Najaf Khan | |
|---|---|
 Najaf Khan Zulfiqar al-Dawlah | |
| Mir Bakshi of the Mughal Empire | |
| In office c. 1772 – 26 April 1782 | |
| Monarch | Shah Alam II |
| Preceded by | Najib al-Dawlah |
| Succeeded by | Najaf Quli Khan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1723 |
| Died | 26 April 1782(1782-04-26) (aged 58–59) |
| Resting place | Najafgarh, nearDelhi |
| Relations | Najaf Quli Khan (adopted son) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Mughal Empire |
| Branch/service | Mughal Army |
| Years of service | 1772–1782 |
| Rank | Mir Bakhshi (Commander-in-Chief) |
| Battles/wars |
|
Mīrzā Najaf Khān Bahādur, simply known asMirza Najaf Khan (1723 – 26 April 1782) was aMughal nobleman and adventurer[1] ofSafavid lineage who came toDelhi around 1740 fromIran afterNader Shah had displaced the Safavid dynasty in 1736. He became a courtier ofMughal emperorShah Alam II (1740 – 1782). Najaf Khan has been called the "last great general of theMughal Empire" as after his death, the control of the Mughal territories was taken over byMahadaji Shinde in 1784/5, and the Mughal authority got reduced to the walls of Delhi.[2]
Najaf Khan married his sister into the family of the ShiaNawabs of Awadh, which resulted in him gaining the title of DeputyWazir of Awadh, and himself married the daughter ofNajib ad-Dawlah. He served during theBattle of Buxar, and was the highest commander of the Mughal army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.[3][4]
He was more successful than his predecessorNajib ad-Dawlah, the Rohilla Afghan appointed byAhmad Shah Durrani to protect the Mughal throne. Najaf Khan's rival in court of Shah Alam was Nawab Majad-ud-Daulah who used to get theSikhmisls to cause panic among the Mughals to continuously keep Najaf Khan's forces busy.[3] He is also credited for renaming the city of Aligarh, formerly known as Kol.[5]
He was an extremely capable commander, acquainted with European military tactics. He led several successful campaigns for the Mughal emperor. He has also been praised by contemporary biographers to be benevolent, loyal and polite. But due to courtly intrigue set by his rivals like Abdul Ahad Khan, a coldness in relationship had developed between him and the emperor, although the relationship had been mended by the time of his death due to Tuberculosis.[6]
He died on April 26, 1782, after serving Mughal throne for forty two years.[7][3]
He started to suffer long bouts of fever and illness immediately after as he was appointedVakil-i-Mutlaq or regent of Mughals in 1779 at the age of 42. Court rumors had started against the rise of this Shia courtier. Kahir-ud-Din Illahabadi wrote inIbratnama that Najaf Khan became close to eunuch Latafat Ali Khan who regularly supplied Najaf Khan with wine and dancing girls. Najaf became obsessed with an experienced prostitute introduced by Latafat. Nafaj spent much of his time drinking with this prostitute, until he fell seriously sick, feverish and weak to the extent "it could no longer be cured treated". In reality his time in sickness was spent in "pain and suffering, spitting blood".[8]
He had an adopted sonSaif-ud-Daula Nawab Najaf Quli Khan, aRathore Rajput who had converted to Islam from Hinduism.[9][10] After Mirza Quli's death there was a dispute about his possessions as he left no child. Mirza Quli's widow, a sister ofGhulam Kadir, requested emperor for her adopted son on Mirza's position of deputy wazir but this claim was rivaled by Mirza Shafi Khan who had a great army and considerable resources in the Mughal court, Mirza was also the closest of relatives to Najaf.[11][12]
Mirza Najaf Khan's Tomb nearSafdarjung Airport lies closer to theTomb of Safdarjung in theLodi Gardens. It is an uncompleted tomb. Set in a lush modern landscaped garden, this tomb is inside an enclosed boundary. There is a beautifully ruined entrance to the tomb complex set at a distance from the base platform of the tomb. In the middle of the area enclosed by the boundary, lies a large and beautiful square red stone platform with another smaller platform on top with a flat roof and no dome. Inscription marked grave of Mirza Najaf Khan and his daughter, Fatima (died 1820 CE), are inside two marble cenotaphs.[3][13][4][14]
