Carnatic Sultanate

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Carnatic Sultanate
State of Carnatic
1692–1855
Flag of Nawab.svg
Flag
IGI1908India1765a.jpg
Nawabate of Arcot, on the Bay of Bengal, marked as "Carnatic" at its height of power.
Status Dependency of the Mughal Empire (1692–1710)

Independent state (1710–1801)

Princely State under the paramountcy of the British East India Company (1801–1855)
Capital Gingee (1692–1710),
Arcot (1710–1768),
Chepauk (1768–1855)
Common languages Tamil, Telugu, Persian
Religion
Islam
Government Monarchy
Nawab  
 1692–1703 (first)
Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung
 1710–1732 (first independent)
Saadatullah Khan I
 1824–1855 (last)
Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan
Historical era Mughal rule in India
Company rule in India
 Progenitor of family appointed governor
1692
 Established
1692
23 September – 14 November 1751
26 July 1801
 Disestablished
1855
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Blank.png Madurai Nayak
Blank.png Mughal Empire
Company rule in India Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg
Today part of India
Nawab of Carnatic Azim-ud-Daula on the left, signed the Carnatic Treaty ceding tax rights to the British. Thomas Hickey (1741-1824) - Prince Azim-ud-Daula (1775-1819), Nawab of the Carnatic and His Son Azam Jah (1800-1874) - 1180953 - National Trust.jpg
Nawab of Carnatic Azim-ud-Daula on the left, signed the Carnatic Treaty ceding tax rights to the British.

The Carnatic Sultanate was a kingdom in South India between about 1690 and 1855, and was under the legal purview of the Nizam of Hyderabad, until their demise. [1] [2] They initially had their capital at Arcot in the present-day Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Their rule is an important period in the history of the Carnatic and Coromandel Coast regions, in which the Mughal Empire gave way to the rising influence of the Maratha Empire, and later the emergence of the British Raj.

Contents

Borders

The old province, known as the Carnatic, in which Madras (Chennai) was situated, extended from the Krishna river to the Kaveri river, and was bounded on the West by Mysore kingdom and Dindigul, (which formed part of the Sultanate of Mysore). The Northern portion was known as the 'Mughal Carnatic', the Southern the 'Maratha Carnatic' with the Maratha fortresses of Gingee and Ranjankudi. Carnatic thus was the name commonly given to the region of Southern India that stretches from the East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh in the north to the Maratha fort of Ranjangudi in the south (including the Kaveri River delta), and Coromandal Coast in the east to Western Ghats in the west.

History

With the decline of Vijayanagara Empire in 1646, the Hindu nayaks, established in Madurai, Tanjore and Kanchi, made themselves independent. However, they quickly became tributaries to the kings of Golconda and Bijapur, who divided the Carnatic between them. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1692 appointed Zulfiqar Khan as the first subahdar of the Carnatic with his seat at Arcot as a reward for his victory over the Marathas led by Rajaram I. [3]

With the decline of the Mughal empire, the Carnatic subah became independent as the Carnatic Sultanate, which controlled a vast territory south of the Krishna river. The Nawab Saadatullah Khan I moved his court from Gingee to Arcot. His successor Dost Ali conquered and annexed Madurai in 1736.

In 1740, the Maratha forces descended on Arcot. They attacked the Nawab, Dost Ali Khan, in the pass of Damalcherry. In the war that followed, Dost Ali, one of his sons Hasan Ali, and a number of prominent persons lost their lives. This initial success at once enhanced Maratha prestige in the south. From Damalcherry, the Marathas proceeded to Arcot, which surrendered to them without much resistance. Chanda Sahib and his son were arrested and sent to Nagpur.

Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah became the ruler in 1765.

The growing influences of the English and the French and their colonial wars had a huge impact on the Carnatic. Wallajah supported the English against the French and Hyder Ali, placing him heavily in debt. As a result, he had to surrender much of his territory to the East India Company. Paul Benfield, an English businessman, made major loans to the Nawab for the purpose of enabling him, who, with the aid of the English, had invaded and conquered the Maratha state of Tanjore, to satisfy some claims of the Dutch at Tranquebar on territories of the Rajah of Tanjore. [4]

The thirteenth Nawab, Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan, died, and the British annexed the Carnatic Nawabdom, applying the doctrine of lapse. Ghouse Khan's uncle Azim Jah was created the first Prince of Arcot (Amir-e-Arcot) in 1867 by Queen Victoria, and was given a tax free-pension in perpetuity.

List of rulers

Mughal Subedar of the Carnatic

NameReign beganReign endedNotes
1 Zulfiqar Khan Nusrat Jung 16921703Son of Asad Khan, a renowned nobleman in the court of Emperor Aurangzeb
2 Daud Khan Panni 17031710Before he was made Nawab, the Emperor Aurangazeb appointed him as a leading commander of the Mughal Army.
3 Sa'adatullah Khan I 17101732He was the last Mughal governor who was appointed as Nawab of Carnatic. Belonging to a Navaiyit family, [5] he had no children and so he adopted his brother Ghulam Ali Khan's son Dost Ali Khan as his own and nominated him as successor.

