Ahmad Shah Bahadur

Ahmad Shah Bahadur, also recognized as Mirza Ahmad Shah or Mujahid-ud-Din Ahmad Shah Ghazi, was the son of Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and was born on 23 December 1725 and died on 1 January 1775. At the age of 22, he flourished his father as the fourteenth Mughal Emperor in 1748. The Mughal Empire was crumbling when Ahmed Shah Bahadur came to power. Furthermore, his administrative flaws finally paved the way for the usurper Feroze Jung III to emerge to power. Ahmed Shah Bahadur inherited a Mughal state that was severely damaged. He was Emperor in the name for six years, although he delegated all governmental functions to compete groups. Vizier Feroze Jung III deposed him, and he and his mother were later blinded. He expended the rest of his life in prison and died in January 1775 of natural causes.

Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah and his group Qudsia Begum had Prince Ahmad in 1725. The decline of the Mughal Empire began with decentralisation during his father's reign, the Maratha Wars, and the blow from Nadir Shah's invasion. Prince Ahmad had a weakness for women as a child, although his father's care curtailed this. He is also known to have been illiterate and never participated in military training, owing to his miserly father's attitude, who deprived him of necessities and used to browbeat him, never even giving him the allowance required of imperial princes. However, there was no shortage of funds for the imperial household at the time. His stepmother, Badshah Begum, who adopted him as her son after the death of her biological kid; this was instrumental in his succession to the throne; and his mother, who managed state affairs alongside the Head Eunuch of the harem, Javed Khan Nawab Bahadur, during his reign, since he was more interested in the harem than the empire.

After the death of Zakariya Khan Bahadur, the Mughal ruler of Lahore, his two childs, Yahya Khan Bahadur and, Mian Shah Nawaz Khan, the Emir of Multan, struggled for succession. Nawaz Khan declared himself Mughal viceroy of Punjab after beating his elder brother Mian Shah. This weakness was promptly exploited by Ahmad Shah Durrani, who launched a new expedition with 30,000 cavalries to aid Shah Nawaz Khan, who was despised in the Mughal imperial court for tax theft and opposed by the Grand Vizier, Qamaruddin Khan, Yahya Khan's father-in-law.

In April 1748, Ahmad Shah Abdali and Shah Nawaz Khan invaded the Indus River Valley, leading Sindh Subedar Muradyab Khan Kalhoro to send reinforcements to help the Mughal Army along the river's banks. Muhammad Shah dispatched Prince Ahmad and Qamaruddin Khan, Hafiz Rahmat Khan, Safdarjung, Intizam-ud-Daula, Nasir Khan, the previous Subedar of Ghazni and Kabul, Yahya Khan, and Ali Muhammad Khan Rohilla to head a strong army of 75,000 men to battle the 12,000 Durrani's. After a Durrani wagon packed with explosives exploded at the Battle of Manipur (1748), both forces fought a decisive battle in Sirhind on the river Sutlej. Prince Ahmad was theoretically victorious; he was then given the title Bahadur. During the battle, however, Muhammad Shah was deeply saddened by the death of Qamaruddin Khan, who was killed by a stray artillery round. Nawab Amir of Bhawalpur stayed loyal to Alamgir II after Ahmad Shah Durrani retreated from the Mughal-aligned Khanate of Kalat. They became subjects of the Durrani Empire only before the buildup to the Third Battle of Panipat. However, the new Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur appointed Qamaruddin Khan's son Muin ul-Mulk, a known combat hero from the Battle of Manipur, as the Mughal viceroy of Punjab.

Military Revolutions

The Battle of Manipur had a significant impact on Ahmad Shah Bahadur's tactical prowess. He is reported to have introduced and organised the Purbiya camel corps after he became Emperor, particularly in the years 1754–51, to resist invading Durranis and rebellious Sikhs in his empire's northwestern areas.

