Murshid Quli Khan

Last updated • 10 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Murshid Quli Khan
Nasir Jung
Ala ud-Daulah
Mutam ul-Mulk
Nawab Nazim
Ja'far Khan Bahadur Nasiri
Murshid Quli Jafar Khan.jpg
Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Reign1717 – 30 June 1727
Coronation 1717
PredecessorPosition established
Successor Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan
30th Subahdar of Bengal
Reign30 March 1712 - 1717
Predecessor Azim-ush-Shan
SuccessorPosition abolished
Badshah Bahadur Shah I
Jahandar Shah
Farrukhsiyar
BornSurya Narayan Mishra
c. 1660
Deccan Plateau, Mughal Empire
Died30 June 1727(1727-06-30) (aged 66–67)
Murshidabad, Bengal, Mughal Empire
Burial
SpouseNasiri Banu Begum
Issue
  • Nawabzada Yahya Khan
  • Azmat un-Nisa Begum
  • Zaynab un-Nisa Begum
Names
Murshid Qulī Jaʿfar Khān Bahādur Nāṣirī
House Nawabs of Bengal
Dynasty Nāṣirī
FatherHaji Shafi Isfahani (foster father)
Religion Shia Islam [1] [2] [3]
Other namesMohammad Hadi
Mirza Hadi
Ja'far Khan

Murshid Quli Khan (c. 1660 – 30 June 1727), also known as Mohammad Hadi and born as Surya Narayan Mishra, was the first Nawab of Bengal, serving from 1717 to 1727.

Contents

Born a Hindu in the Deccan Plateau c. 1670, Murshid Quli Khan was bought by Mughal noble Haji Shafi. After Shafi's death, he worked under the Divan of Vidarbha, during which time he piqued the attention of the then-emperor Aurangzeb, who sent him to Bengal as the divan c. 1700. However, he entered into a bloody conflict with the province's subahdar , Azim-us-Shan. After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, he was transferred to the Deccan Plateau by Azim-us-Shan's father the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I. However, he was brought back as deputy subahdar in 1710. In 1717, he was appointed as the Nawab Nazim of Murshidabad by Farrukhsiyar. During his reign, he changed the jagirdari system (land management) to the mal jasmani, which would later transform into the zamindari system. He also continued sending revenues from the state to the Mughal Empire. He received various titles from the Mughal emperors such as Kārtalab Khān, Murshid Quli Khān, Jafar Khān and Mutamin al-Mulk Ála' al-Dauläh Jafar Khān Nasiri Nasir Jang Bahadur successively. He built the Katra Masjid mosque at Murshidabad where he was buried under the staircase after his death on 30 June 1727. He was succeeded by his son-in-law Shuja ud Din Muhammad Khan.

Early life

According to Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Murshid Quli Khan was originally a Hindu and named as Surya Narayan Mishra, born in Deccan c. 1670. [5] The book Ma'asir al-umara supports this statement. [6] At the age of around ten years, he was sold to a Persian named Haji Shafi who circumcised him, [note 1] and raised him with the name Mohammad Hadi. [6] In c. 1690, Shafi left his position in the Mughal court and returned to Persia accompanied by Murshid Quli Khan. About five years after Shafi's death, Murshid returned to India and worked under Abdullah Khurasani, the Diwan of Vidarbha in the Mughal Empire. Due to his expertise in revenue matters, he was noticed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and played an important role when applying the sharia based Fatwa Alamgiri's financial strategies. [6]

Unlike other Islamic rulers, Murshid Quli Khan had only one wife, Nasiri Banu Begum, and no concubines. He had three children, two daughters and one son. One of his daughters became the wife of Nawab Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan and mother of Sarfaraz Khan. [7]

First appointment in Bengal

Conflict with Azim-us-Shan

Aurangzeb appointed Quli Khan the Diwan of Bengal c. 1700. At that time, Azim-us-Shan, a grandson of the Mughal emperor, was the subahdar of the province. He was not pleased at this appointment as he intend to use the revenue collected from the state to fund his campaign to occupy the Mughal throne after Aurangzeb's death. [8] Immediately after being appointed to the post, Quli Khan went to Jahangirnagar (present day Dhaka) and transferred officials from the service of Azim-us-Shan to himself, enraging Azim-us-Shan. [8]

