This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2023) |
Afghan-Mughal Wars | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
Mughal Empire (1526–1857) |
| ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Babur Humayun Akbar Shah Jahan Aurangzeb Alamgir Ahmad Shah Bahadur Bairam Khan X Pir Muhammad Khan Shirwani † Raja Ali Khan Mir Khalifa Zain Khan Koka Raja Birbal † Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah † Shujaat Khan † Man Singh I Jaswant Singh † Muhabat Khan Shamshir Khan † Pir Paie † Fidai Khan Mukarram Khan Amin Khan Syed Khan † Khwajah Asmatullah Khan † [1] [2] Zafar Khan | Ibrahim Lodi † Malak Ahmad Khan Yusufzai Malak Gaju Khan Yusufzai Sher Shah Sur Taj Khan Karrani Pir Roshan † Pir Jalal Bibi Alalay Kalu Khan Yousafzai Mirwais Khan Yusufzai Khwaja Usman (DOW) Bahaku Khan Yusufzai Aimal Khan Mohmand Khushal Khan Khattak Darya Khan Afridi Ahmad Shah Abdali Bayazid of Sylhet Isa Khan |
The Afghan-Mughal wars were a series of wars that took place during the 16th and 18th centuries between the Mughal Empire of India and different Afghan tribes and kingdoms. [3] [4]
The conflict over the lands in modern-day Afghanistan, which were crucial from a strategic standpoint for both sides, served as the primary catalyst for these conflicts. The Afghans struggled to protect their independence and resisted Mughal expansion while the Mughals worked to enlarge their empire and take control of the area.[ citation needed ]
The Afghan-Mughal Wars had their roots in the complex political and military history of the Indian subcontinent in the 16th century. The Mughal Empire, under the leadership of Emperor Babur, had established its rule in northern India by defeating the Delhi Sultanate in 1526. However, the Mughals faced constant threats from various regional powers, including the Afghans, who controlled parts of present-day Afghanistan.
The Afghans, particularly the Pashtuns, were a tribal people who had a long history of resistance to foreign rule. They had previously fought against the Persian Safavids and the Uzbek Shaybanids, and were now opposed to Mughal expansionism. The Afghans had also suffered a major defeat against the Mughals in the Battle of Panipat in 1526, and had been forced to pay tribute to the Mughals.
However, the Mughal Empire was not immune to internal strife and conflict. In the 16th century, the Mughal Emperor Akbar faced rebellions from various regional governors and religious sects. This provided an opportunity for the Afghans to launch raids into India and destabilize Mughal rule.
Between Babur's fledgling Mughal Empire and the Lodi family-run Delhi Sultanate, there was a significant conflict known as the first phase Mughal-Afghan War that started in 1526. [5]
At the time, a substantial portion of northern India had been governed by the Delhi Sultanate, a strong Muslim monarchy. [6] However, internal conflicts and disagreements among the nobles made it weak and exposed to outside dangers. [7]
The founder of the Mughal Empire and a descendant of Genghis Khan, Babur saw a chance to extend his realm and launched an invasion of India. [8] On April 21, 1526, he led his army across the Hindu Kush mountain passes and overcame the Lodi dynasty's armies at the first Battle of Panipat. [9]
The Mughal army's superior firepower and discipline, as well as its access to cutting-edge weapons like muskets and artillery, rendered the Lodi forces helpless against them. In the conflict, the Lodi Sultan Ibrahim Lodi was murdered, [10] and Babur took control of Delhi and parts of northern India. [11] [10]
The second phase of the Mughal–Afghan Wars composed of Mughal and Sur empire conflicts. [12] The Sur Empire was a short-lived Afghan dynasty that ruled over northern India from 1540 to 1556. [13] The Sur Empire was founded by Sher Shah Suri, [14] [15] [16] who had risen to power after defeating the Mughal Emperor Humayun in the Battle of Chausa in 1539 and again in the Battle of Kanauj in 1540. [17]
The first major conflict between the Sur Empire and the Mughal Empire occurred during the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal emperor. In 1555, Akbar launched an invasion of the Sur Empire and defeated the Sur forces in the Battle of Sirhind. [18]
The Sur-Mughal conflict would continue for several years, with both sides experiencing victories and defeats. However, the Mughals were ultimately able to prevail due to their superior military technology, organization, and resources. In 1556, Akbar's forces defeated the Sur army in the Battle of Machhiwara, and the Sur Empire collapsed soon after.
