Shah Alam II
Encyclopedia
Shah Alam II also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India
History of India
The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...

. A son of Alamgir II
Alamgir II
Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II was the Mughal Emperor of India from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah....

, he was exiled to Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...

 in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din
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...

, who appointed Shah Jahan III
Shah Jahan III
Shah Jahan III also known as Muhi-ul-millat was Mughal Emperor briefly. He was the son of Muhi-us-sunnat, the eldest son of Muhammad Kam Baksh who was the youngest son of Aurangzeb...

 as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah
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...

.

Shah Alam II was considered the only and rightful emperor, but he wasn't able to return to Delhi until 1772. He is known to have fought against 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...

 during the Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula Nawab of Awadh; and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor...

, and is thus known as one of the last effective Mughal Emperors.

One of his grandson, along with a great grandson married both the daughters of the last Safavid ruler of Persia.

Escape from Delhi

Prince Ali Gauhar, afterwards Emperor Shah Alam II, had been the heir apparent of his father, Emperor Azizuddin Alamgir II
Alamgir II
Aziz-ud-din Alamgir II was the Mughal Emperor of India from 3 June 1754 to 29 November 1759. He was the son of Jahandar Shah....

. Alamgir's unscrupulous minister (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...

, had completely dominated the emperor and kept Ali Gauhar under surveillance. After an escape from Delhi, Ali Gauhar appeared in the eastern provinces in 1759, hoping to strengthen his position by gaining control over Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....

 and Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

.

Battle of Buxar

The political disorder in Bengal and unpopularity of Mir Jafar
Mir Jafar
-Notes:# "Riyazu-s-salatin", Ghulam Husain Salim - a reference to the appointment of Mohanlal can be found # "Seir Muaqherin", Ghulam Husain Tabatabai - a reference to the conspiracy can be found...

 raised high hopes in his mind. Jafar was entirely dependent upon British support for maintaining himself on the throne. Shah Alam also asked for British help, but Robert Clive chose to continue with Mir Jafar. Shah Alam's forces were defeated at Buxar
Buxar
Buxar district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. The district headquarters are located at Buxar.-Mythology:This place was also known as "Siddhashram", "Vedgarbhapuri", "Karush", "Tapovan", "Chaitrath", "VyaghraSar", "Buxar" in ancient history. The History of Buxar dates...

 in 1764.

Further intrigues of the Wazir at Delhi compelled the prince to seek the protection of the British and ask for a sum of money for his subsistence, and offer, in return, to withdraw from the province. Clive sent about a thousand Pounds, and Shah Alam left Bengal and took up residence in Allahabad where he became a pensioner of the British state. Although a Muslim, Shah Alam developed a keen interest in Christianity, requesting Persian Psalters from the first Protestant missionary to North India,
John Zacharias Kiernander  at Calcutta.

Loss of Bengal

Thus, the Wazir deprived Shah Alam of the title of Subahdar of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. However, upon the assassination of his father by Ghaziuddin in 1759, the prince proclaimed himself Emperor, assuming the title of Shah Alam II. The new Mughal emperor, the nominal suzerain of Mir Jafar and the theoretical overlord of the company, invaded Bihar. He was defeated by a British force, but entered into friendly relations with his conquerors. The British forces escorted him to Patna. Here the new Nawab Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim was Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1764. He was installed as Nawab by the British East India Company replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been installed by the British after his role in the Battle of Plassey...

 waited on him. Mir Qasim had his investiture as Subahdar of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and agreed to pay an annual revenue of 2.4 million Rupees. Shah Alam was under the shelter of the nawab of Awadh
Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh is the title of rulers who governed the state of Awadh in India in the 18th and 19th century. The Nawabs of Awadh originated form Persia-Establishment:...

 from 1761 until the Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula Nawab of Awadh; and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor...

, in 1764.

Diwani rights

Soon after the Battle of Buxar
Battle of Buxar
The Battle of Buxar was fought on 22 October 1764 between the forces under the command of the British East India Company, and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal; Shuja-ud-Daula Nawab of Awadh; and Shah Alam II, the Mughal Emperor...

, Shah Alam, a sovereign who had just been defeated by the British troops and was in fact a homeless fugitive, sought the protection of the British. By the Treaty of Allahabad
Treaty of Allahabad
The Treaty of Allahabad was signed on August 16, 1765 between Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and Lord Clive of the British East India Company after the Battle of Buxar . Based on the terms of the agreement, Shah Alam II granted Diwani rights or right to administer the territory and collect taxes to...

