Mercenaries in India
Encyclopedia
In 16th and 17th centuries, the imperial Mughal
power was crumbling and other powers, mainly Maratha
chiefs, were emerging. At this time, a number of mercenaries
, arriving from several countries found employment in India
. Some of the mercenaries emerged to become independent or independent rulers.
in the 16th century, followed by a series of defections of British soldiers and laymen from the British East India Company
bridgehead at Surat
in the 17th century. During Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama
's first historic journey to India in 1498, he observed that there were Italian mercenaries in the employ of various Rajahs on the Malabar coast
. Two of da Gama's own crewmen had left him to join the Italians in the service of a Malabar Rajah for higher wages.
Portuguese historian João de Barros
stated that there were at least 2,000 Portuguese fighting in the armies of various Indian princes in 1565. Among these mercenaries included the indigenous Goan Catholic
and East Indian soldiers and sailors.The Maratha Emperor Shivaji employed many Portuguese and hundreds of Goan Catholics and East Indians in his navy, until they were persuaded by the colonial authorities in Goa to desert. They were generally sought after as artillery experts by the Mughals and Marathas. When the Mughals complained to the Portuguese Viceroy António de Melo e Castro about the Portuguese soldiers serving under the Marathas, the latter was forced to respond with a letter stating that he had no control over the Portuguese and native Christian officers in Shivaji's army, just as he had no control over the mercenaries serving in the Mughal and other armies.
During the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
, so many Europeans took up service at the Mughal Army
that a distinct suburb was built for them outside Delhi
named Firingipura (Foreigners' Town). It's inhabitants included Portuguese, French and English mercenaries, many of whom had converted to Islam
. These mercenaries formed a special Firingi (Foreigners') regiment, under the command of a Frenchman named Farrashish Khan. Shah Alam II
gave the German mercenary Walter Reinhardt Sombre
a large estate in the Doab
, north of Delhi
. Sombre settled in the estate with his wife Farzana Zeb un-Nissa (also known as Begum Samru), and made the village of Sardhana
his capital. The ruling class of this principality was drawn from an assortment of Mughal noblemen and 200 French and Central European mercenaries, many of whom had converted to Islam. Sombre was succeeded after his death by his wife who took command of his mercenary troops and became the ruler of Sardhana, earning the distinction of being the only Roman Catholic ruler in India. Among these mercenaries was John-Augustus Gottlieb Cohen, a German-Jewish
mercenary who was the father of Urdu
poet, Farasu.
There were many mercenaries working in the armies of the Deccan sultanates
that controlled much of central and southern India. One of the most prominent mercenaries in the Adil Shahi court was Gonçalo Vaz Coutinho, a Portuguese former landowner in Goa, who was imprisoned there on a murder charge before escaping to Bijapur
in 1542. There he converted to Islam with his wife and children, and was given lands with great revenues by Ibrahim Adil Shah I
. A Portuguese-Jewish gunner Sancho Pires defected in similar circumstances to the Ahmadnagar Sultanate
in 1530. Pires converted to Islam and took the name Faranghi Khan; acquiring a position of great influence in the Nizam Shahi court.
Many British renegades defected to the service of the Mughals and Deccan sultanates during the 17th century, as in the case of Joshua Blackwell, a British East India Company official who in 1649 converted to Islam and took up service in the Mughal army. Most of these renegades, like the trumpeter Robert Trulleye, however, went into the service of the Deccan sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda
. In 1654, 23 British East India Company servants deserted Surat in a single mass breakout. In the 1670's, the British authorities uncovered an active network of covert recruiting agents in Bombay. By the 1680's, the increasing defections of British soldiers and East India Company servants led Charles II
to issue an order calling back all Englishmen in the employ of Indian princes.
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857
, a British convert to Islam named Abdullah Beg was one of the most active insurgents in Delhi against British rule
. Beg was a former Company soldier, who upon the arrival of the mutineer sepoy
s on May 11, self-identified with them and virtually became a leader and advisor to the rebel forces in Delhi. He was last seen manning the rebel artillery along with another British defector and Muslim convert, Sergeant-Major Gordon. On account of his faith, Gordon was spared during the massacre of Christians at the outbreak of the uprising. In due course Gordon was taken to Delhi, where he manned the guns on the northern side of the city walls.
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...
power was crumbling and other powers, mainly Maratha
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
chiefs, were emerging. At this time, a number of mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
, arriving from several countries found employment in 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...
. Some of the mercenaries emerged to become independent or independent rulers.
European mercenaries in India
Thousands of Europeans took up service at the courts of rulers all over India. These mercenaries for the most part came from the margins of their respective societies. European mercenaries served in the courts of Indian rulers for 300 years, beginning with the large-scale defections of Portuguese soldiers from GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
in the 16th century, followed by a series of defections of British soldiers and laymen from the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
bridgehead at Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
in the 17th century. During Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
's first historic journey to India in 1498, he observed that there were Italian mercenaries in the employ of various Rajahs on the Malabar coast
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
. Two of da Gama's own crewmen had left him to join the Italians in the service of a Malabar Rajah for higher wages.
