StephanieWentwor at 19:37, 12 March 2026

2026-03-12T19:37:11Z

New page

{{Infobox royalty|name=Mirza Najaf Quli Khan
|image=
|caption=
|image_size= 250px
|title= [[Mirza (name)|Mirza]]<br />[[al-dawla|Saif-ud-Daula]]
| reign = {{nowrap|17 March 1780 – 23 August 1791}}
| reign1 = {{nowrap| Jan 1788 – 23 August 1791}}
| reign2 = {{nowrap| 1777 – 1782}}
| coronation =
| succession = [[Nawab]] of [[Madhogarh Fort, Haryana|Kanud]], [[Gurgaon]], [[Rohtak]] & [[Rewari]]
| succession1 = [[Mir Bakhshi]] of [[Mughal Empire]]
| succession2 = [[Faujdar]] of [[Saharanpur]] and [[Muzzafarnagar]]
| predecessor = Post Established
| successor = Daughter of [[Zabita Khan]]
| predecessor1 = [[Mirza Najaf Khan]]
| successor1 =
|full name=
| spouses = {{Marriage|Daughter of [[Zabita Khan]]|1777}}<br />{{Marriage|Daughter of [[Vizier]] Majad ud Daula|1778}}

| issue =
|father=
|birth_place= [[Mughal Empire]]
|death_date= 1791
|death_place= [[Madhogarh Fort, Haryana|Kanud]]
|place of burial =
| house = [[Rathore (Rajput clan)|Rathore]]
|religion = [[Sunni Islam]]
{{Infobox military person
| embed = yes
| rank= [[Mir Bakhshi]]
| battles =
* Jat-Mughal war of 1775-76
** Battle of Barsana
** [[Deeg|Capture of Deeg (1776)]]
* [[Kingdom of Rohilkhand|Rohilla Rebellion (1777)]]
* [[Madhogarh Fort, Haryana|Conquest of Kanud(1779-1780)]]
* [[Madhogarh Fort, Haryana|Siege of Kanud(1788-1789)]]
}}
}}
[[Nawab]] '''Saif-ud-Daula Najaf Quli Khan''' (died 23 August 1791) was a [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] military commander during the reign of [[Shah Alam II]]. An adopted son of [[Mirza Najaf Khan]], he was active during the period when the Mughal power in northern India was in a state of absolute decline.

== Biography ==
Born in a [[Rathore (Rajput clan)|Rathore]] Rajput family, Najaf Quli converted to Islam and quickly rose to high position under the patronage of Mirza Najaf Khan as one of his lieutenants.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keene |first=H. G. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Fall_of_the_Moghul_Empire/n0NPk6bKq9kC?hl=en |title=The Fall of the Moghul Empire |date=2000 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist |isbn=978-81-7156-903-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sharma |first=Mahendra Narain |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Life_and_Times_of_Begam_Samru_of_Sar/W_otAAAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=The Life and Times of Begam Samru of Sardhana, A.D. 1750-1836 |date=1985 |publisher=Vibhu Prakashan |pages=84 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shreeve |first=Nicholas |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dark_Legacy/Kh1uAAAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Dark Legacy |date=1996 |publisher=Bookwright |isbn=978-0-948395-04-8 |pages=42 |language=en}}</ref> During 1775/76 Mirza was involved in a prolonged war against the [[Bharatpur State|Jats of Bharatpur]] in modern-day [[Haryana]], who were in an open rebellion against the Mughal government. In 1775 the Jat army supported by a 5,000-strong contingent of [[Begum Samru]] was defeated by Najaf Quli Khan in the battle of Barsana, and the territories of [[Gurgaon]], [[Rewari]], [[Jhajjar]], [[Narnaul]] and [[Ballabhgarh]] were annexed by Mirza. By March 1776 the Jat capital of [[Deeg|Dig]] had been captured as well.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keene |first=H. G. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Fall_of_the_Moghul_Empire/n0NPk6bKq9kC?hl=en |title=The Fall of the Moghul Empire |date=2000 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist |isbn=978-81-7156-903-8 |pages=86-87 |language=en}}</ref>

Soon Mirza Najaf Khan, now the [[Mir Bakhshi]], had to focus his attention towards the [[Rohilla]] Afghans who under [[Zabita Khan|Zabita Khan Yousafzai]] for long had been a thorn for the Mughals. Zabita Khan's father [[Najib-ud-Daula|Najib-ud-Daula Yousafzai]] had been the de facto ruler of Delhi as the regent of the emperor until his death in 1770. Mirza accompanied with 5000 soldiers and artillery arrived at [[Panipat]] where he fought against Zabita Khan and his [[Sikh]] allies on 14 September 1777. The battle went on until night. The next day Sikh allies of Zabita Khan fled to [[Sirhind]] and Zabita Khan was forced to sign peace treaty with Mirza. As a part of peace treaty Mirza Najaf Khan married the sister of Zabita Khan while Zabita Khan's daughter (the sister of [[Ghulam Kadir]]) was married to Najaf Quli Khan.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Bhatia |first=Harbans Singh |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Political_Legal_and_Military_History_of/kB-LAAAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Political, Legal, and Military History of India |date=1986 |publisher=Deep & Deep Publications |pages=332 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Young |first=Desmond |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Fountain_of_the_Elephants/pN4mEpHU9dUC?hl=en |title=Fountain of the Elephants |date=1959 |publisher=Collins |pages=142 |language=en}}</ref> In return his estates were restored to him.<ref name=":0" /> After the victory Najaf Quli was appointed [[faujdar]] of [[Saharanpur]] and [[Muzaffarnagar]] with his capital at Ghausgarh.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=Hari Ram |url=http://archive.org/details/HistoryOfTheSikhsVol.IiiSikhDominationOfTheMughalEmpire1764-1803 |title=History Of The Sikhs Vol. III Sikh Domination Of The Mughal Empire (1764-1803) |pages=97-100 |language=English}}</ref>