The Sur-Mughal conflict was a significant chapter in the history of northern India, as it marked the transition from the Sur Empire to the Mughal Empire and the consolidation of Mughal power over much of the subcontinent.
During the reign of Emperor Akbar, the Mughal Empire launched several military campaigns against the Karrani dynasty in an effort to expand its territory and assert its authority over Bengal. [19] In 1575, the Mughals under the command of the governor of Bihar, Todar Mal, marched into Bengal and engaged the Karrani forces in a series of battles.
The Karranis, under the leadership of their king Daud Khan Karrani, put up a fierce fight against the Mughal forces and were able to cause significant casualties in the Mughal army. However, in the end, the Mughals were able to defeat the Karranis and capture their capital, Gaur.
There are also rebellions from the Roshani movement, as in 1570, a deviant Sufism movement which preaching Wahdat al-Wujud grow in Peshawar, which founded by their charismatic leader Pir Roshan. [20] [21] The Roshani movement played an important part in politically in resisting the increasing influence of Mughals in Afghan region as they gained popular supports from the Afghanis. [21] Pir Roshan spent his life in conflict with the Mughals unti his death in 1572. [21] His successors continued his struggle against the Mughals, and even captured Ghazni city at one point, prompting emperor Jahangir to deal with the rebellion more seriously, which after constant battles against the sect, the movement eventually weakened and ended. [21]
The Karrani-Mughal conflicts were not limited to Bengal, as the Karranis and other Afghan groups also resisted Mughal rule in other parts of the empire, such as the northwest frontier region in 1612 At the time of the Mughal invasion of the Greater Sylhet region, Bayazid Karrani II, a member of the Karrani dynasty of Bengal, [22] was among the most powerful leaders of the Eastern Afghani Confederates, independently ruling its eastern half with his capital in Pratapgarh. [23] [24] continuing the struggle against Mughal expansion of the previous generation under Isa Khan. [25] Bayazid was among those who had been granted lands as part of the maintenance of this alliance by the latter's son, Musa Khan. [26] Bayazid formed alliance with Khwaja Usman from Usmangarh (and Taraf) and Anwar Khan of Baniachong. [27] It was in light of this close alliance that Islam Khan I, the Mughal governor of Bengal, dispatched an imperial force against Bayazid so as to prevent the latter from providing aid. [28] [29] Ghiyas Khan was appointed to lead the expedition, though due to his diffidence, command was later entrusted to Shaikh Kamal. He was assisted by officers such as Mubariz Khan, Tuqmaq Khan, Mirak Bahadur Jalair and Mir Abdur Razzaq Shirazi. Mir Ali Beg was made the bakhshi (paymaster) of this Mughal command. [30] The host consisted of four thousand matchlock-men, one thousand picked cavalry of Islam Khan I, one hundred imperial war elephants and the fleet of Musa Khan and his confederates, who had surrendered to the Mughals the previous year. [31] [32] Bayazid's side consisted of the forces sworn to him and his brother Yaqub, as well as several hill-tribe chieftains (likely Kukis). [33] The host consisted of four thousand matchlock-men, one thousand picked cavalry of Islam Khan I, one hundred imperial war elephants and the fleet of Musa Khan and his confederates, who had surrendered to the Mughals the previous year. [31] [32] The intense conflict rages between the alliance with the Mughal force, [34] [35] until Khwaja Usman slain in one of clashes. [36] The death of Khwaja Usman greatly demoralized the Afghan, prompting Bayazid to surrender. [37] Soon after, Anwar Khan also submitted, [38] thus bringing Sylhet for the first time under the control of the Mughal empire. [24]