Assassination attempt

Azim-us-Shan planned to assassinate Quli Khan. Taking advantage of the fact the soldiers had yet to be paid, he convinced them that Quli Khan was responsible for the situation. He planned to have them surround Quli Khan on the pretext of confronting him over non-payment of their wages, and he would then be stabbed. [8]

One morning when Quli Khan was going to meet Azim-us-Shan, soldiers, under the leadership of Abdul Wahid, surrounded him and asked him for their wages. But, according to Historian Chowdhury, Quli Khan knew that us-Shan was responsible for inciting the soldiers, [8] so he said to them: "You have conspired to assassinate me. Remember that the Alamgir (Aurangzeb) will come to know everything. Abstain from doing such things, as it is a way of showing disrespect to the emperor. Be careful! If you kill me, then you will face dire consequences." [9]

Azim-us-Shan was extremely worried Quli Khan knew of his assassination plans and was fearful of Aurangzeb's reaction. Quli Khan behaved as if he knew nothing of the plan assuring us-Shan they would remain friends in the future. However, he wrote about the matter to Aurangzeb, who in turn sent a letter to us-Shan warning him that if Quli Khan was "harmed, then he would take revenge on him". [10]

Foundation of Murshidabad

Quli Khan felt unsafe in Dhaka, so he moved the diwani office to Mukshudabad. [note 2] He said that he relocated the office since Mukshudabad was situated in the central part of Bengal, making it easy to communicate throughout the province. As the city was on the banks of the Ganges, European trading companies had also set up their bases there. Quli Khan thought that it would be easy for him to keep a vigil over their actions. He also relocated the bankers to the new city. Azim-us-Shan felt betrayed as this was done without his permission. Historian Chowdhury says that Quli Khan was able to do this because he had the "support" of Aurangzeb. [12] A year later, in 1703, Aurangzeb transferred us-Shan from Bengal to Bihar and Farrukhsiyar was made the titular subahdar of the province. The subah office was then relocated to Mukshudabad. The city became a centre for all activities of the region. [12]

Quli Khan went to Bijapur to meet Aurangzeb, and to give him the revenue which was generated from the province. The emperor was happy with his work and gifted him clothes, flags, nagra, and a sword. He also gave him the title of Murshid Quli and gave him permission to rename the city Murshidabad (the city of Murshid Quli Khan), which he did when he returned to it. [9]

When the city was renamed is disputed by historians. Sir Jadunath Sarkar says that he was given the title on 23 December 1702, and his return to the city would have taken at least three months; so Mukshudabad was renamed in 1703. [13] But according to the newspaper Tarikh-i-Bangla, and Persian historian Riwaz-us-Salatin, the city was renamed in c. 1704. Chowdhury opines that this "might be the correct date" as the representative of the British East Indian Company in Orissa province met Quli Khan in early 1704. The fact that the first coins issued in Murshidabad are dated 1704 is strong evidence of the year of the name change. [14]

Reign

Death of Aurangzeb

Until the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, all the powers of the subahdar were vested in the hands of Quli Khan. He was succeeded by Azim-us-Shan's father Bahadur Shah I. He reappointed his son as the subahdar of the province and made Quli Khan his deputy. Azim-us-Shan influenced his father to throw Quli Khan out of the province. As a result, he was appointed the Diwan of Deccan in 1708, and served in the post until 1709. [15]

But, in 1710, Quli Khan was brought back as the diwan (revenue officer) of the province on the advice of us-Shan. According to Sarkar, he did so to form an allegiance with him, as he thought that it would be impossible to occupy the Delhi throne without the support of local nobility. Though he was brought back, his relationship with the Mughal prince remained stained. [16]

