi Sir Rahim Bakhsh until the minor Nawab grew up as a young man. This council was responsible for state administration. Special attention was paid to the education and upbringing of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan. He started his education at a college in Lahore and completed it in England. He had an aptitude for military affairs and achieved several military titles, conferred on him by the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

. The Viceroy of India, Lord Reading awarded total authority of the state administration to Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan (V) on 8 March 1924. Sir Sadiq continued his military career in the British Indian Army, which he had begun as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in 1921; by 1932 he was a

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

, by 1941 a Lieutenant-Colonel, commanding troops in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Since 1933, he had also been a Member of the

Chamber of Princes The Chamber of Princes (''Narendra Mandal'') was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of King-Emperor George V to provide a forum in which the rulers of the princely states of India could voice their needs and aspiration ...

, and since 1940, a member of the Indian Defence Council. Promoted to major general in 1946, the following year, on 15 August 1947, Sir Sadeq was promoted to the title of Amir of Bahawalpur. He acceded to the

a month later. From the 1930s, Sir Sadiq began regularly holidaying in England, purchasing Ardene and the surrounding woodland on the outskirts of Farnham, Surrey. During World War II, this was given over to the community and used as a children's nursery until the end of the war. He then resumed his annual holiday, moving to Selham House near Chichester in 1948. In 1956, following the concept of Aitchison college, he laid the foundation stone of the largest school of Asia in Bahawalpur namely Sadiq Public School.

Later life

After the

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

Nawab proved to be very helpful and generous to the government of the

. He gave seventy million rupees to the government and the salaries of all the government departments for one month were also drawn from the treasury of Bahawalpur state. He gave his private property to the University of the Punjab, King Edward Medical College and the Mosque of Aitchison College,

. At the time of partition, all the princely states of the subcontinent were given the choice of joining the

or the Dominion of India or remaining independent. To try to convince the Nawab to join India, Pandit Nehru went to him while he was in London and offered various incentives in this regard, but he did not accept them. On 5 October 1947, he signed an

Instrument of Accession The Instrument of Accession was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act 1935 and used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of Dominion ...

with the government of Pakistan, for Bahawalpur State to accede to Pakistan. Thus the State of Bahawalpur was the first of the states that joined Pakistan. The main factor was the Islamic sentiments of the Muslims who were in the majority in Bahawalpur. Moreover, the Nawab and Quaid-i-Azam were close friends and they had great respect for each other, even before the creation of Pakistan. The Amir of Bahawalpur Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation Fund was instituted in 1947 for providing a central organization for the relief of refugees fleeing from the new India, and the Quaid-i-Azam acknowledged the valuable contribution of the Bahawalpur State for the rehabilitation of the refugees. In 1953, Sir Sadiq represented Pakistan at the installation of Faisal II of Iraq and also at the coronation of

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, who was also the Queen of Pakistan. In 1955, an accord was signed between Sadiq Mohammad and Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad, according to which the State of Bahawalpur would become part of the province of West Pakistan and the Nawab was to receive a yearly stipend, or privy purse, of 32 lakhs of rupees and was to keep the title of

and its precedence both inside and outside

. In May 1966, Nawab Sadiq died in

, which ended his long 59 years as Nawab and Amir of Bahawalpur; his body was brought back to Bahawalpur and was buried in his family's ancestral graveyard at Derawar Fort. His eldest son Nawab Muhammad Abbas Khan Abbasi succeeded to his father's title of Nawab of Bahawalpur. Another son, Saeed-ur-Rashid Abbasi was a Federal Minister of the Government of Pakistan. Sir Sadiq's grandson Nawab Salahuddin Ahmed Abbasi currently holds the title of Nawab purely as a titular distinction. His descendants of the royal house include: his heir apparent, Nawab Brig. Muhammad Abbas Khan Abbasi (former Governor of Punjab); his grandchildren Nawab Salahuddin Ahmed Abbasi (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: نواب صلاح الدین عباسی‬) who is a Member of Parliament in

, Prince Falahuddin Abbasi (who died in London in April 2016, from cancer), Princess Aiysha Yasmien Abbasi and Princess Safia Nausheen Abbasi.

Death

He died on 24 May 1966 in

. He was survived by 23 heirs, and his eldest son, Abbas Abbasi, was recognised as his successor by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

Titles

*1904–1907: Nawabzada Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi, Wali Ahad Bahadur *1907–1921:

His Highness Highness (abbreviation HH, oral address Your Highness) is a formal style (manner of address), style used to address (in grammatical person, second person) or refer to (in grammatical person, third person) certain members of a reigning or formerly ...

Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula,

Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur. *1921–1922:

His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur *1922–1924: Lieutenant His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, KCVO *1924–1929: Captain His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, KCVO *1929–1931: Captain His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, KCSI, KCVO *1931–1932: Captain His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, GCIE, KCSI, KCVO *1932–1935:

His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, GCIE, KCSI, KCVO *1935–1941:

His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Hajji Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, GCIE, KCSI, KCVO *1941–1946: Lieutenant-Colonel His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Hajji Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, GCSI, GCIE, KCVO *1946–1947: Major-General His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Hajji Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Nawab of Bahawalpur, GCSI, GCIE, KCVO *1947–1955: Major-General His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Hajji Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Amir of the God-gifted Kingdom of Bahawalpur, GCSI, GCIE, KCVO *1955–1959:

His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Hajji Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Amir of the God-gifted Kingdom of Bahawalpur, GCSI, GCIE, KCVO *1959–1966: General His Highness Rukn ud-Daula, Saif ud-Daula, Hafiz ul-Mulk, Mukhlis ud-Daula wa Muin ud-Daula, Hajji Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi V Bahadur, Nusrat Jung, Amir of the God-gifted Kingdom of Bahawalpur, GCSI, GCIE, KCVO, NQA

Honours

(ribbon bar, as it would look today; incomplete) 1000px ribbon bar of the Order of Maria Anna

King George V Silver Jubilee Medal ribbon

LBN National Order of the Cedar - Grand Cordon BAR

* Delhi Durbar gold medal-1911 * 1914–15 Star -1918 * Victory Medal-1918 *Indian Frontier Medal-1921 *Prince of Wales's Visit Medal-1922 *Knight Commander of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

(KCVO)-1922 * Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE)-1931 * King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935 * King George VI Coronation Medal-1937 *Grand Cordon of the Order of the Two Rivers of the Kingdom of Iraq-1941 * Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI)-1941 (KCSI)-1929 * 1939–1945 Star-1945 * Africa Star-1945 * Burma Star-1945 * Italy Star-1945 * Defence Medal-1945 * War Medal 1939–1945-1945 *Pakistan Independence Medal-1947 *Grand Cordon of the Order of the Cedars of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

-1947 *King Faisal II Installation Medal of the Kingdom of Iraq-1953 *

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal () is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family ...

- 1953 *Order of the Supreme Leader (Nishan-i-Qaid-i-Azam) 1st class of

- 1959

References

External links

Nawabs of BahawalpurFaces of the First World War

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan V, Sadeq Mohammad 1904 births 1966 deaths Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire Indian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Grand Cordons of the National Order of the Cedar Aitchison College alumni Nawabs of Bahawalpur (princely state) Princely rulers of Pakistan Nawabs of Pakistan Leaders of the Pakistan Movement British Indian Army personnel 20th-century Indian royalty 20th-century Pakistani military personnel Pakistani knights