Alivardi Khan

2023-09-26T12:24:10Z

2401:4900:3D3B:5E4F:E836:7647:2F44:1305:

{{short description|Nawab of Bengal}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox royalty
|image= Portrait of Allahwerdi Khan.jpg
|name = Alivardi Khan
|title = Shuja ul-Mulk (Hero of the country)<br />Hashim ud-Daula (Sword of the state)<br />Mahabat Jang (Horror in War)<br />[[Nawabs of Bengal|Nawab of Bengal]]
|full name = Shuja ul-Mulk Hashim ud-Daula Mahabat Jang Mirza Muhammad Alivardi Khan
|birth_date = 1676
|birth_place = [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1756|04|10|1676}}
|death_place = [[Murshidabad]]
|place of burial = [[Khushbagh]], [[Murshidabad]]
|succession = [[Nawabs of Bengal|Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa]]
|reign = 29 April 1740 – 1751
|predecessor= [[Sarfaraz Khan]]
|successor = [[Raghoji I of Nagpur]]<br/>{{small|([[Orissa]] annexed into [[Nagpur kingdom|Nagpur]])}}
|succession1 = [[Nawabs of Bengal|Nawab Nazim of Bengal and Bihar]]
|reign1 = 1751 – 9 April 1756
|predecessor1 = [[Sarfaraz Khan]]
|successor1 = [[Siraj ud-Daulah]]
|father = Mirza Muhammad Madani
|mother = A descendant of the [[Afshar tribe]]
|spouse = Sharfunnesa
|issue = {{ubl|[[Ghaseti Begum]]|Maimuna Begum|[[Amina Begum]]}}
|noble family =
|religion = [[Shia Islam]]<ref name="Rizvi1986">{{cite book|last=Rizvi|first=Saiyid Athar Abbas|authorlink=Saiyid Athar Abbas Rizvi|title=A Socio-intellectual History of the Isnā ʼAsharī Shīʼīs in India: 16th to 19th century A.D|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Z0OAAAAIAAJ|volume=2|year=1986|publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers|pages=45–47}}</ref><ref name="Rieck2016">{{cite book|last=Rieck|first=Andreas|title=The Shias of Pakistan: An Assertive and Beleaguered Minority|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6aKCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA3|date=15 January 2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-061320-4|page=3}}</ref>
| module =
{{Infobox military person
| embed = yes
| allegiance = [[Mughal Empire]]
| branch = [[Nawab of Bengal]]
| rank = [[Nawab]]
| battles =
}}
}}

'''Alivardi Khan''' ({{lang-bn|আলীবর্দী খান}}) (1671 – 9 April 1756) was the [[Nawab of Bengal]] from 1740 to 1756. He toppled the Nasiri dynasty of Nawabs by defeating [[Sarfaraz Khan]] in 1740 and assumed power himself.

During much of his reign Alivardi encountered frequent Maratha raids under [[Raghoji I Bhonsle|Raghuji Bhonsle]], culminating in the surrender of the province of [[Orissa]] in a peace settlement in 1751. He also faced separatist rebellions in [[Bihar]] as well as a revolt from his grandson [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], though these were suppressed.

Alivardi spent the latter part of his reign rebuilding Bengal. He was a patron of the arts and resumed the policies of [[Murshid Quli Khan]]. He maintained a politically neutral stance with the European powers in the [[Indian Subcontinent|subcontinent]] and prevented any infighting amongst them in his dominions. He was succeeded by Siraj ud-Daulah in 1756.

