Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Mughal general and noble (c. 1649–1710)}}
{{For|other people with similar names|Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung (disambiguation)}}
{{For|other people with similar names|Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung (disambiguation)}}


{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
[[File:Ghazi ud Din Khan Feroze Jung I.jpg|thumb|Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I, [[Hyderabad]], 1690]]
 
'''Mir Shahâb ud-Din Siddiqi '''titled''' Farzand-i-Arjumand, Nawab Ghazi ud-din Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi Bahadur, Feroze Jung I, Sipah Salar''' (c. 1649–1710) was the son of [[Kilich Khan]] Khwaja Abid Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi the ''Sadr us Sudur'' of [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] and was raised to the rank of an ''Amir'' with the initial titles of Ghazi ud-Din Bahadur Khan and later ''Feroze Jung'' after his father's death. He was commander and chief at the Siege of [[Golkonda]] Fort in 1686 when Emperor [[Aurangzeb]] personally conquered [[Deccan Sultanates|Golkonda Sultanate]] taking the last Sultan [[Abul Hasan Qutb Shah]] prisoner.
{{Infobox officeholder
| image              = Ghazi ud Din Khan Feroze Jung I.jpg
| name                = Mir Shihab-ud-Din Siddiqi
| spouse              = Safiya Khanum
| birth_place        = [[Bukhara]]
| office1            = [[Subahdar]] of [[Berar Subah|Berar]]
| office2            = [[Subahdar]] of [[Gujarat Subah|Gujarat]]
| office3            = [[Subahdar]] of [[Ajmer Subah|Ajmer]]
| death_place        = [[Ahmedabad]], [[Gujarat Subah]]
| death_date          = {{death date|1710|12|8|df=yes}}
| birth_date          = 1649
| termstart1          = 1698
| termend1            = ?
| term3              = {{date|12 April 1708|dmy}}-? <br /> {{date|15 June 1708}}-?
| parents            = [[Kilich Khan|Abid Khan]]
| children            = {{plainlist|
*[[Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I|Chin Qilich Khan]]
*Hamid Khan Bahadur
*Rahimuddin Khan}}
| caption            = Portrait of Ghaziuddin Bahadur Khan Firuz Jang I, {{circa|1675}}, from [[LACMA]]
| title              =
| honorific_prefix    = Ghaziuddin Khan Bahadur, Firuz Jang, Farzand-i Arjomand
| honorific_suffix    =
| resting_place      = [[Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan]], [[Old Delhi]]
| monarch1            = [[Aurangzeb]]
| monarch2            = [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]]
| monarch3            = [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]]
| battles            = [[Siege of Bijapur]] (1685-1686)<br/>[[Siege of Golconda]] (1687)<br/>[[Battle of Sironj]] (1704)
| awards              = [[Mahi Maratib]]
| termend2            = 8 December 1710
| term_end            =
| termstart2          = 1708
| preceded2          = Ibrahim Khan
}}
'''Mir Shihab-ud-Din Siddiqi''' ({{Circa|1649}}-{{death date|1710|12|8|df=yes}}), known by his title '''Ghaziuddin Khan''', was a leading military general and noble of [[Central Asian]] origin in the [[Mughal Empire]].
 
He was a favoured member of emperor [[Aurangzeb|Aurangzeb's]] court, and the father of [[Chin Qilich Khan]], the founder of [[Hyderabad State]]. Under Aurangzeb, he distinguished himself in key battles over the [[Deccan]], and held the governorship of [[Berar Subah]]. He briefly served as the governor of [[Gujarat Subah]] during the reign of Aurangzeb's successor [[Bahadur Shah I|Bahadur Shah]], and died in office. He is buried in a [[madrasa]] complex he founded, known as [[Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan]], which is located in [[Old Delhi]].


