Naib Nazim of Dhaka

Naib Nazim of Dhaka
The surviving gateway of Nimtali Kuthi, the last residence of the Naib Nazims of Dhaka
Appointer	Nawab of Bengal (1717-1779) British East India Company (1779-1843)
Formation	1717
First holder	Khan Muhammad Ali Khan
Final holder	Ghaziuddin Haidar
Abolished	1843

The Naib Nazim of Dhaka, officially the Naib Nazim of Jahangir Nagar, was the chief political officer in the city of Dhaka, the present-day capital of Bangladesh, between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries. It was the second highest office in the political hierarchy of Subah of Bengal, including a nominal position during the East India Company's occupation of Bengal.

The Naib Nazim was the deputy of the Nawab of Bengal, who was based in Murshidabad. The Naib Nazim was responsible for governing territories in eastern Bengal, including for revenue collection, army and navy affairs; and administering justice. In the later period of British rule, the Naib Nazims were heavily influenced by English culture, spoke fluent English and collected Western art. The 19th century office holder Nusrat Jung was described as an anglophile.

Dhaka's status as a leading financial and commercial center of Mughal India lent significant influence to the office of the Naib Nazim. The Naib Nazims initially resided in Islam Khan's Fort and the Bara Katra. The Nimtali Kuthi was their last official residence.^[1]

The government and era of the Naib Nazims is known as the niabat.^[2] Prior to the niabat, Dhaka was the viceregal capital of Subahdar of Bengal. The Naib Nazims can be compared with the position of Lieutenant Governor in rank and equivalence. The abolishing of the Naib Nazim's office coincided with Dhaka's decline as the leading city of Bengal. The next time Dhaka's political prominence was revived was during the short lived British province of Eastern Bengal and Assam.