Kashmiri Khwaja

Khawaja or Koshur khwaja is an honorific title used as surname by vast majority of Kashmiri Muslims.^[1] The word comes from the Iranian word khwāja (New Persian khāje خواجه) and translates as "master", "lord".^[2]

Some of the Kashmiri converts to Islam by Sufi saints also adopted the title Khawaja. Khawajas were considered rich and were mostly traders.^[3]

Notable people

• Khwaja Hafizullah,Land Lord of Dhaka
• Khwaja Alimullah,Founder of Dhaka Nawab Family
• Khwaja Abdul Ghani,First Nawab of Dhaka
• Nawab of Dhaka
• Khawaja Nazimuddin,Second Governor General and Prime Minister of Pakistan
• Khwaja Ahsanullah,Nawab of Dhaka
• Khwaja Salimullah,Nawab of Dhaka and founder of Muslim League in 1906
• Khwaja Muhammad Azam Didamari
• Hina Khawaja Bayat
• Khawaja Shahabuddin,ex Governor of NWFP now KPK
• Khwaja Habibullah,last Nawab of Dhaka
• Khawaja Muhammad Asif
• Usman Khawaja
• Khawaja Saad Rafique
• Khawaja abdul rasheed
• Khawaja Mansoor Ahmed
• Khawaja Muhammad Sabeeh
• Khawaja Muhammad Uns
• Khwaja Sabir,Viceroy of Deccan during Mughal rule in India

References

1. Shyam Lal Pardesi (1989). Amudarya to Vitasta: A Bird's Eye-view of Relations Between Central-Asia and Kashmir. Sangarmaal Publications. p. 15. It is most pertinent to mention here that the word Khwaja is used as mark of respect before the name of a Kashmiri Muslim shopkeeper or wholesale dealer.and dalals
2. Potter, Lawrence G., ed. (2014). The Persian Gulf in Modern Times. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US. doi:10.1057/9781137485779. ISBN 978-1-349-50380-3.
3. Epilogue, Vol 4, Issue 5. Epilogue -Jammu Kashmir. pp. 23–. GGKEY:JAACF25BJCD.