Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Shah Bahadur was born to Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah
. He succeeded his father to the throne as the 15th Mughal Emperor in 1748 at the age of 22. His mother was Udhambai
, (also known as Kudsiya Begum). When Ahmed Shah came to power the rule of the Mughal Empire
was collapsing. During the reign of his father the city of Delhi
(the Mughal capital) had been plundered and much of northern India had been ransacked by the invading army of Nadir Shah).
Ahmed Shah inherited a much weakened Mughal state and after ruling unsuccessfully for 6 years, he was deposed by the Vizier Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
in 1754 and later blinded along with his mother.
He spent the remaining years of his life in prison and died of natural causes in January 1775. His son Jahan Shah IV
temporarily rose to power in 1788 as puppet of Ghulam Qadir.
. Prince Ahmad was sent by the Mughal emperor to fight him with 75,000 men. At Sirhind both forces fought a decisive battle and Prince Ahmad was victorious. He was thereupon conferred with the title Bahadur
.
of Oudh as Mughal Chief Minister, gave Javed Khan
the title of Nawab Bahadur
, who became the most powerful man in the Mughal Empire, and proclaimed the son of Qamar-ud-Din, the former Mughal Chief Minister, Mueen-ul-Mulk as the governor of Punjab
. The Emperor now began to enjoy his life with women in his harem. It is said that he didn't used to see the faces of men for several months. Thus the empire was controlled by his mother and Nawab Bahadur, who were both lazy. Under these circumstances the Mughal Empire began to break up. Hyderabad and Oudh were independent. The Rohilla and Bangish clans soon declared independence in Rohil Khand and the Doab respectively. In 1750, Sindh and Gujarat broke away from the Mughal Empire and were conquered by the Marathas. Other provinces proved to be disloyal. In 1748 a rebel flared up in Punjab by the Zamindars, sponsored by the vice-govarnor of Multan. Mueen-ul-Mulk was busy quelling it when news reached him that Ahmad Shah Abdali was about to invade India.
In 1749, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India in order to avenge his defeat earlier on. Thus Mueen-ul-Mulk gathered his force and also sent messages to Delhi
for assistance. However, he soon found out that his foe's army was bigger and better than his. In addition, the Mughal Emperor had not given any support. Thus he offered peace to Ahmad Shah, who immediately accepted it. Under the terms of the treaty, Mueen-ul-Mulk gave the invader 5 million rupees and had some Durrani regiments escorted to Lahore
. He did this primarily in fear of an attack from the imperial forces, since he had made peace without Delhi's consent. His fears soon justified when the Mughal Emperor sent Shahnawaz Khan to replace Mueen-ul-Mulk's lieutenant of Multan
with the post of governor of Multan. At the time the vice governor of Multan was Koramal. Mueen-ul-Mulk ordered him to fight Shahnawaz to the last. In the ensuing battle Shahnawaz was killed and Delhi's Authority declined even further.
, Nawab
of Tinnevelly (and the southern most Muslim
ruler in South Asia
) and Muzaffar Jung
.
Sunehri Masjid, stand outside the southwestern corner of Delhi Gate of Red Fort, opposite the Netaji Subhash Park. It was built by Qudsiya Begum, the wife of Ahmad Shah, in 1751.
During the later reign of Ahmad Shah Bahadur, the nobles started fighting among themselves. The Emperor became tired of these quarrels and wanted to get rid of them. He took a few nobles into his confidence and declared war on the other ones. This resulted in many skirmishes which lasted for six months. General Ghaziudin, one of the nobles, aided by the Marathas, defeated Safdar Jung. At this the Emperor collected a large army and camped at Sikandarabad
. On the other hand, Ghaziudin ordered a powerful attack and destoyed Imperial force within a few hours at the Battle of Sikandarabad
. The Emperor left his wives behind and fled to Delhi. Ghaziudin also reached Delhi and arrested the Emperor and his mother. On 25 June 1754, he had Ahmad Shah's eyes brought out.
. He stayed there for the rest of his life and finally died in 1775 at the age of 50 during the reign of Emperor Shah Alam II. One of his sons, Bidar Bakhsh reigned briefly in 1788.
