Mirza Najaf Khan
Encyclopedia
Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian
adventurer in the court of Mughal
emperor Shah Alam II
. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi
prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah
in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married into the family of the Nawab of Awadh
. He also held the title of Deputy Wazir
of Awadh. He served during the Battle of Buxar
and his main contribution in history was as the highest commander of the Mughal army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.
he created was on the European model backed by traditional Mughal cavalry. Historian H.G. Keene in his "The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan" says that in 1781 the army of Mirza Najaf Khan was the most formidable military force in India aside from the British army in Bengal.
The new Mughal Army created by Mirza Najaf Khan was based on sound principles of order and administration, qualities he tried to enforce in the corrupted Mughal kingdom. The Mughal soldiers were paid a premium salary in order to get the best and oddly for the times they were paid regularly and on time. The whole army had no more than 85,000 to 90,000 soldiers with a large train of artillery consisting of almost 250 cannon
s. As with many other Indian states, French adventurers found their way into this army as well and their expertise welcomed. At a time of over weaning ambition and corruption, Mirza Najaf Khan was a man determined to serve his sovereign and realm to the best of his abilities.
s and especially the Sikhs whose raids against their opponents, the Mughals included the plunder of Delhi, were causing the Mughal kingdom much grief at the time. He is known to have fought and commanded the Mughal
infantry honorably during the Battle of Buxar
. After a series of defeats suffered by Mughal commanders and Sikh victories, Mirza Najaf Khan personally took the field he decisively defeated the Sikh
s and their Rohilla ally Zabita Khan
, in 1779. Part of the problem faced by the Mughals against any enemy were the constant intrigues against the kingdom by treacherous as well as treasonous wazirs. In the year 1739 Shah Alam II
's rebellious adversary Nawab
Majad-ud-Daulah was known to have been an informant for the Sikh
leaders who constantly sought to weaken the Mughal Army
, which was commanded by Mirza Najaf Khan. The Mughal Army remained one of the strongest forces in the region from the year 1772 to 1782 by winning many battles.
: नजफ़गढ़, Urdu
: نجف گڑھ) is located at the outskirts of the southwestern part of New Delhi
, India
. It has a mixture of Rural and Urban population from New Delhi
and Haryana
. Najafgarh was named after the Kiledar (Fort Administrator) Nazaf Khan of the Mughal Dynasty during the 16th century, a powerful Persian noble of the later Mughal court, Mirza Najaf Khan (1733–1782), whose country seat in the suburbs beyond the capital city later became a fortified stronghold of Rohilla Afghan chieftain Zabita Khan
(b. 1785). A small settlement of the mughal troops setteled here in its infancy. It is now one of the most populous electoral regions in the National Capital Region of India. Najafgarh is surrounded by 70 villages bordering Haryana
. Borders are 10 to 15 Kilometers from main Najafgarh Market.
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
adventurer in the court of 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...
emperor Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi
Safavi
Safavi is a Persian surname, best known as the surname of the royal family of the Safavid Dynasty.-Etymology:Some have argued that Safavi is a cognate of the word "Safaviyeh". And that "Safa" is a cognate of the word Sufi....
prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah
Nader Shah
Nāder Shāh Afshār ruled as Shah of Iran and was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty. Because of his military genius, some historians have described him as the Napoleon of Persia or the Second Alexander...
in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married into the family of the Nawab of Awadh
Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh is the title of rulers who governed the state of Awadh in India in the 18th and 19th century. The Nawabs of Awadh originated form Persia-Establishment:...
. He also held the title of Deputy Wazir
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
of Awadh. He served during the Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula Nawab of Awadh; and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor...
and his main contribution in history was as the highest commander of the Mughal army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.
New Mughal Army
The Mughal ArmyMughal Army
The Mughal Army was the army of the Mughal Empire.Mirza Najaf Khan was commander in chief of the Mughal Army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.The art of Mughal warfare brought about a complete change in the way wars were fought in the Indian...
he created was on the European model backed by traditional Mughal cavalry. Historian H.G. Keene in his "The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan" says that in 1781 the army of Mirza Najaf Khan was the most formidable military force in India aside from the British army in Bengal.
The new Mughal Army created by Mirza Najaf Khan was based on sound principles of order and administration, qualities he tried to enforce in the corrupted Mughal kingdom. The Mughal soldiers were paid a premium salary in order to get the best and oddly for the times they were paid regularly and on time. The whole army had no more than 85,000 to 90,000 soldiers with a large train of artillery consisting of almost 250 cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
s. As with many other Indian states, French adventurers found their way into this army as well and their expertise welcomed. At a time of over weaning ambition and corruption, Mirza Najaf Khan was a man determined to serve his sovereign and realm to the best of his abilities.
Threats
His army had to face threats from the Rohillas, the Jats, the MarathaMaratha
The Maratha are an Indian caste, predominantly in the state of Maharashtra. The term Marāthā has three related usages: within the Marathi speaking region it describes the dominant Maratha caste; outside Maharashtra it can refer to the entire regional population of Marathi-speaking people;...
s and especially the Sikhs whose raids against their opponents, the Mughals included the plunder of Delhi, were causing the Mughal kingdom much grief at the time. He is known to have fought and commanded 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...
infantry honorably during the Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula Nawab of Awadh; and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor...
. After a series of defeats suffered by Mughal commanders and Sikh victories, Mirza Najaf Khan personally took the field he decisively defeated the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s and their Rohilla ally Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan Rohilla was Rohilla chieftain in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam . He was the son of the Rohilla Sardar Najib-ud-Daula, who founded the city of Najibabad, Zabita Khan is also known to have fought alongside his father during the Battle of Panipat...
, in 1779. Part of the problem faced by the Mughals against any enemy were the constant intrigues against the kingdom by treacherous as well as treasonous wazirs. In the year 1739 Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
's rebellious adversary 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....
Majad-ud-Daulah was known to have been an informant for the Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
leaders who constantly sought to weaken the Mughal Army
Mughal Army
The Mughal Army was the army of the Mughal Empire.Mirza Najaf Khan was commander in chief of the Mughal Army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.The art of Mughal warfare brought about a complete change in the way wars were fought in the Indian...
, which was commanded by Mirza Najaf Khan. The Mughal Army remained one of the strongest forces in the region from the year 1772 to 1782 by winning many battles.
Death
Mirza Najaf Khan died on April 26, 1782, after 42 years in India. He left behind an adopted son Najaf Quli Khan, who had converted from Hinduism. Within 6 years of his death, the Mughal army ceased to exist and Mughal emperor rendered powerless. His tomb is near Safdar Jung's tomb in Delhi.Najafgarh town, Delhi, India
Najafgarh (HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: नजफ़गढ़, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: نجف گڑھ) is located at the outskirts of the southwestern part of New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
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...
. It has a mixture of Rural and Urban population from New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
and Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. Najafgarh was named after the Kiledar (Fort Administrator) Nazaf Khan of the Mughal Dynasty during the 16th century, a powerful Persian noble of the later Mughal court, Mirza Najaf Khan (1733–1782), whose country seat in the suburbs beyond the capital city later became a fortified stronghold of Rohilla Afghan chieftain Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan Rohilla was Rohilla chieftain in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam . He was the son of the Rohilla Sardar Najib-ud-Daula, who founded the city of Najibabad, Zabita Khan is also known to have fought alongside his father during the Battle of Panipat...
(b. 1785). A small settlement of the mughal troops setteled here in its infancy. It is now one of the most populous electoral regions in the National Capital Region of India. Najafgarh is surrounded by 70 villages bordering Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. Borders are 10 to 15 Kilometers from main Najafgarh Market.