==Early life==
Originally Mirza Bande or Mirza Muhammad Ali, Alivardi was of Indian-[[Arab]] ancestry and a native of the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]] who was born in 1676.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.279485/page/n21/mode/2up |title= textsAlivardi And His Times |author=Kalikinkar Datta |page= 2 |publisher=University of Calcutta |date=1939 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Hooghly:The Global History of a River|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6eMJEAAAQBAJ&dq=AlIVARDI+NATIVE+DECCAN&pg=PA51|page=51 |author=Robert Ivermee | year=2020 | isbn=9781787383258 }}</ref><ref name="Sarkar1948">{{cite book|last=Sarkar|first=Jadunath|author-link=Jadunath Sarkar|title=The History of Bengal|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.283729/page/n447/mode/2up|volume=II|year=1948|publisher=University of Dhaka|location=Dhaka|isbn=978-81-7646-239-6|page=436}}</ref> His father Mirza Muhammad Madani, who was the son of a foster-brother of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Aurangzeb]]; Madani himself began his career as a [[cup-bearer]] under the latter's son [[Muhammad Azam Shah|Azam Shah]].<ref name="Sensarma1977">{{cite book|author=P. Sensarma|title=The Military History of Bengal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l8ABAAAAMAAJ|year=1977|publisher=Darbari Udjog|location=Kolkata|page=172}}</ref> Muhammad Ali's mother was a [[Deccanis|Deccani Muslim]] descending from the [[Iranian Turkmen]] [[Afshar (tribe)|Afshar]] tribe of [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]]. Through her, he was a cousin of [[Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan]], also known as Mirza Deccani.<ref name="Sarkar1948"/>{{NoteTag|Historian Abdus Subhan reported that Muhammad Ali and Shuja-ud-Din shared the same grandfather, Nawab Aqil Khan.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Subhan|first=Abdus|title=Early Career of Nawab Ali Vardi Khan of Bengal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=js8VAQAAMAAJ|journal=Journal of Indian History|volume=XLVIII|issue=III|year=1970|publisher=University of Kerala|location=Trivandrum|page=536}}</ref> However, Karam Ali's ''Muzaffarnama'', a contemporary history, notes that he and Aqil Khan merely had the same ancestry "in their 3rd / 4th upward generation".<ref>{{citation|last1=Ali|first1=Karam|last2=Khan|first2=Shayesta|title=Bihar and Bengal in the 18th century: a critical edition and translation of Muzaffarnama, a contemporary history|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qolEAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Shuja+Khan+was+the+grandson+of+Nawab+Aqil+Khan%22|year=1992|publisher=Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library|location=Patna}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=mplcEAAAQBAJ&dq=Mirza+Deccani+shuja+ud+din&pg=PA125 |title= Merchant Cultures:A Global Approach to Spaces, Representations and Worlds of Trade, 1500–1800 |page=124 |date=2022 |author= Cátia A.P. Antunes, Francisco Bethencour |isbn= 9789004506572 |quote=Another Deccani, Shuja succeeded Murshid Quli from 1727.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVtuAAAAMAAJ&q=He+was+succeeded+by+his+son+-+in+-+law+Shujaud+-+din+Muhammad+Khan+Bahadur+who+was+also+called+Mirza+Deccani |title= Encyclopaedia of Muslim Biography: I-M |author= Nagendra Kr. Singh |date=2001 |publisher=A.P.H. Publishing Corporation |isbn= 9788176482332 }}</ref>

Like their father, he and his elder brother Mirza Ahmad (later known as Haji Ahmad) found favour under Azam Shah. Muhammad Ali was named superintendent of the ''filkhana'' (elephant-stables) as well as being given responsibility over the ''zardozkhana'' (department of embroidered cloths). However, following Azam Shah's death in 1707, the family fell into poverty. They migrated to [[Cuttack]] in [[Orissa]], then under the deputy-governorship of their relative Shuja-ud-Din. Finding employment with the latter, Muhammad Ali and Mirza Ahmad proved themselves capable in supporting his government, later even aiding Shuja-ud-Din in becoming [[Nawabs of Bengal and Murshidabad|Nawab of Bengal]].<ref>{{harvtxt|Sarkar|1948|pp=436–37}}</ref>

==Rise to power==
[[File:'ALIVARDI KHAN AND A COURTIER.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Alivardi Khan with a courtier, Murshidabad, c. 1745]]
In 1728, Shuja-ud-Din promoted Muhammad Ali to ''[[Faujdar]]'' (General) of [[Rajmahal]] and entitled him as ''Alivardi Khan''.<ref name=bpedia/> In 1733, he was assigned as the ''Naib Nazim'' (Deputy ''[[Subahdar]]'') of [[Bihar]]. A year later, he was titled ''Shuja ul-Mulk'' (Hero of the country), ''Hassemm ud-Daula'' (Sword of the state) and ''Mahabat Jang'' (Horror in War) and the rank of ''Paach Hazari [[Mansabdar]]'' (The rank holder of 5000) by Nawab Shuja ud-Din and returned to [[Azimabad]].

