Sultan: The Legend of Hyder Ali

Prologue

AT THE ZENITH OF ITS POWER, MUGHAL EMPEROR Aurangzeb’s empire stretched from Kashmir in the north all the way to the southern parts of India. In 1687, in order to efficiently administer the newly conquered regions of South India, Aurangzeb created two subahs, or provinces, and named them Hyderabad and Sira. The governors appointed to administer these provinces were to report directly to the emperor. The larger of the two was Hyderabad, which lay to the east and stretched beyond Arcot right down to Thanjavur in the south. The other Mughal province, Sira, lay to the west of Hyderabad and included regions leading up to the Western Ghats.

All the nayakas, palegars and other small rulers within these two provinces were left to rule independently as long as they accepted the suzerainty of the Mughal emperor. Accepting suzerainty meant that these local rulers had to pay a paishkash, a tribute in the form of coins minted with the name of the emperor, routed through Mughal governors into the Mughal coffers.

But Aurangzeb’s empire, held together only by the force of his will, fell apart after his death in 1707. His successors, Muhammed Azam Shah, Bahadur Shah I, Jalandar Shah and Farrukhsiyar I, were not as competent as him and could not maintain Mughal authority in hostile territories. They had neither his iron will nor the military skills and political acumen required to hold a vast empire together. Various subordinate kingdoms started gnawing away at the Mughal territories. Soon, all order was lost within the empire. Anarchy ensued.

The Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah, was the first to declare independence. He managed to keep most of his province together, except for the region of Arcot. He demanded and obtained paishkash from the local chieftains in his province. Only this time, the paishkash remained in Hyderabad rather than reaching the treasury in Delhi. But when the subahdar, the governor of Sira, declared independence and demanded paishkash for himself, every ruler and man under him worth his salt now saw themselves as independent as well and refused to pay the annual tribute to the governor or to the Mughal emperor. One such kingdom where citizens defied the law of the land was Mysore.

Mysore was a petty vassal state in the ancient Vijayanagar empire which came into its own in 1673, during the reign of Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar. Wodeyar was a man who chose his battles tactically. He defeated small n ayakas and p alegars who were no longer of interest to the Mughals and kept expanding his empire little by little until his annexations caught the eye of Aurangzeb.

Wodeyar was a smart man. He didn’t want to risk the wrath of the Mughal emperor. As soon as the Mughal ambassadors made their appearance in his court, he pledged his allegiance to the Mughals by paying a significant amount of money as tribute. In return, Aurangzeb recognized him as an important feudatory of the Sira province.

Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar had, in essence, paid the Mughal governors for his freedom to rule and expand his kingdom without interference. With Aurangzeb’s death, there was nothing to stop him from declaring independence. But, as fate would have it, he passed away within months after the Mughal emperor’s death. His small empire passed on to the hands of his diwan, the prime minister, and the dalwai, or the chief military general, who promptly refused to pay the annual tribute to their Mughal overlord in Sira.

Meanwhile, in the southwest regions of the Mughal empire, the Marathas seized their chance to assert independence. They had been a fanatical challenge to the Mughals even during the time of Aurangzeb. But Aurangzeb’s authority had kept them limited to guerrilla warfare against the numerically superior Mughal army. After his death, however, they emerged as the most aggressive of the challengers to the Mughals, quickly filling the void created by Aurangzeb’s successors. They rapidly morphed from a guerrilla army to an imposing conventional military power in the region. Such was the power of the Marathas that unpaid Mughal soldiers started joining their ranks, swelling their numbers. Soon, the Marathas took over the role of imposing order over the smaller rulers in the southern regions of India, without any formal orders from the Mughals. Having lost real control over his southern provinces, the Mughal emperor Farrukhsiyar I issued a farman, a royal edict, to the Marathas, that allowed them to collect annual tributes from all the rulers and chieftains in southern India who were not under the Nizam of Hyderabad, in the name of the Mughal emperor. The proceeds would remain in the hands of the Marathas. The Mughals wanted to maintain a semblance of authority over their southern provinces and the Marathas wanted legitimacy to collect revenue from the region. The farman was the perfect solution for both.