Independent Nawabs of the Carnatic

1 Sa'adatullah Khan I 17101732He was the last Mughal governor who was appointed as Nawab of Carnatic. Having no children, he adopted his brother Ghulam Ali Khan's son Dost Ali Khan as his own and nominated him as successor.
2 Dost Ali Khan 17321740Nephew of Sa'adatullah Khan I
3 Safdar Ali Khan 17401742Son of Dost Ali Khan
De facto Nawab Muruza Ali Khan November 1742December 1742Cousin and Brother-in-Law of Safdar Ali Khan
4 Sa'adatullah Khan II 17421744Son of Safdar Ali Khan. He was murdered in July 1744 at Arcot. So, with him, the first dynasty of the Nawabs of Arcot came to an end.
5 Anwaruddin Khan 17443 August 1749He was the 1st Nawab of Arcot of the second dynasty. He was of Qannauji Sheikh origin. [6]

Nawabs of the Carnatic under European influence

NamesReign beganReign endedNotes
1 Chanda Shahib 17491752Son-in-law of the Dost Ali Khan, [7] under whom he worked as a Dewan. Supported the French in Carnatic Wars.
2 Muhammad Ali Khan Wala-Jah 3 August 174916 October 1795Son of Anwaruddin Khan. Supported the British in Carnatic Wars. Moved the capital from Arcot to Chepauk
3 Umdat ul-Umara 17951801Son of Muhammad Ali Khan Wala-Jah
4 Azim-ud-Daula*18011819Signed the Carnatic Treaty, ceding tax rights to the British

Nawabs of the Carnatic as a British Protectorate

1 Azim-ud-Daula*18011819Nephew of Umdat ul-Umara
2 Azam Jah 18191825Son of Azim-ud-Daula
3 Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan 18251855Son of Azam Jah.

He died in 1855 at the age of 31. He did not leave behind any male heir.

Princes of Arcot

Lineage
AmirReignNotes
Azim Jah 1867–1874younger son of Azim-ud-Daula

The Chepauk Palace, the official residence of the princes of the Carnatic had been taken over by the British in 1859.

He constructed a new residence, the Amir Mahal, in Royapettah.

Sir Zahir-ud-Daula Bahadur1874–1879Son of Azim Jah
Intizam-ul-Mulk Muazzal ud-Daula Bahadur1879–1889younger son of Azim Jah
Sir Muhammad Munawar Khan Bahadur1889–1903nephew of Intizam-ul-Mulk
Sir Ghulam Muhammad Ali Khan Bahadur1903–1952Son of Muhammad Munawar Khan
Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan Bahadur1952–1969younger son of Muhammad Munawar Khan
Ghulam Mohammed Abdul Khader 1969–1993Son of Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan
Muhammed Abdul Ali 1993–Son of Ghulam Mohammed Abdul Khader

See also

Related Research Articles

Nawab, also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, is a royal title indicating a sovereign ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kings of Saxony to the German Emperor. In earlier times the title was ratified and bestowed by the reigning Mughal emperor to semi-autonomous Muslim rulers of subdivisions or princely states in the Indian subcontinent loyal to the Mughal Empire, for example the Nawabs of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Shah</span> Mughal emperor from 1719 to 1748

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Shah Bahadur</span> Mughal emperor from 1748 to 1754

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnatic wars</span> 18th century wars between the French and the British

The Carnatic wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century in India's coastal Carnatic region, a dependency of Hyderabad State, India. The first Carnatic wars were fought between 1740 and 1748.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gingee</span> Special Grade Town Panchayat in Tamil Nadu, India

Gingee, also known as Senji or Jinji and originally called Singapuri, is a panchayat town in Viluppuram district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Gingee is located between three hills covering a perimeter of 3 km, and lies west of the Sankaraparani River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasir Jung</span> 18th-century ruler of Hyderabad

Mir Ahmad Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi, Nasir Jung, was the son of Nizam-ul-Mulk by his wife Saeed-un-nisa Begum. He was born 26 February 1712. He succeeded his father as the Nizam of Hyderabad State in 1748. He had taken up a title of Humayun Jah, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Ahmad Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Nasir Jung, Nawab Subadar of the Deccan. However, he is most famously known as Nasir Jung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah</span> Nawab of Carnatic and Arcort

Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, or Muhammed Ali, Wallajah, was the Nawab of the Carnatic from 1749 until his death in 1795. He declared himself Nawab in 1749. This position was disputed between Wallajah and Chanda Sahib. In 1752, after several clashes, Chanda Sahib's forces and his French allies were expelled from Arcot, officially declaring Wallajah as Nawab on 26 August 1765. His reign was recognised by Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chanda Sahib</span>

Chanda Sahib was a subject of the Carnatic Sultanate between 1749 and 1752. Initially he was supported by the French during the Carnatic Wars. After his defeat at Arcot in 1751, he was captured by the Marathas of Thanjavur and executed.

