Shah Alam II

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Shah Alam II
شاه عالم دوم

Shah Alam II ( Persian pronunciation:

Mughal emperor and the son of Alamgir II.[16] Shah Alam II became the emperor of a crumbling Mughal Empire. His power was so depleted during his reign that it led to a saying in the Persian language, Sultanat-e-Shah Alam, Az Dilli ta Palam, meaning, 'The empire of Shah Alam is from Delhi to Palam', Palam being a suburb of Delhi.[17][18]

Shah Alam faced many invasions, mainly by the

Imad-ul-Mulk, and installed Shah Alam II as the rightful emperor (1760 – 1772).[19][20]

Shah Alam II was considered the only and rightful emperor, but he was unable to return to Delhi until 1772, under the protection of the

Maratha general Mahadaji Shinde. He also fought against the East India Company at the Battle of Buxar (1764). In 1788, when he was a prisoner of Ghulam Qadir
, he was blinded.

Shah Alam II authored his own Diwan of poems and was known by the pen-name Aftab. His poems were guided, compiled and collected by Mirza Fakhir Makin.[21]

Shah Alam also penned the famous book Ajaib-ul-Qasas, which is considered one of the earliest and most prominent books of prose in Urdu.

Early life

Ali Gohar was born to

Shahzada (Prince) Aziz-ud-Din, son of the deposed Mughal Emperor Jahandar Shah, on 25 June 1728. Alongside his father, he grew up in semi-captivity in the Salatin quarters of the Red Fort
. However, unlike the majority of Mughal princes growing up in similar circumstances, he is not recorded to have become a decadent prince by the time his father became emperor, and therefore was naturally given high appointments in the course of his father's reign.

Upon his father's accession, he became the

Imad-ul-Mulk
's hand. His quarrels with that amir, and fear for his own life, caused him to flee from Delhi in 1758.

Escape from Delhi

Prince Ali Gauhar, afterwards Emperor Shah Alam II, had been the heir apparent of his father

Prince Ali Gauhar organized a militia and made a daring escape from Delhi. He appeared in the Eastern Subah in 1759, hoping to strengthen his position by attempting to regain control over Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

Very soon however,

Najib-ud-Daula and Muslim nobles then planned to defeat the Marathas by maintaining correspondence with the powerful Ahmad Shah Durrani. After Durrani decisively defeated the Marathas, he nominated Ali Gauhar as the emperor under the name Shah Alam II.[23]

Bengal War

In 1760, after Shah Alam's militia gaining control over pockets in

Imad-ul-Mulk after they tried to capture or kill him by advancing towards Awadh and Patna in 1759. But the conflict soon involved the intervention of the assertive East India Company
.

The Mughals clearly intended to recapture their breakaway

Najib-ud-Daula and Ahmad Khan Bangash. The Mughals were also joined by Jean Law and 200 Frenchmen and waged a campaign against the British during the Seven Years' War.[24]

Prince Ali Gauhar successfully advanced as far as Patna, which he later besieged with a combined army of over 40,000 in order to capture or kill Ramnarian, a sworn enemy of the Mughals. Mir Jafar was in terror at the near demise of his cohort and sent his own son Miran to relieve Ramnarian and retake Patna. Mir Jafar also implored the aid of Robert Clive, but it was Major John Caillaud, who dispersed Prince Ali Gauhar's army in 1761 after four major battles including Battle of Patna, Battle of Sirpur, Battle of Birpur and Battle of Siwan.

After negotiations assuring peace Shah Alam II was escorted by the British to meet

Mughal Army
.

Angered by these developments, the East India Company sought to oust Mir Qasim. Court intrigues encouraged by the East India Company forced Mir Qasim to leave Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Mir Qasim on his part encouraged Shuja-ud-Daula the Nawab of Awadh and Shah Alam II to engage the British.

  • Imad-ul-Mulk was the regent imposed by the Maratha Confederacy in 1757, who assassinated Alamgir II and prominent members of the imperial family, within the Maratha controlled city of Delhi; Shah Alam II managed to escape to safety with the Nawab of Awadh.[25]
    Maratha Confederacy in 1757, who assassinated Alamgir II and prominent members of the imperial family, within the Maratha controlled city of Delhi; Shah Alam II managed to escape to safety with the Nawab of Awadh.[25]
  • Mir Jafar, his son Miran and Ramnarian refused to submit to Shah Alam II, who initiated the Bengal War causing the eventual intervention of the East India Company.
    Bengal War causing the eventual intervention of the East India Company
    .