Muhammad Shah
Muhammad Shah also known as Roshan Akhtar, was a Mughal emperor of India between 1719 and 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar Jahan Shah, the fourth son of Bahadur Shah I. Ascending the throne at 17 with the help of the Sayyid Brothers, he later got rid of them with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk Chin...
. He succeeded his father to the throne as the 15th Mughal Emperor in 1748 at the age of 22. His mother was Udhambai
Udhambai
Udhambai was an Indian administrator. She served as de facto regent of India from 1748 to 1754. She was the mother of Ahmad Shah Bahadur....
, (also known as Kudsiya Begum). When Ahmed Shah came to power the rule of the Mughal Empire
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
was collapsing. During the reign of his father the city of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
(the Mughal capital) had been plundered and much of northern India had been ransacked by the invading army of Nadir Shah).
Ahmed Shah inherited a much weakened Mughal state and after ruling unsuccessfully for 6 years, he was deposed by the Vizier Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III was the son of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II . Born in 1736 His original name was Shahabuddin Muhammad Siddiqi but after the death of his father in 1752, he was, by the recommendation of Nawab Safdar Jung appointed Mir Bakhshi , and received the titles of Amir...
in 1754 and later blinded along with his mother.
He spent the remaining years of his life in prison and died of natural causes in January 1775. His son Jahan Shah IV
Jahan Shah IV
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad Kuchuk Jahan Shah IV Padshah Ghazi also called Bidar Bakht Mahmud Shah Bahadur, was Mughal Emperor of India for a brief period in 1788 as a puppet of Ghulam Qadir. He was the son of the former Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur...
temporarily rose to power in 1788 as puppet of Ghulam Qadir.
Origins and Early Life
Prince Ahmad was born in 1725 to the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah of a declining empire. As a prince he developed good manners and performed his religious duties well. At the same time he developed a weakness for women, though this was restricted under his father's supervision. His real test came when, in 1748 Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Prince Ahmad was sent by the Mughal emperor to fight him with 75,000 men. At Sirhind both forces fought a decisive battle and Prince Ahmad was victorious. He was thereupon conferred with the title Bahadur
Baghatur
Baghatur is a historical Turco-Mongol honorific title, in origin a term for "hero" or "valiant warrior".The term was first used by the steppe peoples to the north and west of China as early as the 7th century as evidenced in Sui dynasty records...
.
Succession and Reforms
The Mughal Chief Minister died at the battle of Sirhind. When this news was brought to the cheerful Mughal Emperor he became gravely sick and died soon afterwards. The prince, on hearing this, rushed to Delhi where he spent a week in sorrow. Afterwards, on 18 April 1748 he ascended the throne. On 29 April 1748 his coronation was held at Red Fort and he assumed the title Abu Nasir Mujahid-ud-Din Ahmad Shah Ghazi. He posted Safdar Jang, NawabNawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Oudh as Mughal Chief Minister, gave Javed Khan
Javed Khan
Javed Khan is an Indian actor who has acted in minor roles in more than 150 films.He is best known for his role in movie Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, Andaz Apna Apna as Anand Akela, and TV series Mirza Ghalib & Nukkad.-Films:...
the title of Nawab Bahadur
Nawab Bahadur
Javed Khan Nawab Bahadur was an Irani Daroga under the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. He was head of the Emperor's chief household ; under him were his wife Udhambai, Prince Ahmad, and Regent of the Mughal Emperor ....
, who became the most powerful man in the Mughal Empire, and proclaimed the son of Qamar-ud-Din, the former Mughal Chief Minister, Mueen-ul-Mulk as the governor of Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
. The Emperor now began to enjoy his life with women in his harem. It is said that he didn't used to see the faces of men for several months. Thus the empire was controlled by his mother and Nawab Bahadur, who were both lazy. Under these circumstances the Mughal Empire began to break up. Hyderabad and Oudh were independent. The Rohilla and Bangish clans soon declared independence in Rohil Khand and the Doab respectively. In 1750, Sindh and Gujarat broke away from the Mughal Empire and were conquered by the Marathas. Other provinces proved to be disloyal. In 1748 a rebel flared up in Punjab by the Zamindars, sponsored by the vice-govarnor of Multan. Mueen-ul-Mulk was busy quelling it when news reached him that Ahmad Shah Abdali was about to invade India.
