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Maharaja '''Beni Bahadur''' was an administrator, minister, soldier & househelp (in reverse chronology) in the courts of the [[Nawab of Awadh|Nawabs of Awadh]] from 1733 / 1734 to at least 1798 & at most 1814. He was most notable for his rapid rise to power, industry and charity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Srivastava |first=Ashirbadi Lal |date=1939 |title=Rise and Fall of Maharajah Beni Bahadur, 1759-1767 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44252450 |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |volume=3 |pages=1034–1042 |issn=2249-1937}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Beni was born to a [[Brahmin]] father, Khem Karan, who lived in [[Baiswara]] in the modern day [[Unnao district]]. His father practiced as a physician during 1732 - 1739 when [[Saadat Ali Khan I]] was the reigning Nawab. The family facing poverty had to migrate to [[Faizabad]] where Khem Karan was blinded & had to resort to begging for feeding his family.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Syed Ghulam Ali Khan |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.351964 |title=Imadus-saadat |pages=80}}</ref> Beni at the age of 10 would visit the house of Atma Ram Khatri (the [[Dewan|Diwan]] of Saadat Ali Khan I),<ref>{{Cite book |title=Lucknow: memories of a city |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-563790-8 |editor-last=Graff |editor-first=Violette |location=Delhi |pages=28}}</ref> who was a generous philanthropist. Guiding his father to the crowd of the poor gathered in the Diwan's house to receive charity, he would talk to the servants of the Diwan's son Ram Narain & because of his good features found himself employment with them during the year 1733 / 1734. He was illiterate all his life.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Kalyan |title=Khulasat-ut-tawarikh |pages=123 b}}</ref>

== Career ==
At the age of 15/16 in the year 1739 Beni became a trooper in Ram Narain's bodyguard on the recommendation of a [[Nautch]] girl who said he wasn't doing work fit for a Brahmin.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Das |first=Hari Charan |title=Chahar Gulzar-i Shujai |pages=470 a}}</ref> In 1748 Raja Ram Narain was sent by [[Safdar Jang]] to [[Awadh]]'s frontier districts of [[Shahabad, Hardoi|Shahabad (Hardoi)]] & [[Shikohabad|Shikohabad (Agra)]]. Beni became the Raja's house manager & the title Prasad was suffixed to his name.

His work on the marriage ceremonies of Ram Narain's youngest son Hridai Narayan at [[Lahore]] & the generous donation of his few savings for the marriage of his poor friend's daughter earned him praise.<ref name=":0" /> He was introduced to the Awadh [[Durbar (court)]] by now Diwan Ram Narain's son Maha Narain & was the main administrator in the Diwan's office after the Narains' descent into debauchery. Once the [[Nawab]] [[Shuja-ud-Daula]] required 3 [[lakh]] rupees which couldn't be arranged by the Diwan but Beni was able to.<ref name=":1" /> Consequently, he was appointed [[Faujdar]] (magistrate) of [[Khairabad, Sitapur|Khairabad (Sitapur)]] on his request where he reconciled with the scattered [[Mughals|Mughal]] officers, increased crown territory & tax revenues.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Syed Ghulam Ali Khan |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.351964 |title=Imadus-saadat |pages=81}}</ref>

Beni's benefactors Ram Narain & Maha Narain were deposed & he was installed in their offices. He was given the title Bahadur when he was made the Diwan; Raja and later Maharaja when he became the [[Naib]] (deputy governor) of Awadh & [[Allahabad]] in the year 1759.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bilgrami |first=Sayyid Muhammad |title=Tabsirat-un-Nazirin (Tabsir) |pages=675}}</ref> In 1758 Beni Bahadur removed Azam Shah the ruler of [[Azamgarh]] from power & installed Fazl Ali Khan in his place but later had to depose him too & send him to [[Ghazipur]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rizavī |first=Saiyada Najamula Razā |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=T5RafkUBcvMC |title=Zamindars and Revenue Farmers of Eastern Uttar Pradesh: From Mughal to Colonial Rule |date=2004 |publisher=Anamika Publishers & Distributors |isbn=978-81-7975-053-7 |pages=137 |language=en}}</ref>

Beni Bahadur was sent by Shuja-ud-Daula along with Raja [[Maharaja Balwant Singh of Benares|Balwant Singh]] to prevent his brother Muhammad Quli Khan from crossing the [[Ganges|Ganga]] & to imprison him. The 2 Rajas blocked the river near [[Ramnagar, Varanasi|Ramnagar]] & imprisoned the Khan's camp near [[Mughalsarai]], when the Khan went to Shuja-ud-Daula to make peace his camp was destroyed by Beni Bahadur & the Raja.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Srivastava |first=Ashirbadi Lal |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.85274 |title=Shuja Ud Daulah Vol I |date= |publisher=S N Sarkar |year=1939 |edition=1st |location=Calcutta |pages=69-297}}</ref> When Shuja-ud-Daula went to join [[Ahmad Shah Abdali]]'s camp, he chose Beni Bahadur to be the guardian & advisor to his son [[Asaf-ud-Daula]] who was the acting Nawab.<ref name=":3" />