During the Sirhind conflict, Qamaruddin Khan died. Muhammad Shah became extremely ill as a result of this news, and he died soon after. Prince Ahmad risen the throne on 18 April 1748 and was crowned on 29 April 1748 at the Red Fort in Delhi. Abu Nasir Mujahid-ud-Din Ahmad Shah Ghazi was his new title. The new Emperor was now able to enjoy his life with his harem of women. Safdarjung, the Nawab of Oudh, was named Grand Vizier, Feroze Jung III was named Mir Bakshi, and Muin ul-Mulk, the child of Qamaruddin Khan, was named Punjab Governor. Javed Khan, the Mughal court's main servant, was awarded the rank of Nawab Bahadur and a 5000-strong army. Javed Khan became a successful regent with the help of the Emperor's mother, who was given a force of 50,000 men. The Emperor's soldiers, in particular, saw Javed Khan's ascent to power and authority as an insult to the empire's nobility and aristocracy.

Safdarjung's Hostility to Favouritism

Qudsia Begum went to great lengths to protect Javed Khan's high authority, allowing him to employ force against people who resisted and despised both him and her. After Safdarjung survived an assassination try in 1749 (planned by Javed Khan), tensions in the Mughal court erupted when he attempted to delegitimise any relatives of his predeceasing Grand Viziers, as well as drive out all members of the imperial Afghan faction from positions of authority due to eunuch stipends. These policies placed Safdarjung into a confrontation with the Turani Faction's top leaders, particularly Javed Khan.

Salabat Khan's Captivity and Confusion in the Mughal Army

In 1750, Javed Khan apprehended Salabat Khan, a Mughal commander who claimed payment for his 18,000 troops recalled to Delhi after completing the appointed mission against Marwar. Salabat Khan sold all of his property while imprisoned to pay his men and lived in poverty like a Dervish for the rest of his life.

Safdarjung's Advance Counter to Javed Khan's Associates in Rohilkhand

Ahmad Khan Bangash, enraged by the Grand Vizier's policies, assaulted Safdarjung's property in Awadh, injuring Safdarjung in the neck. Safdarjung retaliated by assembling an army of mercenaries from the Jat and Maratha tribes. This defeated Qudsia Begum's Rohilkhand supporters, prompting Ahmad Shah to demand an early cease-fire. Safdarjung not only obeyed, but he also ordered his Turkish forces, led by Muhammad Ali Jerchi, to assassinate Javed Khan for his role in the heinous crime in August 1752. Safdarjung's actions paved the way for Qudsia Begum's opponents, such as Intizam-ud-Daula, to rise within Javed Khan's faction.

Maratha Proctorate

The Maratha Confederacy unilaterally established a Proctorate on the Mughal imperial court in Delhi in 1752. In 1754, the Emperor and his subjects retaliated against the Peshwa as a result of this action.

Feroz Jung III

In May 1753, Ahmad Shah Bahadur appointed Ghazi-ud-din-Feroze Jung III, the 18-year-old son of the deceased Intizam-ud-Daula, to fight Safdarjung's expanding power. Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech, Qudsia Begum, and Ahmad Shah Bahadur joined Feroze Jung III in his resistance to Safdarjung. Safdarjung was beaten and robbed of his lands and power, but thanks to the influence of friends like Suraj Mal, he was forgiven and permitted to flee to Awadh. Feroze Jung III was then installed as the next regent. Ahmad Shah Bahadur dreaded his prowess, and the two fell out after Feroze Jung III amassed 1,500,000 dams and refused to pay salaries to the Mughal army and imperial officials. Soon after, Ahmad Shah Bahadur appointed Safdarjung as his Grand Vizier. He attempted to have Feroze Jung III removed from the imperial court, prompting Feroze Jung III to dispatch Aqibat Mahmud to arrest the Emperor and seek an alliance with the Maratha forces led by Sadashivrao Bhau, the Peshwa Nanasaheb I's cousin.