First Durrani Invasion
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
for assistance. However, he soon found out that his foe's army was bigger and better than his. In addition, the Mughal Emperor had not given any support. Thus he offered peace to Ahmad Shah, who immediately accepted it. Under the terms of the treaty, Mueen-ul-Mulk gave the invader 5 million rupees and had some Durrani regiments escorted to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. He did this primarily in fear of an attack from the imperial forces, since he had made peace without Delhi's consent. His fears soon justified when the Mughal Emperor sent Shahnawaz Khan to replace Mueen-ul-Mulk's lieutenant of Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
with the post of governor of Multan. At the time the vice governor of Multan was Koramal. Mueen-ul-Mulk ordered him to fight Shahnawaz to the last. In the ensuing battle Shahnawaz was killed and Delhi's Authority declined even further.
Later Reign
The weak but influential Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur maintained correspondence from distant loyal vassals such as Chanda ShahibChanda Shahib
Chanda Shahib was the Nawab of the Carnatic between 1749 and 1752. His birth name is Husayn Dost Khan. He was the son-in-law of the Nawab of Carnatic Dost Ali Khan, under whom he worked as a Dewan. He came from the Nait community which had ruled the Carnatic under Aurangzeb...
, Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Tinnevelly (and the southern most Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
ruler in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
) and Muzaffar Jung
Muzaffar Jung
Mir Hidayat Muhi-ud-din Sa'adullah Khan was the ruler of Hyderabad briefly, from 1750 to his death in battle in 1751. He was born to Nawab Talib Muhi ud-din Mutawassil Khan Bahadur who was the Naib Subahdar of Bijapur and his wife Sahibzadi Khair-un-nisa Begum who was the daughter of Nizam-ul-Mulk...
.
Sunehri Masjid, stand outside the southwestern corner of Delhi Gate of Red Fort, opposite the Netaji Subhash Park. It was built by Qudsiya Begum, the wife of Ahmad Shah, in 1751.
During the later reign of Ahmad Shah Bahadur, the nobles started fighting among themselves. The Emperor became tired of these quarrels and wanted to get rid of them. He took a few nobles into his confidence and declared war on the other ones. This resulted in many skirmishes which lasted for six months. General Ghaziudin, one of the nobles, aided by the Marathas, defeated Safdar Jung. At this the Emperor collected a large army and camped at Sikandarabad
Sikandarabad
Sikandarabad is the located in Hunza-Nagar District of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan.-See also:* Former State of Hunza* Baltit Fort* Altit Fort* Northern Areas* Karakoram Highway* Karakoram Mountains* Nagar Valley* Burusho* Ganish Village...
. On the other hand, Ghaziudin ordered a powerful attack and destoyed Imperial force within a few hours at the Battle of Sikandarabad
Battle of Sikandarabad
The Battle of Sikandarabad was fought during May, 1754; between the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and his ruthless rebellious Turani, Mir Bakshi Ghazi ud-Din supported by the Maratha leader Malhar Rao Holkar...
. The Emperor left his wives behind and fled to Delhi. Ghaziudin also reached Delhi and arrested the Emperor and his mother. On 25 June 1754, he had Ahmad Shah's eyes brought out.
Death
After his deposition, Ahmad Shah Bahadur was imprisoned at the Salimgarh FortSalimgarh Fort
Salimgarh Fort was built in 1546 AD, in Delhi, in a former island of the Yamuna River, by Salim Shah Suri, son of Sher Shah Suri. There was a pause in Mughal rule when in 1540 AD Sher Shah Suri defeated the Mughal Emperor Humayun and established the Sur dynasty rule in Delhi...
. He stayed there for the rest of his life and finally died in 1775 at the age of 50 during the reign of Emperor Shah Alam II. One of his sons, Bidar Bakhsh reigned briefly in 1788.