Indian History

                                        Mir Jafar and Robert Clive after the Battle of Plassey by Francis Hayman After the death of Aurangzeb, the disintegration of the Mughal Empire was rapid.  Delhi, the seat of power of the Mughals, gave way to Bengal as the centre of political importance in India. It can be ascertained from the fact that the British win over Siraj ud Daula in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, which took place just 50 years after death of Aurangzeb, laid the foundation of the British Empire in India. During the period, Bengal was ruled by the Nawabs with their capital at Murshidabad. Though nominally governors or viceroys of the Mughals, the Nawabs were independent heads of state for all practical purposes.  Siraj ud Daula became the Nawab of Bengal after the death of his grandfather Alivardi Khan who died in 1756. He was the son of latter's youngest daughter. This was not liked by his near relations including his mother’s eldest sister, Ghasiti Begum, and his cou

Rafi-ud-Daulah was one of the phantom kings raised to the Mughal throne by the powerful Sayyid Brothers, k nown as the King-makers in the Mughal history. He was proclaimed Mughal emperor on 6 June 1719 by them when the health of his predecessor Rafi-ul Darjat showed signs of decline. Rafi-ud-Daulah, also known as Shah Jahan II, was also a mere puppet in the hands of Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan Barha, younger of the Sayyid brothers. He was not allowed to attend the Friday prayers. Not to speak of going out hunting he was not even allowed to enter into any conversation with any of the nobles. During the reign of Rafi-ud-Daulah , a new claimant to the Mughal throne came in the form of Niku Siyar, who was declared ruler at Agra by a rival party opposed to Sayyid brothers. Niku Siyar was the son of Auragzeb’s rebel son Akbar. However, Niku Siyar was defeated and sent to prison where he had spent most of his early life. Rafi-ud-Daulah died on 17 September 1719. He is  buried nea

Before the emergence of the Muslim rulers on the political landscape of Kashmir, the province was a famous centre of Shaivism. Maumud of Ghazni made unsuccessful attempts to conquer the vale of Kashmir. With the passage of time, the area began to attract Muslim settles, many of whom entered the service of its Hindu rulers. One such Muslim adventurer was Shah Mir, who after the death of his Hindu ruler seized the throne for himself and became the king in 1339 under the title of Shamsuddin Shah. Thus was founded the Shah Mir dynasty of Kashmir. After his death in A.D. 1349, Shamsuddin Shah was succeeded by his sons, Jamshid, Alauddin, Shihabuddin, and Qutb-ud-din. Alauddin transferred his capital from Indrakot to Alauddinpur (Srinagar).  Qutb-ud-din was succeeded by his son Sikandar who ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1394 after his father’s death. It was during Sikandar’s reign that Mangol leader Timur Lang or Tamerlane invaded India in 1398. He, however, by way of exchanging

Khwaja Ali Hujjwiri Popularly known as Data Ganj Baksh (Distributor of Unlimited Power), Khwaja Ali Hujjwiri lived in 11th century AD and is considered to be the earliest Sufi Saint of repute who made India his home. He died in Lahore and his tomb is an important place of pilgrimage.  Khwaja Ali Hujjwiri is known for compiling Kashf-ul-Mahjoob or Kashf al-Mahjub, a Persian treatise on Sufism, which was translated into English by British Orientalist and scholar Reynold Alleyne Nicholson. The work gives the biographies of Sufis from Prophet Muhammad's days to his own time.  Sheikh Bahaud-din Zakariya Credited with the foundation of the Suhrawardiya Sufi order in India, Sheikh Bahaud-din Zakariya made Multan his base which also served as headquarters of the order. He was born at  Kot Kehror (now known as Karor Lal Esan), near Multan.    His tomb is situated in Multan. Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti The founder of the Chisti order in India, Khwaja Muinud-din-Chisti was also known

With the best intentions, excellent ideas, but no balance or patience, no sense of proportion, Muhammad Tughlaq (sic) was a transcendent failure - ­ Stanley Lane-Poole .   Muhammad Tughlaq was "a Prince of Moneyers" - Edward Thomas . On Muhammad Tughlaq’s death Badauni , wrote, “Muhammad bin Tughlak was freed from his people and they from their king." According to Stanley Lane-Poole , the transfer of capital by Muhammad bin Tughlaq from Delhi to “Daulatabad was a monument of misdirected energy."

