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{{Short description|Mughal noble (1626/1631–1716)}}
{{For|other people with similar names|Asad Khan (disambiguation)|Mohammad Ibrahim (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Asad Khan
| image = File:Portrait of Nawab Asad Khan (Royal Collection Trust) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Portrait of Asad Khan in the [[Royal Collection]], {{circa|1700}}
| office1 = [[List of Mughal grand viziers|Wazir of the Mughal Empire]]
| termstart1 = 1676
| termend1 = 1707
| parents = Zulfiqar Khan Qaramanlu
| office2 = [[Vakil-i-Mutlaq]] of the Mughal Empire
| termstart2 = 1707
| termend2 = ?
| birth_name = Muhammad Ibrahim
| birth_date = {{c.|1626/31}}
| death_date = 15 June 1716 <br> (aged 84–90)
| issue =
| children = [[Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung]] <br />
Inayat Khan
| monarch =
| monarch2 = [[Bahadur Shah I]], [[Jahandar Shah]]
| monarch1 = [[Aurangzeb Alamgir]]
| office3 = [[Subahdar]] of [[Gujarat Subah|Gujarat]]
| monarch3 = [[Jahandar Shah]]
| termstart3 = 1712
| termend3 = ?
| honorific_prefix = Asaf-ud-Daula
| battles = [[Siege of Jinji]]
}}
'''Asad Khan''' ({{Circa}} 1626/1631 – 15 June 1716), born '''Muhammad Ibrahim''', was a high-ranking noble of the [[Mughal Empire]] during the reigns of [[Aurangzeb]] and [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]]. He is known for his tenure as the ''[[Vizier|wazir]]'' (prime minister) of emperor [[Aurangzeb]] in the period 1676–1707, and was an important player in Mughal court politics.

== Early life ==
Asad Khan was born around 1626<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Chandra |first=Satish |title=Parties and politics at the Mughal Court, 1707-1740 |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-565444-7 |edition=4th |location=New Delhi |pages=40–41 |oclc=50004530}}</ref> or 1631<ref name=":06">{{Cite book |last=Irvine |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC |title=Later Mughals |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |year=1971 |pages=9–10}}</ref> as Muhammad Ibrahim, into a prestigious family of [[Safavid Iran]]. His grandfather, named Zulfiqar Khan, was ''[[Beylerbey|beglar begi]]'' of [[Shirvan]] during the reign of the [[Safavid dynasty|Safavid]] king [[Shah Abbas I]]. However, he was executed around 1600 by Shah Abbas, and the family fell out of favor.<ref name=":3" />

Subsequently, Asad Khan's father Khanlar, known by the title Zulfiqar Khan Qaramanlu, migrated to India around the end of [[Mughal emperor]] [[Jahangir|Jahangir's]] reign. He was accepted in the court of emperor [[Shah Jahan]] and married the daughter of Sadiq Khan, brother-in-law to Mughal noble [[Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan|Asaf Khan]]. Asad Khan was born to them as Zulfiqar Khan Qaramanlu's eldest son.<ref name=":3" />

== Career ==
Asad Khan entered Mughal imperial service in 1654, during the 27th year of Mughal emperor [[Shah Jahan|Shah Jahan's]] reign. Under Shah Jahan's successor Aurangzeb, Asad Khan occupied the post of [[Bakhshi (Mughal Empire)|second ''bakhshi'']] (paymaster) until 1670, when he was made deputy to the ''wazir''. He held this position until 1676, when he became ''wazir'' himself.<ref name=":06"/>

From the 1680s onwards, nobles of Aurangzeb split into two main factions; Asad Khan and his influential son [[Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung|Zulfiqar Khan]] emerged as the leaders of one side, while [[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I|Ghaziuddin Khan]] and [[Chin Qilich Khan]] headed the other. These factions determined noble politics towards the end of Aurangzeb's reign.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Faruqui |first=Munis Daniyal |title=Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504-1719 |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-52619-7 |location=Cambridge |pages=297–299 |oclc=808366461}}</ref>
[[File:Asad Khan and Zuʾl-Faqar Khan in debate (cropped).png|left|thumb|Painting of Mughal nobles Asad Khan and son Zu'l Faqar Khan, in debate on what to do with captive emperor Jahandar Shah.]]
From 1684, Asad Khan served in the [[Deccan]].<ref name=":06"/> He seized the towns of [[Kurnool]] and [[Cuddapah]] in order to secure supply lines to facilitate the [[Siege of Jinji (1690–1698)|Siege of Jinji]], which was led by his son Zulfiqar Khan. In 1691, Aurangzeb sent Asad Khan and the prince [[Kam Bakhsh]] to [[Gingee|Jinji]] to aid Zulfiqar Khan in the siege.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gommans |first=Jos J. L.|author-link=Jos Gommans |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm50400990 |title=Mughal warfare: Indian frontiers and highroads to empire, 1500-1700 |date=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-23988-2 |series=Warfare and history |location=London; New York |pages=191–195 |oclc=ocm50400990}}</ref> Upon difficulties securing the fort, Kam Bakhsh discreetly opened negotiations with the enemy against Aurangzeb's direct orders. Asad Khan and his son learned of this and readily arrested him; he was then mistreated, and Asad Khan is known to have abused Kam Bakhsh directly. Aurangzeb thereupon threatened to relieve Asad Khan of the ''wazir'' position, but never acted on this. Munis Faruqui underlines this event as illustrative of how Aurangzeb protected his nobles, sometimes at the expense of the royal princes.<ref name=":1" />

