Mian Altaf Hussain Khan was born in Batala in 1874; he is the direct descendent of Rai Ram Dev, a famous Rajput Prince from Kapurthala who founded the town of Batala in 1472. Altaf Hussain Khan is the son of Khan Bahadur Hussain Bakhsh (1838 - 1878) of Batala (Achli Darwaza or Gate). Altaf's father, Hussain Bakhsh, died at age 40, when Altaf was only 4 years of age. He was raised by his elder sisters Izat Bibi and another sister (Izat Bibi was married to Mian Shamasdin Khan and the other sister was Bhai Aslam Khan's mother). Both sisters and their husbands moved to Batala to raise young Altaf.
After schooling in Batala, Altaf was educated at Punjab University in Lahore. He started his career as a Subdivisional Officer (SDO) in Amritsar District, and then became Assistant Commissioner of Lahore in 1900. Later, in 1914 he was summoned as the SDO at Khanewal. Both the SDO and the Assistant Commissioner positions were the highest ranking civil positions for the native officers during this period of development and colonization of the Punjab. Much of Punjab was being developed with railroads, canals (rajwahas, small outlets), paved roads, government buildings, and irrigation projects. During his tenure in Khanewal, Altaf was elected as the chairman of the British Coton Growing Association headquatered there.
During the Coronation Darbar of 1911, Altaf as the Assistant Commissioner of Lahore, organized the Lahore celebrations. During these celebrations he met Colonel Ali Altaf Khan (1842-1930) of Kapurthala State. Ali Altaf Khan was very impressed by Altaf and later asked if he could marry his granddaughter, Mehndi Begum (1899-1971). Mehndi Begum was the daughter of Azmat Ali Khan (1870-1910) and Fazal Begum, and sister of Mian Mohammed Hayat Khan (1890-1975) of Kapurthala (and later Lyallpur). The marriage was held in 1914, when Mehndi Begum was only 15 years of age.
In 1915, when Altaf was stationed in Khanewal, his first son Namdar Khan was born. Altaf finished his career as SDO Khanewal in the South Punjab. The SDO position directly reported to the Deputy Commissioner of the Punjab (a position normally held by a British civil servant). The development work included building roads, canals, railroads, and irrigation projects. He was awarded Khan Sahib (in 1926) and Khan Bahadur (1929) as personal distinctions (titles) by Lord Irwin, Viceroy.
After his retirement he was elected as the President of the Municipality (mayor) of the town of Batala in 1929. His other children from Mehndi Begum include: General Aftab Ahmad Khan, Air Marshal Iftakhar Ahmad Khan, Ismat Akhtar, and Najma Chaudhry. Another son, Shahbaz (1919-1927) died at an early age.
Family of Altaf Hussain Khan:
A daughter from Altaf's first marriage was Sardaran, mother of Akhtar, Afzal (1915-1998), and Noor Fatima (d.1996). An older brother of Afzal's died of Tuberculosis at an early age of 18. Afzal also had a sister that died of an accident being suffocated under a pillow in Batala; and another brother who died on his way to Pakistan during partition. Afzal was Namdar's age-group (Namdar being 6 months older) and later lived in London. Akhtar was younger and slightly handicapped, and live in Lyallpur(?) until his death in the 1980's.
Mian Shamasdin (1840-1930) was Altaf Hussain Khan's mamoon's son (cousin), but much older. He had fought in the first Afgan war of 1860s, and was married to Altaf Hussain Khan's elder sister Izat Bibi (1858-1920), and his village was Sherpoor. Altaf was only 4 years old when his father died, and Mian Shamasdin and Izat Bibi left Sherpoor and shifted to Batala. Mian Shamasdin was a Tehsil-Dar and was stationed in various places, including Queeta, Peshawar. While on his duties in the Northwest frontier, he married a pathan lady, named Ama Gul. With Ama Gul, Mian Shamasdin had two daughters, Niaz Sultan and Niazi. It was much later that Mian Shamasdin married Izat Bibi, and had daughters Bibi Wazir Begum and Bibi Seed and son Bhai Muzaffar Ali Khan. Both wives, Ama Gul and Izat Bibi, lived in Batala. Mian Shamasdin's younger brother was Mian Ghulam Farid, who had four sons (including Nawaz) and two daughters.
Bhai Muzaffar Ali Khan served in the Bengal Police. He became DIG and IG police in the Bengal (posted in Chittagong). He later settled in Bahawalpur before his retirement in Pakistan. Bibi Wazir was married to Bhai Aslam Khan (son of the second sister of Altaf Hussain Khan). Their village was Malikpur. Even though Bhai Aslam Khan was the nephew of Altaf Hussain Khan, they were of the same age and were class-fellows. They also transferred together to Khanewal, Pakpatan, Lahore, and Batala. Habib is the son of Bhai Aslam Khan and Bibi Wazir. Bibi Seed had an exceptional knowledge of the history of Altaf's family in Batala.
Altaf Hussain Khan was brought up with Khurshid Bibi and Bibi Alah Rakhi (probably cousins). Bibi Alah Rakhi was married to Bhai Muzaffar Ali Khan. Their children were Safdar (also known as Willie) and Riffat. |
