Mughal King Aziz ud-Din (Alamgir II)

Aziz ud-Din (Alamgir II) was India's sixteenth Mughal Emperor, reigning from 3 June 1754 until 29 November 1759. Jahandar Shah was his father. Imad-ul-Mulk removed Ahmad Shah Bahadur in 1754 and installed Aziz-ud-Din, the second son of Jahandar Shah, on the throne. When he ascended the throne, he took the name Alamgir and attempted to emulate Aurangzeb's strategy (Alamgir I). He was 55 years old at the period of his ascent to the throne. He had consumed most of his life in prison. Therefore he had little expertise in administration or warfare. He was a weak monarch, with his vizier, Ghazi-ud-Din Imad-ul-Mulk, wielding full power. Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India again in 1756, taking Delhi and plundering Mathura. Because of their alliance with Imad-ul-Mulk, the Marathas grew in strength and ruled over northern India. This was the pinnacle of Maratha expansion, which wreaked havoc on the Mughal Empire, which was already weak and without strong leadership. Alamgir II's relationship with his usurping vizier, Imad-ul-Mulk, had worsened. Imad-ul-Mulk assassinated him. Ali Gauhar, Alamgir II's son, escaped Delhi's persecution, and Shah Jahan III was installed on the throne.

On 6 June 1699, in Burhanpur, he was born as the second son of Maaz-ud-Din, the son of future Emperor Bahadur Shah I. When his great-grandfather Aurangzeb deceased in the Deccan, Alamgir II was just seven years old. Following the death of his grandfather Bahadur Shah I and the subsequent succession battle, his father Maaz-ud-Din was beaten by Farrukhsiyar, the second Mughal Emperor. By usurping Vizier Imad-ul-Mulk, Aziz-ud-Din was imprisoned in 1714 and released in 1754. However, he saw Aziz-ud-Din as a fragile individual who would not oppose his authority. As a result, on 2 June 1754, the vizier bestowed Alamgir II's title to Aziz-ud-Din on his advice, as he desired to emulate Aurangzeb's centralised strategy.

Imad-ul-Mulk hired Maratha mercenaries to carry out his orders, squandered all imperial revenues, and starved Alamgir II's family. In addition, he tormented Muhy-us- Sunnat's oldest son, Ali Gauhar. As a result, Alamgir II's relationship with Imad-ul-administration Mulk's had deteriorated to where the latter had him killed in November 1759.

Following the rise of Alamgir II, the Mughal Empire began to re-centralise rashly, particularly when numerous Nawabs sought the Mughal Emperor's approval and coordination in their resistance to the Maratha. Imad-ul-Mulk, who hoped to cement his autocracy with the unwavering support of the Marathas, was unhappy with this development.

Association with the Durrani State

When Muin ul-Mulk, the celebrated Mughal ruler of Punjab, died in 1755, his widow Mughlani Begum frantically sought the help of Ahmad Shah Durrani to put an end to any succession disputes and put down the Sikh rebels in the eastern provinces. In 1756, Ahmad Shah Durrani and his army marched into Lahore, appointing his son Timur Shah Durrani as the new ruler, under the protection of commander Jahan Khan, and appointing Adina Beg the Faujdar of Doab. After that, Ahmad Shah Durrani plundering Sikh and Hindu residents in Punjab's insecure and forbidden eastern districts. In October 1757, the Mughal Sovereign Alamgir II marched to Delhi with courtiers such as Shah Waliullah, nobles such as Najib-ul-Daula, and the imperial family to meet Ahmad Shah Durrani. His soldiers engaged the Marathas in the fight and threatened to topple and execute Imad-ul-dynasty Mulk's. When his son Timur Shah Durrani was selected as the suitor of Alamgir II's daughter Zuhra Begum, Ahmad Shah Durrani's relationship with the Mughal Emperor grew even more substantial. Ahmad Shah Durrani married Hadrat Begum, the daughter of Muhammad Shah, the former Mughal Emperor. With the help of Mughal metalsmiths, Ahmad Shah Durrani departed to Kabul, leaving his men, led by his son Timur Shah Durrani, to consolidate themselves inside the garrisons of Lahore where they created the Zamzama cannon. Mohammad Bahawal Khan II and Muhammad Nasir Khan I backed him up.

