Sa'adullah Khan also spelled ''Sadullah Khan'' (died April 1656) was a Punjabi noble 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 ...

who served as the last

grand vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

(or Prime Minister) of Emperor

Shah Jahan Shihab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), better known by his regnal name Shah Jahan I (; ), was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mugha ...

, in the period 1645-1656. He was considered among the four most powerful nobles of the empire during Shah Jahan's time and was the only one of Indian origin among them. Sa'adullah possessed 7,000 Zat and 7,000

sowar Sowar ( ur, سوار, also ''siwar'' meaning "the one who rides" or "rider", from Persian ) was originally a rank during the Mughal Empire and Maratha Empire. Later during the British Raj it was the name in Anglo-Indian usage for a horse-soldi ...

under his command, the highest of any non-Royal. Sadullah Khan giving audience, c1655

Early life

Saadullah Khan hailed from the area of

Chiniot Chiniot (Urdu and pa, ) is a city and the administrative headquarter of Chiniot District in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Located on the bank of the river Chenab, it is the 28th largest city of Pakistan. It is also known for its intric ...

in 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 ...

region, born into an "obscure" family or to a

Jat The Jat people ((), ()) are a traditionally agricultural community in Northern India and Pakistan. Originally pastoralists in the lower Indus river-valley of Sindh, Jats migrated north into the Punjab region in late medieval times, and su ...

agriculturalists. There are others who say he belonged to the Thaheem Tribe.

Career

Saadullah Khan was initially made ''Mir-i Saman'' in the seventh year of Shah Jahan's reign. He was later recognised as a Mughal noble in 1640-1641, and made a

mansabdar The Mansabdar was a military unit within the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar. The word ''mansab'' is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined the rank and status of a government official an ...

. In subsequent years his rank steadily increased, and he received various promotions.

Prime Minister of the Mughal Empire

In the year 1645, the incumbent Prime Minister

Islam Khan II Islam Khan Mashadi (''reigned:'' 1635–1639) was the Mughal Subahdar of Bengal. His original name was Mir Abdus Salam. He was also served high service in Viceroy of Kabul from 1647 to 1656. History In 1639, soon after the Ahom-Mughal and Arakan- ...

was made to vacate his position and take up governorship in the

Deccan The large Deccan Plateau in South India, southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bou ...

region by Shah Jahan. By this time, Saadullah Khan had become widely respected for his intelligence and talent, which had enabled his ascent in the Mughal administration despite a lack of political or family connections. He was appointed as the new Prime Minister. A year after his appointment, Saadullah Khan handled administrative issues regarding Shah Jahan's Balkh and Badakhshan campaigns. Saadullah Khan was sent to Balkh to manage the country and make the revenue settlements. Prince Murad Baksh was relieved of his command while Vizier Saadullah only took 22 days to settle the administrative affairs and returned to Kabul. He was subsequently rewarded with a Khilat and an increase of 1000 in his mansab for managing the situation efficiently and saving the Mughals from a disaster in Balkh region. In 1654, he was ordered by Shah Jahan to lay siege to the

Chittor Fort The Chittorgarh (literally Chittor Fort), also known as Chittod Fort, is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day city of Chittorgarh. It sprawls o ...

Mewar Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...

, in response to provocations from

Raj Singh I Raj Singh I (24 September 1629 – 22 October 1680), was the Maharana of Mewar Kingdom (r. 1652–1680) and eldest son of Jagat Singh I by his wife, a princess of Marwar. He fought against Mughal Empire and annexed many Mughal territories He ...

Family

Saadullah Khan was Grandfather of

Nizam ul Mulk Abu Ali Hasan ibn Ali Tusi (April 10, 1018 – October 14, 1092), better known by his honorific title of Nizam al-Mulk ( fa, , , Order of the Realm) was a Persian scholar, jurist, political philosopher and Vizier of the Seljuk Empire. Rising fr ...

, the first Nizam and founder of

Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state located in the south-central Deccan region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and t ...

. Nizam's mother, Wazir un-nissa (Safia Khanum) was the daughter of Sadullah Khan.

Death

Saadullah Khan served as Prime Minister until his death in April 1656. He was mourned by many in the Mughal court and administration as well as emperor Shah Jahan himself, who issued a public eulogy announcing his demise.

References

{{Reflist Mughal nobility Grand viziers of the Mughal Empire 1656 deaths