Iskander Mirza
Major-General Sahibzada Sayyid Iskander Ali Mirza, English IPA: ɪskɑndæɾ mi(ə)ɹzə (Urdu: اسکندر مرزا; Bengali: ইস্কান্দার মীর্জা; December 14, 1898 – November 12, 1969) CIE, OBE, was the first President of Pakistan, serving from 1956 until being forced out from the presidency in 1958. Prior to that, Mirza was the last Governor-General of the Pakistan from 1955 until 1956. A direct descendent of last Nawab of Bengal Mir Jafar, Mirza was the first president of Bengali origin from East-Pakistan, and the retired career officer, having reach the rank of major-general in Pakistan Army.
Starting his career in the government, Mirza was employed in the Ministry of Defence, appointed as first Defence Secretary (a higher bureaucratic post), overseeing the 1947 war with India, and the Balochistan conflict in 1948. A serious disorder and civil unrest sparked in East Pakistan as a result of Bengali Language Movement in 1952, prompting Prime minister Khawaja Nazimuddin to appoint him as the Governor of the provisional state, overseeing the success of One Unit programme in East-Pakistan in 1954, and succeeded Malik Ghulam as Governor-General in 1955. After successfully promulgating the 1956 constitution, Mirza became the first president and also was the first Bengali, to have became the president, but his presidency suffered with great political instability, foreign challenges, and ousted his appointed four prime ministers in two years, and finally imposed the martial law in 1958 after suspending the constitution; further dissolving the democratic institutions, including the Pakistan Parliament. Mirza has distinction of being the first of bringing the influence of military in the national politics after appointed his army chief as chief martial law administrator of the country.
Problems with Pakistan Armed Forces and the establishment further escalated after deteriorating the relations with the United States, and unable to control the political challenges, civil unrest, and the law and order situation completely ran out of his hand after imposing martial law. Only twenty days of martial law being imposed, Mirza was forced out and fell from the presidency and power, after his appointed Chief Martial Law Administrator Field Marshal Ayub Khan deposed his administration, exiled him to London and resided there until 1969. Died in 1969 due to a long illness, his coffin and burial in Pakistan was denied by the President Yahya Khan, out of respect, the Shah Reza Pahlavi gave him a state funeral in Tehran, Iran.
Descendent origins
The eldest child of Sahibzada Sayyid Fateh Ali Mirza (b.1874 – d.1949) and his first wife, Dishad Begum (b. 1879– d.1924), Iskander Ali Mirza was born on December 14, 1898, at Murshidabad, Bengal Presidency of British Indian Empire.[1] Mirza's family was an extremely influential and wealthy feudal family in Bengal, had close ties with British monarchy. His father, Fateh Ali Mirza was a notable duke of the ruling house of Murshidabad, grandson of first Nawab Mansur Ali Khan.[1] Iskandar Mirza was also a great-grandson of Mir Jafar (popularly known as Gaddar-e-Abrar)— who previously in 1799, had played an integral role bringing down the Kingdom of Mysore and the King Fateh "Tipu Sultan" Ali Khan, with the British Empire serving their informant to British officer Robert Clive.[2] His family was strict follower of the Shiite Islam, as his emblem displayed the sign of the Zulfiqar, the sword of Ali (son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad).[1]
Education and military service
Mirza grew up in Bombay, receiving and completing his early education at Elphinstone College, of the then-University of Bombay.[3] Prior to that, he further went on to join the British Army and was 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.[3]
His military career served in military police and was attached to the 2nd Battalion, Cameronians 16 July 1920.[3] His service saw extensive operations in North West Frontier Province, served well in the "Operation Khodad Khel" in 1921, and further participated in Waziristan war in 1920.[3] He was transferred to the 17th Poona Horse (Queen Victoria's Own), as an army inspector.[3] Although his career was short lived, Mirza left the army to join the Indian Political Service in 1926, and was posted as the Assistant Commissioner of the North West Frontier Province.[3] In 1931, he was appointed as district officer; his career was spent in troubled Tribal belt, becoming the Political Agent of the Tribal Belt in 1938, remaining there until 1945.[3]
Mirza was appointed and served as the Political Agent of Orissa and North West Frontier Province from 1945 until 1946.[4] His ability to run the colonial administrative units had brought him to prominence that prompted the British Indian Government to appointed him as the Joint Defence Secretary of India 1946.[4] 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.[4] In this position, he was responsible for dividing the British Indian Army into the future armies of Pakistan and India.[4] In 1947, Mirza became Pakistan's first Defence Secretary in the government of Liaquat Ali Khan.[4]
Defence Secretary
Upon the establishment of Pakistan, Mirza was one of the highest-senior ranking government officer in the nation. He joined the government of Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, and was nation's first Defence Secretary. As a Defense secretary, Mirza oversaw the 1947 war with India, as well as the Balochistan conflict. In 1950, Prime minister Ali Khan approved the recommendation, he was appointed as the honorary active duty Major-General in Pakistan Army, commanding the Military Police as its second General Officer Commanding.
In 1951, Prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan appointed him as the director of the Department of Kashmir and Afghanistan Affairs (DKA), while he was responsible for coordinating the military efforts to the civilian government. His tenure also saw the re-deployment of Military Police in East-Pakistan as a resultant of the Bengali Language Movement, where the East Pakistan Rifles had fatally shot down the four student activists. Within short span of time, the Military Police had the control of the state and its officer commanding submitted the report of their course to Major-General Iskandar Mirza in 1954.