Invasion of Delhi in 1757

In July 1757, the Marathas, headed by Raghunathrao, rejected the Durrani Empire's and Mughal Empire's alliance, and with the help of Imad-ul-Mulk, tented 30 kilometres from the Red Fort and conquered all the villages along the Jamuna, launched the Siege of Delhi. The Marathas attacked Alamgir II's ruler Mir Bakshi Najib-ul-Daula, and his lieutenants Qutub Shah and Aman Khan and a 2,500-strong Mughal army garrisoned inside Delhi. While Najib-ul-Daula positioned his heavy weaponry outside the vicinity of the Red Fort, the enraged Maratha set ferries ablaze and halted food supplies from entering Delhi. Ahmad Shah Durrani, who was tasked with putting down multiple rebellions around Herat, was unable to help. Najib-ul-Daula After fighting the Maratha Confederacy's united brigands for more than five months conceded defeat and retired to Najibabad. When the Marathas arrived in Delhi, Emperor Alamgir II and his royal family had managed to flee to the state of Bharatpur. The Marathas were plundering and looting the city of Delhi and its people. Mughal mosques and shrines were desecrated, and the Peshwa plotted to install Vishwasrao on the Mughal throne. With the backing of the Marathas, Imad-ul-Mulk was reappointed as Mir Bakshi. Soon after arriving in Delhi, the Marathas were met by a Jat regiment dispatched by Suraj Mal, who claimed authority over the city. The Jat looted Delhi as well, but Alamgir II and the Mughal royal family could return to Delhi from Bharatpur relatively quickly. Despite failing control of Delhi, Najib-ul-Daula and his allies, including Qutub Khan and Abdus Samad Khan, the Mughal Faujdar of Sirhind, continued to fight the Maratha Confederacy and its allies at Saharanpur and Shahabad Markanda. The Marathas retaliated by sacking the towns of Taraori, Karnal, and Kunjpura. The Maratha attack on Kunjpura prompted Ahmad Shah Durrani to launch a military reaction whose soldiers crossed India's sacred rivers in search of their Maratha adversaries

Third Carnatic Combat (1757–1763)

Loss of Bengal: Alamgir II mourned the death of Alivardi Khan, Bengal's famed Nawab, who committed 5 million dams to the imperial court every year. His inheritor Siraj-ud-Daula was recognised as the next Nawab of Bengal. Still, he was opposed by internal rivals who refused to recognise the Firman granted to Siraj-ud-Daula by Alamgir II. Due to internal strife, Siraj-ud-Daula would take Calcutta from the English East India Company without the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II's or Salabat Jung's authorisation. During the Battle of Plassey in 1757, Siraj-ud-Daula was soon defeated by Clive, who recovered Calcutta and defeated Siraj-ud-Daula. Siraj-ud-Daula escaped when his entire army was destroyed and was slain by the traitorous Mir Jafar's soldiers. Ghulam Husain Tabatabai criticised Siraj-ud-pretensions Daula's in the Mughal imperial court, and Alamgir II refused to recognise Mir Jafar as the new Nawab Bengal. Mir Jafar cemented his alliance with the deceptive Imad-ul-Mulk against the royal family in response to the imperial court's judgment.

Authority in the Deccan: During Alamgir II's reign, the French commandant de Bussy and Lally, as well as their allies Salabat Jung and Hyder Ali, significantly contributed to the advancement of forces in the Deccan against the utter dominance of the Maratha renegades and their achievements had earned them fame among the Mughal Empire's influential circles. Salabat Jung's men used heavy muskets known as Catyocks in the year 1756. It was rumoured to have shot faster than a cannon. The Maratha rebels' fortunes would be drastically turned around with this new weaponry. Soon after the Battle of Plassey, the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II named the French commander De Bussy Saif-ud-Daula Umdat-ul-Mulk and Mansabdar of 7000.

Along with his subordinate Hyder Jung, the "Vakil" (legal) representing the French within the Mughal Empire and Salabat Jung, he captured the Northern Circars from the British. However, in 1758, Forde retook the Northern Circars, and De Bussy was sent back to France. Salabat Jung, fearing the worst, made peace with the English East India Company and acknowledged their rule, only to be deposed by his brother, Nizam Ali Khan.

Nawab of Bhopal: In 1758, the Mughal Army of Faiz Mohammad Khan, the Nawab of Bhopal, was besieged by his stepmother Mamola Bai, who surrounded the Mughal stronghold at Fortress of Raisen in 1758, according to the Marathas' layout. The enraged Mughal Emperor Alamgir II issued a Firman backing Faiz Mohammad Khan, the Nawab of Bhopal, as the only appointed administrator of Raisen. The emperor also gave Faiz Mohammad Khan the Nawab of Bhopal the title Bahadur. However, Mamola Bai and the renegade Nanasaheb Peshwa kept possession of the fort. After Alamgir II's tragic assassination and Sadashivrao Bhau's threat to plunder Bhopal before the Third Battle of Panipat, Faiz Mohammad Khan rapidly retook the fortress of Raisen in 1760. Faiz Mohammad Khan's Sepoys are thought to have been among those who cut off the Marathas' numerous supply routes immediately before the Third Battle of Panipat.

Nawab of Cambay

The British presence in Cambay was supported by Najm-ad-Dawla. Creating an international "safe zone" on a large portion of his farm. Although the Maratha climax is likely to have threatened him as well.

Nawab of Mysore: Hyder Ali and his Sepoy seized Bangalore from the Maratha Confederacy's "Khande Rao" in 1758. The king bestowed the title "Nawab Haider Ali Khan Bahadur" on him to recognise his efforts during the Carnatic Wars.