This royal edict soon morphed into the chauth, an annual tax equal to a fourth of the total revenue earned by the local rulers, which was significantly higher than what the Mughals had collected. Naturally, this led to a lot of discontent amongst the chieftains. But the army of the Marathas was the most fearsome of the land. They offered no space for negotiation and showed no mercy. They would pillage cities and burn villages to the ground until they had received their chauth. They demonstrated this time and again in Gujarat and Khandesh. So, the chieftains grudgingly accepted the increased demands of the Marathas.

Since Mysore was a feudatory of the Mughal province of Sira, the Marathas saw it as their right to collect chauth from here as well. Meanwhile, the Nizam of Hyderabad saw himself as the natural successor of the Mughals in southern India and expected an annual tribute from Mysore as well. That was how, at the start of the eighteenth century, the kingdom of Mysore found itself without a proper ruler and stuck between two seemingly strong forces vying for its riches.

Amidst all this chaos, the English and the French had quietly strengthened their positions on the coasts of India. They had already demonstrated their military and technological superiority by successfully defeating many an Indian chieftain in Bengal and Gujarat. The archaic armies of the local Indian chieftains vastly outnumbered the smaller but nimbler European ones. Yet, they were routinely routed. The Europeans no longer saw themselves as merchants trading in spices, cotton, raw silk and other commodities. They had set their sights on a much bigger prize: a piece of India.

1

1721, Budikote

THE SUMMER OF 1721 WAS UNUSUALLY HOT. FATEH Mohammed was in a pensive mood. Perched on the masand, his small throne in his jagir of Budikote, he thought about the dark clouds looming over the Mughal province of Sira. As a loyal subject of Sira, the middle-aged general, dusky, with a salt-and-pepper beard, knew it was his duty to protect its new nawab, Rasul Khan, from the impending invasions being mounted by Nizam Asaf Jah of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Arcot, Saadatullah Khan. It was only a question of time before they marched towards Sira. Rasul Khan, unlike his father, Darga Quli Khan, didn’t have the stomach to defend Sira, and the great city deserved better. Standing with Rasul Khan would have disastrous consequences, but it was circumstances like these that distinguished a loyalist from an opportunist. Fateh Mohammed had served Sira since the reign of Darga Quli Khan, and the latter had bestowed the jagir of Budikote on him for his loyalty. The late nawab knew that when the call to defend Sira came, Fateh Mohammed, a man of honour, would be the first to take up arms.

Even as he pondered the fate of Sira, his mind wandered to his own home, and fear crept into his mind. He had not heard anything from the zenana. His wife had gone into labour in the morning and even with the sun setting down over the small fort of Budikote, word from the ladies’ quarters was yet to arrive. His first wife had passed away in childbirth. Now, the fear of losing his second wife engulfed him.

Just then, a young girl rushed out of the zenana and into the hall where Fateh Mohammed was ruminating about the future.

‘God has been merciful, my lord! The begum has given birth to a boy! Both mother and child are safe and healthy.’

A sense of relief pervaded Fateh Mohammed and his battle-scarred face was softened by a smile. ‘Have the guards announce that Fateh Mohammed has been blessed with another boy.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

The son of a man of religion who had chosen a life in the military, he had risen through the ranks to be a nayaka – a military commander under the Nawab of Sira with fifty cavalry, 1,000 foot soldiers and a jagir – and now had a fifth son to carry on his legacy. Fateh Mohammed now had three sons from his first wife and two from Lal Bi, his second. He walked to the zenana and asked permission to enter. His female relatives stood around the bed. The newborn, wrapped in a blanket, was sleeping next to his mother.

The fair-skinned Lal Bi looked exhausted. The ordeal of childbirth hadn’t taken the sheen off her beauty though. She managed a weak smile at the sight of her husband. His eyes travelled from her to their son. He was quiet, and she caught him looking at their son dreamily. ‘You seem to be deep in thought, my lord. Are you wondering if he will become a holy man or a soldier?’

‘I just want him to be my son, Begum.’

