Hussain Nizam Shah III

Hussain Nizam Shah III
Hussain Nizam Shah III
12th Sultan of Ahmadnagar
Reign	1631–1633
Predecessor	Burhan Nizam Shah III
Successor	Murtaza Nizam Shah III
Regent	Fateh Khan
Regent	Shahaji
Born	1622
House	Nizam Shahi Dynasty
Father	Burhan Nizam Shah III
Religion	Shia Islam

Last updated January 21, 2025

Hussain Nizam Shah III was the 12th Sultan of Ahmadnagar Sultanate under the regency of Fath Khan and Shahaji. It was during his reign the second phase of extinction of Ahmadnagar Sultanate began. He was imprisoned by Shah Jahan in the Gwalior Fort after Mahabat Khan's successful conquest of Dautlatabad. He was succeeded by Murtaza Nizam Shah III.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Accession

Assassination of Burhan Nizam Shah III

Hamid Khan made the way good for Fateh Khan' s ascension to power. Once he had the administration in his pocket, he won his fellow Abyssinians over very speedily. He raised them all to positions of power as filenda. Nevertheless, he felt sorely humiliated by Buhan Nizam Shah and was utterly unsure of what the future held for him. Hamid Khan believed that his release was a matter of convenience and suspected he would be imprisoned again once his utility had been exhausted. His fears for the king were compounded by his need to follow through with a policy of alliance with the Mughals, a plan that few of the nobles wanted him to pursue. Thus, he was more than eager to seize and imprison his king, as his father, Malik Ambar, had done before him, to find himself lucky in that Burhan eventually succumbed to insanity. Using this as a pretext, Fateh Khan took him away from the palace and shifted him to his own residence, which was the mansion of Salabat Khan, under the guise of providing treatment.^[1]

He then started secret negotiations with Asaf Khan, asking for the Emperor's favor and promising to offer allegiance. In return, he got an encouraging reply but was asked to prove his intentions by killing his captive. Eager to avenge himself and to prove his loyalty to the Emperor, he poisoned the incapacitated Burhan Nizam Shah III, who died naturally (February 1632). Later, Fateh Khan put his ten-year-old son, Husain Nizam Shah III, on the throne. The murder of Burhan Nizam Shah III and the accession of Husain Nizam Shah III marked the beginning of the second phase in the decline of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.^[1]

Conflict with Mughals

Fateh Khan's Submission to Mughals

The provincial governors and military commanders in different regions rebelled against the kingmaker and his captive king. Not believing in the intentions of Fateh Khan, most nobles deserted him and aligned themselves either with the Mughals or Adil Shah, as per their interest. In particular, Shahaji, Anant Sewaji, Pandit Shakharam, and other Maratha and Hindu officials pledged their allegiance to the Mughals. In a similar way, Muslim nobles deserted the Prime Minister, leaving him in a helpless situation.^[1] Under these circumstances, the Emperor raised his demands further. He demanded that Fateh Khan hand over the jewels and elephants of Nizam Shah as a pre-condition for giving him protection. This demand raised suspicion in Fateh Khan's mind about the genuineness of the Mughal Emperor's intentions.^[2]

Shahaji became highly resentful of the handing over of the districts that he had been specifically allocated to another. He forsook his obligation to the Mughals, and even attacked them. His counterpart, in Bijapur had his own reasons, which were given by the high-handedness of the Mughal imperialists, and he too, kept on raising their tensions.^[1] Similarly, Qutb Shah nursed a grudge against the advancement of Mughals and also could not manage to fulfill his financial needs and requirements due to heavy rains and flooding that destroyed their crops in Qutb's kingdom. The fortress of Daulatabad continued to be under the control of Fath Khan, which boosted Qutb Shah's confidence and hope of resisting the Mughal forces. All these circumstances made him indifferent towards the demands of the Mughal emperor, further straining the relations between the parties.^[2]

Shahaji's Bold Stand

Shah Jahan quelled the rebellion led by Khan Jahan Lodi, recovered Balaghat, and reasserted Mughal power in the Deccan.^[1] However, the seeds of resistance and discontent persisted in the region. When the emperor left, Shahaji felt his position precarious. Like Fateh Khan, he was disenchanted with Mughal rule and soon designed an independent way of life for himself. He became an advocate of Fateh Khan's frustrations against the Mughals and opted for the path of freedom.^[2] He ensured his independence by fortifying the fort of Pemgiri and raised a formidable army, which once again began looting and pillaging the whole area. Through the passage of time, he gradually extended his authority over Poona-Chakan to the Konkan and as far as the borders of Daulatabad and Ahmadnagar up to Junnar and Sangamner.^[4]

