Tag: modern indian history

Khudkasht - Peasant who owned the land and paid revenue at customary rates.

With respect to Mughal administration "Ahadis" were gentlemen troopers. They were directly recruited by the Mughal emperor himself, mainly from the emperor's own blood relatives and tribesmen. They had their own pay roll and pay master, and were better paid than regular hormen sowars.

Iltutmish created a group of forty of his close associates known as Turk-e-chahalgani, group of Turkish noble. However, after Iltutmish’s death, the group of powerful Turkish nobles (sometimes called ‘the forty’ or the Chahalgani) ignored his will and ensured that Ruknuddin Firoz, another son of the Sultan, occupied the throne. Nizam-ul-Mulk-Junaidi was the wazir of Muhammad bin Tughluq.

Sayyid brothers referred to Syed Abdullah Khan and Syed Hassan Ali Khan, who were powerful Mughal Army generals during the early 18th century, and had overpowering control over the state of affairs. They became highly influential in the Mughal Court after Aurangzeb's death and became king makers during the anarchy following the death of emperor Aurangzeb in 1707.

The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah in 1724 A.D., during the reign of Muhammad Shah Rangila, the 12th Mughal emperor (1719 A.D.-1748 A.D.). He waged wars, concluded peace, conferred titles and gave Jagirs and offices without reference to Delhi. He never openly declared his independence from the Central government but in practice he acted like an independent ruler.

Ibrahim Adil Shah II was deeply interested in music, and composed a book called Kitab-i-Nauras in which songs were set to various musical modes or ragas. He was very solicitous of the poor, and had the title of ‘Abla Baba’ or friend of the poor. He built a new capital, Nauraspur, in which a large number of musicians were invited to settle.

The Third Anglo-Maratha war came about because of conflict between the British and the Pindaris. There was an ongoing tussle between the British and Pindaris who were irregular horsemen that plundered and foraged in central India during the 18th century. The war was fought between 1817-1818. In this battle the British won and British victory resulted in the breakup of the Maratha Empire.

Ali Adil Shah, the ruler of Bijapur, had an excellent library to which he appointed the well-known Sanskrit scholar, Waman Pandit. Ibrahim Adil Shah II accorded patronage to all, including Hindu saints and temples. Due to his syncretic approach he came to be called ‘Jagat Guru’.

The battle of Samugarh was fought between Aurangzeb and Dara Shukoh. It was a decisive battle in the struggle for the throne during the Mughal war of succession. In this battle, Dara was finally defeated by Aurangzeb. After that, Aurangzeb went on to rule the Mughal empire.