His first three sons had also become soldiers. His fourth son, Shahbaz, was still young. But his ancestors had been spiritual men who spent their lives in dargahs, and Lal Bi would certainly have preferred a holy man to a soldier.

‘Perhaps we should consult the astrologer and find out what the stars foretell,’ said Fateh Mohammed.

The bald astrologer, Ramachandra, was soon brought in to make a chart for the newborn. Even after the chart had been prepared, Ramachandra continued to peer at his creation and calculated something silently, his face expressionless. When he was finally done, he sighed before speaking. ‘He is destined to be a king. A king the like of whom this land has never seen. He will forge an empire larger than any before him.’ There was silence in the quarters. The astrologer looked at Fateh Mohammed and said, ‘But he will soon be fatherless.’

The last prediction transformed the atmosphere of the room. Some people cursed the astrologer, while others stood mute, shocked by his prophecy. The begum, looking at her husband, burst into tears. Fateh Mohammed thanked the astrologer, paid and dismissed him.

All the women started protesting together in a cacophony of tears and grief:

‘We don’t need a king; you are our king, our lord and our god.’

‘This baby is a harbinger of grief and pain; we don’t want this child here.’

‘How can we avoid the dreadful fate that this child has brought upon us?’

‘Let’s kill the baby and the prophecy will be averted.’

‘Yes! Let’s kill it!’

There was not a word of protest from Lal Bi. Her silence made it clear that she was willing to sacrifice her son for her husband.

Fateh Mohammed said with quiet determination, ‘My life is in my hands. The boy has just opened his eyes to this world – he has not decided my destiny, nor should he be blamed for my fate. If God intends for me to meet him, then I will go. But I will not let anyone harm my son.’

The room fell silent. The jagirdar of Budikote contemplated:

What kind of prophecy was this? How could the son of a minor military commander become king? The Marathas and the nizam control everything. Anyone who dares to stand against them would be ruthlessly cut down. Is my son extraordinary in ways that I can’t even fathom?

Taking his wife’s hand, Fateh Mohammed said, ‘Our king will need a royal name if he must tame the jackals around him. We will call him Hyder – the lion.’

For the next three years, the diplomats of Sira negotiated for peace with Nizam Asaf Jah but they eventually failed. After the monsoon of 1724, the day Fateh Mohammed had feared arrived. He had been summoned to Sira by Rasul Khan. The nizam’s forces were marching from the north towards Sira on the pretext of collecting the yearly tribute from the province. At the same time, the army of Arcot was moving in from the south, and Budikote was in its path.

There was no love lost between the jagirdar of Budikote and the Nawab of Arcot. Fateh Mohammed had refused to offer his services to Saadatullah Khan. He had sworn fealty to Sira and had inflicted sizeable damage to Saadatullah Khan’s forces during the skirmishes between Sira and Arcot many years ago. The Nawab of Arcot would burn the jagir down and butcher every resident linked to Fateh Mohammed, given the opportunity. Fateh Mohammed gathered his family and a few trusted retainers.

‘Rasul Khan has asked me to go to Sira. We are expecting the nizam to attack. Except for Shahbaz and Hyder, my other sons will accompany me. The womenfolk will go to Doddaballapur. Kuli Khan, Rasul Khan’s brother, holds that jagir. You will be safe there.’

With tears in her eyes, Hyder’s mother said, ‘No matter the danger or difficulty, we want to be with you. We are safer by your side than anywhere else.’

‘Sira is not safe, Begum. Your safety is my priority. Shahbaz and Hyder are very young, and you must take care of them. Kuli Khan will look after you well.’

‘If Sira is not safe, please don’t go there. Why must you go where danger awaits? You don’t owe Rasul Khan anything. Let us go to a dargah and spend the rest of our lives there.’

Fateh Mohammed’s steely face softened. ‘I wish I could, but I cannot do that. What we have today was made possible by Rasul Khan’s father. I cannot abandon them in their hour of need. But I won’t rest easy until I know you are safe. Please go to Doddaballapur and take care of our sons.’

Lal Bi knew that no amount of pleading would change her husband’s mind. Resigned to this decision, the begum, muffling her sorrow, ceased arguing.