He overran Nashik and Trimbak from the imperialists and recovered a huge part of Nizam Shahi territory.^[1] Finding a Nizam Shahi scion imprisoned in a fort, he proclaimed him to be the real king of Ahmadnagar and elevated him ceremonially to that position. He, in this process, gained even more strength in his hands, he had something to fight for and something to achieve.^[1]

Surrender of Galna Fort

Muhammad Khan, the commandant of the fort at Galna, rejected his authority after Fateh Khan executed Burhan Nizam Shah III and fortified the stronghold. However, Shahaji eventually convinced him to surrender the fort. When the news reached Khan Zaman, he immediately wrote to Mir Qasim Harava, the commandant of the Alang fort near Galna, ordering him to persuade Muhammad Khan with promises of imperial favor. This strategy worked; the commandant dismissed Shahaji's forces, and the fort of Galna fell into imperial hands on 7 October 1632.^[1]

Surrender of Daulatabad

According to orders from his father, Mahabat Khan, Khan Zaman set out Deccani forces which had been thwarting the advance of the Mughal and began making siege preparations by digging trenches and laying mines. Mahabat Khan reached the city on 1 March 1633 after establishing supply lines for the Mughal army. The next morning, he moved into a house which had previously been owned by the Nizam Shahi king.^[1] The Mughal forces surrounded the fort and positioned batteries at key strategic locations. Fateh Khan placed the Nizam Shahi ruler, Hussain Shah, at Kalakot, an impenetrable part of Daulatabad Fort. In his place, he himself settled down at Mahakot, the second most important place in that fort. For consolidating this citadel further, he sent his commands according to strategy and also deployed gunns on vital points.^[1]

Fall of Ambarkot

Skirmishes between the Mughal forces, the Adil Shahi army, and Shahaji's troops occurred during the early phase of the siege. The Adil Shahis, with Shahaji, made several attempts to breach the Mughal blockade by smuggling provisions into the fort at Daulatabad. The Mughal army frequently intercepted and foiled these attempts.^[1] Still, these efforts were important enough to divert the Mughals' attention from breaching the fort's defenses. Adil Shahi commander Randaula Khan, along with Shahaji, made repeated attacks to break the Mughal communication lines.^[4] The Mughal forces could successfully repel all these attacks. The successive failures of the Adil Shahi forces and Shahaji forced Fateh Khan, who was inside the fort, to come out in an open battle. He used war elephants and tried to clear mines but the operation was a failure and Fateh Khan had to withdraw with heavy losses.^[1]^[5]

Khan Zaman laid siege to the fort with a plan to assemble a storming party at dawn and detonate a mine at first light to breach the defenses. However, the mine was accidentally detonated prematurely by the officer in charge, before the storming party was ready. In response, Mahabat Khan prepared to lead the assault personally, but Nasiri Khan intervened and took command of the charge. Utilizing the breached caused by mine, Mughal forces inundated the defence under the direction of Khairat Khan with success and siezed Ambarkot, being the outer periphery of fortifications of citadel.^[1]

A Mughal folio from a copy of the Padshahnama, featuring a retrospective depiction of the assault on Daulatabad fort.The fort is rendered as a fortified palace, rather than an actual mountain fortress (left). Emperor Shah Jahan watches the assault (right).^[6]

Fall of Mahakot

After their victory, Randaula Khan and Shahaji again tried to mislead the Mughal forces and send provisions to the starving garrison of the fort. They sent forces to raid Telangana and Berar while sending a convoy of 3,000 musketeers with grain to the fort. In response, Mahabat Khan sent troops to thwart the raids and tasked Nasiri Khan with intercepting the convoy, both of which succeeded. After these failures, Mahabat Khan started besieging the next rampart of fortifications, called Mahakot, a built-up part of the citadel.^[1] He even managed to establish a mine there in the defenses of Mahakot, upon which Fateh Khan moved his family to Kalakot for greater security. At this juncture, several members of the Bijapuri garrison, who were given leave by Mahabat Khan, went away from the fort and returned to their homes due to the acute shortage of foodstuff. Adil Shahi forces, in concert with Shahaji, pursued operations designed to isolate and dislodge the Mughals by reducing Mahakot pressure. He smuggled into the province stores, rained fire and desolating swords into Berar and had these raids rebuffed at Khan Zaman's hands. Bijapur brought on some of these troops. All that now being in store were designed for sacking assaults at Mahabat Khan's places but once more met failure.^[1]^[4]

This happened in less than two months after the capture of Ambarkot, and Mahabat Khan successfully placed a mine against Mahakot's defenses. He contacted Fateh Khan requesting a delay in the detonation. In response, Mahabat Khan demanded Fateh Khan to send his son to the Mughal camp as a gesture of goodwill. Due to the delay in fulfilling this request, Mahabat Khan decided to detonate the mine. This destroyed one bastion and damaged eighteen yards of fortifications, thereby opening the gates for Mughal forces to invade and capture Mahakot.^[1]^[7]