Portuguese historian João de Barros
João de Barros
João de Barros , called the Portuguese Livy, is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his Décadas da Ásia , a history of the Portuguese in India and Asia.-Early years:...
stated that there were at least 2,000 Portuguese fighting in the armies of various Indian princes in 1565. Among these mercenaries included the indigenous Goan Catholic
Goan Catholics
The Goan Catholics are an ethno-religious community of Roman Catholics and their descendants from the state of Goa, located on the west coast of India. They are Konkani people and speak the Konkani language...
and East Indian soldiers and sailors.The Maratha Emperor Shivaji employed many Portuguese and hundreds of Goan Catholics and East Indians in his navy, until they were persuaded by the colonial authorities in Goa to desert. They were generally sought after as artillery experts by the Mughals and Marathas. When the Mughals complained to the Portuguese Viceroy António de Melo e Castro about the Portuguese soldiers serving under the Marathas, the latter was forced to respond with a letter stating that he had no control over the Portuguese and native Christian officers in Shivaji's army, just as he had no control over the mercenaries serving in the Mughal and other armies.
During the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) Shah Jahan (also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan, , Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592 – January 22, 1666) (Full title: His Imperial Majesty Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan...
, so many Europeans took up service at the Mughal Army
Mughal Army
The Mughal Army was the army of the Mughal Empire.Mirza Najaf Khan was commander in chief of the Mughal Army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.The art of Mughal warfare brought about a complete change in the way wars were fought in the Indian...
that a distinct suburb was built for them outside Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
named Firingipura (Foreigners' Town). It's inhabitants included Portuguese, French and English mercenaries, many of whom had converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. These mercenaries formed a special Firingi (Foreigners') regiment, under the command of a Frenchman named Farrashish Khan. Shah Alam II
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...
gave the German mercenary Walter Reinhardt Sombre
Walter Reinhardt Sombre
Walter Reinhardt Sombre was an adventurer and mercenary in India from the 1760s.Sombre is thought to have been born in Strasbourg or Treves. His nationality is uncertain, being given in various sources as Austrian, French, German, Luxemburger, or Swiss...
a large estate in the Doab
Doab
A Doab is a term used in India and Pakistan for a "tongue" or tract of land lying between two confluent rivers...
, north of Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. Sombre settled in the estate with his wife Farzana Zeb un-Nissa (also known as Begum Samru), and made the village of Sardhana
Sardhana
Sardhana is a town and a municipal board in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located northeast of New Delhi, and 13 mi from Meerut...
his capital. The ruling class of this principality was drawn from an assortment of Mughal noblemen and 200 French and Central European mercenaries, many of whom had converted to Islam. Sombre was succeeded after his death by his wife who took command of his mercenary troops and became the ruler of Sardhana, earning the distinction of being the only Roman Catholic ruler in India. Among these mercenaries was John-Augustus Gottlieb Cohen, a German-Jewish
History of the Jews in Germany
The presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...
mercenary who was the father of Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
poet, Farasu.
There were many mercenaries working in the armies of the Deccan sultanates
Deccan sultanates
The Deccan sultanates were five Muslim-ruled late medieval kingdoms—Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar—of south-central India. The Deccan sultanates were located on the Deccan Plateau, between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. These kingdoms became independent during the breakup...
that controlled much of central and southern India. One of the most prominent mercenaries in the Adil Shahi court was Gonçalo Vaz Coutinho, a Portuguese former landowner in Goa, who was imprisoned there on a murder charge before escaping to Bijapur
Bijapur, Karnataka
Bijapur Urdu:بیجاپور city is the district headquarters of Bijapur District of Karnataka state. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importance built during the rule of Adil Shahi dynasty...
in 1542. There he converted to Islam with his wife and children, and was given lands with great revenues by Ibrahim Adil Shah I
Ibrahim Adil Shah I
Ibrahim Adil Shah I was a sultan and later shah of the Indian kingdom of Bijapur. He succeeded his elder brother, Mallu Adil Shah, through the machinations of the afaqi faction at the court...
. A Portuguese-Jewish gunner Sancho Pires defected in similar circumstances to the Ahmadnagar Sultanate
Ahmadnagar Sultanate
The Ahmadnagar Sultanate سلطان احمد نگر was a late medieval Indian kingdom, located in the northwestern Deccan, between the sultanates of Gujarat and Bijapur. Malik Ahmad, the Bahmani governor of Junnar after defeating the Bahmani army led by general Jahangir Khan on 28 May 1490 declared...
in 1530. Pires converted to Islam and took the name Faranghi Khan; acquiring a position of great influence in the Nizam Shahi court.
