Everything about Iskander Mirza totally explained
Major-General Sahibzada Sayyid Iskander Ali Mirza,
CIE,
OBE, or Iskander Mirza (
Urdu:
اسکندر مرزا) (
November 13,
1899 –
November 12,
1969) was the last
Governor-General of the
Dominion of Pakistan (October 6, 1955 to March 23, 1956) and the first
President of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan (March 23, 1956 to October 27, 1958).
Early life
Sayyid Iskander Ali Mirza was born at
Murshidabad on November 13, 1899, the eldest son of Sahibzada Sayyid Muhammad Fateh Ali Mirza (
1876-
1948), a prince of the ruling house of Murshidabad and grandson of Nawab
Mansur Ali Khan, the last
Nawab of Bengal. Iskander Mirza was therefore a descendant of
Mir Jafar. He was a
Shi'a Muslim, as his emblem below displays the sign of the
Zulfiqar, the sword of
Ali (son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad). He grew up in
Bombay. After completing his early education at
Elphinstone College Bombay, he was later educated at the
Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, becoming the first graduate from the
Indian subcontinent at the academy, and was commissioned into the
British Indian Army in 1920. He was attached to the 2nd Btn., Cameronians 16 July 1920, and served in the Khodad Khel Operations 1921 and at Waziristan 1924. He transferred to the 17th Poona Hse(Queen Victoria's Own) later that year, and joined the
Indian Political Service in 1926. He was Assistant Commissioner at Abbottabad 1926-1928, Bannu 1928-1930, Nowshera 1930-1933, and Tonk 1933, a Department Commissioner at Hazara 1933-1936 & at Marda 1936-1938. He was a Political Agent Khyber 1938-1940, Dep. Cmsnr. Peshawar & Political Agent to the Mohmands 1940, Political Agent Orissa States 1945-1946, Joint Defence Sec. India 1946-1947, Defence Sec. Mirza only served in the army for six years, after which he was the first Indian to be accepted in the elite Indian Political Service, eventually becoming a joint secretary in the Ministry of Defence of British India. In this position, he was responsible for dividing the British Indian Army into the future armies of Pakistan and India.
Defence Secretary and Governor-General
Upon the formation of
Pakistan, Mirza was made the Defence Secretary of the new nation, this appointment owed to Mirza's ranking as the highest Muslim civil servant in India at the time. In 1954, he was made governor of East Pakistan to bring order to a politically distressed region. This position was followed by his being appointed Minister of Interior and Frontier Regions in Prime Minister
Muhammad Ali Bogra's cabinet. In 1955, he became acting Governor-General, before becoming the last Governor-General of Pakistan. Iskander Mirza was also a great advocate of the One Unit scheme and believed in the separation of state and religion. When Mirza succeeded the ailing Ghulam Mohammad as Governor-General, he was married to his second wife, Mrs Nahid Mirza, an Iranian lady who was previously the wife of the Military Attaché of Iran in Pakistan.
President of Pakistan
In 1956, Pakistan established its first constitution, and the position of Governor-General was replaced by that of
President. The two were essentially the same, but Mirza was officially elected as President by the Assembly. During his presidency, Pakistan was politically unstable, this was marked by four different prime ministers in two years.
Military Coup D'état
By 1958, realising that the 1956 Constitution was contributing to political instability, Mirza declared
martial law on October 7th with the view to introducing a new constitution "more suited to the genius of the Pakistani people" in November. However, it's disputed that even though, he became the first President of Pakistan under the new constitution, he wasn't very fond of it. He is quoted in the book,
Shahabnama, holding the constitution in his hand, and referring it as a "trashy book." Mirza's efforts and energies, as Shahab relates, were geared to one principal purpose, his continuation in office. Mirza was apprehensive that general elections could lead to a change in the Office of President and so elections had to be deferred under some pretext or other, which led to his declaration of Martial Law on October 7, 1958. He appointed the commander-in-chief of the
Pakistan Army,
Ayub Khan, as the martial law administrator. Once the deed was done, he realized that he forfeited his own political legitimacy. Less than three weeks into martial law he was ushered out of the Presidential Palace, first to Quetta and then to exile in
London. He thus precipitated his departure from the Office of President rather than prolong his tenure. Ayub Khan declared himself President on October 27th after a bloodless coup d'état.
Honours
India General Service Medal (1936)
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal-1935
King George VI Coronation Medal-1937
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)-1939
Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE)-1945
Pakistan Independence Medal-1948
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal-1953
Grand Collar of the
Order of Pahlavi of the
Empire of Iran-1956
Order of the Supreme Sun, 1st Class of the
Kingdom of Afghanistan-1958
Family
On
24 November 1922, Iskander married Rif'a'at Begum (
1907-
23 March 1967). The couple had two sons and four daughters.
In
October 1954, Iskander married Naheed Begum (
1914-), the couple had no children.
Death
Mirza lived in exile in
London till his death in 1969. He died of a heart-attack in London about 5:30 pm just a day before his 70th birthday on the 12th November 1969. After
Yahya Khan's military government refused to allow him to be buried in his own country, his body was flown to
Tehran where the
Shah of Iran gave him a State Funeral befitting a Head of State.
Major-General Iskander Mirza Photo Gallery
Image:Major-MIrza 3.JPG| Iskander Mirza with British Officers.
Image:Major-mirza 4.JPG| The Head of British Naval Commands in the centre. Major-General Iskander Mirza on the left and one his officers and the right.
Image:DSC00009 resize.JPG| Major Syed Iskander Mirza First Indian Officer in Politics. Capt Syed Iskander Ali Mirza Cavalry Officer Poona horse. Major Iskander Mirza, First Indian Political Agent Khyber 1936-41 . Major Iskander Mirza with Sons. (From Left To Right .. Bottom: Left To right)
Image:DSC00006 resize.JPG| Copy Right Dawn News Paper
Image:Gramps Leaving Khyber.JPG| Major-General Iskander Mirza
Image:Maj Mirza.JPG| Major-General Iskander Mirza's Family Crest
Image:2058785333 1b76a32da3 o.jpg| Major-General Iskander Mirza in army uniform.(1956).
Excerpts From Major General Iskander Mirza's Letter to His Children
Mr. Chundrigar is now Prime Minister and I hope the present Government will continue until general election in November 1958. I'm quite sure there will be a new President in the new set-up. I'm tired of trying to keep the country on the rails and wish all the luck to my successor. With 15% literacy we're trying to run a Constitution which requires 70% literacy - This is the basis of all our troubles.
I trusted the Army and in Military honour of General Ayub khan. This was an error of judgment, and people who got on top and misjudge as I did have no right to complain and deserve what they get. This is the end of an episode as far as I'm concerned. Individuals don't count, it's the country which matters.
Signed
I.A.M.
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