Saba Ali Khan

Bhopal, Oct. 2: Saba Ali Khan, the eldest daughter of the late Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, has become the first woman head of the Auqaf-e-Shahi, princely endowments or properties with religious or charitable significance that are valued at over Rs 1,000 crore.

A letter from Saba, received yesterday by the Madhya Pradesh government and the state waqf board, has requested them to officially consider her as the chief muttawalli (trustee).

A close Pataudi family aide in Bhopal, Anwar Mohd Khan, said with this development, Saba has become chief muttawalli and responsible for all Auqaf properties and a party in all ongoing litigation, too.

As chief muttawalli, Saba has become directly responsible for the upkeep of Bhopal’s Jama Masjid, Moti Masjid, Bara Bagh graveyard, Raisen dargah, orphanages, over 150 shops and numerous Muslim properties belonging to the erstwhile Bhopal nawabs.

Syed Akhtar Hussain, a 75-year-old city historian, said Saba’s appointment was both “historic and unprecedented”. “Other famous Begums, namely Qusia, Sikandar, Shahjahan, as illustrious as nawabs of Bhopal were there. But they did not run day-to-day functions of the Auqaf-e-Shahi. The role of chief muttawalli was performed by their nominees. Now that there are no nawabs, Saba’s role is both direct and hands-on,” said Hussain, the author of several books on Bhopal.

One of her duties, Hussain explained, demands Haj management, less than months away from now. Saba will be expected to grant accommodation to around 300 Haj pilgrims from Bhopal, free of cost, as part of her family’s legacy.

The Bhopal estate continues to have accommodation facilities in the holy cities of Mecca and Madina, which are provided free to those hailing from Bhopal. For those residing in these “rubats”, the net savings translate into Rs 30,000 per person.

The idea of owning accommodation facilities for Bhopalis in Mecca and Madina was a brainchild of Qusia Begum, the first woman ruler of Bhopal. In 1819, she travelled to perform Haj, carrying numerous bags full of silver and gold coins. The Saudis were so impressed by her generosity that they offered to grant nationality to a family belonging to Bhopal that was deputed to look after the accommodation facilities. The family of Saheh Syed Samad still benefits from it.

Hussain said Tiger Pataudi’s mother Sajida, who was the last official regent of Bhopal, did not run the Auqaf-e-Shahi directly and on a daily basis. “She was lucky to have committed men liker Colonel Mahmood and Major Afzal,” Hussain said.

After her death, Pataudi took direct charge and made frequent visits to the city. One of the well-known tributes of Tiger Pataudi in Bhopal is a huge mosque named after Sajida, overlooking the serene Bada Talab (big lake). The mosque has a separate enclosure for around 150 women.

In March 2008, Pataudi had brought Saba to Bhopal to familiarise her with the Auqaf-e-Shahi work. Before that, he had said in a letter that “Saba may be appointed as my deputy so that she acquaints herself with the functioning of waqf during my lifetime.”

Hussain said Pataudi’s choice of Saba was not without reason. “He (Pataudi) was conscious of the fact that his filmstar children Saif Ali Khan and Soha may not find acceptance among the conservative sections of the society. So he chose Saba, known for her religious bent of mind. Like most of his cricket decisions, his choice of Saba has been flawless,” Hussain said.