Sir Mirza Muhammad Ismail Amin-ul-Mulq (24 October 1883 – 5 January 1959) was an Indian statesman and police officer who served as the Diwan of Mysore, Jaipur, and Hyderabad.

His longtime friend Sir C. V. Raman remarked, "His accessibility and personal charm coupled with his depth of knowledge and his keen sense of human and cultural values made him a great and highly successful administrator".

[2][1] Mirza Ismail was born on 24 October 1883 in Bangalore to Aga Jan Mohammed Khazim Shirazie, the longest serving assistant district commissioner (ADC) in the Kingdom of Mysore, and was of Persian descent.

Both fine equestrians were studious, with big dreams for the kingdom–even before they would become classmates at the royal private palace school under Sir Stuart Fraser.

[3][4] He was a superlative administrator and set an inspiring example to the officials by undertaking extensive tours and personally heeding to the grievances of the people.

Over his fourteen years of service, the Kingdom of Mysore made substantial progress in the field of industries, both in the private and public sectors.

He had to do a great deal of tight-rope walking in the face of popular agitations conducted by the Indian National Congress.

It was this very fear which came to the fore over Sultanpet Ganapathi Disturbances in Bangalore in 1928, an upheaval that created the long-desired opportunity for Congress, finally gaining grounds in the illusive state of Mysore.

These efforts considerably enhanced Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II's reputation and his durbar in the Indian National Congress' circles.

[1][2] He chaired International PEN's Indian Writers Council held at Jaipur in 1945, whose participants included Sarojini Naidu and Edward Morgan Forster.

Even after resigning as prime minister, he remained an adviser to the kingdom and its affairs pertaining to public infrastructure development projects.

[1] Ismail penned his memoirs under the title My Public Life published in 1954 before his death on 5 January 1959 at his house Windsor Lodge, Bangalore.

He became a key advisor for the layout and administrative systems of the Ministry of External Affairs, which earned him a Padma Shri.

C. V. Raman paid eloquent tributes to Ismail: "For many years, in fair weather as well as in foul, he remained the truest of friend to me, ever ready to give support and advice.