BIOGRAPHY

Mohammad Ismail Shaikh was born in early 1800. His original name was Isaac Reuben and he was from the Bene Israel people in India. By one account, he came from Damascus with two brothers. He traded in India with the East India Company.

Mohammad Ismail joined the British Indian Army and rose to the rank of Subedar Major, the highest rank a native Indian could achieve in those days. Mohammad Ismail lived in Bombay and traveled on assignment to Quetta Baluchistan with the Baloch Regiment. By another unconfirmed story he also was posted to Khairpur State in Sindh with the Queens Camel Corp.

He learnt about Islam and became a Muslim for the love of the religion. As a learned and respected Muslim he received the title of 'Shaikh'. This title eventually became the family name.

The motive for his move from Bombay to Delhi during the Indian war of independence (mutiny) in 1857 is not clear. He either went there to help the Mughal family or since he was a Subedar Major in the British Indian Army, he was sent there to suppress the 'Sepoy Mutiny'. In any case, he was appalled with the massacre by the British and tried to save as many people of the Mughal family as he could.

He is said to have helped the surviving mostly children and female members of the Mughal family and headed towards Sindh through Rajistan. He married Khursheed Begum, the Emperor's sisters' daughter. By one account, the girl's father was Hakim Ahsanullah Khan, personal physician to Bahadur Shah Zafar and his Prime Minister.

There are conflicting reports about movements of Mohammad Ismail and his family after he left Delhi. Since most of his children were born in Sindh, it is presumed that he settled in Hyderabad Sindh and brought up his family there.

Mohammad Ismail had four sons, Yakoob, Dawood, Yousaf and Ibrahim. They all held high ranking positions in Sindh. They were known as the four pillars of Sindh. Yakoob was the Prime Minister of Khairpur State and after he passed away, his younger brother Ibrahim became the Prime Minister. At that time Sindh extended from Multan to Bombay.