Surrender

Realising the collapse of Mahakot, lack of regular supply arrangements to the fort's garrison, wide prevalence of famine in that area and onset of a dreadful disease within his ranks, Fateh Khan yielded and sent his son Abdul Rasul to tender apologies to Mahabat Khan from himself for what was earlier treacherous activity towards the Mughals. Fateh Khan sought a week's grace to withdraw from the fort, which Mahabat Khan conceded, offering even provisions and cash in advance for the purpose. In June 1633, Mahabat Khan entered the fort of Daulatabad and got the khutbah (Friday sermon) read in the name of Shah Jahan, establishing Mughal authority over Daulatabad.^[1]

Capture and imprisonment

After leaving the fort in the care of Nasiri Khan, Mahabat Khan proceeded to Zafarnagar. The earlier betrayal by Fateh Khan had made him more cautious, and upon reaching Burhanpur, he placed Fateh Khan under strict guard.^[8]^[9] Shah Jahan, highly pleased with the capture of Daultabad, ordered Mahabat Khan to send the captive Fateh Khan and Hussain Nizam Shah III to the court under the escort of Islam Khan, who was heading north from Gujarat. Fateh Khan and Nizam Shah were presented before the Emperor on September 21, 1633, at Agra. Shah Jahan forgave the crimes of the unfortunate Fateh Khan, reinstated his jagirs, and granted him an annual allowance of 200,000 rupees for his expenses. The helpless and innocent Husain Nizam Shah III, however, was a different case. He was entrusted to Sayyid Khan Jahan and imprisoned in the Gwalior Fort, where Bahadur Nizam Shah was already confined.^[10]^[1]

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Shyam, Radhey (1966). The Kingdom of Ahmadnagar. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 312–321. ISBN 978-81-208-2651-9.
1 2 3 4 Mohamed Nasr. The Relations Of The Mughal Empire With The Ahmadnagar Kingdom 1526 1636. pp. 165–169.
↑ Haig, Sir Wolseley (1907). Historic Landmarks of the Deccan. Printed at the Pioneer Press.
1 2 3 Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale. Shivaji His Life & Times.
↑ "Murar - The Siege of Daulatabad (April-June 1633)". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 2025-01-06.
↑ "Capture of Daulatabad Fort in 1633: a) Emperor Shah Jahan Watches the Assault on Daulatabad Fort; b) Capture of Daulatabad Fort, Folios from the Padshahnama (Chronicle of the King of the World) | LACMA Collections". collections.lacma.org. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
↑ The Cambridge History of India. CUP Archive. 1955. p. 193.
↑ Streusand, Douglas E. (2011). Islamic gunpowder empires : Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. Internet Archive. Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press. pp. 227–228. ISBN 978-0-8133-1359-7.
↑ Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 201–204. ISBN 978-81-241-1066-9.
↑ Ali, Shanti Sadiq (1996). The African Dispersal in the Deccan: From Medieval to Modern Times. Orient Blackswan. pp. 101–103. ISBN 978-81-250-0485-1.

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Shyam, Radhey (1966). The Kingdom of Ahmadnagar. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. pp. 312–321. ISBN 978-81-208-2651-9.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 4 Mohamed Nasr. The Relations Of The Mughal Empire With The Ahmadnagar Kingdom 1526 1636. pp. 165–169.

[3] Haig, Sir Wolseley (1907). Historic Landmarks of the Deccan. Printed at the Pioneer Press.

[:2-4] 1 2 3 Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale. Shivaji His Life & Times.

[5] "Murar - The Siege of Daulatabad (April-June 1633)". www.rct.uk. Retrieved 2025-01-06.

[6] "Capture of Daulatabad Fort in 1633: a) Emperor Shah Jahan Watches the Assault on Daulatabad Fort; b) Capture of Daulatabad Fort, Folios from the Padshahnama (Chronicle of the King of the World) | LACMA Collections". collections.lacma.org. Retrieved 2024-06-13.

[7] The Cambridge History of India. CUP Archive. 1955. p. 193.

[8] Streusand, Douglas E. (2011). Islamic gunpowder empires : Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. Internet Archive. Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press. pp. 227–228. ISBN 978-0-8133-1359-7.

[9] Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. pp. 201–204. ISBN 978-81-241-1066-9.

[10] Ali, Shanti Sadiq (1996). The African Dispersal in the Deccan: From Medieval to Modern Times. Orient Blackswan. pp. 101–103. ISBN 978-81-250-0485-1.

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