Alamgir II
Encyclopedia
Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II (عالمگير ۲) (1759 - 1699) was the Mughal Emperor
of India
from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah
.
Aziz-ud-Din, the second son of Jahandar Shah
, was raised to the throne by Ghazi-ud-Din after he deposed Ahmad Shah Bahadur
in 1754. On ascending the throne, he took the title of Alamgir and tried to follow the approach of Aurangzeb Alamgir. At the time of his accession to throne he was an old man of 55 years. He had no experience of administration and warfare as he had spent most of his life in jail. He was a weak ruler, with all powers vested in the hand of his Wazir, Ghazi-ud-Din Imad-ul-Mulk.
In 1756, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India once again and captured Delhi and plundered Mathura. Marathas became more powerful because of their collaboration with Ghazi-ud-Din, and dominated the whole of northern India. This was the peak of Maratha expansion, which caused great trouble for the Mughal Empire, already weak with no strong ruler.
The relations between Alamgir and his Wazir, Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
, by this time had gotten worse. Alamgir was murdered by Nawab Mir Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
(grandson of Asaf Jah I), and the son of Alamgir, Ali Gauhar succeeded him.
to prince Maaz-ud-Din
, son of future Emperor Bahadur Shah I
, while himself a future Emperor. After his father's defeat, he was imprisoned by Emperor Farrukhsiyar
. Later the Emperor ordered him to be blinded, and this was done on 21 January 1714. Till 1754, the prince stayed in prison. In 1754, however, Wazir Ghazi Ud-Din realized that Aziz-ud-Din was well suited as an Emperor for his rule to continue. Therefore, on 2 June 1754, Aziz-ud-Din was given the title Alamgir II by the Wazir out of his own recommendation, for he wanted to follow the approach of Alamgir I.
had died in 1755. His widow now ruled Punjab and allied herself with Ahmad Shah Abdali. The Wazir was furious and reached Sirhind with full force. There he commanded Adina Beg
to depose the governoress and defeat Ahmad Shah, doing so he will gain the governorship of Punjab and Multan
. On the other hand Ahmad Shah was himself invading. After some skirmishes Adina Beg fled and Punjab and Sirhind fell to Ahmad Shah (1756). In 1757, Emperor Alamgir II with courtiers, nobles, and the Royal Family went to Sirhind to meet Ahmad Shah, who demanded 9 million rupees. The Emperor and the rest said that they didn't have much. At this Delhi was looted and about 30 million rupees fell to his hands. After this Mathura was also looted. At Agra
Ahmad Shah was met with stout resistance but managed to capture and loot it. However, due to heat, the Durranid forces retreated back to Afghanistan, after occupying Punjab uptil Sirhind.
and Multan
. Alamgir II recognized him as the Nawab
of Punjab
and Multan
and gave him the title of Jang Bahadur. However, Adina Beg died prematurely and then the Marathas took control of Punjab.
. Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
allied himself with the Marathas against him and after one and a half month of fight, defeated and drove Najib-ul-Daula
to the North. He now feared lest Emperor Alamgir II recall Ahmad Shah Durrani
, or use his son Prince Ali Gauhar
, to dispossess him of his new found power. Therefore, he decided to finish the Emperor and his family. A few princes, including Ali Gauhar, managed to escape before assassination. In November, 1759, the Emperor was told that a pious man had come to meet him. The Emperor, ever so eager to meet holy men, set out immediately to meet him. On November 29, 1759, at Kotla Fateh Shah, he was stabbed repeatedly by Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
's assassins.
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah
Jahandar Shah
Jahandar Shah was a Mughal Emperor who ruled India for a brief period in 1712-1713. His title was Shahanshah-i-Ghazi Abu'l Fath Muiz-ud-Din Muhammad Jahandar Shah Sahib-i-Quran Padshah-i-Jahan .-Early life:...
.
Aziz-ud-Din, the second son of Jahandar Shah
Jahandar Shah
Jahandar Shah was a Mughal Emperor who ruled India for a brief period in 1712-1713. His title was Shahanshah-i-Ghazi Abu'l Fath Muiz-ud-Din Muhammad Jahandar Shah Sahib-i-Quran Padshah-i-Jahan .-Early life:...
, was raised to the throne by Ghazi-ud-Din after he deposed Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Ahmad Shah Bahadur
Ahmad Shah Bahadur was born to Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. He succeeded his father to the throne as the 15th Mughal Emperor in 1748 at the age of 22. His mother was Udhambai, . When Ahmed Shah came to power the rule of the Mughal Empire was collapsing...
in 1754. On ascending the throne, he took the title of Alamgir and tried to follow the approach of Aurangzeb Alamgir. At the time of his accession to throne he was an old man of 55 years. He had no experience of administration and warfare as he had spent most of his life in jail. He was a weak ruler, with all powers vested in the hand of his Wazir, Ghazi-ud-Din Imad-ul-Mulk.
In 1756, Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India once again and captured Delhi and plundered Mathura. Marathas became more powerful because of their collaboration with Ghazi-ud-Din, and dominated the whole of northern India. This was the peak of Maratha expansion, which caused great trouble for the Mughal Empire, already weak with no strong ruler.
The relations between Alamgir and his Wazir, Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III was the son of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II . Born in 1736 His original name was Shahabuddin Muhammad Siddiqi but after the death of his father in 1752, he was, by the recommendation of Nawab Safdar Jung appointed Mir Bakhshi , and received the titles of Amir...