Shah was succeeded by Jahandar Shah in 1712, (27 February 1712 – 11 February 1713) and he was followed by Farrukhsiyar in 1713. In 1717, [note 3] he gave Quli Khan the title of Zafar Khan and made him the Subahdar of Bengal, thus holding both the post of subahdar and diwan at the same time. He declared himself the Nawab of Bengal and became the first independent nawab of the province. [17] The capital was shifted from Dhaka to Murshidabad. [18]

Revenue

Quli Khan replaced the Mughal jagirdari system with the mal jasmani system, which was similar to France's fermiers generals . He took security bonds from the contractors or ijardaars who later collected the land revenue. Though at first there remained many jagirdars, they were shortly squeezed out by the contractors, who later came to be known as zamindars. [19]

Quli Khan continued his policy of sending part of the revenue collected to the Mughal Empire. He did so even when the empire was in decline with the emperor vesting no power, as the power became concentrated in the hands of kingmakers. He justified his action by saying that it would be impossible to run the Mughal Empire without the revenue he sent. Historian Chowdhury says that his real reason was to show his loyalty to the Mughal Emperor so that he could run the state according to his own wishes. [18]

Records show that every year 1 crore 30 lakh rupees was sent as the revenue to the Mughal emperor. Besides money revenue was also paid in kind.[ clarification needed ] Quli Khan himself used to carry the money and other forms of revenue with the infantry and the cavalry to Bihar where they were given to the Mughal collector. [20]

Structures built

With Murshidabad evolving as the capital of Bengal, it became necessary for Quli Khan to build buildings and offices for work to be carried out from that city. In the Dugharia region of the city he built a palace, a diwankhana ("office of revenue collection", a court of exchequer). He also built an inn and a mosque for foreign travellers. He constructed a mint in the city in 1720. [20] In the eastern end of the city he built the Katra Masjid mosque in 1724 where he was buried after his death. [21]

Conditions in Murshidabad

During Quli Khan's reign the people of the Murshidabad used to participate in many festivals. One of them was the Punyah which occurred in the last week of the Bengali month of Chaitra. The zamindars, or their representatives, took part in it. However, the festival which was celebrated with the greatest pomp and grandeur was Mawlid the festival to celebrate the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. During Mawlid people from neighbouring provinces came to the city to celebrate. On Quli Khan's order chirag or lamps were lit in all religious places such as mosques, and imambararas. [22]

Quli Khan also imitated the Mughal tradition of holding a durbar in the city which was attended by the city's bankers, foreign tourists, and European companies' representatives. Because of the increase in trade, a new class of businessmen arose who also attended his durbar. Due to his pious nature, Quli Khan followed Islam strictly and, according to Islamic rules, visitors were fed twice a day. [22]

The city used to be a major exporter of rice across India but c.1720, Quli Khan prohibited all export of rice. [22] Chowdhury says that the condition of Hindus during his reign was "also good" as "they became more rich". Though Quli Khan was a Muslim, Hindus were employed in the tax department primarily because he thought they were experts in the field; they could also speak fluent Persian. [23]

Death and succession

Khan's tomb under the stairs of Katra Masjid TombofMurshidQuliKhan.jpg
Khan's tomb under the stairs of Katra Masjid

Quli Khan died on 30 June 1727. [24] He was succeeded initially by his grandson Sarfaraz Khan. But his son-in-law Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan did not accept the succession, and planned to fight a war against him. Khan gave up without a fight and Shuja-ud-Din became the nawab in 1727. [25] Sarfaraz would ascend the throne after his father's death in 1739 only to be defeated and replaced by Alivardi Khan in 1740. [26]

Quli Khan remains buried under the stairs to the main-floor of Katra Masjid [note 4] —a five-bayed rectangular mosque constructed by himself—pursuant to his wishes. [28] [29] Popular belief holds the mosque to have been constructed of material obtained upon destruction of several Hindu temples and residences; [note 5] however, it is unlikely since the mosque shows an uniformity of material and Khan used to be an active patron of local temples. [30]

