History
The title Nawab of Murshidabad was used an alternative for the Nawabs of Bengal, as they were based in the city of Murshidabad, founded by the inaugural Nawab of Bengal Murshid Quli Khan. The title continued to be used synonymously until the time of Nawab Mansur Ali Khan, who was the last titular Nawab Nazim of Bengal. During his reign, the nizamat (princeship) at Murshidabad came to be debt-ridden. The Nawab left Murshidabad in February 1869, and had started living in England. The title of the Nawab of Bengal stood abolished in 1880.[3] In October 1880, he went to Bombay, pleading his case against the orders of the British Raj, but as it stood unresolved, the Nawab renounced his styles and titles, abdicating in favour of his eldest son, Hassan Ali Mirza, on 1 November 1880.[3] Mirza and his descendants were simply known with the title of Nawab of Murshidabad and held the status of a peerage from then on.[4]
The Nawabs of Murshidabad succeeded the Nawab Nazims following Nawab Mansur Ali Khan's abdication.[5][3][6] The Nawab Bahadurs had ceased to exercise any significant power.[5] They were relegated to the status of a zamindar. They continued to be a wealthy Indian family, producing bureaucrats and army officers. However, their political influence in Bengal was eclipsed by the Nawab of Dhaka. Members of the Nawab family of Murshidabad were part of the Pakistan movement. At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the flag of Pakistan was hoisted at the Hazarduari Palace. The Radcliffe Line made clear that Murshidabad district would fall under the Dominion of India. Soon after the line was published, the Pakistani flag was lowered and the Indian tricolour was hoisted atop the palace.[7] In Pakistan, a member of the family, Iskander Mirza, became the country's Governor-General and first President. In 1959, Wasif Ali Mirza came to be the third Nawab Bahadur.[8] He was succeeded by Waris Ali Mirza who died in 1969,[9] survived by three sons and three daughters. His death was followed by a long-standing dispute over succession as he had excluded his eldest son, Wakif Ali Mirza, from the succession for contracting a non-Muslim marriage. Waris Ali took no steps during his lifetime to establish his successor. His will stood disputed.[10] The Indian government withdrew privileges for princely families in 1971.[11][10]