Summit of the Maratha Confederacy

After extracting extortion of imperial treasure from Imad-ul-Mulk, the Marathas commanded by Raghunathrao seized Lahore in 1758 and conspired to depose young Timur Shah Durrani. Raghunathrao expelled Jahan Khan and Timur Shah Durrani, Ahmad Shah Durrani's son and ruler. Under the pressure of Sikhs and Marathas, Timur Shah Durrani and his men were compelled to flee Lahore for Peshawar. The aggressive Peshwa celebrated their triumph by sacking Delhi and announcing Vishwasrao's ascension to the Mughal throne.

Assassination

Many of his activities have enraged the Indian people. In the summer of 1759, Prince Ali Gauhar fled Delhi for fear of retaliation. Imad-ul-Mulk and Sadashivrao Bhau, enraged by their audacious escape, concluded that Alamgir II was ready to dispatch his son Prince Ali Gauhar to depose and topple their monarchy. Imad-ul-Mulk and an enraged mob of several ethnic groups organised the murder of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and the death of key members of his family in the winter of 1759 after careful consideration.

According to Legend

During his reign, religious feuds among the Durbar's citizens were prevalent, and community duels between competitors became commonplace.

Aftermath: Sadashivrao Bhau then chose the usurpation himself. As the new Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan III began stealing the Mughal royal court's jewels and ornaments. In Agra and Delhi, he also desecrated mosques, tombs, and shrines established by the Mughals. The regal Moti Masjid was after that defiled, and its delicate jewelled embellishments were plundered as spoils for the invading Marathas. In 1760, the loss of Alamgir II's son-in-law, Timur Shah Durrani, by the Marathas enraged Ahmad Shah Durrani, who mounted a massive campaign with more troops than ever before. In retaliation for the atrocities of Imad-ul-Mulk and Sadashivrao Bhau. Najib-ud-Daula and his solid alliance of Mughal Empire's most influential Muslim nobles recovered Delhi and placed it under Shah Alam II's nominal rule. Hyder Ali and his Mysore Army assaulted the Maratha in the south with ferocity. In the meantime, Shah Alam II foresaw the Maratha's demise and made Shuja-ud-Daula his Grand Vizier and Najib-ud-Daula his honorary Mukhtar Khas (Chief Representative). These trends finally resulted in the emergence of religious and political allegiance, which collided in 1761 at the "Third Battle of Panipat."

Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War had erupted in 1756, and several international belligerents backed Alamgir II. It was the first global battle in which the Great Mogul was involved outside of India's borders. Because the British were quick to take Bengal Subah, Alamgir II became involved in the battle. De Bussy received a letter from Alamgir II, the new Mughal Emperor, in 1755, demanding French assistance in suppressing the Maratha Confederacy. Alamgir II asked De Bussy if he might send a 1000-strong French garrison to protect the Mughal Empire's capital in Delhi. Alamgir II also promised to pay a large sum for the French's upkeep and settle disputes in the Carnatic Wars in the French East India Company's favour. Alamgir II succeeded in bringing the Durrani Emirate and the Mughal Empire together in 1757. In February 1757, Timur Shah Durrani married Gauhar Afroz Begam, daughter of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II, and Ahmad Shah Durrani married Hazrat Begum, daughter of former Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. In 1751, the Swedish East India Company was operating in Surat as Alamgir II's co-belligerent. They were most likely essential in supporting Junagadh's first Nawab. Before his death in 1759, Alamgir II is said to have attempted to reconcile the English East India Company with the French East India Company.

Najib-ud-Daula, the newly appointed Mughal Grand Vizier following Ahmad Shah Durrani's invasion, attempted to resurrect the Mughal Empire by combining distant Faujdars and Nawabs and Nizams in a common cause against the Marathas. Fearing their wrath, Imad-ul-Mulk allied with the Maratha chieftain Sadashivrao Bhau and mounted a 15-day counter-offensive against Najib-ud-Daula, which resulted in Najib-ud-defeat Daula's and expulsion to the north. Imad-ul-Mulk feared that Alamgir II, the Mughal Emperor, would recall Ahmad Shah Durrani or use his son Prince Ali Gauhar to deprive him of his newfound authority with the Marathas. As a result, Imad-ul-Mulk devised a plan to assassinate Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and his family. A few Mughal princes, like Ali Gauhar, narrowly avoided being assassinated. When the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II was informed that a holy man had arrived to meet him in November 1759, he hurried out quickly to meet him at Kotla Fateh Shah, where he was brutally wounded by Imad-ul- Mulk's assassins. The death of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II was widely mourned throughout the Mughal Empire, particularly among Muslims. After Alamgir II's assassination in 1759, the Peshwa under Sadashivrao Bhau had reached the pinnacle of their short-lived authority, particularly when he proposed destroying the Mughal Empire and installing Vishwasrao on the throne in Delhi by bribing or deposing Imad-ul-Mulk.