Qutb-ud-Din Mohammad Mu'azzam Shah Alam (Bahadur Shah I)

Bahadur Shah I (October 14th 1643 - February 27th 1712), also known as Qutb-ud-Din Mohammad Mu'azzam Shah Alam, was India's eighth Mughal emperor from 1707 to 1712. He plotted to depose his father, the sixth Mughal Emperor, and take him to the throne when he was young. However, the Emperor interrupted Shah's schemes and imprisoned him multiple times. He was governor of Akbarabad (after Agra), Kabul, and Lahore from 1696 until 1707. After Aurangzeb's death, Muhammad Azam Shah, his eldest son by his primary consort, declared himself heir but was defeated in India's largest wars, the Battle of Jajau, and replaced by Bahadur Shah. The Rajput positions of Jodhpur and Amber were seized again under Bahadur Shah's rule after achieving independence a few years before. By including Ali's declaration as wali in the khutba, Shah provoked an Islamic debate. Several rebellions broke out during his reign, including Sikhs led by Banda Singh Bahadur, Rajputs led by Durgadas Rathore, and fellow Mughal Kam Bakhsh, but they were all put down. Bahadur Shah was laid to rest in Mehrauli's Moti Masjid.

Bahadur Shah was born on October 14th 1643, in Burhanpur as Shazada Mu'azzam mirza, the second son of the sixth Mughal Ruler Aurangzeb and his wife, Nawab Bai.

During the Reign of Shah Jahan

Mu'azzam was named vizer of Lahore from 1653 until 1659 during his grandfather's reign. Shaista Khan succeeded Muazzam as the governor of Deccan. However, Shivaji stormed the outskirts of the Mughal Deccan capital Aurangabad, with Mu'azzam's indolence doing little to stop him. Enraged, Aurangzeb dispatched his most capable commander, Raja Jai Singh, to capture Shivaji, which he did.

During the Reign of Aurangzeb

Mu'azzam was assigned the command of Deccan in May 1667, when Raja Jai Singh I signed a pact with Shivaji at Purandar. Maharaja Jaswant Singh aided him. Mu'azzam led an insurrection in 1670 to depose Aurangzeb and proclaim himself Mughal emperor. This scheme could have been devised at the behest of the Marathas, and Mu'azzam's motivations and sincerity are difficult to assess. When Aurangzeb learned of the scheme, he dispatched Mu'azzam's mother, Begum Nawab Bai, to persuade him not to rebel. Mu'azzam was returned to the Mughal court by Nawab Bai, where he spent the next many years under the supervision of Aurangzeb. Mu'azzam, on the other hand, revolted in 1680 under the guise of denouncing Aurangzeb's treatment of Rajput chiefs. Aurangzeb continued his past tactic of gently dissuading Mu'azzam and subsequently placing him under greater scrutiny. Mu'azzam was a reluctantly dutiful son for the next seven years, from 1681 to 1687.

• Treason: In 1681, Aurangzeb dispatched him to the Deccan to put down a mutiny led by his stepbrother Sultan Muhammad Akbar. According to historian Munis Faruqui, Mu'azzam failed his objective on purpose. In 1683, Aurangzeb ordered him to march to the Konkan region to prevent the still-rebellious Akbar from departing the nation, but Mu'azzam failed to accomplish his mission. Despite this, the Emperor continued to entrust his son with responsibility, and in 1687, Aurangzeb ordered Mu'azzam to march against the Golconda Sultanate. The Emperor's spies intercepted treasonous correspondence passed between Mu'azzam and Abul Hasan, the ruler of Golconda, in a matter of weeks. This was treason and could not be confused with ineptitude. Mu'azzam was accused of treason and imprisoned by Aurangzeb, and his harem was sent to faraway Delhi, where the females were likewise charged with treason. Mu'azzam's loyal servants were transferred to the imperial service by his father, while the remaining servants were dismissed. For six months, Aurangzeb prevented Mu'azzam from cutting his nails or hair, and he was denied good food and cold water. He was not allowed to meet anyone without his father's permission. Aurangzeb rehabilitated Mu'azzam in 1694 and permitted him to reconstitute his household, rehiring some of his fired slaves. Aurangzeb kept spying on his son, assigning his troops to Mu'azzam's household, sending informants to his harem, and selecting his imperial court officials. Mu'azzam and his sons were transported from the Deccan to north India, and for the duration of Aurangzeb's reign, they were forbidden to lead military operations in that region. Mu'azzam was dispatched to the Punjab region by Aurangzeb in 1695 to combat chieftains and put down a revolt led by Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Despite levying high taxes on the rajas, the commander believed it was vital to leave the Sikhs alone in their fortified city of Anandpur and refrained to wage war against them out of genuine respect for their religion. Mu'azzam was named governor of Akbarabad in that year, and he was transferred to Lahore in 1696. In 1699, after the death of Amin Khan (Kabul's governor), he took over the role, which he held until his father's death in 1707.