During the reign of Akbar King, Akbar was willing to invade one of the Yousufzai country "Afghania". Akbar laid a siege to invade the Yousafzai country but Mughals army was failed. The siege took more than two months. The Akbar than sent one of his most intelligent and closest Minister whose name was Raja Birbal. But the Yousufzai tribesmen defeated the Mughal forces led by Birbal and Shujat Khan. This was the biggest Disaster to Mughal Empire in the reign of Akbar. According to Mughal historian Khafi Khan, More than 40,000 Mughals Soldiers and officers was killed by Yousufzai Afghans while Abd al-Qadir Badayuni's claim thats more than 8,000 Mughal soldiers and officers. [39] were killed at the Karakar and Malandari Pass was consider one of the greatest military loss to Akbar and in Mughal History. [40] Due to this Disaster, Akbar fell into grief and did not eat or drink for two days. [41] Akbar learned about the disaster two days later and an army under Rajah Todar Mal set off on 19 February to exact retribution against the Yusufzais, killing a large number of them and selling many survivors to Turan and Persia, as "the countries of Swat, Bajaur and Buner were cleansed of evildoers." [42]
A territorial dispute over the Punjab region, which was strategically significant due to its location on the border between the two empires, started the conflict between the Durrani Empire and the Mughal Empire. Ahmad Shah Durrani and his forces invaded India in 1748 and 1752 and captured Lahore from Mughals. [43]
Ibrahim Khan Lodi was the last Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate, who became Sultan in 1517 after the death of his father Sikandar Khan Lodi. He was the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, reigning for nine years until 1526, when he was defeated and killed at the Battle of Panipat by Babur's invading army, giving way to the emergence of the Mughal Empire in India.
The Second Battle of Panipat was fought on 5 November 1556, between Akbar and the king of Delhi, Hemu. Hemu had conquered Delhi and Agra a few weeks earlier by defeating Mughal forces under Tardi Beg Khan in the battle of Delhi and crowned himself Raja Vikramaditya at Purana Quila in Delhi.
Sher Shah Suri, often referred to as Sultan Adil, was the founder of the Sur Empire in India. He was the regent and later sole ruler of Bihar from 1529—1540 until he defeated the Mughal Empire in 1540, founding the Sur Empire, and establishing his rule in Delhi, crowning himself as Emperor. After his accidental death in 1545 CE, his son Islam Shah became his successor. The influence of his innovations and reforms extended far beyond his brief reign. In his reign, he remained undefeated in battle, being renowned as one of the most skillful Afghan generals ever produced.
Panipat is a historic city, located in Haryana, India. It is 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761 took place near the city. The city is famous in India as the "City of Weavers" and "Textile City". It is also known as the "cast-off capital" due to being "the global center for recycling textiles". Panipat is also home to a variety of manufacturing industries including wool and cotton milling, saltpeter refining, and the manufacture of glass, electrical appliances, and other products. Panipat is included in the list of Critically Polluted Industrial Areas in India. The Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) of the city is 71.91 as against 88.50 of Ankaleshwar (Gujarat). The fatal field of Panipat is the site of three battles that changed the course of India's history, resulting in the creation and confirmation of the Mughal Empire. The third battle led to the decisive defeat of the Maratha Confederacy in North India, which became a dominating power in Delhi by then and paved the way for the British colonial rule of India.
The Bangash, Bungish, Bangaš or Bangakh are a tribe of Pashtuns, inhabiting their traditional homeland, the Bangash district which stretches from Kohat to Tall in Hangu and Spīn Ghar, Kurram in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. They also live as a smaller population in Dera Ismail Khel, Bannu while also a smaller population of Bangash inhabit mainly Gardez, Paktia and around the Lōya Paktia region of Afghanistan.
Hemu was an Indian emperor who previously served as a general and Wazir of Adil Shah Suri of Sur Empire during a period in Indian history when Mughals and Afghans were vying for power across North India. He fought Afghan rebels across North India from Punjab to Bengal and Mughal forces of Humayun and Akbar in Agra and Delhi, winning 22 battles for Adil Shah Suri.
The Lodi dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Sultanate of Delhi from 1451 to 1526. It was the fifth and final dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, and was founded by Bahlul Khan Lodi when he replaced the Sayyid dynasty.
