The royal family tree of Shaista Khan

Illustration: Maisha Syeda; Image: Wikimedia Commons

Nawab Shaista Khan has come down in history as arguably the most iconic and "popular" among all the subahdars who set foot in Bengal. He lives in our collective memory; if there is one subahdar everyone knows of, it is him.

Among all his accomplishments and stories -- the buildings that are attributed to his era, long years of service as a subahdar, the success of keeping rice prices low -- one curious footnote would be his royal lineage.

He was the son of Asaf Khan, who was the wazir or prime minister of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan; even his grandfather was a wazir during the tenure of Emperor Jahangir.

Asaf Khan also had a daughter, someone you have heard of and perhaps even visited her tomb -- Mumtaz Mahal, of Taj Mahal fame. This makes Shaista Khan the brother of Shah Jahan's empress!

Sources: Banglapedia; Glimpses of Old Dhaka by Syed Muhammed Taifoor