PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY:
Founded
in 1817. The first Ruling Prince of Kamadhia was Darbar Shri Mir
Sarfaraz
Ali. A warrior of the highest calibre. Mir Sarfaraz Ali fought the
famous
Malwa war as an ally of the British in the year 1818. The Gaikwad of
Baroda,
the British and Mir Sarfaraz Ali had allied against the forces of the
Peshwa.
Mir Sarfaraz Ali commanded a garrison of 600 and was instrumental in
defeating
the Peshwa. Due to his courage and valour shown at the Malwa
battlefield
Mir Sarfaraz Ali was recognised by the British as the first independent
Ruling Prince and Darbar Shri of Kamadhia in the year 1818. Soon after
being recognised as the first Chief of Kamadhia three more villages in
Gujarat came to belong to Mir Sarfaraz Ali. They were Gothra (Gothda),
Walen (Vullun) and Davdi (Dvaudee). All these villages and Kamadhia
have
been with the Mir dynasty for generations. His very strong relations
with
the British, in particular Sir John Malcolm, who was the Governor
General
of Bombay Presidency saw him get a waiver from the tribute that
Kamadhia
state paid to the British. Although a small state the rulers of
Kamadhia
maintained a fierce independence with revenue and criminal jurisdiction
powers. The rulers of Kamadhia had political relations directly only
with
the British till Mir Gulam Moinuddin the then Ruling Prince and Darbar
Shri of Kamadhia signed accession papers to the Indian Union in 1948.
Darbar
Shri Mir Gulam Moinuddin was one of the first Kathiawar princes to
lower
taxes and give away lands to the cultivators free of cost. This
benevolent
gesture is still remembered by the people of Kamadhia to date. The
Kamadhia
Ruling family are direct scions of Nawab Mir Jafur Ali of Surat. Darbar
Shri Mir Jafur Ali was the son of Darbar Shri Mir Sarfaraz Ali of
Kamadhia.
Darbar Shri Mir Jafur Ali also went on to become the Chief of the Nawab
family of Surat in the year 1857. The juridictionary powers of the
Chiefs
were a maximum of 3 months rigorous imprisonment and fines of up to
500Rs
for criminal offences. The Ruling Chiefs of Kamadhia had their own
Police
force who maintained the State Jails. Revenue Patels were the revenue
collectors
and Vaivatdars and Mamlatdars noted all criminal cases which were then
referred to the Kamadhia State Magistrate who in turn passed criminal
sentences
relating to the State's jurisdictional authority after consultation
with
the Ruling Chief. The Ruling Chief of Kamadhia had the last word on all
sentences under his authorised powers. Darbar Shri Mir Ghulam Khwaja
Moinuddin
Khan was the most benevolent of Chiefs often forgiving petty criminals
as compared to his predecessors Darbar Shri Mir Sarfaraz Ali I and
Darbar
Shri Mir Bakar Ali who ruled as regent between (1863-1880). When Darbar
Shri Mir Ghulam Khwaja Moinudin Khan lowered taxes in 1939 the Times of
India hailed this great act by reporting it in February 1939. "The
Chief
of Kamadhia State has issued orders lowering taxes and appointing a
committee
to bring to the notice of the Darbar any public grievances". Rulers
were...
- Darbar Shri MIR SARFARAZ ALI I 1817/1860, married and had
issue. He
died
1860.
- Kumar Shri Mir Akbar Ali, married and had issue. He died vp
before
1860.
- Kumar Shri Mir Ibrahim Ali, ancestor of the Zamindars
of Gothra.
- Darbar Shri MIR JAFUR ALI (qv)
- Darbar Shri MIR BAKAR ALI (qv)
- Darbar Shri MIR JAFUR ALI 1860/1863, born 1817, also styled
as Nawab of
Surat, married 1stly, Musammatpanah Bakthiar-ul-nissa Begum Sahiba of
Surat
(daughter of Nawab MIR AFZALUDDIN KHAN, last ruler of Surat which was
annexed
in 1800), married 2ndly, Begum Basti Begum of Ahmedabad, married 3rdly,
Fatima, and had issue, 2 son and 2 daughters. He died 1863.
- Musammatpanah Zia-ul-Nissa Ladli Begum Sahiba (by 1st
wife), married
Nawab
MIR SAEED ALAM KHAN Bahadur of Belha.
- Daughter (by 1st wife), married Mir Ghulam Baba Khan of
Belha.
- Darbar Shri MIR ZULFIKAR ALI (by the 2nd wife) (qv)
- Kumar Shri Mir Asad Ali (by Fatima)
- Darbar Shri Mir BAKAR ALI 1863/1890, born 1823, died 1890.