He commanded the Awadh army against the raids in January 1761 by the rebel Balbhadra Singh of [[Tiloi]] & Hindupat of [[Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh|Pratapgarh]] among other kings & the invading [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]] forces commanded by Gopal Ganesh Barve & Krishnanand Pant. He along with Rai (later Diwan) Surat Singh, [[Mirza Najaf Khan]] and [[Isma'il Beg]] drove the Marathas back to their positions in [[Kora Jahanabad]] & [[Kara, Uttar Pradesh|Kara]] and temporarily exiled the rebel kings.<ref name=":3" /> After the Maratha loss in the [[Third Battle of Panipat]] Beni Bahadur retook Kora & Kara, to reinstall [[Shah Alam II]] on the Mughal throne Maratha help was necessary, so Kara was returned to the Marathas.<ref name=":3" /> Kora was handed over by Beni Bahadur to Rup Singh Khichar, who lost all of it to the Marathas except for Ghazipur fort (near [[Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh|Fatehpur]]).<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Various authors |first= |url=http://archive.org/details/peshwa-daftar-madhav-rao |title=Peshwa Daftar Volume 29: Affairs of Northern India: Peshwa Madhav Rao I |publisher=Government Central Press |editor-last=Sardesai |editor-first=Govind Sakharam |location=Bombay |pages=4127, 4167}}</ref>

At the Battle of Panch Pahari in Bihar on 3rd May 1764 Beni Bahadur and Balwant Singh were on the right flank of Shuja-ud-Daula, opposite the [[Bengal Army]]'s left flank, they along with the Mughal Emperor & [[Mir Qasim]] were inactive.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last=Khan |first=Seid Gholam Hossein |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189348 |title=The Seir Mutaqherin Vol. 2 |date= |year=1926}}</ref> At the [[Battle of Buxar]] on the 23rd of October 1764, the left flank commanded by Beni Bahadur consisted of the [[Sheikh|Sheikhs]] of [[Kakori]] & [[Lucknow]] under Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Khan. This flank was overwhelmed by the British right flank under Lieutenant Nichol & Captain Harper, Ghulam Qadir Khan was killed<ref name=":4" /> & Beni Bahadur after entering the fight got confused & fled.<ref name=":5" />

On or before 28th October 1764 Shuja-ud-Daula & Beni Bahadur arrived in Bahadurpur where the Nawab wanted to fight the British once again by allying with the [[Rohilla dynasty|Rohilla]] & Maratha, but Beni Bahadur advised against this & the Nawab agreed.<ref name=":5" /> He went to [[Varanasi]] to negotiate with [[Hector Munro, 8th Laird of Novar|Hector Munro]] who was representing the [[East India Company]]. Munro asked for Mir Qasim & the French officers in the Awadh army to be handed over, he would vacate the Awadhi territory occupied if his conditions were met, he promised the [[Subahdar]] rank to Beni Bahadur if he defected to the British.<ref name=":3" /> Beni Bahadur then in a series of defections oscillated between being loyal to Shuja-ud-Daula & the British.<ref name=":3" />

When Beni Bahadur became aware of the British demand for the women/members in the Nawab's household as hostages, he knew the Nawab would never agree & returned to the Nawab's camp.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Bengal Secret Consultations |publisher=India Office Library |volume=III |location=London |pages=273, 284-86, 298}}</ref> Beni Bahadur's lapse of duty saw Raja Balbhadra Singh escape from his custody; [[Zamindar]] Bijai Singh of [[Bahraich]]'s murder of Bande Ali Khan (the son of district collector Khadim Hussain Khan), creation of disturbances in Beni's district, expulsion of his agents Din Dayal & Haji Beg and the implicit role in Bijai Singh's escape; & the instigating of the Muslim Raja of [[Mohammadi, Uttar Pradesh|Mohammadi]] to revolt.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ansari |first=Muhammad Ali Khan |url=https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Tarikh_i_Muzaffari.html |title=Tarikh-i Muzaffari |publisher=British Museum Manuscripts |year=1800 |pages=252b}}</ref>

== Blinding & death ==
The Nawab had secured [[Robert Clive]]'s approval to punish disloyal officers under Company protection at a meeting in [[Chhapra]].<ref name=":6" /> The Nawab unhappy with Beni Bahadur's frequently changing loyalties, action or lack of it & instigated by Salar Jang's advice captured Beni Bahadur at [[Khairabad, Sitapur|Khairabad (Sitapur)]] & confiscated his property.<ref name=":2" /> He was imprisoned in Faizabad & blinded by iron nails on 2nd March 1767 to prevent him from becoming powerful again lest the British help him.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Illahabadi |first=Fakir Maulvi Khair-ud-din |title=Ibrat Namah |pages=172-174}}</ref> The towns/villages of [[Ajgain]], [[Jhalotar]] and [[Beniganj]] in modern day [[Uttar Pradesh]] were granted to him as [[Jagir]] in the year 1770.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nevill |first=H. R. |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.113180 |title=Sitapur: A Gazetteer, Being Volume Xl Of The District Gazetteers Of The United Provinces Of Agra And Oudh |date=1905 |publisher=Government Press |location=Allahabad |pages=188-191}}</ref> He died during the reign of Nawab [[Saadat Ali Khan II]] (between 1798 - 1814).<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last=Ashirbadi Lal Srivastava |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.281926 |title=Shuja-ud-daulah Volume II 1765-1775 |publisher=Minerva Book Shop |year=1945 |location=Lahore |pages=57, 332 - 334 |language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |Political offices<ref name=":7" />
|-
| rowspan="1" |Preceded by
Khwaja Tamkeen Khan
| rowspan="1" |'''Naib of Awadh & Allahabad'''
1759 – February 1767
| rowspan="1" |Succeeded by
Muhammad Elich Khan
|-
| rowspan="1" |Preceded by
Maha Narain Khatri
| rowspan="1" |'''Diwan of Awadh & Allahabad'''
1759 – February 1767
| rowspan="1" |Succeeded by
Raja Surat Singh
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahadur, Beni}}
[[Category:Administrators]]
[[Category:Brahmins]]
[[Category:Awadh]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Nawabs of Awadh]]
[[Category:18th century]]

Beni Bahadur - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article