Indian Antiquary Vol 47

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 151

JUNE, 19181
THE FARUQI DYNASTY OF KHANDESH
141
THE FARUQI DYNASTY OF KHANDESH.
BY LT. COLONEL T. W. HAIG, C.M.G.
(Continued from p. 124.) TN the summer of 1564 Akbar himself marched to Mândú from Agra and his amirs
captured the fortresses held by officers who had not yet submitted. Among the places so captured was Bijâgarh, which was held by 'Izzat Khân for Mubarak Shâh. The fortress was surrendered conditionally, and it was agreed that Mubarak should give a daughter in marriage to Akbar, should give her in dowry the districts of Bijagash and Handiya and should henceforth cause the Khutbah to be recited in his dominions in the name of Akbar. Mubarak's daughter was conducted to the imperial court by Akbar's eunuch, I'timâd Khân. The treaty with Akbar made no alteration in the status to which the rulers of Kbândesh had long been accustomed. They had for many years been subject to the suzerainty of Gujarat and though it appears that the feeble Mahmûd III had not ventured to assert this suzerainty they now merely exchanged their former allegiance to Gujarat for allegiance to the emperor. It does not appear that Akbar intended to regulate the succession to the throne or to interfere in any way in the internal affairs of Khandesh except in so far as those affairs affected the foreign policy of the state, but he certainly assumed control of its foreign policy and expected the assistance of a contingent of troops whenever the imperial army was engaged in operations in the neighbourhood of Khandesh.
Mubarak died on December 19, 1566, and was succeeded by his son Muhammad Shah II., a wild and generous prince, who left all power in the state in the hands of his minister, Sayyid Zain-al-din.
Meanwhile the affairs of Gujarat had fallen into great confusion. Mahmud III had been murdered in 1554 and left no male issue. The leading amirs raised to the throne a young man named Raçi-al-Mulk, who was said to be a descendant of Ahmad I and who succeeded under the title of Ahmad II and was assassinated in 1560. There appeared to be no male heir of the royal house left, for Mahmûd III, who dreaded a disputed succession, had been in the habit of ensuring that no woman of his harem ever gave birth to a living child, but the minister, I'tîmâd Khân, produced a child named Nanhů, and by swearing that the boy was the son of Mahmûd III by a maidservant of the harem whom he had saved from Mahmûd's barbarous and unnatural treatment, induced the amirs to acknowledge him, and he was raised to the throne under the title of Muzaffar III. In 1567 Iftîmâd Khân, in order to rid himself of the importunity of Changiz Khân, another leading amir, who was demanding additional fiefs with a view to extending his power, contrived to embroil Changiz with Muhammad II by sending him to recover Nandurbar, which had always belonged to Gujarat until it was surrendered by Mahmud III in fulfilment of his promise, to Mubarak II of Khandesh. Changiz Khân marched to Nandurbar, occupied it, and emboldened by his success, advanced to Thalner. Muhammad II induced Tufâl Khân of Berar to assist him in repelling the invader and the allies marched to Thalner. Changiz Khân, being too weak to withstand them, entrenched himself and, when he perceived that the enemy was resolved to bring him to battle, lost heart and fled. Muhammad and I tål pursued him, taking much plunder, and reoccupied Nandurbar.
In 1568 Changiz Kbån defeated the minister I'timad Khan and expelled him fror Gujarat, and the wretched king, Muzaffar III became a mere tool in the hands of any one