Defeat at Sikandarabad

Despite the elephants being armed with cannons and sharpshooters. The Maratha Empire defeated the Emperor at Sikandarabad. Eight thousand warriors were captured, according to the Marathas (mostly women). The imperial family was also humiliated. The "Sikandarabad Incident" is thought to be the Emperor's final raid against the Maratha Empire. This scheme, however, had been discovered by Feroze Jung III and his friends. He overcame Safdarjung with the help of the Marathas, headed by Malhar Rao Holkar. At the First Battle of Sikandarabad, the Emperor gathered a huge force. He camped at Sikandarabad, where the Maratha commander Sadashivrao Bhau, Malhar Rao Holkar, and 2,000 Marathas, along with Feroze Jung III, defeated his army (1754). Ahmad Shah went to Delhi, leaving behind his mother, wives, and an 8,000-strong female retinue. Feroze Jung III went to Delhi, where he imprisoned both the Emperor and his mother with the help of Raghunathrao. Meanwhile, Safdarjung withdrew to Awadh after the battle at Sikandarabad, and a Mughal army besieged Bhurtpore, which Suraj Mal and his Jat rebels commanded. Feroze Jung III moved out of Delhi after being reinstalled as Grand Vizier to provide his lieutenant with a new supply of ammunition. During this battle, Feroze Jung III claimed that Ahmad Shah Bahadur sent Suraj Mal secret dispatches encouraging him to fight and promising to advance to the Jats' aid. He had intercepted the letters, reconciled with Suraj Mal, and returned to Delhi, blinding Ahmad Shah. Safdarjung became ill and died after hearing about this incident.

The weak but influential Ahmad Shah Bahadur kept in touch with distant vassals and Nawabs like Chanda Sahib, Nawab of Tinnevelly (his southernmost subject), and Muzaffar Jung letters. He was given the title Nasir Jung by Muhammad Shah and then by the succeeding Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur, who designated him as the Subedar of the Deccan and gave him the title Nasir-ud-Daula. In 1750, he was slain by the rebel Himmat Khan.

First Carnatic Combat (1746–1748)

In 1749, Joseph François Dupleix allied with Chanda Sahib and Muzaffar Jung, two powerful Mughal administrators Deccan, in the hopes of bringing them to power in their respective provinces. Other leaders, such as Hyder Ali, supported the French as well. During the Battle of Ambur, the Chanda Sahib, Muzzafar Jung, and the French-led by Patissier and De Bussy, were able to overcome the frightened Nawab of the Carnatic Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan. In 1750, Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah and Nasir Jung linked themselves with the English to a power struggle among Mughal subjects in the Deccan. Nasir Jung was stopped, defeated, and slain by the men of the troublesome Himmat Khan, the Nawab of Kadapa, as he attempted to reclaim Gingee Fort from De Bussy. Dupleix, the true force behind the successors, quickly delegated a powerful rule to his allies: Muzaffar Jung was named Nizam of Mughal holdings in eastern Deccan. In contrast, Chanda Sahib was named the new Nawab of Carnatic. Throughout the Mughal Empire, the French were seen as great nobles; their English equivalents, on the other hand, had their reputations damaged by supposed crimes of piracy since Aurangzeb's reign.

Mughal Army Excursion Contrary to Marwar

Salabat Khan, the Mughal army's Mir Bakshi and leader, was joined at Marwar by Bhakt Singh against Ram Singh and Ishvari Singh's men. In 1750, the two factions clashed at the Battle of Raona. Ishwari Singh and Salabat Khan reconciled immediately after the battle, and the conflict came to a halt. Ishwari Singh committed suicide shortly after the Maratha Confederacy attacked Jaipur.

2nd and 3rd Attacks of Ahmad Shah Abdali

Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India for the second time in 1749. The invasion was the same as the first: he claimed the revenue of four Punjab districts (Sarkars) to sustain the poor Subah of Kabul. This system had existed before the Mughals and was imposed on them when they ceded that Subah to Nadir Shah in 1739. Muin-ul-Mulk, the Mughal ruler of Punjab, battled Abdali's men to a draw, but the latter was deceived into signing a treaty adopting Abdali's demands. Due to the failure to meet the stipulations of the 1749 treaty, Abdali invaded India for the third time in 1752, sweeping all before him before the gates of Lahore. Raja Koramal, Muin-ul-gallant Mulk's lieutenant, was killed in this terrible combat. Muin-ul-Mulk was apprehended, but Abdali pardoned him for his bravery in battle and reappointed him governor of the Subah. The Mughal Court became agitated, fearful of a repeat of the events of 1739. On the promise of a great quantity of money, the Grand Wazir, Safdar Jung, sought the support of 50,000 Marathas. Still, before he could act, an equally desperate Emperor signed a peace deal with the Abdali, acting on the counsel of his mother's favourite, the eunuch Javed Khan Nawab Bahadur. According to the treaty, the Abdali was to administer Punjab (including Multan and Sindh) and Kashmir in the Emperor's name. Any Governor of the Subah chosen by the Emperor needed Abdali's consent. In actuality, the Subahs had been given to the Afghans as a face-saving gesture. Following Ghaziuddin's failed attempt to reclaim them from the Mughals, they were officially annexed in 1757.