Alivardi aspired for larger authority. On 10 April 1740 in the [[Battle of Giria]], he defeated and killed Shuja ud-Din's successor, [[Sarfaraz Khan]].<ref name=bpedia>{{cite book |last=Shah |first=Mohammad |year=2012 |chapter=Alivardi Khan |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Alivardi_Khan |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. |title=Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh |edition=Second |publisher=[[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref> Thus he took control of Bengal and Bihar. Then on 3 March 1741, he defeated Rustam Jang, deputy governor of Orissa and a relative of Sarfaraz Khan, in the [[Battle of Phulwarion]].<ref name=bpedia/> Orissa also came under Alivardi's control. Alivardi Khan defeated a rebellion in Orissa led by Mirza Baqir Khan, and invading Orissa a second time, he subdued the [[Sadaat-e-Bara|Barha Sayyids]] with great difficulty,<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FgUeAAAAMAAJ&q=Now+Baqar+and+Murshid+Quli+with+Sayyids+of+Barha+were+engaged+in+a+terrific+battle+,+For+sometime+Alivardi%27s |title=Orissa Under the Mughals:From Akbar to Alivardi : a Fascinating Study of the Socio-economic and Cultural History of Orissa |author=Bhabānī Caraṇa Rāẏa · |date=1981 }}</ref> and installed a brave warrior Shaikh Masum as governor.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ajduAAAAMAAJ&q=alivardi+khan+baqir+khan |title= History of Orissa |page=347 |author1=N. K. Sahu |author2=Prabodhakumāra Miśra |author3=Jagna Kumar Sahu |date=1981 }}</ref>

==Reign==
[[File:Capture of two prisoners at an important battle by Allahvardi Khan Jahangiri..jpg|thumb|Capture of two prisoners at an important battle by Aliverdi Khan]]

Immediately after his usurpation of power, Alivardi had his takeover legitimized by the Mughal Emperor [[Muhammad Shah]] and resumed the policies of [[Murshid Quli Khan]]. He also chose ''Faujdars'' from various regions such as [[Patna]], [[Dacca]] and Orissa.<ref>{{cite book |last=Markovits |first=Claude |date=2004 |title=A History of Modern India, 1480-1950 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uzOmy2y0Zh4C&pg=PA194 |publisher=Anthem Press |pages=194– |isbn=978-1-84331-004-4}}</ref>

Since 1742, the [[Maratha Empire]] raided [[Bengal]] repeatedly, ravaging its territories. Alivardi almost immediately had a long ditch, called the ''Maratha ditch'', dug around [[Calcutta]]. Alivardi was a brilliant artillery tactician, though his armies were overrun by the large force of the Marathas from [[Berar Subah|Berar]] who had arrived to pillage and conquer the territories of Bengal under the command of [[Raghoji I Bhonsle]].

In the year 1747, the Marathas led by Raghoji began to raid, pillage and annex the territories of Alivardi. During the Maratha invasion of Orissa, its ''Subedar'' [[Mir Jafar]] completely withdrew all forces until the arrival of Alivardi and the [[Mughal army]] at the [[Battle of Burdwan]], where Raghoji and his Maratha forces were completely routed. The enraged Alivardi then dismissed the shamed Mir Jafar.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jaques |first=Tony |date=2007 |title=Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3amnMPTPP5MC&pg=PA137 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |pages=137– |isbn=978-0-313-33537-2}}</ref>

Alivardi's defending armies were overrun in [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] in the year 1751, despite receiving some assistance from [[Shuja-ud-Daula]]. But Orissa was ultimately surrendered to the ravaging [[Maratha]]s by the Mughal Emperor [[Ahmad Shah Bahadur]]. These Maratha attacks continued until 1751 when a peace treaty was settled between Ahmad Shah Bahadur, Alivardi and Raghoji.<ref name=bpedia/>