See also

Footnotes

  1. Shafi worked in various posts in the Mughal Empire which included Diwan-i-Tan and Dewan of Bengal. [6]
  2. According to Ain-i-Akbari, Mukshudabad was founded by a trader named Mukshud Khan in the sixteenth century who also built a sarai here. On Dutch traveller Valentijn's map, the city was shown as an island in the Ganges River. According to historian Nikhilnath Roy, during the reign of Sultan Hussain Shah, he was cured of fever by sage, so the city was named after it in 1702. [11]
  3. Historian Abdul Karim disputes the date and claims it to be 1716, but all other sources use 1717. [15]
  4. An inscription on the east façade of the mosque reads, "The triumph of Muhammad of Arabia is the glory of heaven and earth. One who be not the dust of his doorstep, dust be upon his head." [27]
  5. This finds a mention in Tarikh-i-Bangala (Munshi Salimullah; 1763-64) but not in the Riyaz-us-Salatin (Ghulam Husain Salīm Zaidpuri; 1787). Both the works were commissioned by officers of the East India Company; Zaidpuri had cited Salimullah among his sources.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. Rizvi, Saiyid Athar Abbas (1986). A Socio-intellectual History of the Isnā ʼAsharī Shīʼīs in India: 16th to 19th century A.D. Vol. 2. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. pp. 45–47.
  2. Rieck, Andreas (15 January 2016). The Shias of Pakistan: An Assertive and Beleaguered Minority. Oxford University Press. p. 3. ISBN   978-0-19-061320-4.
  3. K. K. Datta, Ali Vardi and His Times, ch. 4, University of Calcutta Press, (1939)
  4. Rai, R. History. FK Publications. p. 44. ISBN   9788187139690.
  5. Sarkar, p.400
  6. 1 2 3 4 Chowdhury, p.16
  7. Chowdhury, p.87
  8. 1 2 3 4 Chowdhury, p.17
  9. 1 2 Sarkar, p.404
  10. Chowdhury, p.18
  11. Chowdhury, p.20
  12. 1 2 Choudhury, p.19
  13. Sarkar, p.399
  14. Chowdhury, p.21
  15. 1 2 Chowdhury, p.24
  16. Sarkar, p.405
  17. Sarkar, p.407
  18. 1 2 Chowdhury, p.25
  19. U. A. B. Razia Akter Banu (1992). Islam in Bangladesh. E. J. Brill. p. 21. ISBN   978-90-04-09497-0.
  20. 1 2 Chowdhury, p.26
  21. Begum, Ayesha (2012). "Katra Mosque, Murshidabad". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  22. 1 2 3 Chowdhury, p.27
  23. Chowdhury, p.28
  24. Mohammed Yamin. Impact of Islam on Orissan Culture. Readworthy. p. 46. ISBN   9789350181027.
  25. Chowdhury, p.29
  26. Chowdhury, p.30
  27. Asher, Catherine B. (1984). "Inventory of key monuments". In Michell, George (ed.). The Islamic Heritage of Bengal. UNESCO. pp. 206–207. ISBN   9231021745.
  28. Kabir, Nurul; Ahmed, Maliha Nargis (June 2013). "Exploring Khan Mohammad Mirdha Mosque: an Attempt to Construe the Socio-religious Fabric of Mughal Dhaka". Pratnatattva. 19. Jahangirnagar University.
  29. Sen, Samhita (2014). "Forgotten Nobles of Murshidabad: A Study through Its Architectural Heritage". Pratna Samiksha. New Series 5. Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training, Eastern India.
  30. Chaudhury, Sushil (2018). "Art and Architecture". Profile of a Forgotten Capital: Murshidabad in the Eighteenth Century. Delhi: Manohar. p. 164. ISBN   9789350981948.