Jahandar Shah

Born: 1661

Died: 1713

Mother: Nizam Bai

Children: Alamgir II, Izz-ud-din, Azz-ud-din

Azz-ud-din

Born: 1664

Died: Infancy

Mother: Nizam Bai

Children: None

Azim-ush-Shan

Born: 1665

Died: 1712

Mother: Amrita Bai

Children: Muhammad Karim, Farrukhsiyar, Humayun Bakht, Ruh-ul-Quds, Ahsan-ullah

Daulat-Afza

Born: 1670

Died: 1689

Mother: Amrita Bai

Children: None

Rafi-ush-Shan

Born: 1671

Died: 1712

Mother: Nur-un-nissa Begum

Children: Shah Jahan II, Rafi ud-Darajat, Muhammad Ibrahim

Jahan Shah I

Born: 1674

Died: 1712

Mother: Dilruba

Children: Farkhunda Akhtar, Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Humayun

Born: 1678

Died: Early stages

Mother: -

Children: None

Rafi-us-Qadr

Born: 1700

Died: Early stages

Mother: -

Children: None

Dahr Afruz Banu Begum

Born: 1663

Died: 1703

Mother: -

Children:

War of Succession

Aurangzeb died in 1707 without naming a crown prince. When Mu'azzam was governor of Kabul, his younger half-brothers (Muhammad Kam Bakhsh and Muhammad Azam Shah) were administrators of the Deccan and Gujarat. All three sons wanted to be king, so Kam Bakhsh started minting coins in his honour. In June 1707, Azam prepared to march on Agra and announce himself the new ruler, but Mu'azzam defeated him at the Battle of Jajau. The conflict claimed the lives of Azam and his son, Ali Tabar. On June 19th, 1707, Mu'azzam, at the age of 63, assumed the Mughal throne as Bahadur Shah I.

Takeovers

• Amber: Shah made intentions to capture Rajput kingdoms that declared independence after Aurangzeb's death after assuming the throne. Shah started his march to Amber (in Rajputana, today's Rajasthan state of India) on November 10th. On November 21st, he paid a visit to the grave of Salim Chishti in Fatehpur Sikri. Meanwhile, Shah's aide Mihrab Khan was given orders to take control of Jodhpur. On January 20th, 1708, Shah arrived in Amber. Though Jai Singh was the Emperor of the realm, his brother Bijai Singh despised his reign. Because of the debate, Shah decreed that the land belonged to the Mughal empire, and the city was renamed Islamabad. On the pretence that he supported Shah's brother Azam Shah during the struggle of Shah's succession, Jai Singh's assets and properties were taken, and Bijai Singh was appointed governor of Amber on April 30th, 1708. Shah bestowed the title of Mirza Rajah to him, as well as presents worth 100,000 rupees. The Mughals captured Amber without a fight.
• Jodhpur: During Aurangzeb's reign, Jaswant Singh led the Rathore in Jodhpur (in Rajputana, today's Indian state Rajasthan). Singh supported Aurangzeb's older brother Dara Shikoh, who Aurangzeb assassinated during a succession struggle. Before his death on December 18th, 1678, Singh was pardoned, becoming the region's titular ruler, and was selected governor of the province of Kabul. Aurangzeb ordered Singh's widows and son Ajit Singh to be transported to Delhi after his death to enlist Ajit Singh in the Mughal army in the forthcoming. However Durgadas Rathore of the Rathore clan, who was determined of retaking Jodhpur from the Mughals, took advantage of the opportunity and fought a war to keep Aurangzeb from capturing Ajit, he tore through Delhi with his men. He successfully escorted the Prince and the widows of Jaswant Singh to Jodhpur. During the reign of Shah's half brother Muhammad Azam Shah, Ajit marched to Jodhpur and liberated it from Mughal dominion.
• Udaipur: After the Mughal victory in the Battle of Haldighati, Akbar the Great annexed the city of Udaipur (in Rajputana, today's Indian state of Rajasthan) to the Mughal Empire in 1576. However, after Aurangzeb died in 1707, the Sisodias declared their independence. Shah intended to retake Udaipur as well. Bahadur Shah received word from Jodhpur that Maharana Amar Singh II departed Udaipur and took refuge in the hills. His messengers informed him that Amar Singh was terrified by the events in Amber and Jodhpur and believed his kingdom would be seized by the Mughals once more. According to the Bahadur Shah Nama chronicle, the Emperor labelled Amar Singh an unbeliever due to this episode. Until his brother Muhammad Kam Bakhsh's insurrection diverted him southward, Bahadur Shah waged war against the king.

