| Lieutenant Colonel Saeed ul-Mulk Nawab Sir Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari |
|
|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister of the United Provinces | |
| In office 17 May 1923 – 11 January 1926 |
|
| Preceded by | NA |
| Succeeded by | NA |
| Acting Governor of the United Provinces | |
| In office 7 April 1933 – 26 November 1933 |
|
| Preceded by | Sir Alexander Phillips Muddiman |
| Succeeded by | Sir William Malcolm Hailey |
| Chief Minister of United Provinces | |
| In office 3 April 1937 – 16 July 1937 |
|
| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | Govind Ballabh Pant |
| Member of National Defence Council | |
| In office July 1941 – September 1941 |
|
| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | Vacated |
| President of the Executive Council of the Nizam of Hyderabad (i.e. Prime Minister of Hyderabad) (two terms) |
|
| In office September 1941 – August 1946 |
|
| Preceded by | Sir Akbar Hydari |
| Succeeded by | Mirza Ismail |
| In office May 1947 – 1 November 1947 |
|
| Preceded by | Mirza Ismail |
| Succeeded by | Sir Mehdi Yar Jung |
| Chief Scout of India | |
| In office 1955–1982 |
|
| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | Justice M. Hidayatullah |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1888 Chhatari, North-Western Provinces |
| Died | 1982 |
| Political party | National Agriculturist Parties[1] |
Lieutenant Colonel Saeed ul-Mulk Nawab Sir Muhammad Ahmad Said Khan Chhatari, GBE, KCSI, KCIE, LL.D[2][3] also known as Nawab of Chhatari (b. 1888[4] - d. 1982) was Governor of the United Provinces,[5] Chief Minister[6] of United Provinces, President of the Executive Council of the Nizam of Hyderabad (i.e. Prime Minister of Hyderabad)[7] and Chief Scout of India.
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During the spring session of the Provincial Council in 1929 when the subject of separate electorates came up in a debate on an innocuous topic, the United Provinces Town Areas (Amendment Bill) leading Muslims of the United Provinces, most notably the Nawab of Chhatari, spoke in favour of separate electorates.[8]
Nawab Chhatari attended the first Round Table Conference, held in St. James Palace in London on November 12, 1930.[9] The Muslim Delegation was led by the Aga Khan III and others, including, but not limited to, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Sir Mohammad Shafi, Maulana Mohammad Ali, Dr. Shafat Ahmad, Sir Muhammad Zafarullah Khan, Nawab of Chhatari and Fazlul Huq.[10]
From 17 May 1923 to 11 January 1926 he was Cabinet Minister of United Provinces.[11] In 1931 Nawab of Chhatari was appointed as Minister of Agricultural Department of United Provinces.[12]
Until 1936 the Nawab, like other great Muslim Zamindars e.g. the Raja of Salempur, was a trusted ally of the British Government in United Provinces and a Minister in provincial government.[13] In 1937 the Government of India Act 1935, which was formulated after the series of round table conferences (RTCs) was to come into operation from 1 April 1937, the Nawab of Chhatari, the leader of NAPs (National Agriculturist Parties), was invited to form his Cabinet.[14]
He was also Minister of Home Affairs in Provincial Government of United Provinces with the salary of Rs. 2,500 in 1937.[15]
The Nawab of Chhatari was also member of the National Defence Council from July to August 1941. Later he resigned to accept the post of President of the Hyderabad Executive Council.[16][17]
Nawab of Chhatari attended third sitting of the open session of Muslim League which was held in the Pandal at Lalbagh, Lucknow, on Sunday, 17 October 1936, at 10:30 a.m. and was presided by Jinnah. The meeting was also attended by Maulana Shaukat Ali, Moulana Hasrat Mohani, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Dr Syed Husain, Raja Gazanfar Ali Khan, Khan Bahadur Kuli Khan, Fazlul Huq, Nawab Jamshed Ali Khan, and others.[18][19]
Nawab of Chhatari expressed disquiet with the Jinnah's adherence to the Resolution of 23 March 1940. Jinnah asked Chhatari to come out "with a definite scheme of his own" and promised that he would bear that scheme in mind while making a final decision in this regard on 22 October 1940. Chhatari suggested that "We must get as many Hindus out of the Congress as possible to join hands with us". His suggestion clearly implied establishment of an all-India federation. The League was not unanimous on Pakistan even after the Lahore resolution.[20]