Ali Dost Khan, often referred to as Dost Ali Khan, was the Nawab of the Carnatic from 1732 to 1740. He was the son of Ghulam Ali Khan, brother of the Nawab Saadatullah Khan. His childless uncle adopted him as heir, and he succeeded his uncle in 1732, he successfully gained the investiture and an official Firman by the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.

Sa'adatullah Khan II a.k.a. Muhammad Sayyid was Nawab of Arcot, who was a younger son of Safdar Ali Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raghoji I of Nagpur</span> King of Nagpur from 1739–1755

Raghoji I or Raghuji the Great, was a Maratha general of the Bhonsle dynasty who established the Nagpur Kingdom in much of east-central India during the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu I. His successors ruled the kingdom until 1853.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratap Singh of Thanjavur</span> Raja of Thanjavur Maratha kingdom from 1739–1763

Pratap Singh Bhonsle or Pratapsinha was the Maratha ruler of Thanjavur of the Bhonsle dynasty from 1739 to 1763. His rise to power followed three years of anarchy and civil war and restored the state to its previous greatness. His reign witnessed the Carnatic Wars and the Seven Years' War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan</span>

Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan was the 12th and last Nawab of the Carnatic. He reigned from 1825 to 1855. He belonged to the Second Dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azim Jah</span> Amir of Arcot

Azim Jah was the brother of Azam Jah, the eleventh Nawab of the Carnatic and uncle of Ghulam Muhammad Ghouse Khan, the twelfth and last Nawab of the Carnatic. He held the title Nawab of Arcot from 1867 to 1874.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Arcot</span>

The siege of Arcot took place at Arcot, India between forces of the British East India Company led by Robert Clive allied with Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah and forces of Nawab of the Carnatic, Chanda Sahib, allied with the French East India Company. It was part of the Second Carnatic War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Trichinopoly (1743)</span> 1743 siege and capture of Trichinopoly by Nizam of Hyderabad

The siege of Trichinopoly was part of an extended series of conflicts between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Maratha Empire for control of the Carnatic region. On 29 August 1743, after a six-month siege, Murari Rao surrendered, giving Nizam ul Mulk (Nizam) the suzerainty of Trichinopoly. By the end of 1743, the Nizam had regained full control of Deccan. This stopped the Maratha interference in the region and ended their hegemony over the Carnatic. The Nizam resolved the internal conflicts among the regional hereditary nobles (Nawabs) for the seat of governor (Subedar) of Arcot State, and monitored the activities of the British East India company and French East India Company by limiting their access to ports and trading.

The siege of Trichinopoly (1751–1752) was conducted by Chanda Sahib, who had been recognized as the Nawab of the Carnatic by representatives of the French East India Company, against the fortress town of Tiruchirappalli, held by Muhammed Ali Khan Wallajah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Tiruchirappalli</span>

Tiruchirappalli is believed to be of great antiquity and has been ruled by the Early Cholas, Mutharaiyars Early Pandyas, Pallavas, Medieval Cholas, Later Cholas, Later Pandyas, Delhi Sultanate, Ma'bar Sultanate, Vijayanagar Empire, Nayak Dynasty, the Carnatic state and the British at different times. The archaeologically important town of Uraiyur which served as the capital of the Early Cholas is a Neighborhood of Tiruchirapalli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Ambur</span>

The Battle of Ambur was the first major battle of the Second Carnatic War.

The siege of Tanjore was a series of battles fought between forces of the British East India Company, the Arcot State and the Rajah of Tanjore. The sieges took place after Thuljaji, the Rajah of Tanjore, provided fewer levies and money than the British had required him to and invaded lands claimed by the Arcot State.

References

  1. Kenneth Pletcher, ed. (1 April 2010). The History of India. Britannica Educational Publishing. p. 219. ISBN   9781615302017.
  2. Ramaswami, N. S. (1 January 1984). Political History of Carnatic Under the Nawabs. Abhinav Publications. p. 104. ISBN   9780836412628.
  3. "Mughal Empire 1526-1707 by Sanderson Beck". San.beck.org. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  4. "Benfield, Paul" . Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  5. Markovits, Claude (1 February 2004). A History of Modern India, 1480-1950. Anthem Press. ISBN   978-1-84331-004-4.
  6. Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Muzaffarnagar. Government of Uttar Pradesh. 1988. p. 42.
  7. Naravane, M.S. (2014). Battles of the Honourable East India Company. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. pp. 151, 154–158. ISBN   9788131300343.
  8. Terence R. Blackburn. A miscellany of mutinies and massacres in India.

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