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Mir Shahab ud-Din hailed from [[Bukhara]]. He arrived in India around the year 1674.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Asher|first=Catherine B.|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/chol9780521267281|title=Architecture of Mughal India|date=24 September 1992|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-26728-1|pages=274|doi=10.1017/chol9780521267281 }}</ref>
Ghaziuddin Khan was born in [[Bukhara]] (in present-day [[Uzbekistan]]) as Mir Shihab ud-Din Siddiqi, in the year 1649.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=General Ghazi al-Din Bahadur Khan Firuz Jang I (recto), Calligraphy (verso) {{!}} LACMA Collections |url=https://collections.lacma.org/node/246400 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223070131/https://collections.lacma.org/node/246400 |archive-date=2023-02-23 |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=collections.lacma.org}}</ref> He was the eldest son of [[Kilich Khan|Abid Khan]], who had emigrated to Mughal India earlier than him and later became a favoured noble of emperor Aurangzeb. Ghaziuddin Khan's grandfather was a prominent intellectual of Bukhara named Alam Shaikh, who traced his descent to renowned saint [[Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardi|Shihabuddin Suhrawardi]] (d. 1234).{{Sfn|Faruqui|2009|p=7}}<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=46–49 |oclc=50004530}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
He was made ''[[Subahdar]]'' (governor) of [[Gujarat Subah]] (province) during the reign of the Mughal Emperor [[Bahadur Shah I]]. He died in [[Ahmedabad]] in 1710 and was taken to [[Delhi]] where he was buried in the yard of the college built by him in front of the [[Ajmer]]i Gate.<ref>''[[An Oriental Biographical Dictionary|An oriental biographical dictionary: founded on materials collected by the late Thomas William Beale]]''; by Thomas William Beale, [[Henry George Keene (1826–1915)|Henry George Keene]], 2nd edition, published by W. H. Allen, 1894, Original from the University of California</ref> His son was the famous [[Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I|Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi, Asaf Jah I]] the first [[Nizam of Hyderabad]].


Men in his command included his son [[Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I|Qamar-ud-din Khan]] and others such as: Hamid Khan and Rahim-ud-din Khan.
=== Reign of Aurangzeb ===
Mir Shihab-ud-Din arrived in Mughal India around 1670, during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Koch |first=Ebba |title=The Delhi College : traditional elites, the colonial state, and education before 1857 |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |others=Margrit Pernau |isbn=978-0-19-567723-2 |location=New Delhi |pages=36–37 |chapter=The Madrasa of Ghaziu' d-Din Khan at Delhi |oclc=75615171}}</ref> Accepted into the court, he was soon deployed as a commander in several military campaigns of the [[Deccan]]. He received the title '<nowiki/>''Ghaziuddin Khan Bahadur''<nowiki/>' in 1684 due to his successes fighting against the [[Marathas]]. He additionally received the title '''Firuz Jang''<nowiki/>' (victorious in battle) in 1685.<ref name=":1" /> He also distinguished himself in 1681 by performing a dangerous mission during the rebellion of Aurangzeb's fourth son, prince [[Muhammad Akbar (Mughal prince)|Muhammad Akbar]].{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|p=298}}


==Personal life==
In 1685, he participated in the [[Siege of Bijapur]],<ref name=":0" /> and was credited with the campaign's success. He was particularly recognised for leading a difficult expedition during this campaign, to relieve a trapped and starving army led by prince [[Muhammad Azam Shah|Azam]], Aurangzeb's third son. For his action he was rewarded with the ''[[Mahi Maratib]]'' (fish standard), and received the title '<nowiki/>''farzand-i arjomand''' (distinguished son).<ref name=":3" />{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|p=298}} A year later, he captured the city of [[Adoni]].<ref name=":3" />
He was married first at Delhi with Wazirunisa Begum daughter of Nawab [[Saadullah Khan (Mughal Empire)|Saadullah Khan Bahadur]] wazir to Emperor Shahjahan. Having had issue a son, [[Qamar-ud-din Khan, Asaf Jah I]] and a daughter who married to Sahibzada Hamidullah Khan son of Imad Ul Mulk Nawab Khwaja Mohammed Mubariz Khan Bahadur sometime Subadar of Deccan.


==Philanthropy==
In 1687, he fought in the [[Siege of Golconda]] and capture of Hyderabad,<ref name=":0" /> in which campaign his father Abid Khan died.<ref name=":3" /> During this campaign, he alerted the emperor Aurangzeb of collusion between his second son, prince [[Bahadur Shah I|Muazzam]], and the enemy (the [[Golconda Sultanate]]). He also played a significant part in the subsequent arrest of Muazzam and his four sons.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|p=298}} According to historian [[Satish Chandra (historian)|Satish Chandra]], Ghaziuddin Khan lost his eyesight in 1686 due to [[bubonic plague]] in Hyderabad; however, [[Ebba Koch]] asserts that he lost his eyesight in 1690, and attributes this to a plague during the Siege of Bijapur. After he was blinded, he was allowed to continue his career in the Mughal military and administration.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" />
In 1690s, through religious endowment he founded a [[madarsa]], ''Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan'' after him.


=== Ghaziuddin complex ===
Beginning in the late 1680s, the nobles of Aurangzeb's court were split into two rival factions: Ghaziuddin Khan and his son [[Chin Qilich Khan]] (later Nizam of Hyderabad) were leaders of one group, while the other group was headed by [[Asad Khan (Mughal noble)|Asad Khan]] (''wazir'' or chief minister of the empire) and his son [[Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung|Zulfiqar Khan]]. Key members of the first faction were Ghaziuddin Khan, his son Chin Qilich Khan, his cousin [[Muhammad Amin Khan Turani|Muhammad Amin Khan]], and two other sons of his, Hamid Khan Bahadur and Rahimuddin Khan.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|p=297}}<ref name=":3" />
{{Main|Ghaziuddin complex}}
The '''Ghaziuddin Khan complex''' or the '''Madrasa Ghaziuddin''' in [[Old Delhi]] located adjacent to [[New Delhi railway station]] on the [[Ajmeri Gate]] side consists of the mosque and tomb of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I and the [[Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School]]. Previously a madrasa functioned here. Over the decades different educational institutions have functioned from here.


''Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan'' became the historic and influential [[Zakir Husain College|Delhi College]] which eventually paved way for the present [[Zakir Hussain College]] ([[University of Delhi]]), which in 1986, shifted to a new building outside Turkman Gate, the old structure in the Madrasa Ghaziuddin complex, still houses a hostel for the college and also has his Ghaziuddin's mausoleum.<ref>[[Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I#Fa|Fanshawe, p. 64]]</ref><gallery caption="Structures at Ghaziuddin complex">
In 1698, Ghaziuddin Khan was appointed governor of [[Berar Subah]], a province of the empire. He held this governorship for the rest of Aurangzeb's reign,<ref name=":3" /> and played an active role in defending the province from Maratha assaults.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Richards |first=John F. |title=The Mughal empire |date=2010 |publisher=Cambridge Univ. Press |isbn=978-0-521-56603-2 |edition=Transferred to digital print |series=The new Cambridge history of India / general ed. Gordon Johnson 1, The Mughals and their contemporaries |location=Cambridge |pages=236}}</ref> In 1704, Feroze Jung [[Battle of Sironj|routed a Maratha army]] that was besieging [[Sironj]].<ref>Jadunath Sarkar, [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.513883/page/383/mode/1up History of Aurangzib Volume V], p .384</ref>
File:Tomb of Ghaziuddin Khan.jpg|Tomb of Ghaziuddin Khan
File:The courtyard of Ghazi al-Din Khan's Madrassah at Delhi 1814-15.jpg|Courtyard of Ghazi al-Din Khan's Madrassah at Delhi 1814-15
File:Close view oof marble stone grave (cropped).JPG|A grave at the complex
File:Graves in compound of anglo arabic model school.JPG|Graves in the complex
File:Sitaram1814b.jpg|The tomb and surrounding marble enclosure of Ghazi al-Din Khan, Sita Ram 1814
File:Mosque of Ghaziuddin Khan.jpg|Mosque of Ghaziuddin
</gallery>


==References==
=== War of Succession ===
{{reflist}}
{{Further|Mughal war of succession (1707–1709)}}
In the early 1700s, as emperor Aurangzeb's death loomed, Ghaziuddin Khan (along with Chin Qilich Khan and Muhammad Amin) decided to stay neutral in any potential war of succession among the princes. Ghaziuddin Khan and other members of the family also began to stockpile arms, in anticipation of aggression from the princes. Historian Munis Faruqui describes their policy as one of 'armed neutrality', and notes that previously in Mughal history, nobles had never been allowed to stay neutral in succession conflicts.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2009|pp=13-14}}{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|pp=309-310}}
 
The succession struggle was kicked off when the aged emperor died in 1707, at the imperial camp in Ahmadnagar; the prince [[Muhammad Azam Shah|Azam Shah]] subsequently crowned himself emperor there. Ghaziuddin Khan was repeatedly asked to join Azam Shah in the coming battle against prince [[Muhammad Mu'azzam|Muazzam]], to no success. Ghaziuddin remained in [[Daulatabad Fort|Daulatabad]], making no move to join Azam. Seeking to stay on good terms with the noble, Azam Shah styled him governor of [[Ahmadnagar Subah|Aurangabad]] and [[Viceroy of the Deccan]], sending him several gifts.<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=51–52 |oclc=50004530}}</ref>{{Sfn|Faruqui|2009|pp=13-14}}
 
=== Reign of Bahadur Shah ===
Aurangzeb's second son, prince Muazzam, emerged victorious in the war of succession and was crowned as emperor Bahadur Shah. Ghaziuddin Khan and his family were pardoned and rewarded by the emperor despite their lack of support in the war, possibly due to their military value.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2009|pp=13-14}} Ghaziuddin Khan was made governor of [[Gujarat Subah]] by the emperor, replacing Ibrahim Khan. Ghaziuddin Khan began attempts to stabilise the province, by appointing fifty spies to report on rebel [[Rajputs]] and Marathas (who occupied the northern and southern frontiers of the province respectively). However, his efforts were cut short by his death in 1710, marking the close of his tenure at a mere two years.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sheth |first=Sudev |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/9781009330213/type/book |title=Bankrolling Empire: Family Fortunes and Political Transformation in Mughal India |date=2023-11-30 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-009-33021-3 |edition=1 |pages=159–160 |chapter=Interlude: Cultivating Financial Crisis under Aurangzeb, 1660s–1719 |doi=10.1017/9781009330213.005}}</ref>
 
During Bahadur Shah's reign, Ghaziuddin Khan was also dispatched to combat recalcitrant Rajput ''rajas'', for which purpose he was made the absentee governor of [[Ajmer Subah|Ajmer]] on 12 April 1708 (he was dismissed shortly after and reappointed on 15 June).<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=76 |oclc=50004530}}</ref>
 
== Death ==
[[File:Tomb_of_Ghaziuddin_Khan.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Ghaziuddin Khan, in the [[Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan|Ghaziuddin Madrasa complex]]]]
Ghaziuddin Khan died in [[Ahmedabad|Ahmadabad]], capital of Gujarat Subah, on 8 December 1710. His body was brought to Delhi, where it was buried at a [[madrasa]] complex he had founded during his lifetime ([[Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan]]), located near Delhi's Ajmeri Gate. Following his death, the Mughal state confiscated his assets, as per custom.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Irvine |first=William |year=1898 |title=The Later Mughals (1707-1803), Chapter IV |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7WYyAQAAMAAJ&dq=firuz+jang+gujarat&pg=PA163 |journal=Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal |volume=67 |issue=2 |page=163}}</ref>
 
== Family ==
Emperor Aurangzeb took an active interest in cultivating Ghaziuddin Khan and his family, perhaps in an effort to gain an ultra-loyal group of nobles. Upon Ghaziuddin's arrival in India, Aurangzeb arranged him a prestigious marriage to Safiya Khanum, daughter of renowned Mughal ''wazir'' [[Saadullah Khan (Mughal Empire)|Saadullah Khan]]. This honor was in addition to several promotions his father Abid Khan had received prior.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|pp=297-298}} The marriage took place in 1670; their first son was Chin Qilich Khan (born Mir Qamaruddin), who Aurangzeb personally named and mentored.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2009|p=7}} He went on to become a major noble of the court, later becoming the first [[Nizam of Hyderabad|Nizam]] and founder of [[Hyderabad State]].{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|p=264}} Ghaziuddin Khan was first cousins with noble [[Muhammad Amin Khan Turani|Muhammad Amin Khan]], who was promoted to the high-ranking position of ''[[Government of the Mughal Empire#law|sadr-us-sudur]]'' during Aurangzeb's reign,{{Sfn|Faruqui|2009|p=12}} and later became ''[[Vizier|wazir]]'' (prime minister) of the empire.{{Sfn|Faruqui|2012|p=16}} Ghaziuddin Khan also had two other sons: Hamid Khan Bahadur and Rahimuddin Khan.<ref name=":3" />


=== Works cited ===
==Patronage==
{{Main|Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan}}


* {{cite book |title=Delhi, past and present|author=H.C. Fanshawe|publisher=Asian Educational Services|year= 1998|isbn=81-206-1318-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vJ4HFt5S8CcC&q=Paharganj&pg=PA69|ref=Fa}}
Around the turn of the 18th century, Ghaziuddin Khan founded a ''madrasa'' complex today located in Old Delhi, near the Ajmeri Gate. The ''madrasa'' was one of Delhi's three main ''madrasas'' during the reign of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah I. It shut down in the 1790s and reopened in 1792 through the patronage of Delhi's wealthy Muslim class. It went on to house colonial education institutions, namely Delhi College and then the [[Anglo Arabic Senior Secondary School|Anglo-Arabic school]]. Since 1948, the building has been in use by [[Zakir Husain Delhi College]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pernau |first=Margrit |title=The Delhi College |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-567723-2 |editor-last=Pernau |editor-first=Margrit |location=New-Delhi |pages=4–6 |chapter=Introduction}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Citation |last1=Razzack |first1=Azra |title=Founding of an Institution and Its Journey |date=2023-01-12 |work=The School at Ajmeri Gate |pages=29–C1.N250 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9788194831624.003.0002 |access-date=2023-06-17 |publisher=Oxford University PressDelhi |isbn=978-81-948316-2-4 |last2=Siddiqui |first2=M. Atyab |doi=10.1093/oso/9788194831624.003.0002 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Koch |first=Ebba |title=The Delhi College |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-567723-2 |editor-last=Pernau |editor-first=Margrit |location=New-Delhi |chapter=The Madrasa of Ghaziu'd-Din Khan at Delhi}}</ref> The ''madrasa'' complex exemplifies late Mughal architecture, and is one of the few surviving ''madrasas'' dating to the Mughal period.<ref name=":12" />


== Bibliography for Ghaziuddin complex ==
==References==
{{Reflist}}


* {{Cite journal |last1=Ali |first1=Asif |last2=Saquib |first2=Mohammad |date=January–April 2022 |title=Ghaziuddin Khan Complex: A Remarkable Monument in the Development of Late Mughal Architecture |url=http://ijarch.org/Admin/Articles/IJA8.pdf |journal=Indian Journal of Archaeology |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=780–789 |issn=2455-2798}}
== Bibliography ==
* {{Citation |title=South Shahjahanabad |url=https://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/article/pdfs/South%20Shahjahanabad.pdf |publisher=[[Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage]] (INTACH Delhi Chapter). [[World Monuments Fund]].}}
*{{cite book|last= Fanshawe |first=H.C. |title=Delhi: Past and Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vJ4HFt5S8CcC|access-date=27 September 2013|year=1998|publisher=Asian Educational Services|isbn=978-81-206-1318-8}}
* {{Cite book |last=Jafa |first=Navina |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WrKICwAAQBAJ&pg=PT49 |title=Performing Heritage: Art of Exhibit Walks |date=2012 |publisher=SAGE Publications India |isbn=978-81-321-1701-8 |language=en |chapter=Chapter 2}}
* {{Citation |last=Faruqui |first=Munis D |title=At Empire's End: The Nizam, Hyderabad and Eighteenth-Century India |date=2009 |journal=Modern Asian Studies |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=5–43 |series= |doi=10.1017/S0026749X07003290 |issn=0026-749X |jstor=20488070|s2cid=146592706 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Ronald Vivian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cN7-8ZwviRgC |title=The Delhi that No-one Knows |date=2005 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-8028-020-7 |pages=57–58 |author-link=Ronald Vivian Smith}}
* {{Citation |last=Faruqui |first=Munis D |title=Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504-1719 |year=2012 |publication-place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-52619-7 |oclc=808366461}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Sharmin |last2=Ali |first2=Asif |last3=Khozaei |first3=Fatemeh |last4=Hussain |first4=Anwar |date=July 2021 |others=The Scientific Journal of NAZAR research center (Nrc) for Art, Architecture & Urbanism |title=The Stylistic Similarity of Mughal Architecture with Malaysian Mosques: An Alternative Approach |journal=Bagh-e Nazar |volume=18 |issue=97 |pages=97–108 |doi=10.22034/bagh.2020.225896.4526 |doi-access=free}}
* {{cite book |author=H.C. Fanshawe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vJ4HFt5S8CcC&q=Paharganj&pg=PA69 |title=Delhi, past and present |publisher=Asian Educational Services |year=1998 |isbn=81-206-1318-X |ref=Fa}}
* {{Citation |title=Delhi: The Built Heritage |date=2021 |url=https://online.dda.org.in/mpd2041dda/_layouts/MPD2041FINALSUGGESTION/Vol%204.pdf |volume=4 |pages=35–39 |publisher=[[Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage]] (INTACH Delhi Chapter). [[National Institute of Urban Affairs]]. [[Delhi Development Authority]]}}
* {{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Firoz Bakht |title=Delhi's oldest running institution: Anglo Arabic School: a three-century old academic |url=https://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15062002/1506200256.htm |website=[[The Milli Gazette]] |issn=0972-3366}}
* {{Cite web |last=Soofi |first=Mayank Austen |author-link=Mayank Austen Soofi |date=2017-05-23 |title=Delhiwale: Where schoolyard meets graveyard |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/delhi-wale-where-schoolyard-meets-graveyard/story-9fKtoqCAYG4dLbvCXycOMO.html |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}
* {{Cite news |date=16-31 March 2005 |title=Legacy of Mughal era rots |work=The Milli Gazette |url=https://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/16-31Mar05-Print-Edition/163103200525.htm}}
* {{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2 July 2019 |title=174 monuments, sites in Delhi declared 'monuments of national importance': Govt |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/174-monuments-sites-in-delhi-declared-monuments-of-national-importance-govt-796124 |website=The Tribune India}}


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[[Category:17th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian Muslims]]
[[Category:Subahdars of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Subahdars of Gujarat]]
[[Category:People from Hyderabad State]]
[[Category:Subahdars of Berar]]
[[Category:18th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:People from Bukhara]]
[[Category:People from Bukhara]]
[[Category:17th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:18th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:Banu Abu Bakr]]

Latest revision as of 17:12, 16 November 2025


For other people with similar names, see Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung (disambiguation).


Ghaziuddin Khan Bahadur, Firuz Jang, Farzand-i Arjomand
Mir Shihab-ud-Din Siddiqi
Portrait of Ghaziuddin Bahadur Khan Firuz Jang I, c. 1675, from LACMA
Subahdar of Berar
In office
1698 – ?
MonarchAurangzeb
Subahdar of Gujarat
In office
1708 – 8 December 1710
MonarchBahadur Shah
Preceded byIbrahim Khan
Subahdar of Ajmer
In office
12 April 1708-?
15 June 1708-?
MonarchBahadur Shah
Personal details
Born1649
Bukhara
Died(1710-12-08)8 December 1710
Ahmedabad, Gujarat Subah
Resting placeMadrasa Ghaziuddin Khan, Old Delhi
Spouse(s)Safiya Khanum
Children
Parent(s)Abid Khan
AwardsMahi Maratib
Military service
Battles/warsSiege of Bijapur (1685-1686)
Siege of Golconda (1687)
Battle of Sironj (1704)

Mir Shihab-ud-Din Siddiqi (c. 1649-(1710-12-08)8 December 1710), known by his title Ghaziuddin Khan, was a leading military general and noble of Central Asian origin in the Mughal Empire.

He was a favoured member of emperor Aurangzeb's court, and the father of Chin Qilich Khan, the founder of Hyderabad State. Under Aurangzeb, he distinguished himself in key battles over the Deccan, and held the governorship of Berar Subah. He briefly served as the governor of Gujarat Subah during the reign of Aurangzeb's successor Bahadur Shah, and died in office. He is buried in a madrasa complex he founded, known as Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan, which is located in Old Delhi.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Ghaziuddin Khan was born in Bukhara (in present-day Uzbekistan) as Mir Shihab ud-Din Siddiqi, in the year 1649.[1] He was the eldest son of Abid Khan, who had emigrated to Mughal India earlier than him and later became a favoured noble of emperor Aurangzeb. Ghaziuddin Khan's grandfather was a prominent intellectual of Bukhara named Alam Shaikh, who traced his descent to renowned saint Shihabuddin Suhrawardi (d. 1234).[2][3]

Career[edit | edit source]

Reign of Aurangzeb[edit | edit source]

Mir Shihab-ud-Din arrived in Mughal India around 1670, during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.[1][4] Accepted into the court, he was soon deployed as a commander in several military campaigns of the Deccan. He received the title 'Ghaziuddin Khan Bahadur' in 1684 due to his successes fighting against the Marathas. He additionally received the title 'Firuz Jang' (victorious in battle) in 1685.[4] He also distinguished himself in 1681 by performing a dangerous mission during the rebellion of Aurangzeb's fourth son, prince Muhammad Akbar.[5]

In 1685, he participated in the Siege of Bijapur,[1] and was credited with the campaign's success. He was particularly recognised for leading a difficult expedition during this campaign, to relieve a trapped and starving army led by prince Azam, Aurangzeb's third son. For his action he was rewarded with the Mahi Maratib (fish standard), and received the title 'farzand-i arjomand' (distinguished son).[3][5] A year later, he captured the city of Adoni.[3]

In 1687, he fought in the Siege of Golconda and capture of Hyderabad,[1] in which campaign his father Abid Khan died.[3] During this campaign, he alerted the emperor Aurangzeb of collusion between his second son, prince Muazzam, and the enemy (the Golconda Sultanate). He also played a significant part in the subsequent arrest of Muazzam and his four sons.[5] According to historian Satish Chandra, Ghaziuddin Khan lost his eyesight in 1686 due to bubonic plague in Hyderabad; however, Ebba Koch asserts that he lost his eyesight in 1690, and attributes this to a plague during the Siege of Bijapur. After he was blinded, he was allowed to continue his career in the Mughal military and administration.[3][4]

Beginning in the late 1680s, the nobles of Aurangzeb's court were split into two rival factions: Ghaziuddin Khan and his son Chin Qilich Khan (later Nizam of Hyderabad) were leaders of one group, while the other group was headed by Asad Khan (wazir or chief minister of the empire) and his son Zulfiqar Khan. Key members of the first faction were Ghaziuddin Khan, his son Chin Qilich Khan, his cousin Muhammad Amin Khan, and two other sons of his, Hamid Khan Bahadur and Rahimuddin Khan.[6][3]

In 1698, Ghaziuddin Khan was appointed governor of Berar Subah, a province of the empire. He held this governorship for the rest of Aurangzeb's reign,[3] and played an active role in defending the province from Maratha assaults.[7] In 1704, Feroze Jung routed a Maratha army that was besieging Sironj.[8]

War of Succession[edit | edit source]

Further information: Mughal war of succession (1707–1709)

In the early 1700s, as emperor Aurangzeb's death loomed, Ghaziuddin Khan (along with Chin Qilich Khan and Muhammad Amin) decided to stay neutral in any potential war of succession among the princes. Ghaziuddin Khan and other members of the family also began to stockpile arms, in anticipation of aggression from the princes. Historian Munis Faruqui describes their policy as one of 'armed neutrality', and notes that previously in Mughal history, nobles had never been allowed to stay neutral in succession conflicts.[9][10]

The succession struggle was kicked off when the aged emperor died in 1707, at the imperial camp in Ahmadnagar; the prince Azam Shah subsequently crowned himself emperor there. Ghaziuddin Khan was repeatedly asked to join Azam Shah in the coming battle against prince Muazzam, to no success. Ghaziuddin remained in Daulatabad, making no move to join Azam. Seeking to stay on good terms with the noble, Azam Shah styled him governor of Aurangabad and Viceroy of the Deccan, sending him several gifts.[11][9]

Reign of Bahadur Shah[edit | edit source]

Aurangzeb's second son, prince Muazzam, emerged victorious in the war of succession and was crowned as emperor Bahadur Shah. Ghaziuddin Khan and his family were pardoned and rewarded by the emperor despite their lack of support in the war, possibly due to their military value.[9] Ghaziuddin Khan was made governor of Gujarat Subah by the emperor, replacing Ibrahim Khan. Ghaziuddin Khan began attempts to stabilise the province, by appointing fifty spies to report on rebel Rajputs and Marathas (who occupied the northern and southern frontiers of the province respectively). However, his efforts were cut short by his death in 1710, marking the close of his tenure at a mere two years.[12]

During Bahadur Shah's reign, Ghaziuddin Khan was also dispatched to combat recalcitrant Rajput rajas, for which purpose he was made the absentee governor of Ajmer on 12 April 1708 (he was dismissed shortly after and reappointed on 15 June).[13]

Death[edit | edit source]

Tomb of Ghaziuddin Khan, in the Ghaziuddin Madrasa complex

Ghaziuddin Khan died in Ahmadabad, capital of Gujarat Subah, on 8 December 1710. His body was brought to Delhi, where it was buried at a madrasa complex he had founded during his lifetime (Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan), located near Delhi's Ajmeri Gate. Following his death, the Mughal state confiscated his assets, as per custom.[4][14]

Family[edit | edit source]