In 1778 Najaf Quli married the daughter of the Kashmiri vizier of Mughal Empire, Majad-ud-Daula.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Keene |first=H. G. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Fall_of_the_Moghul_Empire/n0NPk6bKq9kC?hl=en |title=The Fall of the Moghul Empire |date=2000 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist |isbn=978-81-7156-903-8 |pages=93 |language=en}}</ref> In November 1779 Najaf Quli marched against the Raja of [[Madhogarh Fort, Haryana|Kanud fort]], Balwant Singh who had captured some of villages belonging to his estates and after treacherously massacring him along with 30 of his nobles, captured the fort on 17 March 1780.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gupta |first=R. K. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dalit_Literature/DLQeSBLpUwsC?hl=en |title=Dalit Literature: Our Response |last2=Bakshi |first2=S. R. |date=2012 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-7625-841-8 |pages=215-216 |language=en}}</ref> Najaf Quli made Kanud as his new stronghold and carved out a principality for him consisting of [[Mewat]] and [[Shekhawati]] regions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shreeve |first=Nicholas |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dark_Legacy/Kh1uAAAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Dark Legacy |date=1996 |publisher=Bookwright |isbn=978-0-948395-04-8 |pages=53 |language=en}}</ref> Najaf Quli later declared himself to be independent ruler of Gurgaon, Rewari, Jhajjar, Narnaul and [[Rohtak]], with Gokalgarh as capital.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shreeve |first=Nicholas |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dark_Legacy/Kh1uAAAAMAAJ?hl=en |title=Dark Legacy |date=1996 |publisher=Bookwright |isbn=978-0-948395-04-8 |pages=53 |language=en}}</ref>

After the death of Mirza Najaf Khan in April 1782 the Delhi became a scene of civil war among his four generals and ultimately all except Najaf Quli got killed. Shah Alam ultimately invited [[Mahadaji Shinde]] as the regent. In 1785 Najaf Quli was sent by Mahadaji to Jaipur to realise the tribute. In January 1788 Najaf Quli met Shah Alam and put forward his claims over the territories of [[Gokalgarh, Rewari|Gokulgarh]] and Rewari as well as over the position of Mir Bakhshi. Shah Alam was forced to please him and confirmed him on his holdings.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra Nath |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Anglo_Maratha_Relations_1785_96/Y-kanqrtVhYC?hl=en |title=Anglo-Maratha Relations, 1785-96 |date=1994 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-789-0 |pages=138 |language=en}}</ref>

In October 1788 [[Mirza Ismail Beg]] was sent by Mahadaji Shinde to take away control of his principality.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarkar Jadunath |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.17905 |title=Fall Of The Mughal Empire ( Vol - Iv ) |date=1950 |pages=14-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mittal |first=Satish Chandra |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Haryana_a_Historical_Perspective/2RKTigrrP1cC?hl=en |title=Haryana, a Historical Perspective |date=1986 |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref> Ismail Beg conquered Gurgaon and Rewari but could not capture Kanud itself, and ultimately abandoned its siege on 27 November 1789.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra Nath |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Anglo_Maratha_Relations_1785_96/Y-kanqrtVhYC?hl=en |title=Anglo-Maratha Relations, 1785-96 |date=1994 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=978-81-7154-789-0 |pages=152 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cheema |first=G. S. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Forgotten_Mughals/sBOSEQAAQBAJ?hl=en |title=The Forgotten Mughals: A History of the Later Emperors of the House of Babar (1707-1857) |date=2025 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-75228-3 |pages=422 |language=en}}</ref> In May 1790 Najaf Quli was restored his estates by Mahadaji in return for his help to defeat Ismail Beg, who had now become the enemy of the Marathas.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sarkar Jadunath |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.17905 |title=Fall Of The Mughal Empire ( Vol - Iv ) |date=1950 |pages=20}}</ref> Ismail Beg was ultimately forced to flee. Najaf Quli died on 23 August 1791 at Kanud.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Cheema |first=G. S. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Forgotten_Mughals/sBOSEQAAQBAJ?hl=en |title=The Forgotten Mughals: A History of the Later Emperors of the House of Babar (1707-1857) |date=2025 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-75228-3 |pages=426-427 |language=en}}</ref> After his death his widow (the daughter of Zabita Khan) gained control of his principality until she died in March 1792 from a cannon ball shot, and the principality was annexed by Mahadaji.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:1792 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:Indian military leaders]]
[[Category:Nobility from the Mughal Empire]]

Najaf Quli Khan - Revision history

StephanieWentwor at 19:37, 12 March 2026