Safdar Jang

Abul Mansur Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan, better known as Safdar Jang, (Urdu: صفدرجنگ‎, Hindi: सफ़्दरजंग),(b. c. 1708 – d. 5 October 1754), was a major figure at the Mughal court during the declining years of the Mughal empire. He became the second Nawab Vazier of Awadh when he succeeded Burhan-ul-Mulk (his maternal uncle and father-in-law) in 1739. All future Nawabs of Oudh were male line descendants of Safdar Jung.

Safdar Jung
Mirza Nawab of Oudh Nawab Wazir al-Mamalik Wazir ul-Hindustan Subedar of Kashmir, Agra & Oudh Khan Bahadur Mir Atish Firdaus Aaramgah[lower-alpha 1]
Reign	19 March 1739– 5 October 1754
Predecessor	Saadat Ali Khan I
Successor	Shuja-ud-Daula
Full name Abul Mansur Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan Safdar Jang
Born	1708
Died	5 October 1754 (aged 45–46) Sultanpur, India
Buried	Safdar Jang's Tomb, Safdar Jung road, New Delhi
Noble family	Nishapuri Branch of the Kara Koyunlu
Spouse(s)	Amat Jahan Begum
Father	Siyadat Khan [Mirza Ja’afar Khan Beg]
Military career
Allegiance	Mughal Empire
Service/branch	Nawab of Awadh
Rank	Subadar
Battles/wars	Mughal-Maratha Wars

Biography

He was a descendant of Qara Yusuf from the Kara Koyunlu. In 1739, he succeeded his father-in-law and maternal uncle, Burhan-ul-Mulk Saadat Ali Khan I to the throne of Oudh and ruled from 19 March 1739 to 5 October 1754.. The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah gave him the title of "Safdar Jang".[1]

Safdar Jang was an able administrator. He was not only effective in keeping control of Oudh, but also managed to render valuable assistance to the weakened Emperor Muhammad Shah. He was soon given governorship of Kashmir as well, and became a central figure at the Delhi court. During the later years of Muhammad Shah, he gained complete control of administration over the whole Mughal Empire. When Ahmad Shah Bahadur ascended the throne at Delhi in 1748, Safdar Jung became his Wazir-ul-Mumalik-i-Hindustan or Prime Minister of Hindustan. He was also made the governor of Ajmer and became the "Faujdar" of Narnaul. However, court politics eventually overtook him and he was dismissed in 1753.[1] He returned to Oudh in December 1753 and selected Faizabad as his military headquarter and administrative capital. He died in October 1754 at the age of 46 years in Sultanpur near Faizabad.[1]

Tomb

Safdarjung's tomb in Delhi

Safdar Jang's Tomb was built in 1754 and is situated on a road now known as Safdar Jang Road, in New Delhi.[2]

Several other modern structures near the tomb also carry his name today like Safdar Jang Airport and Safdar Jang Hospital

See also

• Abul-Hasan ibn Mirza Ghiyas Beg

Notes

1. title after death

References

1. HISTORY OF AWADH (Oudh) a princely State of India by Hameed Akhtar Siddiqui
2. "Safdar Jang Tomb Garden". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2007.

External links

Media related to Safdarjung at Wikimedia Commons

• Indiacoins has an article on Safdarjung here.
• Tomb of Safdarjung .