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{{short description|one of the Sayyid Brothers, key figure in the Mughal Empire under Farrukhsiyar}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Nawab Sayyid Abdullah Khan II
| title = [[Nawab]] of [[Ajmer]], [[Allahabad]], [[Patna]], and [[Bihar Subah|Bihar]]
| image = Ḥasan ʿAlí Xárí, later ʿAbdulláh Xár Quṭb al-mulk..jpg
| caption = Nawab Syed Hassan Ali Khan Barha smoking a shish pipe while being attended to by a servant
| succession = [[Ajmer subah|Ajmer]]
| moretext =
| reign = 1710 – 13 November 1720
| predecessor = [[Syed Mian|Abdullah Khan I]]
| successor = Nawab Sayyid Najmudin Ali Khan
| succession1 = [[Allahabad|Allahbad]]
| predecessor1 = Shah Qudratullah of Allahabad
| successor1 = Sarbuland Khan
| birth_name = Hassan Ali Khan
| birth_date = {{birth year|1666}}
| birth_place = [[Jansath]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1722|10|12|1666|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Delhi]]
| burial_date =
| burial_place = [[Delhi]]
| full name =
| regnal name = Sayyid Mian II
| house = [[Barha Dynasty]]
| father = [[Syed Mian|Abdullah Khan I]]
| religion = [[Islam]]
| occupation = [[Grand vizier|Wazir E Azam]] and [[Sipah Salar]]
}}

'''Nawab Sayyid Hassan Ali Khan Barha''' (1666 – 12 October 1722), also known as Nawab Sayyid Mian II, Abdullah Khan II, was one of the [[Sayyid Brothers]], and a key figure in the [[Mughal Empire]] under [[Farrukhsiyar]].

He was the eldest son of the Nawab of Ajmer, [[Syed Mian|Sayyid Mian Abdullah Khan I]] and later inherited his father's titles as well as the name Abdullah Khan but was also frequently referred to as ''Qutb al mulk'', "Pivot of the Realm". Deposing emperors at their own will, both Abdullah Khan and his brother [[Nawab Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan Barha|Hussain Ali Khan]] become the most powerful figures in early 18th century India. As de facto rulers of India, which represented the world's largest economy at the time, the [[Sayyid brothers|Sayyid Brothers]] were the most influential figures in the world during their lifetimes.<ref>{{cite book |isbn=978-92-64-10414-3|title=Development Centre Studies the World Economy Historical Statistics: Historical Statistics|last1=Angus|first1=Maddison|date=2003-09-25}}</ref>

== Ancestry ==
Abdullah Khan was a member of the Barha Dynasty. The meaning of the name Barha is uncertain. While some contend that it comes from the word, "bahir", meaning "outsider" referring to the preference of members of the Barha dynasty to live outside [[Delhi]]. Others like the Emperor [[Jahangir]], believed that it came from the Hindi word, "barha", meaning "twelve". In reference to the twelve townships that members of the dynasty had received as fiefs from [[Muhammad of Ghor|Sultan Shibabdudin of Ghor]] when they first arrived in India.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nevill |first1=H.R. |title=Muzaffarnagar Imperial Gazetteer |journal=District Gazeiters of the United Provinces of Aga and Oudh |date=1920 |volume=III}}</ref>

The dynasty descends in the male line from the fourth [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun]] Caliph, [[Imam Ali|Ali]], through his younger son [[Imam Hussain|Hussain]] who married [[Shahrbanu]], herself a daughter of the [[Sasanian Empire|Sassanian]] [[Emperor of Persia]], [[Yazdegerd III|Yazdegard III]]. Due to Ali's status as an [[Adnanites|Adnanite]], the dynasty can trace its ancestry to [[Abraham]] through his eldest son [[Ishmael]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Abul Fazl |author-link=Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak |title=The Āʼīn-i Akbarī |title-link=Ain-i-Akbari |publisher=Sang-e-Meel Publications |translator-last=Blochmann |translator-first=Henry |editor-last=Phillott |editor-first=Douglas Craven |isbn=9693515307 |edition=2nd |year=2004 |orig-year=c. 1590}}</ref>

In [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]], Abdullah Khan's ancestors took part in many rebellions against the authority of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. One ancestor, Isa bin Zayd, revolted against the [[Al-Mahdi|Caliph Al Mahdi]] and was consequently poisoned by that caliph at the age of 45. Subsequently, the dynasty were heavily persecuted by the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] government, and eventually the founder of the Barha dynasty, Abul Farah Al Wasiti, fled from [[Madina]] to Wasit and from there he fled to the [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid Empire]]. His four sons entered into the military service of Sultan [[Muhammad of Ghor]] and received twelve fiefdoms in [[Punjab]], then a part of the [[Ghurid dynasty|Ghor Empire]], as reward for their service. Thus the dynasty became quickly established as [[Nobles of the Sword]] in ancient India, a status they held under several different empires. They held a particularly high status under the [[Sayyid dynasty|Sultanate of Delhi]]. When the Chief of the Barha, who was also the [[Diwan (title)|Diwan]] of the empire, was granted the fiefdom of Saharanpur due to his relation with the imperial family.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sirhindi |first1=Yahya |title=Tareek-e-Mubarak Shahi |isbn=978-8175365056|year=2010 }}</ref> They also enjoyed particularly prominent positions under the reign of the [[Sur Dynasty|Sur]], eventually defecting during the last days in the reign of [[Sikander Shah|Sikander Sur]] of the [[Sur Empire]], to the [[Emperor Akbar]] of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Empire in the course of the siege of Mankot .<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kazim |first1=Syed |title=A critical study of the role and achievements of Sayyid brothers |journal=Shodhganga |page=22 |hdl=10603/52425 |year=2000 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Reaz Ahmed |title=Afghans and Shaikhzadas in the nobility of Shah Jahan |journal=Shodhganga |page=15}}</ref>