 (1765) Shah Alam granted the diwani (right to collect revenue) of Bengal (which included Bihar and Orissa) to 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...

 in return for an annual tribute of 2.6 million rupees. The company further secured for him the districts of Kora and Allahabad. Revenue was also collected by the deputy 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....

 Muhammad Reza Khan .

Return to Delhi

Shah Alam took up residence at Allahabad and no doubt could have passed his life peacefully there. But he wished to go back to Delhi to restore the bygone glories of the great Mughals. An opportunity came when the Marathas, having occupied Delhi, invited him there to occupy the throne of his forefathers. Shah Alam left Allahabad in May 1771 and in December reached Delhi. He had consulted the British and they had advised him not to trust the Marathas. The emperor resided in the fort of Allahabad for six years as a virtual prisoner of the British. Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings
Warren Hastings PC was the first Governor-General of India, from 1773 to 1785. He was famously accused of corruption in an impeachment in 1787, but was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.-Early life:...

 who had been appointed Governor of Bengal in 1772 discontinued the tribute of 2.6 million Rupees and also made over the districts of Allahabad and Kora to the Nawab of Oudh. These measures amounted to a repudiation of the company's vassalage as diwan and the annexation of Bengal. Shah Alam then left for Delhi with a small force trained on the European model, under the command of his able general, Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married...

. He arrived there in December 1772 and sought to restore some of the glories of the Mughal empire.

Reform of Mughal Army

One of his first acts was to strengthen and raise an army capable of enforcing the diktat of the Mughal state. Once the army was ready it invaded the Rohillas with Maratha help to exact revenue from them. The army then marched south of Delhi against the troublesome Jats, defeating them and capturing the lucrative revenue bearing district of Agra along with the fort. The revenue from Agra permitted the Mughal army to pay regular imperial salaries rather than living in arrears as had become the trend in the latter half of the 18th century. However times were troubled and the Mughal state was surrounded by enemies on every side.

Sikh raids

Trouble with the Sikhs was endless; they raided as far as Delhi practically every year for money and possessions. They entered Delhi three times in 11 years from 1772 to 1783—in 1772, 1778 and 1783 with underhand help from the then wazirs of Shah Alam II. There was ongoing warfare with the Sikhs who were marauding in eastern Punjab and plundering the Rohilla, Mewar (Rajput) and Jat lands. During Shah Alam's reign the Sikhs fought not just with the Mughals, but with the Marathas, Rajputs, and Rohillas.

The Marathas took Delhi in 1772 before Shah Alam arrived. Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married...

 had restored a sense of order to the Mughal finances and administration. In 1777 Mirza Najaf Khan decisively defeated Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan
Zabita Khan Rohilla was Rohilla chieftain in the time of the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam . He was the son of the Rohilla Sardar Najib-ud-Daula, who founded the city of Najibabad, Zabita Khan is also known to have fought alongside his father during the Battle of Panipat...

's forces and repelled the Sikhs.

In 1778, after a Sikh incursion into Delhi, Shah Alam ordered their chastisement. His wazir, Abdul Ahid Khan — known to us by his title of Nawab Majad-ud-daulah --- marched alongside the Crown Prince with 20,000 Mughal troops against the Sikh forces, which led to the defeat of the Mughal army at Muzzaffargarh. though they outnumbered the Sikhs fight the result was a fighting retreat back to Mughal lines.

Downfall

After this defeat, Nawab Majad-ud-daulah was taken into custody by the crown prince and Shah Alam II recalled Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married...

. This led to the wazir's arrest. The traitor was imprisoned and a sum of Rs 2million in stolen revenue recovered from him. It was Shah Alam's poor judgement and vacillation that led to his own downfall. Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married...

 had given the Mughal state breathing space by having a powerful, well managed army in its own right. In 1779 the Mughal army decisively defeated Zabita Khan and his Sikh allies, who --- losing 5,000 men and their leader --- did not return in the lifetime of Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan
Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married...

