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Mansabdar
The Mansabdar was a military unit within the administrative system of the Mughal Empire introduced by Akbar later used in all over in early modern India. The word ''mansab'' is of Arabic origin meaning rank or position. The system determined the rank and status of a government official and military generals. Every civil and military officer was given a mansab, which determined their salaries and allowances. The term mansabdar means a person having a mansab. (which means a role) In the mansabdari system founded by Akbar, the mansabdars were military commanders, high civil and military officers, and provincial governors. Those mansabdars whose rank was one thousand or below were called Amir, while those above 1,000 were called Amir-al Kabir (Great Amir). Some great Amirs whose ranks were above 5,000 were also given the title of Amir-al Umara (Amir of Amirs). It was a system whereby nobles were granted the rights to hold a jagir, or revenue assignment (not land itself), for servic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Army Of The Mughal Empire
The army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 16th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselves, were in the cavalry-based armies of central Asia, its essential form and structure was established by the empire's third emperor, Akbar. The regular forces were mainly recruited and fielded by '' Mansabdar'' officers. During the 17th century, the Mughal empire possessed the largest military on earth, with its strength numbering 911,400-4,039,097 infantry and 342,696 cavalry. Alternatively, according to the census by Abul Fazl, the size of the army was roughly about 4.4 million, with less than half a million trained as cavalry; and modern India historians suggest there were 26 million personnel. The Mughals were considered a dominant military force in India, employing their superior engineering to military affairs and logistic mastery. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Bakhshi (Mughal Empire)
The ''Bakhshi'' () in the Mughal Empire denoted a number of hierarchical government officials, typically involved with military administration and intelligence. The offices were introduced during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar. ''Bakhshis'' were found in both the central and provincial administration; the most notable kind of ''bakhshi'' was the ''mir bakhshi'', one of the empire's four ministers, broadly in charge of administering the '' mansabdari'' system (and the military therein). The ''mir bakhshi'' was the second-highest official in the Mughal Empire, after the imperial '' wazir''. Etymology The term ''bakhshi'' means 'giver', deriving from the verb ''bakhshidan'' (). In the view of historian William Irvine, the term refers to the ''bakhshi's'' function of offering recruitment into the army. Central administration Mir Bakhshi The ''mir bakhshi'' was the chief ''bakhshi'' of the Mughal Empire, and worked in the central administration. The position was also referr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Siege Of Jinji
The siege of Jinji, (September 1690–8 January 1698) began when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb appointed Zulfiqar Ali Khan as the Nawab of the Carnatic and dispatched him to besiege and capture Jinji Fort, which had been sacked and captured by Maratha Empire troops led by Rajaram, they had also ambushed and killed about 300 Mughal Sowars in the Carnatic. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb then ordered Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I to protect the supply routes leading to Jinji Fort and to support and provide reinforcements to Zulfiqar Ali Khan when needed. Rani Mangammal of the Madurai Nayak dynasty played a key role in assisting Zulfiqar Ali Khan. The siege of Jinji was also the longest siege by any single Mughal Army in recorded history – it lasted for a lingering 8 years. Background Jinji Fort had been under the control of the Adil Shahis of Bijapur since the year 1649. In the year 1677, the Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, routed the Bijapur forces and captured Ji ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Battle Of Hastivanj
The Battle of Hastivanj was fought between armies of Mughal Empire under Qasim Khan (Mir Bahr), Qasim Khan and Kashmir Sultanate under Shams Chak. It was fought on 10 October 1586 on a mountain ridge known as Hastivanj near modern-day Pir Panjal Pass, Pir Ki Gali Pass. It resulted in Mughal victory and subsequent Mughal conquest of Kashmir, annexation of Kashmir into Mughal Empire. The battle, along with the fall of Srinagar on 14 October 1586, marks the ''de facto'' end of the Mughal conquest of Kashmir. Principal actors Mughal Empire * Qasim Khan (Mir Bahr), Qasim Khan Mir Bahr; the commander of troops send to conquer Kashmir on behalf of emperor Akbar. In addition, subsequently the governor of Mughal Kashmir. * Shaykh Yaqub Sarfi Kashmiri; the Kashmiri noble who had rebelled against the Sultan and accompanied Mughal army into Kashmir. * Haider Chak; Kashmiri noble turned rebel belonging the same clan as the Sultan. Has had led an unsuccessful rebellion against Yousuf Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Battle Of Salher
The Battle of Salher was fought between the Marathas and the Mughal Empire in February 1672 CE. The battle was fought near the fort of Salher in modern-day Nashik district. The result was a decisive victory for the Marathas. This battle is considered particularly significant as it is the first pitched battle where the Mughal Empire lost to the Marathas. Background The Treaty of Purandar (1665) required Shivaji to cede 23 forts to the Mughals. Strategically important forts, which were fortified with garrisons, such as Sinhagad, Purandar, Lohagad, Karnala, and Mahuli were turned over to the Mughal empire. At the time of this treaty, the Nashik region, that contained the forts of Salher and Mulher, had been firmly in the Mughal Empire's hands since 1636. The signing of this treaty resulted in Shivaji's visit to Agra and, after his escape from there in September 1666, two years of uneasy truce followed. The period between 1670 and 1672 saw a dramatic rise in Shivaji's powe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Siege Of Golconda
The siege of Golconda (1687 CE) was an eight-month military siege of the Golconda Fort (in present-day Telangana, India). This siege was personally directed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb against the Golconda Sultanate, ruled by king Abul Hasan Qutb Shah. It was the second Mughal siege of the fort, following an aborted attempt by Aurangzeb in 1656 as a prince of emperor Shah Jahan. The event served as the climax of the Golconda Sultanate, which was annexed into the Mughal Empire as a result of the victory of the siege. The military confrontation was one of the final stages in the Mughal Empire's expansion southwards in the Indian subcontinent. The siege was lengthy and laborious, hampered by the strength of the fort, environmental conditions, and dissent within the Mughal administration. The siege was won only through treachery. It exacerbated drought, famine and epidemic in the region. Background During the reign of the fifth Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Mughals had man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Siege Of Bijapur