, by this time had gotten worse. Alamgir was murdered by Nawab Mir Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III was the son of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II . Born in 1736 His original name was Shahabuddin Muhammad Siddiqi but after the death of his father in 1752, he was, by the recommendation of Nawab Safdar Jung appointed Mir Bakhshi , and received the titles of Amir...
(grandson of Asaf Jah I), and the son of Alamgir, Ali Gauhar succeeded him.
Early life and Succession to the Throne
Aziz 'ud-Din Beg Mirza was born on 6 June 1699 at MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
to prince Maaz-ud-Din
Jahandar Shah
Jahandar Shah was a Mughal Emperor who ruled India for a brief period in 1712-1713. His title was Shahanshah-i-Ghazi Abu'l Fath Muiz-ud-Din Muhammad Jahandar Shah Sahib-i-Quran Padshah-i-Jahan .-Early life:...
, son of future Emperor Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah I
Bahadur Shah was a Mughal Emperor, who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. His original name was Qutb ud-Din Muhammad Mu'azzam later titled as Shah Alam by his father. He took the throne name Bahadur Shah in 1707. His name Bahādur means "brave" & "hero" in Turko-Mongol languages...
, while himself a future Emperor. After his father's defeat, he was imprisoned by Emperor Farrukhsiyar
Farrukhsiyar
Abu'l Muzaffar Muin ud-din Muhammad Shah Farrukh-siyar Alim Akbar Sani Wala Shan Padshah-i-bahr-u-bar [Shahid-i-Mazlum] was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and character to rule independently...
. Later the Emperor ordered him to be blinded, and this was done on 21 January 1714. Till 1754, the prince stayed in prison. In 1754, however, Wazir Ghazi Ud-Din realized that Aziz-ud-Din was well suited as an Emperor for his rule to continue. Therefore, on 2 June 1754, Aziz-ud-Din was given the title Alamgir II by the Wazir out of his own recommendation, for he wanted to follow the approach of Alamgir I.
Fourth Durrani Invasion
Mueen-ul-Mulk of PunjabPunjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
had died in 1755. His widow now ruled Punjab and allied herself with Ahmad Shah Abdali. The Wazir was furious and reached Sirhind with full force. There he commanded Adina Beg
Adina Beg
Adina Beg was the governor of the Punjab for a few months in 1758.Adina Beg was born Dina Arain in Sharakpur, near Lahore, now in Sheikhupura district of Pakistan. His family belonged to the Arain agriculturalist caste...
to depose the governoress and defeat Ahmad Shah, doing so he will gain the governorship of Punjab and Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
. On the other hand Ahmad Shah was himself invading. After some skirmishes Adina Beg fled and Punjab and Sirhind fell to Ahmad Shah (1756). In 1757, Emperor Alamgir II with courtiers, nobles, and the Royal Family went to Sirhind to meet Ahmad Shah, who demanded 9 million rupees. The Emperor and the rest said that they didn't have much. At this Delhi was looted and about 30 million rupees fell to his hands. After this Mathura was also looted. At Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
Ahmad Shah was met with stout resistance but managed to capture and loot it. However, due to heat, the Durranid forces retreated back to Afghanistan, after occupying Punjab uptil Sirhind.
Maratha Occupation of Punjab
After the Durrani invasion, Adina Beg Khan rose once again and, by allying himself with the Marathas, defeated Timur Shah, son of Ahmad Shah Abdali, and reoccupied PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
. Alamgir II recognized him as the Nawab
Nawab
A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....
of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
and Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
and gave him the title of Jang Bahadur. However, Adina Beg died prematurely and then the Marathas took control of Punjab.
End of Reign
The new Prime Minister after Ahmad Shah's invasion of Mughal Empire was Najib-ul-DaulaNajib-ul-Daula
Najib-ud-daula, also known as Najib Khan, was a noted Rohilla tribal chief in 18th century Rohilkhand, who in the 1740s founded the city of Najibabad in Bijnor district, India, and succeeded Safdar Jang as Nawab Wazir of the Mughal Empire...
. Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III was the son of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II . Born in 1736 His original name was Shahabuddin Muhammad Siddiqi but after the death of his father in 1752, he was, by the recommendation of Nawab Safdar Jung appointed Mir Bakhshi , and received the titles of Amir...
allied himself with the Marathas against him and after one and a half month of fight, defeated and drove Najib-ul-Daula
Najib-ul-Daula
Najib-ud-daula, also known as Najib Khan, was a noted Rohilla tribal chief in 18th century Rohilkhand, who in the 1740s founded the city of Najibabad in Bijnor district, India, and succeeded Safdar Jang as Nawab Wazir of the Mughal Empire...
to the North. He now feared lest Emperor Alamgir II recall Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani
Ahmad Shah Durrani , also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī and born as Ahmad Khān, was the founder of the Durrani Empire in 1747 and is regarded by many to be the founder of the modern state of Afghanistan.Ahmad Khan enlisted as a young soldier in the military of the Afsharid kingdom and quickly rose...
, or use his son Prince Ali Gauhar
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
, to dispossess him of his new found power. Therefore, he decided to finish the Emperor and his family. A few princes, including Ali Gauhar, managed to escape before assassination. In November, 1759, the Emperor was told that a pious man had come to meet him. The Emperor, ever so eager to meet holy men, set out immediately to meet him. On November 29, 1759, at Kotla Fateh Shah, he was stabbed repeatedly by Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung III was the son of Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung II . Born in 1736 His original name was Shahabuddin Muhammad Siddiqi but after the death of his father in 1752, he was, by the recommendation of Nawab Safdar Jung appointed Mir Bakhshi , and received the titles of Amir...
's assassins.