Iskander Mirza
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Iskander Mirza
سکندر مرزا |
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| In office 23 March 1956 – 27 October 1958 |
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| Prime Minister | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Feroz Khan Noon Ayub Khan |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Ayub Khan |
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| In office 6 October 1955 – 23 March 1956 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Chaudhry Muhammad Ali |
| Preceded by | Ghulam Muhammad |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
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| Born | 13 November 1899 Murshidabad, British India |
| Died | 12 November 1969 (aged 69) London, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Republican Party |
| Religion | Shi'a Islam |
Major-General Sahibzada Sayyid Iskander Ali Mirza, CIE, OBE (Urdu: اسکندر مرزا) (November 13, 1899 – November 12, 1969) was the last Governor-General of the Dominion of Pakistan (6 October 1955 to 23 March 1956) and the first President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (23 March 1956 to 27 October 1958).
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Sayyid Iskander Ali Mirza was born at Murshidabad on 13 November 1899, the eldest son of Sahibzada Sayyid Muhammad Fateh Ali Mirza (1875-1948) and his first wife, Dilshad Begum (1879-1925). Muhammad Fateh Ali Mirza was a prince of the ruling house of Murshidabad and grandson of Nawab Mansur Ali Khan, the last Nawab of Bengal. Iskander Mirza was therefore a descendant of Mir Jafar. He was a Shi'a Muslim, as his emblem below displays the sign of the Zulfiqar, the sword of Ali (son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad). He grew up in Bombay. After completing his early education at Elphinstone College, of the then University of Bombay, he was later 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.
He was attached to the 2nd Btn., Cameronians 16 July 1920, and served in the Khodad Khel Operations 1921 and at Waziristan 1924. He transferred to the 17th Poona Hse(Queen Victoria's Own) later that year, and joined the Indian Political Service in 1926. He was Assistant Commissioner at Abbottabad 1926-1928, Bannu 1928-1930, Nowshera 1930-1933, and Tonk 1933, a Deputy Commissioner at Hazara 1933-1936 & at Mardan 1936-1938. He was a Political Agent Khyber 1938-1940, Dep. Cmsnr. Peshawar & Political Agent to the Mohmands 1940, Political Agent Orissa States 1945-1946, Joint Defence Sec. India 1946-1947 and Defence Secretary. 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. In this position, he was responsible for dividing the British Indian Army into the future armies of Pakistan and India.
Upon the formation of Pakistan, Mirza was made the Defence Secretary of the new nation, this appointment owed to Mirza's ranking as the highest Muslim civil servant in India at the time. In 1954, he was made governor of East Pakistan to bring order to a politically distressed region. This position was followed by his being appointed Minister of Interior and Frontier Regions in Prime Minister Muhammad Ali Bogra's cabinet. In 1955, he became acting Governor-General, before becoming the last Governor-General of Pakistan. Iskander Mirza was also a great advocate of the One Unit scheme and believed in the separation of state and religion. When Mirza succeeded the ailing Ghulam Mohammad as Governor-General, he was married to his second wife, Mrs Nahid Mirza, an Iranian lady who was previously the wife of the Military Attaché of Iran in 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.
By 1958, realising that the 1956 Constitution was contributing to political instability, Mirza declared martial law on 7 October with the view to introducing a new constitution "more suited to the genius of the Pakistani people" in November. However, it is disputed that even though, he became the first President of Pakistan under the new constitution, he was not very fond of it. He is quoted in the book, Shahabnama [1], holding the constitution in his hand, and referring it as a "trashy book." Mirza's efforts and energies, as Shahab relates, were geared to one principal purpose, his continuation in office. Mirza was apprehensive that general elections could lead to a change in the Office of President and so elections had to be deferred under some pretext or other, which led to his declaration of Martial Law on 7 October 1958. He appointed the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, Ayub Khan, as the martial law administrator. Once the deed was done, he realized that he had forfeited his own political legitimacy. Less than three weeks into martial law he was ushered out of the Presidential Palace, first to Quetta and then to exile in London. He thus precipitated his departure from the Office of President rather than prolong his tenure. Ayub Khan declared himself President on 27 October after a bloodless coup d'état.
- 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
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 Naheed Begum (1914-), the couple had no children.
Mirza lived in exile in London till his death in 1969. He died of a heart-attack in London about 5:30 pm just a day before his 70th birthday on 12 November 1969. 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 befitting a Head of State.
 Iskander Mirza with British Officers. |
 The Head of British Naval Commands in the centre. Major-General Iskander Mirza on the left and one his officers and the right. |
 Major Syed Iskander Mirza First Indian Officer in Politics. Capt Syed Iskander Ali Mirza Cavalry Officer Poona horse. Major Iskander Mirza, First Indian Political Agent Khyber 1936-41 . Major Iskander Mirza with Sons. (From Left To Right .. Bottom: Left To right) |
 Copy Right Dawn News Paper |
 Major-General Iskander Mirza |
 Major-General Iskander Mirza's Family Crest |
 Major-General Iskander Mirza in army uniform.(1956). |
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (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.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman |
Governor of East Bengal 1954 – 1955 |
Succeeded by Muhammad Shahabuddin Acting |
| Preceded by Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani |
Interior Minister of Pakistan 1954 – 1955 |
Succeeded by Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq |
| Preceded by Ghulam Mohammad |
Governor-General of Pakistan 1955 – 1956 |
Succeeded by Office abolished |
| Preceded by Office created |
President of Pakistan 1956 – 1958 |
Succeeded by Ayub Khan |
- Shahab, Qudrat-Ullah (2005 (21st Edition)). Shahabnama. Karachi: Sang-e-Meel. ISBN 969-35-0025-3.
- Mirza, Humayun (2002). From Plassey to Pakistan. Washington, D.C.: University Press of America. ISBN 978-0761815099.
- [1]Iskander Mirza's family tree.
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