Fateh Mohammed took Hyder, all of three years old, in his arms. Kissing the child’s forehead, he said, ‘You take good care of your mother now.’

Hyder looked at his father with his big, bright eyes, squealed with laughter and kissed him back. All the fear in his heart vanished when he saw his father’s smile and he quietly went back to his mother’s arms.

The women left Budikote, taking along with them Fateh Mohammed’s treasures and money, and headed towards Doddaballapur. Fateh Mohammed led his army towards Sira where Rasul Khan had asked most of his feudatories to assemble, all of whom soon arrived with their armies. Sira would be besieged shortly, and Rasul Khan was expected to lead the defence of the city.

Rasul Khan had never been a soldier. He had never led his army from the front and had no intention of leading them into battle this time either. When Fateh Mohammed arrived, he promptly handed over the responsibility of the Sira fort to his trusted nayaka and went to his ancestral dargah. But before leaving, he commanded Fateh Mohammed to protect the fort against all attacks. As Rasul Khan left Sira, the armies of Arcot and the nizam arrived on the scene.

After the monsoon of 1724, Doddaballapur

The thick soorma-wearing Kuli Khan of Doddaballapur warmly welcomed the group that had come knocking at his door. He was a smart man. He knew it was not in his best interests to antagonize powerful military leaders like Fateh Mohammed. He gave the women separate quarters and the respect that was due to them. Everything would have remained the same if things had turned out better at Sira.

A month passed by with no information from Sira, until late one night, when a messenger from the city arrived at the gates of Doddaballapur.

The messenger was ushered in immediately to the court of Kuli Khan, despite the hour. The court was empty, and torches were lit to brighten the otherwise dark room. Kuli Khan came in, clothed in the simple white kurta and pyjama which he had worn to bed. He had not bothered to dress up; his anxiety about the situation overrode the etiquette required for a court appearance. He enquired, ‘What is the news from Sira?’

‘My lord, your brother Rasul Khan had entrusted Fateh Mohammed to protect Sira. The forces of the Nizam and the Nawab of Arcot besieged the city, but with a brave counter-attack, Fateh Mohammed’s army repelled the invading forces. Unfortunately, Fateh Mohammed and his three sons were martyred during this effort.’

Kuli Khan listened to the messenger in silence. There was no grief, no expression of sorrow on his face. He dismissed the messenger and called on the courtier who had earlier lit the torches in the court.

‘Summon my confidant Abbas Khan immediately.’

The courtier went out of the court, leaving Kuli Khan alone. The jagirdar sat on the teak chair that faced the door of the court. He had made up his mind and Abbas Khan was the one person he could trust to set his plan in motion.

It was a good half hour before the pudgy, olive-skinned Abbas Khan made his appearance. A man of medium height, he was dressed for court, silk covering him from top to bottom, precious stones adorning his neck and fingers. The master may not care about the etiquette of the place, but his subject was bound to maintain decorum. Kuli Khan may have called Abbas Khan his confidant, but he was essentially a slave to his master.

Abbas Khan bowed down in front of the jagirdar of Doddaballapur.

Without waiting for his confidant to speak, Kuli Khan laid out his plan.

‘Fateh Mohammed and his sons have fended off the nizam at Sira. My brother has abdicated his responsibility to protect Sira, the incompetent fool! My father should have given Sira to me. Instead, I received this wretched town. At least my brother did one good thing for us – he led Fateh Mohammed and his family to their deaths.’ As expected of a sycophant, Abbas Khan nodded in agreement as his master continued, ‘My brother was never fit to rule Sira. The city is now lost. The nizam is bound to attack again, and I need to protect my interests. Approach the nizam and tell him that I will not lay claim to Sira as long as my claim to Doddaballapur is validated by him.’

With a wicked gleam in his black eyes, Kuli Khan continued, ‘Meanwhile, I need to visit the widow of Fateh Mohammed.’

‘Why, my lord?’

‘Well, his treasures need a new owner now.’

A little later, the women were shocked to see Kuli Khan barge into Lal Bi’s private quarters.