In 1750, Alivardi faced a revolt from [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], his daughter's son, who seized [[Patna]], but quickly surrendered and was forgiven.<ref name="Dalrymple, W. 2019 p87">{{cite book|last=Dalrymple|first=William|authorlink=William Dalrymple (historian)|title=The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-T2lDwAAQBAJ|date=10 September 2019|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|location=London|isbn=978-1-4088-6440-1|page=87}}</ref> Alivardi also subdued the revolt of a few unruly Afghans who were trying to separate [[Bihar]] from his administration,<ref name=bpedia/> and chastised the [[Banjaras]] who were marauding through Bihar and chased them towards the [[Terai]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUueDwAAQBAJ&dq=alivardi+khan+banjaras&pg=PT264 |title= Mughal Administration and the Zamindars of Bihar|author=Tahir Hussain Ansari |date=2019 |isbn= 9781000651522}}</ref>

According to some historians, Alivardi Khan's reign of 16 years was mostly engaged in various wars against the Marathas. Towards the end, he turned his attention to rebuilding and restoring [[Bengal]].

[[File:AlivardiKhanTomb.jpg|thumb|Alivardi Khan's tomb at [[Khushbagh]]]]
He also saved Bengal from the effects of war of succession in Austria through proper vigilance and precautions, unlike south India, which got caught up in it. He maintained a policy of neutrality towards European powers and forbade the British, French and Dutch to have any hostility against each other in his dominion.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Datta |first=Kalikinkar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p4wdAAAAMAAJ |title=The Dutch in Bengal and Bihar, 1740-1825 A.D. |date=1948 |publisher=University of Patna |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref>

==Cultural and musical development==
[[File:Gujjari Ragini.jpg|thumb|A young woman playing a [[Veena]] to a [[Parakeet]], a symbol of her absent lover. Painting in the provincial [[Mughal painting|Mughal]] style of the [[Nawab of Bengal]].]]

Alivardi Khan was a patron of various musical instruments such as the [[Veena]] and [[Khol]] drums. He also patronized many manuscripts of the [[Shahnameh]].

==Death and succession==
Alivardi Khan died of [[dropsy]]<ref name="Dalrymple, W. 2019 p84">{{harvtxt|Dalrymple|2019|p=84}}</ref> at 5am on 9 April 1756,<ref name="Dalrymple, W. 2019 p87"/> aged at least 80. He was succeeded by his daughter's son, [[Siraj-ud-Daula]], who was aged 23 at the time. He was buried in [[Khushbagh]] next to his mother's grave.<ref name="Dalrymple, W. 2019 p87"/>

==Family==
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Alivardi had only one wife, Sharfunnesa.<ref name="Skelton1979">{{cite book|last1=Skelton|first1=Robert|last2=Francis|first2=Mark|title=Arts of Bengal: The Heritage of Bangladesh and Eastern India : an Exhibition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B8TYAAAAMAAJ|year=1979|publisher=Whitechapel Art Gallery|location=London|isbn=978-0-85488-047-8|page=35}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=A.|first=Rahim|editor-first=Syed Ali|editor-last=Ahsan|editor-link=Syed Ali Ahsan|title=Society and Culture of the Eighteenth Century Bengal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q8sVAQAAIAAJ|series=Bengali Literary Review|volume=3|year=1957|publisher=University of Karachi|location=Karachi|page=127}}</ref> They had three daughters,<ref name="Islam1997">{{cite book|last=Islam|first=Sirajul|authorlink=Sirajul Islam|title=History of Bangladesh, 1704-1971: Social and cultural history|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CeNtAAAAMAAJ|year=1997|publisher=Asiatic Society of Bangladesh|isbn=978-984-512-337-2}}</ref> of whom at least two married sons of his elder brother Haji Ahmad.<ref name="Datta1967">{{cite book|last=Datta|first=K.K.|title=Early Career of Siraj-ud-daulah|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TxbjAAAAMAAJ|series=Bengal, Past & Present: Journal of the Calcutta Historical Society|volume=LXXXVI|year=1967|publisher=Calcutta Historical Society|page=142}}</ref><ref name="Sen1987">{{cite book|last=Sen|first=Ranjit|title=Metamorphosis of the Bengal Polity (1700-1793)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u3EeAAAAMAAJ|year=1987|publisher=Rabindra Bharati University|location=Kolkata|page=87}}</ref> Alivardi outlived his sons-in-law and, having had no sons of his own, he was succeeded by his maternal grandson [[Siraj ud-Daulah]].<ref name="Sengupta2011">{{cite book|last=Sengupta|first=Nitish Kumar|author-link=Nitish Sengupta|title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVSh_TyJ0YoC&pg=PA162|year=2011|publisher=Penguin Books India|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-0-14-341678-4|pages=162, 164}}</ref> Alivardi's issue are as follows:<ref name="Datta1967"/><ref name="Sen1987"/>
* Mehrunnesa ([[Ghaseti Begum]]): married [[Nawazish Muhammad Khan|Nawazish Muhammad Shahmat Jang]], [[Naib Nazim of Dhaka|governor]] of [[Dhaka]] (1740–1755)
* Maimuna Begum:<ref name="Islam1997"/> according to some historians was married to [[Sayyid Ahmad Saulat Jang]], governor of [[Purnia]] (1749–1756), and had one son:
** Shaukat Jung
* [[Amina Begum]]: married [[Zain ud-Din Ahmed Khan|Zainuddin Ahmad Haibat Jang]], governor of [[Patna]] (1740–1747)
** [[Siraj ud-Daulah]], Nawab of Bengal
** Ikram ud-Daulah
** Mirza Mahdi