Rajput Revolt

The three Rajput Rajas of Amber, Udaipur, and Jodhpur formed a unified opposition to the Mughals while the Emperor was on his way to Deccan to punish Muhammad Kam Bakhsh. The Rajputs first ousted Jodhpur and Hindaun-Bayana, then used a nocturnal raid to reclaim Amber. They then assassinated Mewat's commandant, Sayyid Hussain Khan Barha, and several other officers (September 1708). The Emperor, who was at the time in the Deccan, had no choice but to restore Ajit Singh as well as Jai Singh to the Mughal facility.

Kam Bakhsh's revolution

• Court Rivalry: Muhammad Kam Bakhsh, his half-brother, marched to Bijapur with his army in March 1707. When word of Aurangzeb's death reached the city, King Sayyid Niyaz Khan, the city's ruler, surrendered the fort to him without a fight. After ascending the throne, Kam Bakhsh appointed Ahsan Khan as Bakshi (general of the military forces) and his advisor Taqarrub Khan as chief minister and bestowing the title of Padshah Kam Bakhsh-i-Dinpanah on himself (Emperor Kam Bakhsh, Protector of Faith). After that, he took over Kulbarga and Wakinkhera. Taqarrub Khan and Ahsan Khan established a rivalry. Ahsan Khan had established a marketplace in Bijapur where he did not tax the stores without Kam Bakhsh's authorization. Taqarrub Khan informed Kam Bakhsh, who ordered the practice to be discontinued. Kam Bakhsh dispatched Ahsan Khan to seize the states of Golkonda and Hyderabad in May 1707. Even though the ruler of Golconda refused to surrender, Hyderabad's Subahdar Rustam Dil Khan did. Taqarrub Khan formed a plot to assassinate Ahsan Khan, claiming that conferences of Ahsan Khan, Saif Khan (Kam Bakhsh's archery instructor), Arsan Khan, Ahmad Khan, Nasir Khan, and Rustam Dil Khan (all of whom were Kam Bakhsh's former teachers and members of the then court) to discuss public business were a plot to assassinate Kam Bakhsh while on his way to the Friday prayer at the great mosque. After telling Kam Bakhsh of the situation, he asked Rustam Dil Khan to dinner; however, Rustam Dil Khan was apprehended en route and murdered by an elephant's feet. Arshad Khan's tongue was cut off, and Saif Khan's hands were amputated. Despite close friends' warnings that Kam Bakhsh would arrest him, Ahsan Khan was imprisoned and his possessions stolen. Maktabar Khan, the Shah's ambassador, visited Kam Bakhsh's court in April 1708. When Taqarrub Khan informed Kam Bakhsh that Maktabar Khan planned to depose him, Kam Bakhsh hosted a feast for the emissary and his party and then executed them.
• March to South India: The Emperor began a voyage to the Tomb of Aurangzeb to pay his salutations to his father in May 1708, writing a letter to Kam Bakhsh that he believed would serve as a warning against declaring himself an independent sovereign. Kam Bakhsh wrote him a letter thanking him, but he didn't explain or defend his conduct. On June 28th, 1708, he arrived in Hyderabad to find that Kam Bakhsh had invaded Machhlibandar to seize nearly three million rupees in riches stored in its fort. Jan Sipar Khan, the province's subahdar, refused to pay over the money. Enraged, Kam Bakhsh seized his belongings and ordered the recruiting of 4,000 soldiers for the assault. The garrison in Kulbarga fort declared independence in July, and garrison leader Daler Khan Bijapuri announced his desertion from Kam Bakhsh. Shah's camp arrived in Bidar, 67 miles (108 kilometres) north of Hyderabad, on November 5th, 1708. As his amp drew nearer, desertions from Kam Bakhsh became more and more common, historian William Irvine noted.
• Death of Kam Bakhsh: The Emperor marched with 300 camels and 20,000 rockets to Talab-i-Mir Jumla, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, on December 20th, 1708, in preparation for battle with Kam Baksh. He appointed his son Jahandar Shah as head of the advance guard, but Khan Zaman eventually took his place. Bahadur Shah arrived in Hyderabad on January 12th, 1709, and began preparing his forces. Even though Kam Bakhsh had little money and few soldiers left, the royal astrologer foretold that he would win the battle magically. Instead, the Mughal army charged against Kam Bakhsh at daylight the next day. Mumin Khan headed one body, with Rafi-ush-Shan and Jahan Shah assisting, while Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung led the other. Kam Bakhsh's camp was surrounded two hours later, and Zulfiqar Khan attacked him with his tiny force. With his troops outmanned and unable to defend themselves, Kam Bakhsh entered the fray and fired two quivers of arrows at his foes. According to Irvine, Bahadur Shah imprisoned him and his son Bariqullah when he was incapacitated by blood loss. Mumin Khan and Zulfikar Khan Nusrat Jung disagreed who had seized them, and Rafi-us-Shan ruled in favour of the latter. Kam Bakhsh was transported to the Emperor's tent via palanquin, where he died the next morning.

