Azam Shah
Encyclopedia
Mirza Muhammad Azam Shah was Emperor
of the Mughal Empire
and a son of Emperor
Aurangzeb
and Dilrus Bano Begum. He was a brother of Zeb-un-Nissa
, Bahadur Shah I
, and Sultan Muhammad Akbar
. Like his brothers, Azam Shah married a daughter of Sultan
Dara Shikoh
.
He served as the Governor
(Subahdar
) of Berar Subah
, Malwa, Bengal
and Gujarat. He was granted the title of Shahi Ali Jah on 12th August 1681. Out of line with primogeniture
succession, he deceptively ascended to the Mughal
throne at Ahmednagar upon the death of his father on 14th March 1707. Azam Shah and his two sons, Sultan
Muhammad Bidar Bakht Mirza and Shahzada Wala Jah Bahadur, were later defeated and executed by Azam Shah's elder brother, Prince Shah Alam (later crowned Bahadur Shah I
), at Jajuwan on 19th June 1707.
dispatched his son Muhammad Azam Shah with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort
and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah
the ruler of Bijapur
who refused to be a vassal. The Mughals led by Muhammad Azam Shah could not make any advancements upon Bijapur Fort
mainly due to the superior usage of cannon batteries on both sides. Outraged by the stalemate Aurangzeb himself arrived on September 4, 1686 and commanded the Siege of Bijapur
after eight days of fighting the Mughals were victorious.
(Subahdar
) of Berar Subah
, Malwa and Bengal
from 1678-1701 upon the death of his predecessor, Azam Khan Koka. He successfully captured the Kamarupa region in February 1679. He founded the incomplete Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka
. During his administration, Mir Maula was appointed Diwan
and Muluk Chand as Huzur-Navis for revenue collection. Prince Azam was recalled by Aurangzeb
and left Dhaka
on 6 October 1679. Berar Subah
and Malwa were annexed into the Maratha Empire
; Bengal
went under administration of the Nawabs of Murshidabad.
He later became the Governor
(Subahdar
) of Gujarat from 1701-1706.
on 3 March 1707, Azam Shah proclaimed himself Emperor
and seized the throne. In the political struggles following the disputed succession, he was defeated and killed on 19 June 1707 at the battle of Jajuwanby by his elder brother, Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam
, who succeeded their father to the Mughal
throne.
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
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...
and a son of Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
and Dilrus Bano Begum. He was a brother of Zeb-un-Nissa
Zeb-un-Nissa
Zēb-un-Nisā Makhfī was the eldest daughter of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir...
, Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah was a Mughal Emperor, who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. His original name was Qutb ud-Din Muhammad Mu'azzam later titled as Shah Alam by his father. He took the throne name Bahadur Shah in 1707. His name Bahādur means "brave" & "hero" in Turko-Mongol languages...
, and Sultan Muhammad Akbar
Sultan Muhammad Akbar
Muhammad Akbar was the fourth son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. He led a rebellion against his father and fled the Deccan after the failure of that venture. He later went into exile to Persia, where he died...
. Like his brothers, Azam Shah married a daughter of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Dara Shikoh
Dara Shikoh
His Highness, The Imperial Prince Dara Shikoh was the eldest son and the heir apparent of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. His name دارا شكوه in Persian means "Darius the Magnificent"...
.
He served as the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
(Subahdar
Subahdar
Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
) of Berar Subah
Berar Subah
-Origin of name:According to the Ain-i-Akbari, the original name of Berar was Waradatat .-History:Before the Mughal occupation, Berar was part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmadnagar. It was ceded to the emperor Akbar by Chand Bibi in 1596, unable to stand against the imperial forces led by...
, Malwa, Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and Gujarat. He was granted the title of Shahi Ali Jah on 12th August 1681. Out of line with primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
succession, he deceptively ascended to the Mughal
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...
throne at Ahmednagar upon the death of his father on 14th March 1707. Azam Shah and his two sons, Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Muhammad Bidar Bakht Mirza and Shahzada Wala Jah Bahadur, were later defeated and executed by Azam Shah's elder brother, Prince Shah Alam (later crowned Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah was a Mughal Emperor, who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. His original name was Qutb ud-Din Muhammad Mu'azzam later titled as Shah Alam by his father. He took the throne name Bahadur Shah in 1707. His name Bahādur means "brave" & "hero" in Turko-Mongol languages...