The siege of Bijapur began in March 1685 and ended in September 1686 with a Mughal victory. The siege began when Aurangzeb dispatched his son, Muhammad Azam Shah, with a force of nearly 50,000 men to capture Bijapur Fort and defeat Sikandar Adil Shah, the then Sultan of Bijapur, who had refused to be a vassal of the Mughal Empire. The siege of Bijapur was one of the longest military engagements of the Mughals, lasting more than 15 months, until Aurangzeb personally arrived to organise a victory. Background In 1637, the young prince Aurangzeb was the Viceroy of the Deccan under the reign of his father, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He led a 25,000-strong Mughal army and besieged Bijapur Fort, protecting the capital of the Sultanate of Bijapur, and its ruler Mohammed Adil Shah. The siege, however, was unsuccessful as the Adil Shahi dynasty sought peace with Shah Jahan, mainly through the cooperation of his son and Aurangzeb's brother Dara Shikoh. Ali Adil Shah II inhe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Battle Of Khajwa
The Battle of Khajuha was fought on January 5, 1659, between the newly crowned Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and Shah Shuja who also declared himself Mughal Emperor in Bengal. Shuja's army rested by the tank of Khajwa, about 30 miles to the west of Fatehpur- Haswa in'the Allahabad District, between the Ganges and the Jumna. Background Aurangzeb had defeated his elder brother Dara Shikoh during the Battle of Samugarh and captured Agra and placed his frail father Shah Jahan under house arrest in the Agra Fort. Aurangzeb then imprisoned his younger brother and longtime ally Murad Baksh at Gwalior Fort. Aurangzeb then launched an expedition to capture Lahore fearing that Dara Shikoh and his son Suleiman Shikoh both of whom who had fled westward might capture it first. After capturing Lahore and gaining the support of the Muslim Rajputs in the region, Aurangzeb set out on another expedition towards the eastern territories of the Mughal Empire in Bengal with the sole objective of defe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Battle Of Samugarh
Battle of Samugarh, also known as Jang-e-Samugarh (29 May 1658), was a decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659) between the sons of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan after the emperor's serious illness in September 1657. The battle of Samugarh was the second battle fought between Dara Shikoh (the eldest son and heir apparent) and his three younger brothers Aurangzeb, Shah Shuja and Murad Baksh (third and fourth sons of Shah Jahan) to decide who would be the heir of the throne after their father. Background Both sides had around 50,000 to 60,000 men however Aurangzeb was a much better general and his army was more experienced. Dara depended on his Hada Rajputs and Saiyids of Barha but the major bulk of his army was hastily recruited and had no experience in war. Dara was also overconfident and did not try to get help from the nobility of his father's empire. Battle Dara Shikoh started the battle with cannonade, which continued for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Battle Of Dharmat
The battle of Dharmat was fought during the Mughal war of succession (1658–1659) by Aurangzeb against Jaswant Singh of Marwar, Jaswant Singh Rathore who was allied with the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh. The battle was fought on the open plain of Dharmat on the hot Summer day of 15 April 1658 in which Aurangzeb won a decisive victory due to advantage in artillery and tactics. Background On 6 September 1657, Emperor Shah Jahan suddenly fell ill due to strangury and constipation. He failed to hold Jharokha Darshan and the shops were closed in the bazaars around Delhi. There were rumours rife whether the emperor was dead or held hostage by his son Dara. Only some physicians, Dara and his sister Jahanara Begum, Jahanara were physically allowed to see him. The stage was set for the transition of power. Even though Shah Jahan was able to recover completely from his illness, it would still prove costly for him. Seizing the opportunity to claim the throne, Prince Shah Shuja (Mughal prince) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Siege Of Daulatabad
The siege of Daulatabad in 1633 was a conflict between the Mughal Empire and the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, wherein the fort-city of Daulatabad was besieged by a Mughal force for several months and successfully captured. The Bijapur Sultanate also participated in the conflict against the Mughals, sending a large army to the aid of the fort's garrison. The conflict took place after several Mughal victories securing other minor forts in Ahmadnagar control, but was distinguished by the political significance of Daulatabad to the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. This event marked Mughal victory in the ongoing war between the Mughals and the Ahmadnagar Sultanate; it ended the Nizam Shahi dynasty and concluded the Sultanate, marking another step in the Mughal advance over the Deccan region. The victory did not fully quell resistance to Mughal authority in the Western Deccan; a year later, Maratha commander Shahji Bhonsle attempted a bid for power using a puppet ruler of the Nizam Shahi house. Backgr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Battle Of Samdhara
Battle of Samdhara was the first naval battle fought between Mughals and the Ahoms in 1616. Background The first direct clash of arms between the Ahoms and Mughals was occasioned by an illegal trade-affair carried by a merchant, Ranta or Ratan Shah by name, who was procuring aloes-wood for Jahangir, at Singri, that lay to the east of the Barnadi and within the Ahom kingdom. On detection, his goods were confiscated and he was expelled from the Ahom territory. Shortly afterwards, unauthorised merchants of Bengal were found to the north of Kajali buying pulses, mustard seeds, and other commodities. Two such mechant vessels were seized by the Ahom government and two of the tradesmen killed. The incident of killing the merchants was only a pretext to launch an invasion to Assam, the Mughal viceroy had long preparing for an invasion. Expedition This stern action of the Ahom government was taken exception to by the Mughal government in Bengal, which was further dissatisfie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
