Kilich Khan

Khawaja Abid Khan Siddiqi (b. 17th Century1687 d.), or Nawab Khawaja Abid Siddiqi, better known as Kilich Khan, was a Nawab and military general under Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He was a loyal general of the Mughal Empire. He was the father of the Mughal general Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I and the grandfather of Mir Qamar-ud-din Siddiqi, Asaf Jah I. Birth Kilich Khan was born in Adilabad near the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand. His father was Khawaja Ismail Khan Siddiqi, son of Shaikh Allahdad Khan Siddiqi, son of Shaikh Abdul Rehman Azizzan Khan Siddiqi,the 14th in direct descent from Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardi of Sohrevard in Iran. Al-Suhrawardi was a celebrated Persian Sufi mystic, a renowned scholar known for his piety and knowledge of the law and was even honoured with the title Allum-ul-Ulema (wisest of the wise). Through al-Suhrawardi, Kilich Khan could trace his ancestry back to Abu Bakr, the first Caliph. Early life Kilich Khan broke his family tradition and became a warrior rather than a scholar although he was well-versed in Islamic theology and Persian language. Kilich Khan is known to have utilised the composite bow and arrow, he kept the Quran attached to his quiver and rode along with a Crescent standard and a yellow flag. Historian Henry Briggs wrote,