), at Jajuwan on 19th June 1707.
Siege of Bijapur
In the year 1685 the Mughal Emperor AurangzebAurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
dispatched his son Muhammad Azam Shah with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort
Bijapur Fort
The Bijapur Fort is located in the Bijapur city in Bijapur District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bijapur fort has a plethora of historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty....
and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah
Sikandar Adil Shah
Sikandar Adil Shah was placed on the throne of Bijapur in 1672 at four years of age. Therefore, his reign is one of regents and ministers and was marked by chronic civil war among factious nobles, independence of provincial governors, paralysis of the central administration, Mughal invasions,...
the ruler of Bijapur
Bijapur, Karnataka
Bijapur Urdu:بیجاپور city is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty...
who refused to be a vassal. The Mughals led by Muhammad Azam Shah could not make any advancements upon Bijapur Fort
Bijapur Fort
The Bijapur Fort is located in the Bijapur city in Bijapur District of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bijapur fort has a plethora of historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty....
mainly due to the superior usage of cannon batteries on both sides. Outraged by the stalemate Aurangzeb himself arrived on September 4, 1686 and commanded the Siege of Bijapur
Siege of Bijapur
Siege of Bijapur began on March 1685 and ended on 12 September 1686, with a Mughal victory. The siege began when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb dispatched his son Muhammad Azam Shah with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah the ruler of Bijapur who...
after eight days of fighting the Mughals were victorious.
Subahdar of Bengal
Prince Azam was appointed the GovernorGovernor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
(Subahdar
Subahdar
Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
) of Berar Subah
Berar Subah
-Origin of name:According to the Ain-i-Akbari, the original name of Berar was Waradatat .-History:Before the Mughal occupation, Berar was part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmadnagar. It was ceded to the emperor Akbar by Chand Bibi in 1596, unable to stand against the imperial forces led by...
, Malwa and Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
from 1678-1701 upon the death of his predecessor, Azam Khan Koka. He successfully captured the Kamarupa region in February 1679. He founded the incomplete Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
. During his administration, Mir Maula was appointed Diwan
Diwan
Dewan, Diwan or Divan may refer to:*The Arabic/Persian word Dewan or Divan , with a range of meanings:**"book"*** The Diwan or Girgam, a record of the Kanem Empire...
and Muluk Chand as Huzur-Navis for revenue collection. Prince Azam was recalled by Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
and left Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
on 6 October 1679. Berar Subah
Berar Subah
-Origin of name:According to the Ain-i-Akbari, the original name of Berar was Waradatat .-History:Before the Mughal occupation, Berar was part of the Nizam Shahi sultanate of Ahmadnagar. It was ceded to the emperor Akbar by Chand Bibi in 1596, unable to stand against the imperial forces led by...
and Malwa were annexed into the Maratha Empire
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
; Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
went under administration of the Nawabs of Murshidabad.
He later became the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
(Subahdar
Subahdar
Subahdar was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah during the Mughal era of India who was alternately designated as Sahib-i-Subah or Nazim. The word, Subahdar is of Persian origin...
) of Gujarat from 1701-1706.
Death of Aurangzeb
Upon the death of AurangzebAurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
on 3 March 1707, Azam Shah proclaimed himself Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
and seized the throne. In the political struggles following the disputed succession, he was defeated and killed on 19 June 1707 at the battle of Jajuwanby by his elder brother, Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam
Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah was a Mughal Emperor, who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. His original name was Qutb ud-Din Muhammad Mu'azzam later titled as Shah Alam by his father. He took the throne name Bahadur Shah in 1707. His name Bahādur means "brave" & "hero" in Turko-Mongol languages...
, who succeeded their father to the Mughal
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...
throne.