Mehrunnisa Begum, daughter of the last ruler of Rampur State, who was married to Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal, passes away

Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa Begum, daughter of Nawab Raza Ali Khan, the last ruler of the Rampur State, passed away at the age of 92 in Washington, DC. The royal family mourned her death.

She was the daughter of the Nawab’s third wife: Kashif Khan, PA to former minister Nawab Kazim Ali Khan alias Naved Mian and co-convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Rohilkhand Chapter, said that Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa Begum was born in Rampur on January 24, 1933. Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa was the daughter of Talat Zamani Begum, the third wife of Nawab Raza Ali Khan, who breathed her last on October 28, 2025. She was laid to rest in Washington, DC, on October 29, amid a solemn ceremony.

She moved to America in 1977: Kashif Khan said that Mehrunnisa Begum was educated in Mussoorie and Lucknow. Her first marriage was to Syed Taqi Naqi, a member of the Indian Civil Service. Her second marriage was to Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan, who was also Pakistan’s ambassador to Spain. In 1977, she moved to America, where she taught Urdu and Hindi at the International Center for Language Studies. Nawabzadi Sahiba has a son, Zain Naqi, and two daughters, Zeba Hussain and Maryam Khan. Another son, Abid Khan, is deceased. Zain Naqi lives in America and cared for his mother until her last breath.

Nawab Raza Ali Khan had nine children: Kashif Khan stated that Nawab Raza Ali Khan had three sons: Nawabzada Murtaza Ali Khan, Nawabzada Zulfiqar Ali Khan alias Mikki Mian, and Nawabzada Abid Ali Khan alias Salim Mian. All three are no longer alive. Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa Begum was the second of the last ruler’s six daughters. Before her, Nawabzadi Khurshid Laka Begum and Nawabzadi Kamallaka Begum had passed away. Nawabzadi Birjis Laka Begum and Nawabzadi Naheed Laka Begum live in Delhi, while Nawabzadi Akhtar Laka Begum lives in Lucknow.

Royal family mourns: The passing of Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa Begum has deeply saddened the members of the Rampur royal family. The last ruler’s grandson, former minister Nawab Kazim Ali Khan, alias Naved Mian, described her death as a great loss to the entire family. The last ruler’s daughter-in-law, former MP Begum Noorbano, also expressed grief over the passing of Nawabzadi Mehrunnisa Begum.