Nawab of Chhatari was appointed President of the Executive Council of the Nizam of Hyderabad (i.e. Prime Minister of Hyderabad) in August 1941.[21] The Nawab of Chhatari had previously resigned from the National Defence Council on accepting the post of President of the Hyderabad Executive Council.[22] He served on this post from September 1941 to 1 November 1947.[23]
On 6 September 1941 Bahadur Yar Jung, Nizam of Hyderabad, praised Nawab of Chhatari as able administrator. In 1944 Nawab of Chhatari was granted of the title of Saeed-ul-Mulk by H.E.H. the Nizam of Hyderabad.[24] On 25 November 1945, Nawab of Chhatari laid the foundation stone of the Institution of Engineers(India), A.P. State Center (Visvesvarayya Bhavan).[25]
In 1946 the Nizam of Hyderabad suggested to British Raj that the Nawab of Chhatari may be appointed as Governor of Central Provinces and Berar.[26]
When the Nizam saw that Clause 7 of the Indian Independence Bill did not permit that grant of Dominion Status to an Indian State, he sent a delegation to Delhi on 11 July 1947, headed by the Nawab of Chhatari, President of the Executive Council, to meet Lord Mountbatten of Burma.[27][28] On 17 August 1947 Nawab of Chhatari wrote to Mountbatten expressing his wish to enter the negotiations.[29]
In August 1947 Sir Walter Monckton (Constitutional advisor to Nizam) and Nawab of Chhatari tendered his resignation to Nizam due to attack on their delegation by Razakars and Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen, but it was refused.[30]
On 27 October 1947 Razakars and Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen staged a demonstration at the houses of the members of delegation, i.e. Sir Walter Monckton, Nawab of Chhatari and Sir Sultan Ahmed and made it impossible for delegation to leave for Delhi.[31]
On 21 December 1947 Gandhiji had talks with Nawab of Chhatari along with H.S. Suhrawardy, Brijlal Nehru, Rameshwari Nehru, Sheikh Abdullah, Begum Abdullah, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, Prince of Kutch, Maharaja of Bhavnagar and Anantrai Pattani.[32]
The Nizam of Hyderabad, in his radio speech on 23 September 1948, said "In November last [1947], a small group which had organized a quasi-military organization surrounded the homes of my Prime Minister, the Nawab of Chhatari, in whose wisdom I had complete confidence, and of Sir Walter Monkton, my constitutional Adviser, by duress compelled the Nawab and other trusted ministers to resign and forced the Laik Ali Ministry on me. This group headed by Kasim Razvi had no stake in the country or any record of service behind it. By methods reminiscent of Hitelerite Germany it took possession of the State, spread terror ... and rendered me completely helpless."[33]
The conferences that followed bore no fruit and the Nawab of Chhatari, finding matters intolerable, resigned as President of the Executive Council of the Nizam of Hyderabad.[34]
On 23 October 1931 Nawab hosted a dinner which was attended by Iqbal.[35] In 1935 he represented India in a mangoes exhibition in London, where he represented Rataul mango, which won first prize and was declared the best mango in the world.[36] On 15 January 1939 his message was published in a pamphlet issued by Education Expansion Department on occasion of The Literacy Day.[37] In 1945 Mahatma Gandhi sent Nawab two letters; one from Panchgani and other from Sevagram.[38] Nawab was also patron of Jamia-e-Urdu, Aligarh.[39] He had also served as Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University from December 1965 to January 6, 1982.
Nawab also served as the Chief Scout of the All India Boy Scouts Association from 1955 to 1982.[40]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by NA |
Cabinet Minister of the United Provinces 17 May 1923 – 11 January 1926 |
Succeeded by NA |
| Preceded by Sir Alexander Phillips Muddiman |
Acting Governor of the United Provinces 7 April 1933 – 26 November 1933 |
Succeeded by Sir William Malcolm Hailey |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by New creation |
Chief Minister of United Provinces 3 April 1937 – 16 July 1937 |
Succeeded by Govind Ballabh Pant |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by New creation |
Member of National Defence Council July 1941 – September 1941 |
Succeeded by vacated |
| Preceded by Sir Akbar Hydari |
President of the Executive Council of the Nizam of Hyderabad (i.e. Prime Minister of Hyderabad) (first time) September 1941 – August 1946 |
Succeeded by Mirza Ismail |
| Preceded by Mirza Ismail |
President of the Executive Council of the Nizam of Hyderabad (i.e. Prime Minister of Hyderabad) (second time) May 1947 – November1947 |
Succeeded by Mehdi Yar Jung |
| Scouting | ||
| Preceded by New creation |
Chief Scout of India 1955 – 1982 |
Succeeded by Justice M. Hidayatullah |