# Khan Bahadur

Khan Bahadur – a compound of Khan "Leader" and Bahadur "Brave" – was an honorary title in British India conferred on Indian subjects who were adherents of Islam or Zoroastrianism. The equivalent title for Hindus, Buddhists and Indian Christians was Rao Bahadur/Rai Bahadur and Sardar Bahadur for Sikhs. The title of Khan Bahadur was one degree higher than the title of Khan Sahib.
The title was conferred on individuals for faithful service or acts of public welfare to the British Empire. Recipients were entitled to prefix the title to their name and were presented with a special Title Badge and a citation (Sanad). It was conferred on behalf of the Government of British India by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
Awarding of the Khan Bahadur title was discontinued in 1947 upon the independence of India.
The title "Khan Bahadur" was originally conferred in Mughal India on Muslim subjects in recognition of public services rendered and was adopted by British India for the same purpose and extended to cover other non-Hindu subjects of India. Hindu subjects of British India were conferred the title of "Rai Bahadur".

## Recipients

The following is an incomplete chronological list of selected recipients:
* 1881: Khan Bahadur Khuda Bakhsh C.I.E, Former Chief Justice of Hyderabad State, Founder of Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Library
* Raja Mir Syed Muhammad Baquar Ali Khan C.I.E. of Morni, Kotaha and Pindrawal
* 1887: Nawab Sirjaul Islam
* 1886: Khan Bahadur Fazal Husain Khan, District Superintendent of Police, Bareily, Uttar Pradesh
* 1891: Mian Ghulam Farid Khan Bahadur, former Extra-Assistant Commissioner in Punjab and Honorary Magistrate of Batala.
* Khan Bahadur Khalifullah Rowther Sahib, Dewan of Pudukkottai State
* 1898: Khan Bahadur Humayun Beg Wazir of Hunza.
* 1903: Khan Bahadur Din Muhammad, Extra Assistant Commissioner, Kasur, in the Lahore District of the Punjab.
* 1905: Muhammad Habibullah was awarded the title of Khan Bahadur by the Indian government
* 1912: Khan Bahadur Sayed Rustom Ali (Registrar, Court of the Political Resident, Aden).
* 1912: Khan Bahadur Nadir Husain, District Superintendent of Police, Bengal.
* 1914: Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hira Khan (Civil Engineer from University of Roorkee (Gold Medalist); Supervisor, Public Works Department, Lucknow, United Provinces.
* 1915: Khan Bahadur Atta Ullah Khan Tarar, Kolo Tarar Hafizabad, former Muslim member of the Council of State from the undivided Punjab.
* 1918: Khan Bahadur Sir Nawab Shah Jahan Khan, Was the Nawab of Dir (princely state), He became the Khan Bahadur in 1918)
* 1919: Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hussain Khan Swati, 5th Chief of Swati tribe.
* 1921 Khan Sahib Sir Mohammad Usman of Madras was conferred the title of Khan Bahadur. He was later conferred the title of Knight Commander Order of the Indian Empire. Sir Mohammad Usman became the first Indian acting Governor of Madras Presidency and a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
* 1923: Khan Bahadur Mian Muhammad Said, Bar-at-law, British-Indian Police and Minister in Royal State of Kapurthala.
* 1925: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Gada Husain (retired), Deputy Collector, United Provinces.
* 1925: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Alimuzzaman Chaudhuri. M.L.C. Landholder and Chairman, District Board and Municipality, Faridpur.
* 1929: Khan Bahadur Major General Fateh Naseeb Khan, Senapati, Alwar State, Rajputana
* 1930: Khan Bahadur Syed Niaz Qutb (also spelled as Qutab), Postmaster General.
* 1931: Khan Bahadur Chaudhary Karam Elahi Chattha, Ahmed Nagar Wazirabad, Chief of Chattha, former Zaildar Gujaranwala undivided Punjab.
* 1932: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Muhammad Fazlul Karim, Magistrate, collector, and administrator of Refugees, Bengal.
* 1933: Khan Bahadur Chaudhry Irshadullah Ranjha, Kot Sher Muhammad, Chief of Kirana Bar, MLA Member Punjab Legislative Assembly, former Zaildar Gujarat undivided Punjab.
* 1934: Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman Khan, Divisional Inspector of Schools.
* 1935: Khan Bahadur Abdur Rahman Khan, Divisional Inspector of Schools.
* 1936: Khan Bahadur Khalifa Mohammad Asadullah, the first Muslim and second Indian to run the Imperial Library of the Raj in Calcutta and the first Indian to become a fellow of the Library Association, London.
* 1937: Sheikh Abdullah (1874–1965), Indian educationalist, social reformer, lawyer, and the founder of Women's College, Aligarh.
* 1938: Khan Bahadur Waliur Rahman, Planter and Proprietor of several tea gardens in Duars, Assam.
* 1939: Khan Bahadur Muhammad Humayun, District Collector 1937–1939, ICS — Nellore.
* 1940: Khan Bahadur Maulvi Muhammad Yahya (retired), Deputy Magistrate, Deputy Collector and Chief Manager, Dacca Nawab Estate.
* 1941: Khan Bahadur Syed Abdur Rauf, MLA, Lawyer, Calcutta, Howrah.
* 1942: Khan Bahadur Yousof Hossain Chaudhury, vice-president, District School Board, Faridpur. [19] [The chieftains of Punjab] [The Gazette of Attock 1970].
* 1943: Khan Bahadur Aziz al-Hasan Ghouri
* 1943: Khan Bahadur Saiyid Muhammad Zaki, 2 June 1943. Inspector of Schools, Sitapur.
* 1944: Al Haj Nawab Jam Kambhu Khan Chief of Samma (title of Nawab, Khan Bahadur, swords of honour), Khan Sahib Jam Mitha Khan (Khan Bahadur, Chief, Sanghar), Nawab Jam Jan Muhammad Khan (Member Legislative Assembly, title of Nawab, Sardar Bahadur, Khan Bahadur, OBE) S/O Jam Sharif Khan S/O Jam Nawaz Ali Khan who was the Nawab of the Samma and Junejo Tribes.
* 1946: Lieutenant Colonel Khan Bahadur Muhammad Hassan Khan (1900–1948), He belonged to Rasulpur near Domeli near Jehlum. He served in the British Royal Army during both World Wars, and the Pakistan Army in the 4th Battalion of Engineers Regiment. First Director General Survey of Pakistan. Appointed by Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He died on 21 December 1948. His son Lieutenant Colonel Qurban Hassan Khan (Late), 18th PMA Long Course, Chief Instructor Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), later adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. His grandson Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Hassan Khan serves in the Pakistani Army.

### Zoroastrian recipients

* Khan Bahadur Ardeshir Irani, director of first Indian talkie picture Alam Ara.