Governor of East-Pakistan
His rapid control of the province brought him to national prominence, leading national recognition to him by the Governor-General. Upon the dismissal of United Front, Governor-General Malik Ghulam Muhammad decided to declared the governor's rule in the state, with an upcoming Prime minister was asked to appoint a governor. Appointing a new cabinet, Prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra named him as the governor of East-Pakistan, taking the oath from the Chief Justice Muhammad Munir, Mirza arrived to East-Pakistan in May 1954. After landing at the Dhaka Airport, Mirza sharply announced in Bengali language, that he would not hesitate to use force in order to establish peace in the province to the Pakistan media representatives, a statement also criticized by media anchors. On a first day of his charge, Mirza ordered the arrest of 319 persons, including Mujibur Rahman and Yousaf Ali Chaudhry.
By the mid of June 1954, the number of arrests were reached to 1,051, including 33 Assembly Members and two Dhaka University professors. Although the peace was restored and law and order situation was improved, but such actions had sown a permanent seed of hatred for the Central Government in the hearts of the people of East Pakistan.
Governor-General
The same year, he was called to continue his service in federal government after being appointed at two prestigious government assignments, the Minister of Interior and Minister of Commonwealth and Kashmir Affairs in Prime minister Muhammad Ali Bogra's cabinet. He was one of the most senior bureaucratic minister in Bogra's government, and was extremely influential at that time. Due to the long illness, Governor-General Ghulam Muhammad went on a two months leave to United Kingdom, leaving the office of Governor-General to Interior minsiter Iskander Mirza. On August 7 of 1955, Mirza assumed the office of Governor General, although he served as acting only. Immediately after taking the oath from Chief Justice of Pakistan at the apex Supreme Court of Pakistan, Mirza spoke to the nation on radio, and due to political instability, Mirza forced Prime minister Bogra to resign from his office, instead sending him as Pakistan Ambassador to the United States in 1955.
On August 12, Mirza appointed Chaudhry Muhammad Ali as the interim Prime minister and under his and Ali's close securnity the 1954 general elections were held. Although he forced Bogra to resign but continue his policies by first forcefully imposing the One Unit programme of Bogra, and believed in the separation of state and religion. The Peoples' League under Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy came to power, and Suhrawardy was appointed as the fifth Prime minister of the country. When Mirza succeeded the ailing Malik Ghulam Muhammad as Governor-General, he was married to his second wife, Nahid Mirza, an Iranian lady who had previously been 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
 | This section possibly contains original research. (July 2009) |
In 1958, Mirza decided that the 1956 Constitution was contributing to political instability; on 7 October, he declared martial law with the view to introducing a new constitution "more suited to the genius of the Pakistani people" in November, as he believed democracy was unsuited to Pakistan "with its 15% literacy rate" (although the same problem of low literacy also existed in India which had opted for democracy). He appointed the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, Ayub Khan, as the martial law administrator, which proved his undoing.
Ayub Khan declared himself President on 27 October after a bloodless coup d'état, and Mirza was exiled to London.
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 Iranian born Naheed Begum (1914-), the couple had no children. Naheed Begum was a close friend of Begum Nusrat Bhutto. Because of this friendship Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was introduced into political arena of Pakistan.
Death
Mirza lived in exile in London until his death. He died of a heart-attack in London on 12 November 1969, the day before his 70th birthday. It is reported that Mirza struggled financially while living in London.[5] 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.
Excerpts From Major General Iskander Mirza's Letter to His Children
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2008) |
Mr. Chundrigar is now Prime Minister and I hope the present Government will continue until general election in November 1958. I am quite sure there will be a new President in the new set-up. I am tired of trying to keep the country on the rails and wish all the luck to my successor. With 15% literacy we are 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 am concerned. Individuals don't count, it is the country which matters. Signed I.A.M.
References
- Shahab, Qudrat-Ullah (2005 (21st Edition)). Shahabnama. Karachi: Sang-e-Meel. ISBN 969-35-0025-3.
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- Mirza, Humayun (2002). From Plassey to Pakistan. Washington, D.C.: University Press of America. ISBN 978-0761815099.
- ^ a b c Baxter, Craig (1997). Bangladesh: from a nation to a state. United States: Westview Press, 1997. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-813-3285-46.
- ^ Iskandar Mirza, Ayub Khan, and October 1958, by Syed Badrul Ahsan, The New Age, Bangladesh, October 30, 2005.
- ^ a b c d e f g Story of Pakistan Press. "Teething Years: Iskander Mirza". Story of Pakistan (Part-I). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Government of Pakistan. "President Iskandar Mirza". Ministry of Information and Public Broadcasting. Electronic Government of Pakistan. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
- ^ Shahab, Qudrat-Ullah (2005 (21st Edition)). Shahabnama. Karachi: Sang-e-Meel. ISBN 969-35-0025-3
See also
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Italics indicate acting Presidents | |||
- 1898 births
- 1969 deaths
- British Indian Army officers
- Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire
- Defence Secretaries of Pakistan
- Governors-General of Pakistan
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Pakistani politicians
- Pakistani Shi'a Muslims
- Pakistani people of Bengali descent
- People from Murshidabad district
- Presidents of Pakistan
- Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
- Shi'a politicians
- University of Mumbai alumni