Aurangzeb in his last will is thought to have appointed Asad Khan as ''wazir'' indefinitely after his demise.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Truschke |first=Audrey |title=Aurangzeb : the life and legacy of India's most controversial king |date=2017 |isbn=978-1-5036-0259-5 |location=Stanford, California |pages=98 |oclc=962025936}}</ref> In the succession struggle following Aurangzeb's death, Asad Khan and his son allied with prince [[Azam Shah]].<ref name=":06"/> However, prince Muhammad Muazzam defeated him in the [[Battle of Jajau]] and ascended the throne as [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]]. As emperor, Bahadur Shah sought to weaken the influence of Asad Khan and Zulfiqar Khan by giving the position of ''wazir'' to Munim Khan, ending Asad Khan's tenure as ''wazir'' in 1707. Asad Khan was instead given the high position of ''[[Vakil of the Mughal Empire|Vakil-i-Mutlaq]],'' which had not been in use since the reign of Shah Jahan. This was to the discontent of Asad Khan, and he was still able to negotiate partial control over the post of ''wazir.'' Asad Khan's rank was also increased to 8000 horses, and he was granted the title Asaf-ud-Daula.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Faruqui |first=Munis Daniyal |title=Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504-1719 |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-52619-7 |location=Cambridge |pages=261 & 314 |oclc=808366461}}</ref><ref name=":03">{{Cite book |last=Irvine |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC |title=Later Mughals |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |year=1971 |pages=37–39}}</ref><ref name=":322">{{Cite book |last=Chandra |first=Satish |title=Parties and politics at the Mughal Court, 1707-1740 |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-565444-7 |edition=4th |location=New Delhi |pages=64 |oclc=50004530}}</ref>

in 1712, Bahadur Shah was succeeded by his son [[Jahandar Shah]], under whom Asad Khan remained ''wakil-i-mutlaq''.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Irvine |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC |title=Later Mughals |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |year=1971 |pages=186}}</ref> He was also made governor of [[Gujarat Subah|Gujarat]], although he held this position in absentee.<ref name=":32">{{Cite book |last=Chandra |first=Satish |title=Parties and politics at the Mughal Court, 1707-1740 |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-565444-7 |edition=4th |location=New Delhi |pages=108 |oclc=50004530}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Abdullah al-Husayni (active c.1650) - Portrait of Nawab Asad Khan |url=https://www.rct.uk/collection/1005038-u/portrait-of-nawab-asad-khan |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=www.rct.uk |language=en}}</ref> The following year, Jahandar Shah was defeated in battle by [[Farrukhsiyar]], and sought refuge at Asad Khan's household. Asad Khan and his son Zulfiqar Khan, despite having supported Jahandar Shah uptil then, decided to turn over Jahandar Shah to the new emperor.<ref name=":04">{{Cite book |last=Irvine |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC |title=Later Mughals |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |year=1971 |pages=237–239}}</ref> However, Farrukhsiyar was mistrustful of Asad Khan and had his son killed. Asad Khan then spent the rest of his life in obscurity, and died on 15 June 1716.<ref name=":05">{{Cite book |last=Irvine |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC |title=Later Mughals |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |year=1971 |pages=250–253, 256–257}}</ref>

== Family ==
Asad Khan was married to Mehrunissa, daughter of [[Abu'l-Hasan Asaf Khan|Asaf Khan]]. Zulfiqar Khan was born to them in the year 1657; he was married to a daughter of noble Shaista Khan in 1677.<ref name=":06"/> Asad Khan had another son from his wife Nawal Bai named Inayat Khan,<ref>Shahnavaz Khan Aurangabadi; Beveridge, H. & Baini Prashad (translators) (1941/1952). *Maʾāṣir al-Umara of Shahnavaz Khan Aurangabadi*, Vol. 1. Asiatic Society, Calcutta. p. 279.</ref> who was married to the youngest daughter of [[Abul Hasan Qutb Shah]], the last ruler of the [[Golconda Sultanate]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Richards |first=John F. |title=Mughal Administration in Golconda |pages=58 |year=1975a |place=Oxford [England] |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=0-19-821561-4 |oclc=2932290}}</ref> Asad Khan also had a daughter who was married to Khuda Bandah Khan, son of noble [[Shaista Khan]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Khan |first=Muhammad Afzal |title=Position of I'timad-Ud Daula's Family During the Reign of Shah Jahan |date=1978 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44139382 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=39 |pages=437–438 |jstor=44139382 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref> Of his sons, Zulfiqar Khan had no children. Inayat Khan went insane in his last days, and died in Delhi living two sons: Salih Khan and Mirza Kazim. Salih Khan attained high rank in the reign of Jahandar Shah and was entitled Itiqad Khan, while Mirza Kazim ruined his reputation and career by his "association with dancers".<ref>Shahnavaz Khan Aurangabadi; Beveridge, H. & Baini Prashad (translators) (1941/1952). *Maʾāṣir al-Umara of Shahnavaz Khan Aurangabadi*, Vol. 1. Asiatic Society, Calcutta. p. 279.</ref>

== References ==
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[[Category:Grand viziers of the Mughal Empire]]
[[Category:1716 deaths]]
[[Category:Subahdars of Gujarat]]
[[Category:17th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:17th-century nobility]]
[[Category:18th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian nobility]]

Asad Khan (Mughal noble) - Revision history

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