Alivardi also had a number of half-siblings, including Muhammad Amin Khan and Muhammad Yar Khan, who served under him as a general and governor of [[Hugli-Chuchura|Hugli]] respectively.<ref name="Salim1975">{{cite book|last=Salim|first=Ghulam Hussain|authorlink=Ghulam Husain Salim|translator=Abdus Salam |title=Riyazu-s-Salatin (A History of Bengal)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PWwKAQAAIAAJ|year=1975|publisher=Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli|location=Delhi|page=335}}</ref><ref>{{harvtxt|Sarkar|1948|p=445}}</ref><ref name="Datta1939">{{cite book|last=Datta|first=Kalikinkar|title=Alivardi and His Times|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.279485/page/n91/mode/2up|year=1939|publisher=University of Calcutta|location=Kolkata|page=69}}</ref> His half-sister Shah Khanum was the wife of [[Mir Jafar]], who later claimed the throne of Bengal in 1757.<ref name="Mukhopadhyay1980">{{cite book|last=Mukhopadhyay|first=Subhas Chandra|title=Diwani in Bengal, 1765: Career of Nawab Najm-ud-Daulah|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uXEeAAAAMAAJ|year=1980|publisher=Vishwavidyalaya Prakashan|location=Varanasi|page=3}}</ref><ref name="Rashid2001">{{cite book|last=Rashid|first=Abdur|title=From Makkah to Nuclear Pakistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zORtAAAAMAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Ferozsons|location=Lahore|isbn=978-969-0-01691-1|page=143}}</ref> The historian [[Ghulam Hussain Khan]] was also a relative.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Askari|first=Syed Hasan|authorlink=Syed Hasan Askari|title=Saiyid Ghulam Hussain Khan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TwlDAAAAYAAJ|issue=I|journal=The Panjab: Past and Present|volume=XII|year=1978|publisher=Department of Punjab Historical Studies, Punjabi University|page=257}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Battle of Burdwan]]
* [[Nawabs of Bengal]]
* [[List of rulers of Bengal]]
* [[History of Bengal]]
* [[History of India]]

==Notes==
{{notefoot}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Alivardi Khan}}
* ''Decisive Battle of India,'' G. B. Malleson, {{ISBN|81-7536-291-X}}, published by Books For All, 2002.
* {{cite DIB|wstitle=Aliverdi Khan|ref=none}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|||Before 10 May 1671|10 April|1756}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Sarfaraz Khan]]
}}
{{s-ttl
|title=[[Nawab of Bengal]]
| years = 29 April 1740 – 9 April 1756
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Siraj ud-Daulah]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Bengal Zamindars}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Alivardi}}
[[Category:1671 births]]
[[Category:1756 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian Shia Muslims]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Bengal]]
[[Category:Medieval India]]
[[Category:Mughal Empire]]
[[Category:Deaths from edema]]

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Alivardi Khan