Born on 19 April 1897 to a Punjabi Minhas Rajput family, Khan enlisted in the Indian Army & the 12th Cavalry 1 May 1914.

[7] On 11 May 1934 he transferred to the 1st battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment, who he served with on the Mohamand campaign on the North West Frontier in 1935.

Whilst serving with them he later became attached to the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, to which he transferred on 5 February 1936.

[12] On the creation of Pakistan he was appointed to command Sind Area, later renamed (1 January 1948) 8th Division on 15 August 1947 until 6 December 1950.

[13] He wrote over 40 books under the name ‘’Rangroot’’, which means private soldier or enlisted man to denote his rise from a modest background, on subjects related to Islam and military strategy, including: