Kamran Mirza ( fa, ) (1512 – 5 October 1557) was the second son of
Babur
Babur ( fa, , lit= tiger, translit= Bābur; ; 14 February 148326 December 1530), born Mīrzā Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad, was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his ...
, the founder of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
and the first
Mughal Emperor
The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...
. Kamran Mirza was born in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
to Babur's wife Gulrukh Begum. He was half-brother to Babur's eldest son
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
, who would go on and inherit the Mughal throne, but he was full-brother to Babur's third son,
Askari
An askari (from Somali, Swahili and Arabic , , meaning "soldier" or "military", which also means "police" in the Somali language) was a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African G ...
. A divan written in
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and
Chagatai is attributed to him.
During the Reign of Babur
While his father, Babur, was conquering northern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
from 1525 onwards, Kamran remained in
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
in order to secure his northern flank. He was still in charge of the northern part of the newly formed empire, when his father died in 1530. According to the Mughal historian
Abul Fazl Abul is an Arabic masculine given name. It may refer to:
* Abul Kalam Azad
* Abul A'la Maududi
* Abul Khair (disambiguation), several people
* Abul Abbas (disambiguation), several people
* Abul Hasan
* Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi
* Abu'l-Fazl ibn ...
, Babur's last words to Humayun were "do nothing against your brothers, even though they may deserve it".
In India
In 1538, Kamran first crossed into India, bringing with him 12,000 soldiers, while Humayun was away fighting in
Bengal
Bengal ( ; bn, বাংলা/বঙ্গ, translit=Bānglā/Bôngô, ) is a geopolitical, cultural and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal, predom ...
. He appeared to have come in order to put down the rebellion of his brother
Hindal against Humayun. However, despite Humayun's calls for help, Kamran offered him no aid whatsoever. After Humayun returned from his defeat at the
Battle of Chausa
The Battle of Chausa was a notable military engagement between the Mughal Emperor, Humayun, and the Afghan warlord, Sher Shah Suri. It was fought on 26 June 1539 at Chausa, 10 miles southwest of Buxar in modern-day Bihar, India. Sher Shah Suri wa ...
, Kamran refused to place his troops under Humayun's command as he was more interested in taking power for himself. Seeing no chance of furthering his ambition, Kamran withdrew back to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
.
Rivalry with Humayun
Sher Shah defeated Humayun in the
Battle of Kannauj
The Battle of Kannauj took place at Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh, India between Sher Shah Suri and Humayun on May 17, 1540. This battle is also known as the battle of Bilgram, Humayun was defeated by Sher Shah Suri in the battle.
Background
On 26 Ju ...
in May 1540 and became the new ruler of northern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. He ordered
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
to leave
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Humayun went back to
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
but Kamran was unwilling to hand the city over to his brother. At this point Kamran went behind
Humayun's back and offered to support Sher Shah, if the latter would give him the
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
in return. His offer was refused. At this point
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
was urged by his advisors to put his brother to death, but he refused.
After a series of disastrous attempts to retake his throne,
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
crossed the
Indus
The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, flows northwest through the disputed region of Kashmir, ...
in 1543. Rather than welcoming him, Kamran sent his younger brother
Askari
An askari (from Somali, Swahili and Arabic , , meaning "soldier" or "military", which also means "police" in the Somali language) was a local soldier serving in the armies of the European colonial powers in Africa, particularly in the African G ...
out to catch him and bring him to
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
.
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
managed to escape his brother's clutches though and sought refuge in the court of the ruler of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Shah
Tahmasp I
Tahmasp I ( fa, طهماسب, translit=Ṭahmāsb or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 to 1576. He was the eldest son of Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Ascending the throne after ...
.
When
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern ...
was in
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Kamran offered the Shah the city of Kandahar if he would hand his brother over to him.
Shah Tahmasp
Tahmasp I ( fa, طهماسب, translit=Ṭahmāsb or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 to 1576. He was the eldest son of Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Ascending the throne after t ...
favoured Humayun in this fraternal squabble however, and provided him with troops with which he defeated Kamran.
Conflict over Kabul
Humayun was able to enter Kabul in November 1545 in a bloodless takeover, as Kamran's rule had been oppressive, and the population of the city was keen to be rid of him.
After his ignominious flight, Kamran managed to retake Kabul twice but he remained a hated figure to the residents of the city, as his periods of rule involved atrocities against large numbers of them.
Following his third and final ejection from Kabul, Kamran went to the court of Humayun's enemy, the Afghan king
Islam Shah
Islam Shah Suri (reigned: 1545–1554) was the second ruler of the Suri dynasty which ruled the part of India in the mid-16th century. His original name was Jalal Khan and he was the second son of Sher Shah Suri.
History
On his father's de ...
in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
in 1552, where he was effectively rebuffed in his hopes for an alliance against his brother. Islam Shah arrested him and deputed his trusted adviser
Hemu
Hemu (; also known as Hemu Vikramaditya and Hemchandra Vikramaditya; died 5 November 1556) was an Indian emperor who previously served as a general and Wazir of Adil Shah Suri of Sur Empire during a period in Indian history when Mughals and A ...
to hand over Kamran to Humayun at
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
.
Architecture
![Baradari of kamran mirza- Ravi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Baradari_of_kamran_mirza-_Ravi.jpg)
A significant architectural structure built for Kamran exists today in Lahore. It is called
Kamran ki Baradari. ''Bara'' means twelve and ''dar'' means doors. Kamran ki baradari was a twelve-door building on the bank of River Ravi. The river changed its course over time, with the result that the Baradari stands not on the bank but in the waters as an island while the gardens have deteriorated.
Exile and death
Although Humayun resisted the pressure to put his rebellious brother to death, he was persuaded that something needed to be done about him so he reluctantly had him blinded. Humayun then sent him off to perform the
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
to
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
, where he died near in 1557 and took throne of Kabul from sons of Kamran Mirza and sent them to
Attock Fort
, partof = the History of Pakistan
, location = Attock, Punjab region
, image = Attock Fort - Optographer.jpg
, image_size = 280px
, caption =
, coordinates =
, map_type = Pakistan
, map_size =
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Location within Pak ...
as
Sirdars.
Family
;Consorts
Kamran had eight consorts:
*Gulrukh Begum ( 1528), daughter of his maternal uncle, Amir Sultan Ali Mirza Taghai Begchik;
*Muhtarima Khanum, daughter of Shah Muhammad Sultan Jagatai, Sultan of Kashghar, by his wife, Khadija Sultan Khanum, fourth daughter of Sultan Ahmad Khan Jagatai;
*Hazara Begum, niece of the Hazara chief, Khizr Khan;
*Mah Begum, daughter of Sultan Uwais Qibchaq, of Kulab, sometime Governor of Badakshan;
*Mihr Afroz Bega, mother of Hajji Begum;
*Daulat Bakht Aghacha, mother of Aisha Sultan Begum;
*Mah Chuchak Begum ( 1546; 1558), daughter of Mir Shah Husain Arghun, Lord of Sind, Kandahar and Kabul, by his wife, Mah Chuchak Begum, daughter of Mirza Muhammad Muqim Beg Aghun;
*A sister of Abdullah Khan Mughal;
;Sons
Kamran had two sons:
*Ibrahim Sultan Mirza;
*Abu-al-Qasim Mirza;
;Daughters
Kamran had five daughters:
*Habiba Begum, married in 1545 Yasin ud-Daula Aq Sultan, son of
Aiman Khwajah Sultan
Aiman Khwajah Sultan was a Prince of Eastern Moghulistan and the son of Ahmad Alaq, who ruled as the khan of Eastern Moghulistan from 1487 to 1503.
As a grandson of Yunus Khan, Aiman Khwajah Sultan was the first cousin of the Mughal Emperor Bab ...
, son of
Ahmad Alaq
Ahmad Alaq ( ug, أحمد; died 1503) was the Khan of Eastern Moghulistan ( Uyghurstan) from 1487 to 1503. He was the second son of Yunus Khan. His mother was Shah Begum, fourth daughter of Badakhshan prince Lali.
Ahmad Alaq was a direct male-l ...
, the Khan of
Moghulistan
Moghulistan (from fa, , ''Moghulestân'', mn, Моголистан), also called the Moghul Khanate or the Eastern Chagatai Khanate (), was a Mongol breakaway khanate of the Chagatai Khanate and a historical geographic area north of the Teng ...
, divorced in 1551
*Gulrukh Begum, married Ibrahim Husain Mirza, third son of Sultan Muhammad Mirza, of Azampur, sometime Governor of Sambhal;
*Hajji Begum - with Mihr Afroz Bega, went on the pilgrimage to Mecca in October 1575;
*Gulizar Begum, went on the pilgrimage to Mecca in October 1575;
*Aisha Sultan Begum - with Daulat Bakht Aghcha; went to
Taloqan
Taloqan ( Persian, also transcribed Taleqan or Taluqan) is the capital of Takhar Province, in northeastern Afghanistan. It is located in the Taluqan District. The population was estimated as 196,400 in 2006.
In 2021, the Taliban gained contro ...
with her father in 1550. In 1551, she and her mother were in flight for
Kandahar
Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a List of cities in Afghanistan, city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population ...
, but were captured at the Khimar Pass, and brought in by Humayun's people;
References
Sources
* ''The Great Moghuls'' by
Bamber Gascoigne
Arthur Bamber Gascoigne (24 January 1935 – 8 February 2022) was an English television presenter and author. He was the original quizmaster on ''University Challenge'', which initially ran from 1962 to 1987.
Early life and education
Gasco ...
*
External links
''Divan'' manuscript(www.fihrist.org.uk)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mirza, Kamran
Mughal princes
Turkic rulers
1509 births
1557 deaths
People from Kabul
Timurid dynasty