Related Research Articles

Nawab is a royal title indicating a 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 Azam Shah</span> Brief Mughal emperor in 1707

Mirza Abu'l Fayaz Qutb-ud-Din Mohammad Azam, commonly known as Azam Shah, was briefly the seventh Mughal emperor from 14 March to 20 June 1707. He was the third son of the sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his chief consort Dilras Banu Begum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murshidabad</span> City in West Bengal

Murshidabad is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farrukhsiyar</span> Mughal emperor from 1713 to 1719

Farrukhsiyar, also spelled as Farrukh Siyar, was the tenth Mughal Emperor from 1713 to 1719. He rose to the throne after deposing his uncle Jahandar Shah. He was an emperor only in name, with all effective power in the hands of the courtier Sayyid brothers. He was born during the reign of his great-grandfather Aurangzeb, as the son of Azim-ush-Shan and Sahiba Niswan. Reportedly a handsome man who was easily swayed by his advisers, he was said to lack the ability, knowledge and character to rule independently. He was executed by Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Kam Bakhsh</span> Shahzada of the Mughal Empire (1667–1709)

Mirza Muhammad Kam Bakhsh was the youngest son of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, born to his wife Udaipuri Mahal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azim-ush-Shan</span> Mughal prince (1664–1712)

Mirza Azim-ush-Shan was the second son of the 8th Mughal Emperor Shah Alam I better known as Bahadur Shah I by his second wife a Rathore Rajput Princess Amrit Kanwarji of Kishangarh. He was the great grandson of Shah Jahan and the grandson of Aurangzeb during whose reign he was the imperial subahdar (governor) of Bengal Subah from the year 1697 to his death in 1712.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nawabs of Bengal</span> Rulers of Eastern India and Bengal in the 18th-century

The Nawab of Bengal was the hereditary ruler of Bengal Subah in Mughal India. In the early 18th-century, the Nawab of Bengal was the de facto independent ruler of the three regions of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa which constitute the modern-day sovereign country of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. The Bengal Subah reached its peak during the reign of Nawab Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan. They are often referred to as the Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The Nawabs were based in Murshidabad which was centrally located within Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha. Their chief, a former prime minister, became the first Nawab. The Nawabs continued to issue coins in the name of the Mughal Emperor, but for all practical purposes, the Nawabs governed as independent monarchs. Bengal continued to contribute the largest share of funds to the imperial treasury in Delhi. The Nawabs, backed by bankers such as the Jagat Seth, became the financial backbone of the Mughal court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mir Qasim</span> Nawab of Bengal (reign 1760–1763)

Mir Qasim was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763. He was installed as Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been supported earlier by the East India Company after his role in winning the Battle of Plassey for the British. However, Mir Jafar eventually ran into disputes with the East India Company and attempted to form an alliance with the Dutch East India Company instead. The British eventually defeated the Dutch at Chinsura and overthrew Mir Jafar, replacing him with Mir Qasim. Qasim too later fell out with the British and fought against them at Buxar. His defeat has been suggested as a key reason in the British becoming the dominant power in large parts of North and East India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikrampur</span> Former administrative unit in Bangladesh

Bikrampur was a sub-division of Dhaka district of Bengal Presidency of British India. It was a historic region of Bengal. It lay on the banks of the Ganges of Bengal. In the present day, it is known as the Munshiganj District of Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Dhaka</span> History of the capital city of Bangladesh

Dhaka (Dacca) is a modern megacity with origins dating to circa the 7th century CE. The history of Dhaka begins with the existence of urbanised settlements that were ruled by the Hindu Gauda Kingdom, Buddhist and Shaivite Pala Empire before passing to the control of the Hindu Sena dynasty in the 10th century CE. After the Sena dynasty, the city was ruled by the Hindu Deva Dynasty.

Syed Mir Abdullah Shirazi, was a Faujdar of Mughal Bengal's Sylhet Sarkar during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb and governorship of Subahdar Azim-ush-Shan. He was the successor of Ahmad Majid. The name Shirazi suggests that he is a Persian and originates from the Iranian city of Shiraz. He may also have been a relative of Lutfullah Shirazi, who was the Faujdar of Sylhet in 1663. In 1699, Abdullah built a large domed mosque in Shah Jalal's dargah complex towards the south. The ruins of this mosque can be seen, located just east of the dargah pond. A Persian inscription was found near the ruins detailing the mosque's construction and mentions Shirazi's background. An inscription next to a mosque situated next to the dargah of Shah Paran states that it was built by a certain Abdullah and Syed Murtaza Ali states that it is possible that they are both the same person. He was succeeded by Karguzar Khan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarfaraz Khan</span> Nawab of Bengal (1700–1740)