Sikh Rebellion

Bahadur Shah left the Deccan for the north after hearing of the insurrection launched by Banda Bahadur in Punjab only a year after Guru Gobind Singh's death. The Sikhs began their careful march towards Delhi and entered the sarkar of Hissar, where they began military training. In November 1709, they assaulted Samana and sacked the town while defeating the Faujdar in the Battle of Samana. Banda conquered Shahabad, Sadhaura, and Banur before capturing Sirhind in the Battle of Chappar Chiri. Banda had seized the sarkar of Sirhind, many Parganas of the sarkar of Hissar, and raided the sarkar of Saharanpur before Bahadur Shah's arrival in December. The Sikhs shifted their attention to the Gangetic Doab after their triumph at Sirhind. Banda marched on Saharanpur on his route to Jalalabad after turmoil erupted in a pargana of Deoband, and Sikh converts complained of imprisonment and persecution by the Faujdar Jalal Khan. Ali Hamid Khan, the Faujdar of Saharanpur, fled to Delhi when the Sikhs overcame the defenders and razed the town. They then went for Behat, whose Pirzadas were known for anti-Hindu activities, particularly cows' slaughter. The Pirzadas were murdered, and the town was sacked. They marched on to Jalalabad, where Banda pleaded with Jalal Khan to surrender and free the Sikh detainees, but the Faujdar refused. On July 21st, 1710, they arrived at Nanauta and defeated the local Sheikhzadas. Due to water on the Krishna River, the Sikhs besieged Jalalabad but withdrew to Jalandhar Doab. The Sikhs attempted to drive the Mughals out of Jalandhar and Amritsar. They demanded that Jalandhar's Faujdar, Shamas Khan, implement reforms and hand over the money. Shamas feigned to be submissive before attacking them in the name of religion. He appealed to Muslims and vowed jihad against the Sikhs. After defeating the Mughals at the battle of Rahon on October 12th, 1710, the Sikhs withdrew to Rahon and took its fort. Around 8,000 Sikhs gathered in Amritsar and conquered the central Punjab towns of Majha and Riarki. They also assaulted Lahore, where the mullahs vowed jihad against the Sikhs, despite the ruler refusing to fight them. The Sikhs were victorious over the ghazis. Sikhs took advantage of their newly acquired power by deposing Mughal officials and replacing them with Sikhs.