Emperor from Allahabad

, during the 18th century.

Shah Alam II was acknowledged as the emperor by the

.

Battle of Buxar

The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the combined armies of

Hector Munro.[29] The battle fought at Buxar, a town located on the bank of the Ganges river then within the territory of Bengal
, was a decisive victory for the East India Company.

Treaty of Allahabad

Soon after the Battle of Buxar, Shah Alam II, a sovereign who had just been defeated by the British, sought their protection by signing the Treaty of Allahabad in the year 1765. Shah Alam II was forced to grant the Diwani (right to collect revenue) of Bengal (which included Bihar and Odisha) to the East India Company in return for an annual tribute of 2.6 million rupees to be paid by the company from the collected revenue. Tax exemption status was also restored to the company. The company further secured the districts of Kora and Allahabad which allowed the East India Company to collect tax from more than 20 million people. The East India Company thus became the Imperial tax collector in the former Mughal province of Bengal (which included Bihar and Northern Odisha). The Company appointed a deputy, Nawab Muhammad Reza Khan to collect revenue on their behalf.

Absence from Delhi

Shah Alam II's absence from Delhi was due to the terms of the treaty he had signed with the British. But his son and heir apparent Prince

Najib-ul-Daula
, represented the emperor for the next 12 years in Delhi.

Bengal Famine

The

Indian Subcontinent. By the time the famine occurred it became very clear that the Mughal Empire was no longer a major political power, not only in the general world but also within South Asia
.

Return to Delhi

Shah Alam II resided in the fort of Allahabad for six years.

Marathas
.

In the year 1771 the

fort of Pathargarh
with its treasure.

The emperor returned to the throne in Delhi in 1772, under the protection of the

Maratha general Mahadaji Shinde.[30] The emperor became a client of the Maratha whose Peshwa
demanded tribute, which the Moguls are known to have paid so as to avoid any further conflict with the Confederacy.

In the year 1787, an embassy of Vijay Singh from Jodhpur presented itself to the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, bringing homage and the golden key of the Fortress of Ajmer.[31]

After killing Ghulam Qadir and restoring Shah Alam II to the throne, a Maratha garrison permanently occupied Delhi in 1788 and ruled on north India for next two decades until they were usurped by the East India Company in the Second Anglo-Maratha War.[32]

  • The Royal Chamber in the Public Audience Hall in the Middle of Yazdah Darreh, with the Ruler, Alam Bahador Badshah, and the Great Commanders, a page from the Lady Coote Album.
    The Royal Chamber in the Public Audience Hall in the Middle of Yazdah Darreh, with the Ruler, Alam Bahador Badshah, and the Great Commanders, a page from the Lady Coote Album.
  • A Firman issued by the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II, dated 1776.
    A
    Mughal Emperor
    Shah Alam II, dated 1776.

Reformation of the Mughal Army

One of his first acts was to strengthen and raise a new

Nawab of Bengal.[34]

  • The newly reestablished Mughal Army during the reign of Shah Alam II.
    The newly reestablished
    Mughal Army
    during the reign of Shah Alam II.
  • A Mughal infantryman.
    A Mughal infantryman.
  • Large Mughal Army encampments during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.
    Large
    Mughal Army
    encampments during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II.

Foreign relations

Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II negotiates with the East India Company, after the arrival of Suffren
.

Shah Alam II, was well supported by Jean Law de Lauriston and 200 Frenchmen during his campaign to regain the Eastern Subahs (during the Seven Years' War). The brainchild of the campaign was Ghulam Husain Tabatabai, who had gained much administrative and military experience from both the French and the Dutch.

After Shah Alam II's defeat in the

Madras from the East India Company.[35]
The internal conflicts within the Mughal imperial court would not allow the emperor to make such a bold move against the British.

Jat victories

Marathas
in 1757; and Mughal possessions and territories were under the annexation of the Jats led by Suraj Mal.

During one massive assault, Jats sieged Agra in 1761, after 20 days on 12 June 1761 the Mughal forces at Agra surrendered to Jats.[36] Jats plundered the city and carried the bounty, including the two great silver doors to the entrance of the famous Taj Mahal. which were carried off and melted down by Suraj Mal in 1764.[38]

Suraj Mal's son

Ballabgarh and Agra.[39] Jats kept Agra fort and other territories closer to Delhi under their control from 1761 till 1774 CE.[36]

Sikh Victories

Sikhs had been in perpetual war against Mughal intolerance specially after beheading of the Sikh Guru -

Mughal Faujdar of Sirhind, Zain Khan Sirhindi, who fell in battle and ever since the Sikhs perpetually raided and took the bounties from the lands as far as Delhi
practically every year.

