Isma'il Beg
Isma'il Beg (Uighur: إسماعيل بیگ), was an Uighur who served as a soldier in the Mughal army. He was a well-respected soldier in the army mostly known for his amazing skills in combat. He was born in Aksu, Xinjiang but he fled and took refuge in the Mughal-controlled North India after the Xinjiang region was conquered by the Qing dynasty of China. On May 31, 1776 he was appointed as a general in the Mughal Army by Emperor Shah Alam II. However in 1788, Ismail, along with a few hundred Mughal and Rohilla troops led a revolt against the Maratha Empire, the major power which dominated North India at the time. The reason for this revolt is unknown but most suspect that he was trying to bring the Mughals glory back to North India and depose the Marathas. However the revolt was crushed when Ismail Beg along with his soldiers was destroyed and killed by Mahadji Scindia's armies. After his death, a Rohilla chief named Ghulam Kadir and an ally of Isma'il Beg, took over Delhi, capital of the Mughal dynasty and deposed and blinded the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II, placing a puppet on the Delhi throne. However on October 2nd 1788, Mahadji Scindia, upon hearing this news, quickly assembled his army and recaptured Delhi, killing Ghulam Kadir and restoring Shah Alam II to the throne and acting as his protector.
Isma'il Beg | |
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Born | Aksu |
Allegiance | Mughal Empire |
Years of service | 1767-1788 |
Rank | General |
Commands held | General of the Mughal Army |
Battles/wars | Delhi Rebellion 1788 |