KARACHI: Nawab Mohammad Jahangir Khanji, Nawab of the Junagadh state, passed away on Thursday at a private hospital here, where he was undergoing treatment. He was 67.

Suffering from liver disease for a while now, the late Nawab of Junagadh was only recently diagnosed with cancer. He had dedicated his entire life to the independence of the Junagadh State and continued his struggle till his last breath. “Junagadh is Pakistan,” he would say.

The Junagadh House on Fatima Jinnah Road, his residence in Karachi since it was built in 1954 by his grandfather Nawab Mohammad Mahabat Khanji III — the last de facto ruler of Junagadh — is filled with memories and portraits of ancestors.

Delving into the history of the Junagadh House, he once said that when his family first arrived in Pakistan, his grandfather stayed with the then Sindh Governor Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, with the rest of the family staying in hotels here. “They were expecting that the issue of Junagadh would be resolved soon. But then when it looked like it was going to take time, my grandfather built this house,” he had said.

While talking about the State of Junagadh, he explained that it had come about back in 1735 when his ancestors, who had been presented with pieces of land or jagirs by the Moghuls over the years in recognition of their good work, decided to consolidate all their jagirs to declare an independent sovereign state. As a result of the decision, they had a state spreading to around 4,000 square miles in Gujarat, which also included a port of 100 miles.

It was Nawab Mohammad Jahangir Khanji’s grandfather, Nawab Mohammad Mahabat Khanji III, who, as ruler of the state, signed an instrument of accession with Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah on September 15 in 1947. At the time, there were 562 states under Muslim control, with Junagadh being the second biggest among them. It was also the fifth or sixth richest state. As an action of ‘might is right’, India prevented the accession, and, breaking all international laws, took over the entire Junagadh state on November 11, 1947.

“My grandfather signed for accession to Pakistan in 1947 out of his love for this country only to lose his state as a result of the action. We are still fighting for our state. The matter is pending in the United Nations,” Nawab Mohammad Jahangir Khanji had said.

Over time, three generations of Junagdh have grown up in Pakistan. According to the late Nawab, there are around two million of their people now settled here. All know their history passed down to them by their elders. They also looked up to Nawab Mohammad Jahangir Khanji as a family elder.

His own father, Nawab Mohammad Dilawar Khanji, also served as the 11th governor of Sindh from March 1, 1976 to July 5, 1977. His mother belonged to the state of Bhopal and was the daughter of Sardar Rauf Mohammad Khan Jagirdar.

When dressed in his traditional attire, the late Nawab also carried a sword with him, about which he quietly disclosed was actually a walking stick. The lion was the symbol of the State of Junagadh and it could be seen everywhere at the Junagadh House. Even the coat of arms given to the family by Queen Victoria had two golden lions. And pinned above it on his sherwani would be a little Pakistan flag.

According to family sources, the late Nawab’s better half had also only recently passed away, on May 2. He has left behind his aged mother Shah Begum Sahab Musarrat Jahan Begum, a son, Nawabzada Mohammad Ali Murtaza Khanji and daughter Nawabzadi Maryam Khanji.

Nawab Mohammad Jahangir Khanji’s funeral prayers will be held at the Junagadh House after Friday prayers at 3.30pm. He will be buried at the Junagadh State graveyard on main Hub Road, Baldia Town, Karachi.

As the news of his passing became known, condolence messages started pouring in from all over. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and MQM Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui all remembered him as a great friend who sacrificed a great deal for Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2023