Shahnawaz Khan Mamdot facts for kids

Nawab Sir Shahnawaz Khan Mamdot (born December 17, 1883 – died March 28, 1942) was an important leader and a very wealthy landowner from Punjab in British India. He strongly supported the idea of creating Pakistan, a separate country for Muslims. For a while, he owned more land than anyone else in the large region of Punjab.

His Early Life and Important Work

Nawab Shahnawaz Khan Mamdot was born in a place called Mamdot, in the Kasur District of Punjab, in 1883. When he was 24, in 1907, he moved away from Punjab to Hyderabad State and joined their police force.

In 1928, a relative named Nawab Ghulam Qutbuddin Khan Mamdot passed away without any children. A British court decided that Shahnawaz would inherit all the family lands, known as jagirs, and the special title of Nawab of Mamdot. This made him one of the biggest landowners in all of Punjab.

Joining Politics and Leading the Muslim League

In 1934, he returned to his family's lands. He first joined a political group called the Unionist Party (Punjab). Later, in 1937, he joined the All-India Muslim League, a very important political party for Muslims.

By 1938, he became the President of the Punjab Muslim League. He worked hard to make the party stronger and more organized in Punjab.

Helping the Pakistan Movement

Nawab Shahnawaz Khan Mamdot played a key role in a huge meeting of the All-India Muslim League in March 1940. This meeting was held in Lahore and was very important for the idea of Pakistan. He paid for almost all the costs of this big event himself. He was also the main person welcoming everyone as the chairman of the reception committee.

The leader of the Muslim League, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, often stayed at Nawab Mamdot's home, 'Mamdot Villa', whenever he visited Lahore.

In 1939, the King of England gave him the special title of 'Sir' for his services. Later that year, he helped publish a book by Mian Kifait Ali called "Pakistan". However, Muhammad Ali Jinnah asked for the name to be changed before it was published. This was to avoid upsetting people who were not Muslim.

Nawab Mamdot strongly believed that Muslims needed their own country. He felt that Muslims could not live under the rule of a community with different religions, cultures, and ways of life. At the important Lahore Resolution meeting in 1940, he gave the welcoming speech.

Honored with a Stamp

To remember his contributions, Pakistan Post released a special postage stamp in his honor in 1990.

His Passing and What He Left Behind

Nawab Sir Shahnawaz Khan Mamdot passed away from a heart attack in Lahore on March 28, 1942.

His son, Iftikhar Hussain Khan Mamdot, took over his title as the Nawab of Mamdot. He also became the new president of the Punjab Muslim League, continuing his father's work.

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