Sarfarāz Khān, born Mīrza Asadullāh, was a Nawab of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan's maternal grandfather, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal nominated him as the direct heir to him as there was no direct heir. After Murshid Quli's death in 1727, Sarfaraz ascended to the Masnad (throne) of the Nawab. Sarfaraz's father, Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan, then the Subahdar of Orissa, getting to know it arrived at Murshidabad, the capital of the Nawabs of Bengal with a huge army. To avoid a conflict in the family the dowager Begum of the Nawab asked Shuja-ud-Din to ascend to the Masnad after Sarfaraz abdicated in favour of his father. However, circumstances led Shuja-ud-Din to nominate Sarfaraz as his heir and after Shuja-us-Din's death in 1739, Sarfaraz Khan again ascended to the Masnad as the Nawab of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan</span> 18th-century Nawab of Bengal

Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan was the second Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. He married Zainab un-nisa Begum and Azmat un-nisa Begum, the daughters of Murshid Quli Khan by Nasiri Banu Begum. Shuja-ud-Din's third wife was Durdana Begum Sahiba. After the death of his father-in-law on 30 June 1727, he ascended to the Masnad (throne) of the Nawab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raja Sitaram Ray</span> Raja

Raja Sitaram Ray (1658–1714) was an autonomous king, a zamindar to the Mughal Empire, who revolted and declared independence against the empire and established a short-lived sovereign Hindu dominion in Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bengal Subah</span> Subdivision of the Mughal Empire

The Bengal Subah, also referred to as Mughal Bengal, was the largest subdivision of Mughal India encompassing much of the Bengal region, which includes modern-day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and some parts of the present-day Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha between the 16th and 18th centuries. The state was established following the dissolution of the Bengal Sultanate, a major trading nation in the world, when the region was absorbed into the Mughal Empire. Bengal was the wealthiest region in the Indian subcontinent.

Ibrahim KhanII (reigned: 1689–1697; died 1701) was the Subahdar of Bengal during the reign of emperor Aurangzeb. His only child was a son Named Wazir Ibrahim Khan (1654–1713) and was diwan of Emperor Jahandar Shah. He was killed at the orders of Farrukhsiyar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zamindars of Natore</span>

Zamindars of Natore were influential aristocratic Bengali Zamindars, who owned large estates in what is today Natore District in Bangladesh .

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalbagh Fort</span> Historical site in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Lalbagh anda is a fort in the old city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Its name is derived from its neighborhood Lalbagh, which means Red Garden. The term Lalbagh refers to reddish and pinkish architecture from the Mughal period. The original fort was called Fort Aurangabad. Its construction was started by Prince Muhammad Azam Shah, who was the son of Emperor Aurangzeb and a future Mughal emperor himself. After the prince was recalled by his father, the fort's construction was overseen by Shaista Khan. The death of Shaista Khan's daughter Pari Bibi resulted in a halt to the construction process, apparently due to Shaista Khan's superstition that the fort brought bad omen. Pari Bibi was buried inside the fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jinjira Palace</span> Palace in Bangladesh

Zinzira Palace, also spelt Jinjira Palace, is a late 17th century Mughal-era palace in Keraniganj, Bangladesh on the southern banks of the Old Ganges or Buriganga River. It was built by Ibrahim Khan II, Bengal's last subedar before Aurangzeb's grandson Azim-ush-Shan took control of the region, as his recreation resort opposing the Bara Katra in the Chowk Bazar neighborhood of Old Dhaka on the other side of the river. The palace is known for the tragic imprisonment of the female members of the Bengal Nawab family following the Battle of Plassey (1757).

Zain ud-Din Ahmad Khan, also known as Mirza Muhammad Hashim, was an aristocrat from the Nawab of Bengal family and the father of Siraj ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal.

References

Murshid Quli Khan
Born: 1665 Died: 30 June 1727
Preceded by Nawab of Bengal
1717 – 30 June 1727
Succeeded by