Loss of Gujarat and Orissa to the Maratha Union

In Gujarat and Orissa, many chieftains of the Maratha Confederacy defeated Ahmad Shah Bahadur's subjects. Gujarat remained a part of the Mughal Empire until 1753 when the Marathas ousted the Imperial Governor, and the Raj Bovri Mosque complex was destroyed in a great battle. In reaction to Gujarat's annexation, Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur nominated and strengthened the Nawab of Junagarh, Muhammad Bahadur Khanji, and bestowed different titles and authority on various Mughal Empire loyalists in the region. Ahmad Shah Bahadur and Safdarjung also ordered Salabat Khan and an army of 18,000 on an expedition to subdue any rebels in the Rajput territory and gain support for the region's garrisons.

• Alivardi Khan loses Orissa: Alivardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, and Faujdars from various regions such as Patna, Dacca, and Orissa were overrun by a large force of Marathas led by Raghoji I Bhonsle, who eventually annexed Odisha for the Maratha Confederacy in 1751, after defending his territories from the Marathas for nearly 11 years. Only Midnapore remained in Mughal control, and Alivardi Khan, the Mughal governor of Bengal, was forced to pay the Chauth payment to the Marathas, as the late Emperor Muhammad Shah had commanded.

Second Carnatic Combat (1749–1754)

During the Battle of Arcot in 1751, Chanda Sahib and his lieutenants Reza Sahib and Muhammed Yusuf Khan were defeated by Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah and Clive. Later, Muzaffar Jung was confronted by the averse and recalcitrant Nawabs of Kurnool, Cuddapah, and Savanur, who collectively attacked Muzaffar Jung' encampments of 3000 troops, killing the Nawab of Savanur in the process. The Nawab of Kurnool was shot and injured, but Muzaffar Jung was challenged to a fight by Himmat Khan, the Nawab of Kadapa. They eliminated each other in combat by charging their Howdahs at each other.

French-Nizam Alliance

The Mughals were shocked and terrified by the news of Muzaffar Jung's death, and this unexpected tragedy also shook the French. De Bussy rose to the occasion, practically risking imperial anger by appointing his brother Salabat Jung as the next Subedar of the Deccan without Ahmad Shah Bahadur's assent. On 12 April, they marched against the Marathas to strengthen the Mughal garrison at Aurangabad, and on 18 June, they marched against the Marathas to strengthen the Mughal garrison at Aurangabad. Unwilling to let his brother take control, Intizam-ud-Daula, a powerful commander in the Mughal army, resigned and vowed to march into the Deccan with a force of 150,000 men to remove Salabat Jung with the help of their Maratha for Balaji Bajirao. Rather than waiting for an invasion, Dupleix challenged the Marathas and defeated their leader Balaji Bajirao in December 1751 by taking advantage of a lunar eclipse. For the first time in decades, the De Bussy-Salabat Jung coalition marched efficiently towards Poona, smashing the Marathas and their allies in a series of crushing defeats. The following year, De Bussy imposed the Ahmadnagar Peace Treaty on the Marathas. For allying with Balaji Bajirao, Intizam-ud-Daula was poisoned by his troops. After being defeated by Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah and Clive in 1752, the Nawab of Carnatic Chanda Sahib was slain in a revolt. Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was then recognised as the next Nawab of the Carnatic, mostly due to Ahmad Shah Bahadur's sympathies. De Bussy led his alliance to seize the Northern Circars in 1753, which set in motion a sequence of wins against Maratha leader Raghoji I Bhonsle in 1754. Salabat Jung and De Bussy's campaign lasted until 1757, and they inflicted a series of defeats on the Maratha surrounding their strongholds Poona. Salabat Jung's army used heavy muskets called Catyocks, which were connected to the ground and fired faster than a cannon in 1756. The Maratha rebels' fortunes would be drastically turned around with these new weapons.

Ahmad Shah Bahadur was imprisoned at the Salimgarh Fort after his deposition in 1754. He is inherent in there for the rest of his life, dying at 50 under Emperor Shah Alam II's reign in 1775. Bidar Bakht, one of his sons, reigned briefly as Jahan Shah in 1788.