-
 Darbar
Shri MIR ZULFIKAR ALI 1890/1921, born 1859 (#1),
educated at Rajkumar College, Rajkot; married and had issue. He died
1921.
- Darbar Shri MIR SARFARAZ ALI II (qv)
- Kumar Shri Mir Jafur Ali, died sp.
- Darbar Shri MIR GULAM KHWAJA MOINUDDIN (qv)
- Darbar Shri MIR SARFARAZ ALI II 1921/1934, born 1880, died spm
1934.
- Darbar Shri MIR GULAM KHWAJA MOINUDDIN 1934/1958, born
1887, married
and
had issue. He died 1958.
- Darbar Shri MIR KUTBUDDIN (qv)
- Kumar Shri Mir Zulfikar Ali II, married and has issue,
one daughter.
- Kumar Shri Ali Akbar Mir, married Rajkumari Sajida Begum
of Amod. and
has
issue, one daughter.
- Darbar Shri MIR KUTBUDDIN 1958/1998, born 1916, married
Nawabzadi Ladli
Begum of Belha and had issue. He died
1998.
- Darbar Shri MIR JAFFAR IMAM II (qv)
- Kumar Shri Ali Asgar Mir
- Darbar Shri MIR JAFFAR IMAM II (see above)
ADITIONAL INFORMATION:  The
Kamadhia Royal family was greatly influenced with the English way of
life.
Darbar Shri Mir Jafur Ali spent four years in London (the first Indian
Prince to visit England in 1844). His son Darbar Shri Mir Zulfikar Ali
was a boy of four when his father died in 1863. The British Authorities
in India were so close to the Mir Princes that they took the young
Prince
of Kamadhia under their wings. On the 12th of May 1873 Sir T.C. Hope
the
Guardian and Administrator of Darbar Shri Mir Zulfikar Ali sent him to
England for his education. On June 9th, 1873 the boat (Indus)
landed
at South Hampton. From there the Prince was taken to London and resided
at Bayswater. Darbar Shri Mir Zulfikar Ali lived with the Harker Hodges
family and was under their guardianship. In December 1876 Darbar Shri
Mir
Zulfikar Ali returned to India. It was in this year that he was amongst
the first batch of the Indian Princes to have joined the Rajkumar
College,
Rajkot on its opening. It is interesting to note that since his father
was also known as the titular Nawab of Surat he was enrolled as the
Prince
of Surat in the college.
 On
his death in 1921 Darbar Shri Mir Zulfikar Ali was succeeded by his
eldest
son Darbar Shri Mir Sarfaraz Ali II. Since the latter had no male heir
on his death in 1934 his younger brother Mir Gulam Moinuddin succeeded
on the Gaddi of Kamadhia. Kamadhia was a VI class state and under his
reign
great prosperity was achieved. Schools were opened, taxes were lowered,
Kamadhia State police was put into top gear and groundnut and
watermelon
income increased. Darbar Shri Mir Gulam Moinuddin was given a Jesuit
education
at the prestigious St. Mary's School in Mumbai. His ability to interact
with the British Political agents at the highest levels because of his
impeccable English and political acumen saw him become their close
friend.
In fact Mr. Eagerton the political agent for Western India State was so
impressed with his administrative skills that he spent months together
preparing Darbar Shri Mir Gulam Moinuddin for the political change
which
was to envelope India in 1947.
Courtesy of Kumar Shri Moin Mir ©
November 2002,
February 2004.
|
born
1941, at present the Darbar Saheb of Kamadhia and his son Kumar Shri
Moin
Mir II are in the process of restoring the Darbargarh (city palace) at
Kamadhia and would hopefully convert it into a school. The present
Darbar
Saheb Mir Jaffar Imam is the author of the "Mirza Ghalib and the Mirs
of
Gujarat", an historical book bringing to light the strong relationship
between the Master Urdu and Persian Poet with the Royal family of Surat
and Kamadhia. This book was launched by the famous poet and lyricist
Gulzar
in Bombay. In Delhi the Union Minister of Culture, the Honorable Mr.
Murli
Manohar Joshi was part of the launch ceremony. The present Darbar Saheb
has Masters in Human relations from the TATA Institute of Social
Studies
and has his professional roots deeply entrenched in corporate India. He
and the Heir Apparent, however, still spend considerable amounts of
time
in Kamadhia. He is married to Begum Anees Waheed, daughter of Abdul
Waheed,
a Nobleman of Hyderabad, and has issue.