Mughal Successor States: 1719-1760s: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah and Hyderabad

Mughal Successor States:
1719-1760s
Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah and
Hyderabad
The “Nawabs” and the their states
• “nawab” comes from the Persian naib, which
means “deputy.”
• Although the Nawbas of Bengal, Awadh, and
Hyderabad were independent from the Mughal
Emperor by the mid-18th c. the fiction of Mughal
supremacy was preserved
• The khutba continued to be read in the Mughal
Emperor’s name, and coins struck in his name
as well.
Hyderabad—a singular case?
• Unlike the Northern Nawabi states Hyderabad
had a more contentious relationship with the
Mughal court
• This was based on the tensions b/w the founder
of the state Nizam-ul Mulk and the nobles at
court—particularly Zulfikar Khan and the Sayyid
Brothers.
• As the head of the powerful Turani (Central
Asian) faction the Nizam was free to oppose
these groups from an independent base
Nizam-ul Mulk’s Family
Background
• Part of the new nobility formed under
Aurangzeb
• Grandfather came from Bukhara during
the 1658 succession crisis, hired by
Aurangzeb
• Father moved from Bukhara as well to join
family in 1660s.
• Nizam-ul Mulk the first generation to be
born on Indian soil
Family background Cont.
• Family from an orthodox Sunni background with
very close connections to Aurangzeb’s reforms
• Grandfather held positions in army and
administration, including subedaris and as sadr
(head of religious donations)
• Father a high-level commander before being
blinded by smallpox
• All three generations had extensive experience
in deccan under Aurangzeb, and their beliefs
were shaped in that environment
Asaf Jah, Nizam-ul Mulk
Succession Struggles, 1708-1719
• When Bahadur Shah came to the throne Nizam-
ul Mulk was given the subedari of Awadh, but
also kept distant from politics
• Zulfikar Khan and the Nizam did not get along,
however Azim-us-Shan cultivated him
• During the 1712 succession struggle Nizam-ul
Mulk and Turanis stay aloof from the battle
causing the defeat of Zulfikar Khan and
Jahandar Shah
Bahadur Shah
r. 1707-1712
Jahandar Shah
Jahan Shah
r.1712-1713 Azim-ush Shan Rafi-ush Shah
(Zulfikar Khan)
Farukhsiyar
Rafi-ud Darjat Rafi-ud Daulah Muhammad Shah
1713-1719
April 1719 June 1719 1719-48
(Sayyid Bros.)
After 1713
• Sayyid Brothers anxious to have Nizam-ul
Mulk kept away from capital, but also
suspicious of letting him create a base in
the deccan
• Given the subedari of the Deccan province
three time, recalled twice
– 1713-1715
– 1720-22
– 1722-1748 (becomes independent)
Break: Discuss reading
1. Why did Nizam-ul-Mulk disapprove of the
Emperor’s two favorites—Haider Quli Khan and
Kuki Jiu?
2. What were Nizam-ul-Mulk’s relationship with the
Marathas like during this period?
3. Why did the Mughals fail to curb rebellion in
Rajasthan?
4. For Chandra, what does the failure of Nizam-ul-
Mulk to guide imperial policy indicate?
Areas of tensions b/w Nizam-ul
Mulk and Sayyid Bros.
• Don’t see eye-to-eye on negotiating with
Marathas and Rajputs—Sayyid bros. want
to reconcile, Nizam-ul Mulk favors
suppression
• Disagree about jizya
• Have different power bases—the Sayyids
with local gentry and Khanzads, the Nizam
with newer Sunni aristocracy and Turanis
Pattern of recall and engagement
• In 1713 Nizam-ul Mulk had gone to the Deccan
with the intention of removing the Marathas, who
were internally divided
• Repudiated their claims to sardeshmukhi and
chauth
• Orders a new assessment of revenue, more
soliders
• Is recalled when Marathas complain, retreats to
his jagirs in north and announces his
“retirement”
Reign of Muhammad Shah
• Nizam sent back to the Deccan where
things are deteriorating in 1720.
• This time creates a series of secret
accords with Marathas.
• Is called back to court in 1722 to become
Wazir, a position that he had long coveted.
• Muhammad Shah was hoping to regain
control by playing with strong group of
nobles against the other
New Strategy and Independence
• In 1723 meets the Peshwa in Malwa and
concludes a secret treaty to keep
Marathas from expanding north
• Attempts to clean up the politics of Delhi,
but finds resistance on multiple levels
• Returns to Deccan and begins a new
phase of consolidating power in the
Deccan.
Consolidating Power
• Creates agreements with local zamindars and
deshmukhs to bring in revenue
• Relies on contracts with revenue farmers in areas that
were further away from capital of Aurangabad
• Negotiates with Marathas an agreement to use his own
revenue collectors for Chauth rather than allowing a
parallel system of revenue collection to exist
• Until death in 1748, system functions smoothly
• After 1748 French and English become embroiled in
succession struggle at Hyderabad, henceforth English
have a resident at the court and the Nizams of
Hyderabad become dependent on English protection.
English
possession
after 1757
Questions for Grewal Reading
• According to Grewal why were the Mughals
unable to stop the Sikh rebels from becoming
powerful after they successfully put down
Banda’s rebellion in 1715?
• In what ways were the Sikhs’ rise to power
different from that of the Mughal successor
states such as Hyderabad?
• Compare and contrast the Sikhs with the
Marathas (particularly from Gordon’s text). In
what ways are they similar or different?
• How egalitarian was Sikh rule?

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