Sultan Muhammad Khan

Mir Munshi Aala Sultan Muhammad Khan Khan Bahadur
سلطان محمد خان
Born	c. 1860
Died	1931

Sultan Muhammad Khan had a unique association with imperial Afghanistan while being a British Indian subject, as an advisor to King Abdur Rahman Khan, record-keeper and translator to/from English and later, ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Kingdom.

He was the father of author, poet, educator and revolutionary Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

Biography

Studying part-time, he finished middle school in 1873 placing top in the examinations and earned a high school scholarship of two rupees a month from the Education Department of the Government of Punjab.[1]

In 1897, Sultan Muhammad fled Afghanistan and after a brief imprisonment and stay in British India, left for England. After studying law at Cambridge, he was called to the Bar.

In 1898, Sultan Muhammad Khan was named the ambassador of Afghanistan in London. He served in the post until 1905.[2]

Sultan Muhammad returned from British India and settled in Sialkot in 1908.[3]

Marriage and children

Sultan Muhammad married four times in Afghanistan and his living wives and children eventually joined him in Sialkot.

He married for a fifth time on his return from England and had children:

• Tufail Ahmed, judge
• Faiz Ahmad Faiz, teacher and eminent poet
• Inayat, Major in British Indian Army
• Bashir, disabled from birth

Death

Sultan Muhammad Khan died in 1931 in Sialkot.

Published works

• "The Constitution and Laws of Afghanistan", comprising 164 pages, published in London, in 1900 by Jon Marry Printing press
• "The Life of Amir Abdur Rahman vol: I & II", printed in 1900, by John Murray, Albemarle Street London, reprinted, in 1980, by Oxford University Press, Karachi

References

1. Vector, K., (Tr.and Ed). Poems by Faiz. Oxford University press, Karachi 1973, p 53
2. Saeed, A., Islamia College Lahore ki Sad Saala Tareekh 1892-1992. Azhar Sons Printers, Lahore 1992, p 39.
3. Jamil, M., Zakir Faiz. (Urdu). Sindh Cultural Board, Government of Sindh, Karachi 2014, p11.