The Marathas

Mughal Army. In 1777 Mirza Najaf Khan decisively defeated Zabita Khan
's forces and repelled the Sikhs after halting their raids.

In 1778, after a Sikh incursion into Delhi, Shah Alam ordered their defeat by appointing, the

Mughal Army at Battle of Muzzaffargarh and later at Battle of Ghanaur, due to the mounted casualties Shah Alam II reappointed Mirza Najaf Khan
, who soon died of natural circumstances leaving the Mughal Empire weaker than ever.

In the year 1779, Mirza Najaf Khan carefully advanced his forces who successfully routed the treasonous Zabita Khan and his Sikh allies who lost more than 5,000 men in a single battle and never returned to threaten the Mughal Empire during the commander Mirza Najaf Khan's lifetime. Najaf Khan as prime minister, granted sovereign rights to the Sikhs as agreement.[40]

In the year 1783, Farzana Zeb un-Nissa had saved Delhi from a possible invasion by a force of 30,000 Sikh troops, under Baghel Singh, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia.

Mughal empire disintegrated to such an extent that Shah Alam II was only left with Delhi city to rule. In 1783,

Mahadji Shinde was given the regency with an agreement that Sikhs will not plunder the crown lands and they will be paid 1/3 of the Delhi revenue annually instead.[41]

Downfall

A silver Rupee struck in the name of Shah Alam

After the defeats at

Mughal Army from over 20,000 to only 5,000 thus bringing the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II at the mercy of his enemies.[42][self-published source
]

The respect toward the house of Timur is so strong that even though the whole subcontinent has been withdrawn from its authority, that no ordinary prince ever intends to take the title of sovereign...and Shah Alam II is still seated on the Mughal throne, and everything is still done in his name.

Benoît de Boigne, (1790).

Shah Alam II blinded by Ghulam Qadir

Prisoner of Ghulam Qadir

Nawab Majad-ud-Daula was followed by a known enemy of the Mughals, the grandson of

Sikh allies, Ghulam Qadir himself blinded Shah Alam II with an Afghani knife on 10 August 1788.[42] Ghulam Qadir behaved with brutality to the emperor and his family. Three servants and two water-carriers who tried to help the bleeding emperor were beheaded and according to one account, Ghulam Qadir would pull the beard of the elderly Mughal Emperor. After ten weeks, during which Ghulam Qadir stripped the princesses of the royal family naked and forced them to dance naked before him (after which they jumped into Yamuna river to drown) and the honour of the royal family and prestige of the Mughal Empire reached its lowest ebb, Mahadaji Shinde intervened and killed Ghulam Qadir, taking possession of Delhi on 2 October 1788. He restored Shah Alam II to the throne and acted as his protector.[43] Mahadaji Shinde sent the ears and eyes of Ghulam Qadir to Shah Alam.[44]

Client of Mahadji Shinde

Thankful for his intervention, he honoured

Mahadji Shinde
of the Maratha Confederacy.

After killing Ghulam Qadir and restoring Shah Alam II to the throne, a Maratha garrison permanently occupied Delhi in 1788 and ruled on north India for next two decades until they were usurped by the East India Company following the Second Anglo-Maratha War in 1803.[32]

Second reign

The tomb of Shah Alam II, in Mehrauli, Delhi.

The French threat in Europe and its possible repercussions in India caused the British to strive to regain the custody of Shah Alam II. The British feared that the French military officers might overthrow Maratha power and use the authority of the Mughal emperor to further French ambition in India.

Shah Alam II also corresponded with Hyder Ali and later with his son Tipu Sultan during their conflicts with the East India Company during the Anglo-Mysore Wars and was very well informed about the expansionist agenda of the British.

After the

khutba (Friday sermons) in his name. The Marathas in 1804 under Yashwantrao Holkar tried to snatch Delhi from the British in Siege of Delhi (1804)
, but failed.

Death

Shah Alam II died of natural causes on 19 November 1806. His grave lies in a marble enclosure adjoined to the

In popular culture

Gallery

  • Map of India in 1765, before the fall of Nawabs and Princely states nominally allied to the emperor (mainly in Green).
    Map of India in 1765, before the fall of Nawabs and Princely states nominally allied to the emperor (mainly in Green).
  • Map of India in 1795, 11 years before the death of Shah Alam II
    Map of India in 1795, 11 years before the death of Shah Alam II
  • Blind Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II sits at throne of Delhi
    Blind
    Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II sits at throne of Delhi
  • Silver rupee coins from the Bengal Presidency, struck in the name of Shah Alam II, Calcutta Mint.
    Silver rupee coins from the Bengal Presidency, struck in the name of Shah Alam II, Calcutta Mint.