. Unfortunately upon the general's death, Shah Alam's bad judgement prevailed. The dead man's nephew, Mirza Shaffi whose valour had been proven, was not appointed commander in chief. Shah Alam instead appointed worthless individuals whose loyalty and record were questionable at best. They were soon quarrelling over petty matters. Even the corrupt and treasonous ex-wazir Nawab Majad-ud-daulah was restored to his former office. This man then proceeded to practice policies both corrupt and destructive towards the Mughal realm.

Nawab Majad-ud-daulah was followed by a known enemy of the Mughals, the Afghan Rohilla
Rohilla
The Rohilla are a community of Hindi-speaking Pashtun also known as Pathan, historically found in the state of Uttar Pradesh, in North India. Most are now also found in Pakistan where they are now part of the Mohajir community. At one time, they form one of the largest Pashtun diaspora community...

, Ghulam Qadir with his Sikh allies as wazir. Petty, avaricious and insane the Afghan Rohilla took advantage of Mahadaji Scindia's temporary evacuation of Delhi to ravage the palaces in search of the Mughal treasure rumoured to be worth Rs 250 million. Unable to locate even a fraction of that sum, he blinded Shah Alam in 1788. Scindia, at the head of Maratha and Jat troops, came to the Emperor's rescue and chased down the fleeing Ghulam Qadir whose body was tortured and mutilated as an example. Shah Alam, who for a short period had been a great king, was now a mere shadow of his former self. The power of his realm had been reduced to the red fort and his Mughal army—so formidable less than half a decade a back --- no longer even in existence.

Arrival of British troops

The French threat in Europe and its possible repercussions in India caused the British to strive to regain the custody of Shah Alam. The British feared that the French military officers might overthrow Maratha power and use the authority of the Mughal emperor to further French ambition in India. After the Battle of Delhi
Battle of Delhi
The Battle of Delhi took place on 11 September 1803 during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, between British troops under General Lake, and Marathas of Scindia's army under French General Louis Bourquin...

,on 14 September 1803 British troops entered Delhi and Shah Alam, a blind old man, seated under a tattered canopy, came under British protection. The Mughal emperor no longer had the military power to enforce his will, but he commanded respect as a dignified member of the House of Timur in the length and breadth of the country. The nawabs and subahdars still sought formal sanction of the emperor on their accession and valued the titles he bestowed upon them. They struck coins and read the Khutba
Khutba
Khutbah serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic tradition can be formally at the dhuhr congregation prayer on Friday...

 (Friday sermons) in his name. Shah Alam II also corresponded with Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...

 and later with his son Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...

 during their conflicts with 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...

 during the Anglo-Mysore Wars
Anglo-Mysore Wars
The Anglo-Mysore Wars were a series of wars fought in India over the last three decades of the 18th century between the Kingdom of Mysore and the British East India Company, represented chiefly by the Madras Presidency...

 and was very well informed about the expansionist agenda of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

His grave lies, next to the dargah
Dargah
A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...

 of 13th century, Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki
Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki
Qutub ul Aqtab Hazrat Khwaja Syed Muhammad Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki was a renowned Muslim Sufi mystic, saint and scholar of the Chishti Order from Delhi, India. He was the disciple and the spiritual successor of Moinuddin Chishti as head of the Chishti order. Before him the Chishti order in India...

 at Mehrauli
Mehrauli
Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in the South West district of Delhi in India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is located close to Gurgaon.-History:...

, 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...

 in a marble enclosure, along with that of 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...

 (also known as Shah Alam I), and Akbar II.

See also

  • Mirza Najaf Khan
    Mirza Najaf Khan
    Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1735. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married...

  • Shuja-ud-Daula
    Shuja-ud-Daula
    Shuja-ud-Daula was the Subedar Nawab of Oudh from 5 October 1754 to 26 January 1775, and the son of Muhammad Nasir.Though a minor royal, he is best known for his key roles in two definitive battles in Indian history - the Third Battle of Panipat which ended Maratha domination of India, and the...

  • Hyder Ali
    Hyder Ali
    Hyder Ali was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. Born Hyder Naik, he distinguished himself militarily, eventually drawing the attention of Mysore's rulers...

  • Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
    Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah
    Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was the Nawab of Arcot in India and an ally of the British East India Company. Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah was born to Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, by his second wife, Fakhr un-nisa Begum Sahiba, was a niece of Sayyid Ali Khan Safavi ul-Mosawi of Persia, sometime Naib suba...

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