Many British renegades defected to the service of the Mughals and Deccan sultanates during the 17th century, as in the case of Joshua Blackwell, a British East India Company official who in 1649 converted to Islam and took up service in the Mughal army. Most of these renegades, like the trumpeter Robert Trulleye, however, went into the service of the Deccan sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda
Golconda
Golconda may be:Places:* Golkonda, ruined city and fortress in India* Golconda, Illinois, town in the United States* Golconda, Nevada, former town in the United StatesOther:* Golconda...
. In 1654, 23 British East India Company servants deserted Surat in a single mass breakout. In the 1670's, the British authorities uncovered an active network of covert recruiting agents in Bombay. By the 1680's, the increasing defections of British soldiers and East India Company servants led Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
to issue an order calling back all Englishmen in the employ of Indian princes.
During the Indian Rebellion of 1857
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, a British convert to Islam named Abdullah Beg was one of the most active insurgents in Delhi against British rule
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. Beg was a former Company soldier, who upon the arrival of the mutineer sepoy
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
s on May 11, self-identified with them and virtually became a leader and advisor to the rebel forces in Delhi. He was last seen manning the rebel artillery along with another British defector and Muslim convert, Sergeant-Major Gordon. On account of his faith, Gordon was spared during the massacre of Christians at the outbreak of the uprising. In due course Gordon was taken to Delhi, where he manned the guns on the northern side of the city walls.
European
| Mercenaries | Background |
|---|---|
| Benoît de Boigne Benoît de Boigne Benoît Leborgne , better known as Count Benoît de Boigne or General Count de Boigne, was a military adventurer from the Alps of French Savoy, who made his fortune and name in India... |
French military adventurer who made his fortune and name in India. |
| Fernão Lopes | 16th century Portuguese soldier who defected to the Adil Shahi general, Rasul Khan Rasul Khan Rasul Khan was one of the finest generals of Ismael Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur. In 1512, he was asked to lead an army to reconquer Goa from the Portuguese... . |
| Claude Martin Claude Martin Major General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company... |
French army officer in India |
| Jean-Philippe de Bourbon-Navarre | French mercenary and progenitor of the Bourbon House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma... lineage in Bhopal |
| Pierre Cuillier-Perron Pierre Cuillier-Perron Pierre Cuillier-Perron , French military adventurer in India, whose name was originally Pierre Cuillier, was born at Luceau near Château-du-Loir in France, the son of a cloth merchant.... |
French military adventurer in India |
| Michel Joachim Marie Raymond Michel Joachim Marie Raymond General Michel Joachim Marie Raymond , popularly known as Monsieur Raymond, was a French General in Nizam's military and the founder of Gunfoundry Hyderabad, Hyderabad. He was born in Sérignac, Gascony, France, the son of a merchant.-Early life:In 1775, aged 20, he and his younger brother, William... |
French General in Nizam Nizam Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad popularly known as Nizams of Hyderabad was a former monarchy of the Hyderabad State, now in the states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra in India... 's military and the founder of Gunfoundry Gunfoundry Gunfoundry also known as Top ka Sancha use to be a cannon-ball factory set up by the second Nizam of Hyderabad, Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan at Fateh Maidan in Hyderabad, India.-History:... Hyderabad, Hyderabad State Hyderabad State -After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent... . |
| Walter Reinhardt Sombre Walter Reinhardt Sombre Walter Reinhardt Sombre was an adventurer and mercenary in India from the 1760s.Sombre is thought to have been born in Strasbourg or Treves. His nationality is uncertain, being given in various sources as Austrian, French, German, Luxemburger, or Swiss... |
French mercenary and husband of Begum Samru, ruler of Sardhana Sardhana Sardhana is a town and a municipal board in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located northeast of New Delhi, and 13 mi from Meerut... , a principality near Meerut |
| George Thomas George Thomas (soldier) George Thomas was an Irish mercenary who was active in 18th century India. In the 1790s he was the most successful general in India.-Biography:... |
Irish mercenary who was active in India during the 18th century |
| Jean-Baptiste Ventura Jean-Baptiste Ventura Jean-Baptiste Ventura was a soldier, mercenary and adventurer who ended up in the Sikh Empire in Punjab.... |
Italian mercenary and adventurer who served the Sikh Empire in the Punjab Punjab 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... |
| Jean-François Allard Jean-François Allard Jean-François Allard was a French soldier and adventurer.Born in Saint Tropez, he became a soldier and was twice injured while serving in Napoleon's army. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur, and promoted to Captain of the 7th Hussars. After Waterloo, he drifted around and went to Persia where he... |
served Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ranjit Singh Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:... |
Afghan/Central Asian
| Mercenaries | Background |
|---|---|
| Ahmad Baksh Khan | Bukhara Bukhara Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time... n mercenary who founded the Princely State of Loharu |
| Dost Mohammed Khan Dost Mohammad Khan, Nawab of Bhopal Dost Mohammad Khan was the founder of the Bhopal State in central India. He laid out the modern city of Bhopal, the capital of the Madhya Pradesh state.... |
Afghan mercenary and founder of the Princely State of Bhopal |