See also

References

  1. .
  2. ^ a b c d e The Genealogist, Volumes 13-14. The Association. 1999. pp. 70, 81, 82.
  3. ^ Antoine Louis Henri de Polier; Polier (colonel de, Antoine-Louis-Henri) (1947). Pratul Chandra Gupta (ed.). Shah Alam II and His Court: A Narrative of the Transactions at the Court of Delhy from the Year 1771 to the Present Time. S.C. Sarkar and sons. p. 71.
  4. ^ Sir Jadunath Sarkar (1971). 1754-1771 (Panipat). 3d ed. 1966, 1971 printing. Orient Longman. p. 381.
  5. ^ J. P. Guha (1962). Delhi; a Handbook for Travellers. R. & K Publishing House. p. 34.
  6. ^ a b Journal of Indian History, Volume 60. Department of Modern Indian History. 1982. p. 62.
  7. ^ Muhammad Umar (2001). Urban Culture in Northern India During the Eighteenth Century. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 185.
  8. ^ a b تاريخ هند عهد وسظى، غير مطبوعه مآخز: جنوبى ايشيائ علاقائ سمينار منعقده ٢٢-٢٦ مارچ ٨٨٩١ كے مقالات. خدا بخش اورينٹل پبلک لائبريرى،. 1999. p. 91.
  9. ^ Bhagwati Sharan Verma (1997). Art, Archaeology And, Culture of Eastern India: Dr. B.S. Verma Felicitation Volume. Bihar Puravid Parishad. p. 264.
  10. ^ a b c India. Legislature. Legislative Assembly (1936). The Legislative Assembly Debates: (Official Report), Volume 1. Government of India Press. p. 108.
  11. .
  12. ^ Hari Ram Gupta (1944). A History of the Sikhs, from Nadir Shah's Invasion to the Rise of Ranjit Singh, 1739-1799: Cis-Sutlej Sikhs, 1769-1799 (2 ed.). Minerva Book Shop. p. 79.
  13. ^ S. M. Burke; Salim al-Din Quraishi (1995). Bahadur Shah: The Last Moghul Emperor of India. Sang-e-Meel. p. 36.
  14. .
  15. ^ a b The Dacca University Studies, Volumes 6-7. University of Dacca. 1943. p. 30.
  16. ^ Dalrymple, W. (2019),The Anarchy p89, London: Bloomsbury
  17. ^ Delhi, Past and Present, p. 4, at Google Books
  18. ^ History of Islam, p. 512, at Google Books
  19. ^ Advanced Study in the History of Modern India 1707–1813, p. 140, at Google Books
  20. Ainslie T. Embree (ed.). Muslim Civilization in India. New York: Columbia University Press. Archived
    from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  21. ^ Dictionary of Indo-Persian Literature, p. 40, at Google Books
  22. ^ Mughal Empire in India: A Systematic Study Including Source Material, Volume 3, p. 767, at Google Books
  23. . Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  24. . Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  25. ^ "ʿĀlamgīr II - Mughal emperor". Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  26. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1908, p. 9
  27. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1908, p. 10
  28. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1908, p. 11
  29. , 1985 ed., Oxford University Press
  30. . Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  31. ^ The Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan, p. 6, at Google Books
  32. ^ . Retrieved 27 July 2018 – via Google Books.
  33. . Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  34. . Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  35. ^ "suffren letter shah alam - Google Search". www.google.ae. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  36. ^ a b c The province of Agra, Author: Dharma Bhanu Srivastava, page 8-10
  37. OCLC 186583361
    .
  38. ^ "Manas: Culture, Architecture of India, Taj Mahal". www.sscnet.ucla.edu. Archived from the original on 6 October 1999. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  39. ^ The Province of Agra: Its History and Administration, p. 9, at Google Books
  40. .
  41. .
  42. ^ . Retrieved 30 March 2012.
  43. ^ Marathas and the Marathas Country: The Marathas, p. 159, at Google Books
  44. .
  45. OCLC 1024165136.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )

Further reading

Shah Alam II
Born: 1728 Died: 1806
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Mughal Emperor

1759–1806
Succeeded by
Mahmud Shah Bahadur

in 1788
Preceded by
Mahmud Shah Bahadur

in 1788
Succeeded by
Akbar Shah II