• Efforts at Conquest: Before attacking Ajit Singh of Jodhpur and Man Singh of Amber, Bahadur Shah negotiated peace treaties with them. He also ordered Asaf-ud-Daula, Khan-i-Durrani, Moradabad faujdar Muhammad Amin Khan Chin, Delhi subahdar Asad Khan, and Jammu faujdar Wazid Khan to follow him into battle. On June 17th, 1710, Shah departed Ajmer for Punjab, rallying anti-Bahadur forces along the route. Bahadur unsuccessfully pleaded to Ajit Singh and Man Singh for assistance when he learned of Shah's plans. In the meantime, Shah had retaken Sonipat, Kaithal, and Panipat on his way back to Delhi. Khanzada Nawab Feroz Khan, his commander, wrote to him in October, saying he had chopped three hundred rebel heads and sent them to the Emperor, who displayed them mounted on spears. The Emperor arrived at Karnal on November 1st, 1710, when Mughal cartographer Rustam Dil Khan presented him with a map of Thanesar and Sirhind. A small troop of Sikhs was beaten at Mewati and Banswal six days later. On December 7th, the Mughals captured Sirhind, and their besieger, general Mohammad Amin Khan Bahadur, presented him with a golden key ring to commemorate the victory. He marched to Lohgarh, where Bahadur was hiding, after failing to recapture Sadaura. He attacked the Lohgarh fort on November 30th, capturing three guns, matchlocks, and three trenches from the insurgents. Bahadur and a few hundred of his supporters escaped with little ammunition left. Gulab Singh (disguised as Bahadur) was one of his followers who was murdered in the struggle. The Emperor gave orders to the rulers of Kumaon and Srinagar to send Bahadur to the Emperor if he tried to invade their provinces. The Emperor had Bhup Prakash, the ruler of Nahan, imprisoned in January 1711, suspecting that Bahadur was aligned with him; his mother petitioned in vain for his release. After she sent him kidnapped Bahadur followers, he ordered that 100,000 rupee ornaments be made for her, and Prakash was freed later after a month. Both Shukan Khan Bahadur and Himmet Diler Khan were dispatched to Lahore to put down Bahadur's insurrection, and a garrison of 5,000 men backed them up. Rustam Dil Khan and Muhammad Amin Khan were also persuaded to join them by Shah. Bahadur was hiding in Alhalab, which is around 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of Lahore. When Mughal workers arrived in the area to rebuild a bridge, his loyalists warned them that he was planning an attack on Delhi via Ajmer. For his march against the Mughals, Bahadur received warriors from village ruler Ram Chand and attacked Fatehabad in April 1711. The Emperor struck with artillery headed by Isa Khan after learning through messenger Rustan Jung that he had crossed the Ravi River. Bahadur was beaten in the July battle and escaped to the Jammu highlands. Isa Khan and Muhammad Amin Khan led forces after him, but they were unsuccessful in capturing him. The Emperor ordered the zamindars (landlords) of Jammu to kidnap the Sikh if at all feasible. Muhammad Amin Khan attacked Bahadur at the river Satluj, forcing him to flee to the Garhwal highlands. The monarch sought assistance from Ajit Singh and Jai Singh after discovering his invincibility. A united Mughal-Rajput force-marched into Sadaura in October 1711. Bahadur evaded the subsequent siege by fleeing to Kulu in modern-day Himachal Pradesh.

Khutba Argument

Bahadur Shah converted to Shiaism after rising to the throne and changed the monarch's Friday public prayer (or khutba) by conferring the title wali on Ali, the fourth Sunni and first Shia caliph. The residents of Lahore detested having to recite the khutba as a result of this. In September 1711, Bahadur Shah travelled to Lahore to examine the situation with Haji Yar Muhammad, Muhammad Murad, and other well-known persons. He quoted authority books during their conference to support his use of the word wasi. He got into a heated disagreement with Yar Muhammad, claiming that the only thing he wanted was to be martyred by a monarch. Yar Muhammad (with the help of the Emperor's son, Azim-ush-Shan) gathered men to fight Shah, but no battle was fought. He held the Badshahi Mosque's Khatib (chief reciter) accountable for the incident and had him jailed. Despite the army's presence at the mosque on October 2nd, the old khutba was read.

In January 1712, the Emperor's health began to weaken in Lahore. He made his final public appearance on February 24th and died on February 27-28; according to Mughal noble Kamwar Khan, he died of spleen enlargement. His body was transported to Delhi on April 11th, under the supervision of his widow Mihr-Parwar and Chin Qilich Khan. On May 15th, he was laid to rest in the courtyard of the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) in Mehrauli, which he erected near Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki's dargah. His son Jahandar Shah succeeded him and ruled till 1713.

Even though his predecessors' coins were also used to pay government officials and commerce, he created gold, silver, and copper coins. Aurangzeb's name was re-minted on copper coins from his reign. Unlike those of other Mughal emperors, his coins did not have his name in a couplet; poet Danishmand Khan wrote two lines for the coins, but they were rejected.