Page:The Oriental Biographical Dictionary.djvu/214

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Nafis 202 Najib Nafis bin-'Iwaz, ijy^ kJ^, author of the AraMc work, called " Hall-i-Mujiz ul-lianun." ' He was a contem- porary of Mirza Ulagh Beg. Naftuya, or Niftuya, was called so, because an offensive smeU Hke naphtha issued from his body. He was an author, and died in 912 A. D., 300 A. H. His proper name is Abu 'Abdullah Ibrahim. Naila, the mother of Firoz Shah and the daughter of Eaja Mai Bhattf. Naishapuri, c5"J->"^^*^j oi" Naisaburf, an Arabian author, who took his poetical name from Naishapur his birth- place ; he is called by European writers Nisaburiensis. He has collected in a little book the grave and witty sayings of Muhammad and his successors, and some of the kings of Persia. Naiyar and Rakhshan, j-'^ h i^ji, are the poetical titles of Nawab Ziya-uddin Ahmad Khan, the son of Is awab Ahmad Bakhsh Khan of Firozpur and Labor, Najabat Khan KhanKhanan, Nawab, v'y ^ybls-li. ^ii^ a nobleman of the reign of the emperor 'Alamgfr, by whom he was much respected. His proper name was Mirza Shujaa, he was the son of Mirza Shahrukh, and the grandson of Mirza Sulaiman of Badakh- shan. He was born on the 25th November, 1603 A. D., and died on the 13th December, 1664 A. D., 4th Jumada I, 1075 A. H. at Ujjain. He held the rank of 5000 at the time of his death. Najabat, Mir, ^'"j author of a poem called " Gulkushti," on the art of wrestling, a Sharah of which has been written by Sii-aj-uddin 'All Khan 'Arzu ; and another by Munshi Katan Singh of Lakhnau. Vide Najat (Mil-). Najaf Khan, C^'^ styled Amir ul-IJmra Zulfikar- uddaula, was born in Persia of a family said to be related to the Safwi sovereigns of that empire, and in his infancy was, with many of his relations, a prisoner to the usurper Nadir Shah, who kept all the personages, any way aUied to the throne, in confinement for his own security. At the request of Mirza Muhsin Khan, the brother of Nawab Safdar Jang, who was sent on an embassy to Nadir Shah by Muhammad Shah the emperor, after his invasion of Hindustan, Najaf Khan and a sister much older than himself were released. This lady married her deHverer, and Najaf Khan accompanied her and her husband to Dehli. He was treated with parental affection by Mirza Muhsin, and at his death attached himself to Muhammad KuH Khan his son, the governor of Allahabad, who was shortly after seized and put to death by his first cousin Nawab Shuja-uddaula the son of Safdar Jang. Najaf Khan upon this event, retired with a few followers into Bengal, and offered his services to the Nawab Mir Kasim 'All Khan, then at war with the English, who gave him great encouragement. When Kasim 'Ali took refuge with Shuja-uddaula, Najaf Khan not choosing to trust himself in the power of the latter, repaired to Bundel- khand, and served Gumau Singh, one of the chiefs of that country. "Upon the flight of Shuja-uddaula, after the battle of Buxar, he ofi'ered his services to the Enghsh, representing himself as the rightful lord of the province of Allahabad, was received with respectful welcome, and even put in possession of a part of it ; but when peace was concluded with the Nawilb Wazir, the Enghsh dis- covering the falsehood of his claim, set it aside, and rewarded his attachment with a pension of two lakhs of rupees and strong recommendations to the emperor Shah 'Alam. The recompense was greater than his services to the English, as he had kept up a correspondence with Shuja-uddaula, whom he would have joined, had he been successful in the battle of Koia. From Allahabad he accompanied the emperor Shah 'Alam to Dehli in 1771 A. D., and having reduced the city of Agrah from the Jats, he was appointed Am'ir-ul-'Umra with the title of Zulfikar-uddaula. The Eajas of Jaipur and several other Hindu princes were his tributaries. He died on the 22nd of April, 1782 A. D., 1169 A. H., in the 49th year of his age. Najashi, ls^^^j '»i(le 'Abu'l Husain Ahmad. Najat, Mir, ^_gs>^'^ j^.^, of Isfahan, whose proper name was Mir 'Abdul Al, is the author of a Diwan. He was a cotemporary of Tahir Wahid who wrote a Preface to that work. He is also, it seems, the author of another poem on the art of wrestling called "Gulkushti." Some of the authors call him Mir Najabat. Vide Najabat (Mir). Naji, CS. 5 poetical name of Muhammad -ShakLr, who lived in the reign of the emperor Muhammad Shah, and was cotemporary with the poets Wall, Hatim, Mazmun, and 'Abru. Najib Khan, Vi?-'*, vide Najib-uddaula. Najib-uddin Far si, cs*"j'* a poet of Persia who died about the year 1231 A. D., 628 A. H., and left a Diwan. Najib-uddaida, ^•'j'^'l Vi^, the title of Najib Khan, a Kohela chief, and nephew of Basharat Khan. He came into Kohclkhand during the administration of 'All Muhammad Khan. He was at first appointed to the charge of a very small party, not consisting of more than twelve horse and foot. jBut his courage and activitj soon brought him to the notice of his patron, who entrusted him with a respectable military command, and , procured for him in marriage the daughter of Dunde Khan the Eohela chief. He subsequently espoused the imperial cause, and was honourably received at Dehli by the wazir Ghazi-uddin Khan, and being soon after promoted to the command of the army, he attacked Safdar Jang, who had avowedly announced his hostile disposi- tion to the court, and compelled him to cross the Ganges 1753 A. D., 1167 A. H. On the successful conclusion of this campaign, in which he was wounded, he received from the emperor Ahmad Shah the title of Najib-uddaula. He was created Amir-ul-'Umra to the emperor 'Alamgir II, by Ahmad Shah Abdalf on the return to Kandahar in 1757 A. D., 1170 A. H., but was soon after that conquer- or's departure, deprived of his office by the wazir Ghazi- uddin Khan, who conferred it on Ahmad Shah Bangash the Nawab of Farrukhabad as a return for his services. Najib-uddaula was present in the famous battle fought by Ahmad Shah Abdali with the Marhattas in January, 1761 A, D., and on his departure to Kandahar, was again restored to his former situation of Amfr-ul-'Umra, and was entrusted with the care of the city of Dehli and protection of the royal family. He governed Dehli and the few districts yet in possession of the royal family with moderation and justice till his death which took place in October, 1770 A. D., Eajab, 1184 A. H., when he was succeeded in his dominions by his son Zabita Khan who continued to protect the royal family ; the emperor Shah 'Alam residing at Allahabad with the Enghsh. Najib-uddaula was buried at Najibabad a city founded by him.