Photo of Nawab Sardanna and his English wife

Sardar Ikbal Ali Shah was the Nawab of Sardana. Which is a small principality in Merrut District of Uttar Pradesh. Educated in India, he came to Britain as a young man and under took an unsuccessful attempt to study medicine at Edinburgh Medical School. Here he met his future wife Saira Elizabeth Luiza Shah. They eloped while she was only sixteen; her family did not approve of the match, and her father never spoke to her again. Ali Shah's own father, asked to give his consent to the marriage, inquired by telegram "whether she was prepared to become a Muslim and more impotently, whether she would be able to defend a fortress, if required." She answered yes on both counts; satisfied, he gave his blessing. The young couple subsequently had three children, all of whom become Sufi writers and translators. They loved each other immensely and their marriage become one of the most successful and legendary of all love marriages.
In 1918, Ali Shah became only the second Asian to join the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, contributing articles on Islam to the Society's journal. Ikbal Ali Shah was also a member of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Asiatic Society. Traveling widely, Ikbal Ali Shah undertook assignments for the British Foreign Office and became a publicist for a number of Eastern statesmen, penning biographies of Kemal Ataturk, the Aga Khan and others. His other writing includes lighter works such as travel narratives and tales of adventure, as well as more serious works on Sufism, Islam and Asian politics. He hoped that Sufism might "form a bridge between the Western and the Eastern ways of thinking"; familiar with both cultures, much of his life and writing was devoted to furthering greater cross-cultural understanding.
Ikbal Ali Shah met Shri Nathji and His family at Wheler Club, Meerut, were Shri Nathji had stayed over on way to Mussoorie from Delhi. Ali Shah was immediately attracted to the beautiful personality of Shri Nathji. He introduced himself and wondered which state Shri Nathji belonged to, as he had assumed the Nathji must be a Maharaja. He was overjoyed when he discoved who Shri Nathji was. The divine words of Shri Nathji touched the Nawab and his English wife to the core and tears spang into their eyes as they listened to his words. This eventful meeting of Nawab and his wife with Shri Nathji is mentioned in the Mahagranth - God Incarnate on page 933 – 934 were we can read his story in detail.
At the time of their meeting with Nathji, Ali Shah was 66 years of age and his wife was of 56 years. They both had traveled greatly and were very wise and pious having great love for Sufism. Ali Shah had at that time authored over 50 books like Spirit of the East , Lights of Asia , and Islamic Sufism etc. His wife has also written two famous books - My Khyber Marriage and Valley of the Giant Buddhas. They both were like fully ripened fruits fit to offer themselves to be enjoyed by Lord of their garden. Once whenth Nawab inquired about Pran Nath and Priya Nath, Shri Nathji said that they both were going to study science in future. The Nawaz said that it would be nice if one of them studied science while the other remained with you to continue your work. Shri Nathji recalled the friendly advice of the Nawab and remember his love and affection for him , which was like that of an elderly man for a younger person. In latter years it turned out that Priya Nath ji had the privilege of continuing the works of Shree Nathji. It was apparent that Shri Nathji had come to Meerut only to bless the Nawab.
In later years after his meeting with Shri Nathji, Ikbal Ali Shah taught Sufi "classes" in England, which were the precursors to the Sufi school established by his son, Idries Shah. He was also appointed by Dr. Zakir Hussain as India's cultural representative in all of West Asia. Ali Shah was heartbroken when his wife died in 1960, aged 59; feeling unable to continue living in the places in which they had shared their lives, he moved from Britain to Tangier in Morocco, a place they had never visited together, and lived there in a small villa close to the seafront.When Ikbal Ali Shah's wife died in 1960, he moved from Britain to Morocco, spending the last decade of his life in Tangier. He died , aged 75 on 4 November 1969 in a road accident by a reversing Coca-Cola truck in Tangier in Morocco. He was buried in England next to his wife. On his gravestone, along with his name, there is only the appellation "Al Mutawakkil", which means "the one who resigns himself to the will of the Almighty."

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Priya Nath Mehta -  Siddharta you are amazing beyond description!

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