Emperor Aurangzeb took an active interest in cultivating Ghaziuddin Khan and his family, perhaps in an effort to gain an ultra-loyal group of nobles. Upon Ghaziuddin's arrival in India, Aurangzeb arranged him a prestigious marriage to Safiya Khanum, daughter of renowned Mughal wazir Saadullah Khan. This honor was in addition to several promotions his father Abid Khan had received prior.[15] The marriage took place in 1670; their first son was Chin Qilich Khan (born Mir Qamaruddin), who Aurangzeb personally named and mentored.[2] He went on to become a major noble of the court, later becoming the first Nizam and founder of Hyderabad State.[16] Ghaziuddin Khan was first cousins with noble Muhammad Amin Khan, who was promoted to the high-ranking position of sadr-us-sudur during Aurangzeb's reign,[17] and later became wazir (prime minister) of the empire.[18] Ghaziuddin Khan also had two other sons: Hamid Khan Bahadur and Rahimuddin Khan.[3]

Patronage[edit | edit source]

Main article: Madrasa Ghaziuddin Khan

Around the turn of the 18th century, Ghaziuddin Khan founded a madrasa complex today located in Old Delhi, near the Ajmeri Gate. The madrasa was one of Delhi's three main madrasas during the reign of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah I. It shut down in the 1790s and reopened in 1792 through the patronage of Delhi's wealthy Muslim class. It went on to house colonial education institutions, namely Delhi College and then the Anglo-Arabic school. Since 1948, the building has been in use by Zakir Husain Delhi College.[19][20][21] The madrasa complex exemplifies late Mughal architecture, and is one of the few surviving madrasas dating to the Mughal period.[21]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "General Ghazi al-Din Bahadur Khan Firuz Jang I (recto), Calligraphy (verso) | LACMA Collections". collections.lacma.org. Archived from the original on 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Faruqui 2009, p. 7.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Chandra, Satish (2002). Parties and politics at the Mughal Court, 1707-1740 (4th ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 46–49. ISBN 0-19-565444-7. OCLC 50004530.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Koch, Ebba (2006). "The Madrasa of Ghaziu' d-Din Khan at Delhi". The Delhi College : traditional elites, the colonial state, and education before 1857. Margrit Pernau. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-0-19-567723-2. OCLC 75615171.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Faruqui 2012, p. 298.
  6. ↑ Faruqui 2012, p. 297.
  7. ↑ Richards, John F. (2010). The Mughal empire. The new Cambridge history of India / general ed. Gordon Johnson 1, The Mughals and their contemporaries (Transferred to digital print ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-521-56603-2.
  8. ↑ Jadunath Sarkar, History of Aurangzib Volume V, p .384
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Faruqui 2009, pp. 13-14.
  10. ↑ Faruqui 2012, pp. 309-310.
  11. ↑ Chandra, Satish (2002). Parties and politics at the Mughal Court, 1707-1740 (4th ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN 0-19-565444-7. OCLC 50004530.
  12. ↑ Sheth, Sudev (30 November 2023). "Interlude: Cultivating Financial Crisis under Aurangzeb, 1660s–1719". Bankrolling Empire: Family Fortunes and Political Transformation in Mughal India (1 ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 159–160. doi:10.1017/9781009330213.005. ISBN 978-1-009-33021-3.
  13. ↑ Chandra, Satish (2002). Parties and politics at the Mughal Court, 1707-1740 (4th ed.). New Delhi: Oxford University Press. p. 76. ISBN 0-19-565444-7. OCLC 50004530.
  14. ↑ Irvine, William (1898). "The Later Mughals (1707-1803), Chapter IV". Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 67 (2): 163.
  15. ↑ Faruqui 2012, pp. 297-298.
  16. ↑ Faruqui 2012, p. 264.
  17. ↑ Faruqui 2009, p. 12.
  18. ↑ Faruqui 2012, p. 16.
  19. ↑ Pernau, Margrit (2006). "Introduction". In Pernau, Margrit (ed.). The Delhi College. New-Delhi: Oxford University Press. pp. 4–6. ISBN 978-0-19-567723-2.
  20. ↑ Razzack, Azra; Siddiqui, M. Atyab (12 January 2023), "Founding of an Institution and Its Journey", The School at Ajmeri Gate, Oxford University PressDelhi, pp. 29–C1.N250, doi:10.1093/oso/9788194831624.003.0002, ISBN 978-81-948316-2-4, retrieved 17 June 2023{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Koch, Ebba (2006). "The Madrasa of Ghaziu'd-Din Khan at Delhi". In Pernau, Margrit (ed.). The Delhi College. New-Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-567723-2.

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