Isa Khan was the leader of the 16th-century Baro-Bhuiyan chieftains of Bengal. During his reign, he successfully unified the chieftains of Bengal and resisted the Mughal invasion of Bengal. It was only after his death that the region fell totally under Mughal control. He remains an iconic figure throughout West Bengal and Bangladesh as a symbol of his rebellious spirit and unity.
The Sur Empire was an empire ruled by the Afghan-origin Sur dynasty in northern India for nearly 16 or 18 years, between 1538/1540 and 1556, with Sasaram serving as its capital. It was founded by Sher Shah Suri.
The Battle of Khanwa was fought at Khanwa on 16 March 1527. It was fought between the invading Timurid forces of Babur and the Rajput Confederation led by Rana Sanga for supremacy of Northern India. The battle was a major event in Medieval Indian history although Timurids won at Panipat but at the time, the sultanate at Delhi was a spent force that was long crumbling. To the contrary, Kingdom of Mewar under the able rule of Rana Sanga, had turned into one of the strongest powers of northern India. Therefore, the battle was among the most decisive battles in the Mughal conquest of northern India. It was among the earliest battles in Northern India where gunpowder was used to a great extent. The battle resulted in heavy casualties for both Timurids and Rajputs.
Bāyazīd Khān Ansārī, commonly known as Pīr Rōshān or Pīr Rōkhān, was an Ormur Pashtun warrior, Sufi poet and revolutionary leader. He wrote mostly in Pashto, but also in Persian, Hindustani and Arabic. His mother tongue was Ormuri. He is known for founding the Roshani movement, which gained many followers in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan, and produced numerous Pashto poets and writers.
Sulaiman Khan Karrani was an Afghan Sultan of Bengal. He ascended to the throne after the death of his brother Taj Khan Karrani. According to the Riyaz-us-Salatin, he shifted the seat of government from Gaur to Tanda.
Bayazid Khan Karrani was the third Sultan of the Bengal Sultanate's Karrani dynasty.
The Karrani dynasty was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Afghan from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultanate of Bengal.
The Army of the Mughal Empire was the force by which the Mughal emperors established their empire in the 16th century and expanded it to its greatest extent at the beginning of the 18th century. Although its origins, like the Mughals themselves, were in the cavalry-based armies of central Asia, its essential form and structure was established by the empire's third emperor, Akbar. The regular forces mainly recruited and fielded by Mansabdar officers.
The Battle of Rajmahal took place between the Mughal Empire and the Karrani Dynasty that ruled the Sultanate of Bengal in the 16th century. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Mughals. During the battle, the last Sultan of Bengal, Daud Khan Karrani, was captured and later executed by the Mughals.
Khawāja Uthmān Khān Lōhānī, popularly known as Khwaja Usman, was a Pashtun chieftain and warrior based in northeastern Bengal. As one of the Baro-Bhuyans, he was a zamindar ruling over the northern parts of Bengal including Greater Mymensingh and later in South Sylhet. He was a formidable opponent to Man Singh I and the Mughal Empire, and was the last of the Afghan chieftains and rulers in Bengal. His defeat led to the surrender of all the remaining Pashtuns as well as the incorporation of the Sylhet region into the Bengal Subah. He is described as the most romantic figure in the history of Bengal. His biography can be found in the Baharistan-i-Ghaibi, Tuzk-e-Jahangiri as well as the Akbarnama.
Bayazid of Sylhet, also called Bayazid Karrani II, was a ruler in Sylhet during the early 17th century, in what is present-day Bangladesh. A prominent member of the Baro-Bhuiyan, Bayazid led military opposition against the Mughal Empire's expansion into eastern Bengal. His surrender following a sanguineous battle in 1612 ultimately resulted in their annexation of Sylhet.
Ismail Khan Lodi (Persian: اسماعیل خان لودی; also known by his daak naam Khanja Khan, was a Pashtun general of the Mughal Empire and a former viceroy of Odisha. He also served under the Karrani dynasty of the Sultanate of Bengal.