Before his death in 1287, Balban had nominated his grandson Kai Khusrav as his successor after his son Bughra Khan declined the offer. Kai Khusrav was the son of Muhammad (another son of Balban), who was killed in the fight with Mongols in 1285. But disregarding Balban’s wish, the nobles of the Slave dynasty placed Kaiqubad (Qaiqabad), son of Bughra Khan, on the throne. Kaiqubad, brought up under the watchful eyes of Balban, himself a strict disciplinarian, was seventeen when he became Sultan. He soon plunged himself into debauchery. Real power of the kingdom came into the hands of Nizam-ud-din, son-in-law of Fakhr-ud-din, the Kotwal of Delhi. Confusion and chaos reigned supreme. Nizam-ud-din was poisoned by Kaiqubad when the former hesitated to obey the latter's diktat to transfer Nizam-ud-din to Multan. Matters were made worse by the struggle for supremacy between the nobles of the Turkish party and those belonging to the Khalji party. Excess of wine and pleasure made Kaiqubad ph

              Tomb of Muhammad Shah Sayyid After the murder of Mubarak Shah, the second ruler of Sayyid Dynasty, by the Delhi nobles in 1434, Muhammad, a grandson of Khizr Khan , the first ruler of Sayyid Dynasty, was made Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate. Muhammad Shah, a nephew of Mubarak , was latter’s heir-designate. His inefficiency contributed fast to the weakening of the Sayyid Dynasty. Sarvar-ul-mulk, wazir of the kingdom, enjoyed supreme power. Even after the wazir’s death, he failed in his duty as a ruler. In the meantime, Mahmud Shah Khalji of Malwa showed his gumption to raid Delhi. However, Buhlul Khan Lodi, the governor of Lahore and Sirhind, frustrated the designs of the Malwa ruler. All these led to the decline of the Sayyid Dynasty and it was only a matter of time that dynasty, founded by Khizr Khan, was doomed to annihilation.   Muhammad Shah died in 1445. He lies buried in a tomb, located in the Lodhi Gardens in Delhi.

Khizr Khan was the founder of the Sayyid dynasty, the fourth and penultimate dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate. After the death of Sultan Mahmud, the last ruler of the Tughluq dynasty, in 1413, the nobles of Delhi entrusted Daulat Khan Lodi with the task of ruling Delhi. However, i n March 1414, Khizr Khan, who was appointed Governor of Multan, Lahore and Dipalpur by the Mangol leader Timur Lang or Tamerlane who won these places after invading India and sacking Delhi in 1398-99, defeated Daulat Khan who was sent to Hissar Firuza as a prisoner. According to some historians, Khizr Khan traced his descent to the Prophet. However, this view has been contested by other authorities. It seems probable that his ancestors might have belonged to Arabia. Instead of assuming sovereign title, Khizr Khan choose to rule as viceroy of Timur's fourth son and successor, Shah Rukh. His reign of seven years was devoid of any important event. Delhi Sultanate was reduced to the extent of a sma

One of the most famous figures of Indian history, Shivaji was the founder of the Maratha kingdom. The rise of Marathas is considered to be a revival of Hinduism in the seventeenth century. A brilliant leader, Shivaji was a just ruler and a statesman of consummate craft. He always respected the religion of his adversaries. Belonging to the Bhonsle clan, Shivaji was born in the hill-fort of Shivneri near Junnar (in the Pune district of Maharashtra) in 1630. According to one school of thought, he was born in 1627. His grandfather Maloji was employed with the Nizam Shahi rulers of Ahmednagar. Shahji, eldest son of Maloji and father of Shivaji, was initially in the service of the Ahmednagar kingdom as a trooper in the army. Shahji was married to Jijabai, daughter of a noble in the service of Nizam Shahi Kingdom.   Jijabai, who was a virtuous lady and had a profound impact on Shivaji, was the daughter of Lakhuji Jadav Rao, who claimed descent from the Yadavas of Devagiri.