The Barha dynasty maintains the unique status of having been the only dynasty to participate in all three [[Battle of Panipat (disambiguation)|Battles of Panipat]], seminal battles which shaped Indian History. Under the [[Lodi dynasty|Lodi]] in the [[First Battle of Panipat]]. In the [[Second Battle of Panipat]] they gained victory under [[Bairam Khan]], and finally in the [[Third Battle of Panipat|Third Battle Of Panipat]], the sons of [[Ali Mohammed Khan|Nawab Ali Muhammad Khan Rohilla]] fought with [[Ahmed-Shah-Abdali|Ahmed Shah Abidali]] against the [[Maratha Empire|Maratha]].

By the time of the [[Aurangzeb|Emperor Aurangzeb]], the dynasty was firmly regarded as "Old Nobility" and enjoyed the unique status of holding the premier realms of [[Ajmer]] and [[Deccan Plateau|Dakhin]]. Realms usually reserved for the rule of members of the Imperial Family.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Irvine |first1=William |title=The Later Mughals |isbn=978-1290917766 |page=203}}</ref>

== Biography ==
Over the course of his life. Abdullah Khan Barha had a hand in the installation or deposition of the [[Mughal emperors|Emperors]]: [[Bahadur Shah I]] I,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Irvine |first1=William |title=The Later Mughals |isbn=1290917760 |page=204}}</ref> [[Jahandar Shah]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Irivine |first1=William |title=The later Mughals |publisher=Low Price Publications |isbn=8175364068 |page=205}}</ref> [[Farrukhsiyar]], [[Rafi ud-Darajat|Rafi Ud Darajat]], [[Shah Jahan II|Shah Jahnan II]], [[Muhammad Shah]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kazim |first1=Syed |title=A critical study of the role and achievements of Sayyid brothers |journal=University |hdl=10603/57016 |year=2008 }}</ref> and [[Muhammad Ibrahim (Mughal emperor)|Ibrahim]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Present: King makers |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/883389 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en |date=1 November 2009}}</ref>

Barha was one of the main backers of [[Farrukhsiyar]]'s rise to the throne. He initially served as Bakshi for the empire but later rose to become the [[Vizier|Vezier]] or [[Prime minister|Prime Minister]]. He was additionally made the Nawab of [[Bihar Subah|Bihar]] which he ruled though proxy.

Upon the assassination of his brother, [[Nawab Sayyid Hussain Ali Khan Barha]] by Turkish and Turani nobles, he led an army against the Emperor [[Muhammad Shah]] with his own puppet Emperor, [[Muhammad Ibrahim (Mughal emperor)|Ibrahim]]. After large swathes of his own army deserted him, Abdullah Khan personally fought on foot following the Barha tradition and was captured by the Emperor. Eventually being poisoned on the instigation of Turkish nobles while in captivity.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ervine |first1=William |title=The later Mughals |publisher=Low Price Publications |isbn=8175364068}}</ref>

== Depictions ==
{{Gallery
| title = Depictions of Nawab Abdullah Khan Barha
| align =
| footer =
| style =
| state =
| height =
| width =
| captionstyle =
| File:
| alt1=
|
| File:India, Mughal Dynasty - Husain Ali Khan Entertaining His Brothers (The Sayyid Brothers) - 2013.334 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif
| alt2=
| Abdullah Khan (Gold Cummerbund) with his brothers. Seated opposite his younger brother Nawab Hussain Ali Khan Barha (without a cummerbund).
| File: A seated portrait of Sayyid Abdullah Khan holding court Early 18th century The British Museum.jpg
| alt3=
| Sayyid Abdullah Khan Barha holding court
| File:Ḥasan ʿAlí Xárí, later ʿAbdulláh Xár Quṭb al-mulk..jpg
| alt4=
| Abdullah Khan as Grand Vizier of the Mughal Empire
| File: Abdullah Khan Barha.jpg
| alt5=
| A young Abdullah Khan as governor of Allahbad during the reign of Bahadur Shah I
}}

==Sources==
*[[John F. Richards]]. ''New Cambridge History of India: The Mughal Empire''. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993. p. 264–268.

==References==
<references />

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barha, Syed Hassan Ali Khan}}
[[Category:1666 births]]
[[Category:1722 deaths]]
[[Category:Grand viziers of the Mughal Empire]]

Sayyid Hassan Ali Khan Barha - Revision history

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