Raja Nahar Khan

Last updated

Raja Bahadur Nahar Khan
Wali-e-Mewat
Reign1372-1402
PredecessorPost Established
Successor Khanzada Bahadur Khan
Issue
House Khanzada
FatherRaja Lakhan Pal

Raja Bahadur Nahar Khan was the ruler of Mewat and the progenitor of Khanzada Rajput clan who were themselves a sub-clan of Jadaun Rajputs. His original name was Sambhar Pal and later came to be known as Nahar Singh. He and his brother Sopar Pal (who later became Chhaju Khan) embraced Islam under the influence of Firuz Shah Tughlaq after he annexed their estates. [1] He was also known as Wali-e-Mewat Raja Bahadur Nahar Khan [2]

Contents

Background

He was the son of Jadaun Rajput Raja Lakhan Pal of Kotla Fort and great-grandson of Raja Adhan Pal (who was 4th in descent from Raja Tahan Pal). [3] [4] Tahan Pal, who founded Timangarh, was the eldest son of Maharaja Bijai Pal (founder of Bijai Garh and Maharaja of Karauli), who was 88th in descent from Krishna. [5] [6] [7]

Conversion to Islam

Tughlaq dynasty ruled during 14th century and at one point of time, the local leaders were asserting their independence to a greater extent. Nahar Singh had risen to prominence during the period. Coercive and co-optative tactics were used by Firuz Shah Tughlaq to tackle such uprisings. Nahar Singh was made to politically compromise with Tughlaq Sultan and convert to Islam, assuming the name Nahar Khan in 1359. He paid Sultan tribute and peshkash (offerings) in exchange for the lands he lost to be restored back under his rule. His lineage continued to be known as Khanazadas. While it was common for minor rulers to see conversion a tactical move dictated by pure survival, i.e. to prevent a possible beheading, and save their lands from annexation, some portrays the religious conversion as resulting from "change of heart." [8] [9]

Kunwar Sambhar Pal and his brother Kunwar Sopar Pal, the sons of Raja Lakhan Pal, were in service of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq of Delhi Sultanate. They were accompanying the Sultan in one of his hunting expedition, where the Sultan was attacked by a tiger. Kunwar Sambhar Pal saved the Sultan by killing the tiger single-handedly. Sultan Firuz gave them the title of Bahadur Khan for his bravery. [1]

Founder of Khanzada Rajput community

Nahar Khan had nine sons, his descendants are known as Khanzada Rajput who were originally Hindu Jadaun Rajputs.

Wali of Mewat

Raja Nahar Khan of Kotla was a high ranking noble in the royal court of Delhi Sultanate. In 1372, Firuz Shah Tughlaq granted him the Lordship of Mewat. He established a hereditary polity in Mewat and proclaimed the title of Wali-e-Mewat. After his ascension to the throne in 1372, the people of Mewat began to gradually convert to Islam. Later his descendants affirmed their own sovereignty in Mewat. They ruled Mewat till 1527. The last Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat was Hasan Khan Mewati, who died in the Battle of Khanwa against the invading Mughal forces of Babur.[ citation needed ]

Delhi Power Struggle

In 1388, Raja Nahar Khan aided Abu Bakr Shah, grandson of the late Emperor Firuz Shah Tughlaq, in expelling from Dehli Abu Bakr's uncle Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq and in establishing the former on the throne. In a few months, however, Abu Bakr had to give away before Nasiruddin, and he then fled to Raja Nahar's stronghold in Mewat State, where he was pursued by Nasiruddin. After a struggle Abu Bakr and Raja Nahar surrendered, and Abu Bakr was placed in confinement for life in the fort of Meerut, but Raja Nahar received a robe and was allowed to depart.[ citation needed ]

Timur's Invasion of India

In 1398 during Timur's Invasion of Delhi, Nahar Khan withdrew to his Kotla Tijara and watched the development of events from there. Mewat State during this time was flooded with fugitives fleeing from Delhi and Khizr Khan, (the future Sultan of Delhi), was one of those who took shelter in Mewat. After defeating Nasiruddin, Timur sent two envoys to Mewat State who invited the Wali of Mewat for a meeting with him. Nahar accepted this invitation and both met in 1398. As a gesture of goodwill and symbol of friendship Raja Nahar Khan gifted Timur two white parrots, which Timur praised highly. Timur himself, made prominent mention of the conduct of Nahar Khan during the Invasion of India in 1398 AD. Timur states that he sent an embassy to Nahar Khan at Kotila, to which a humble reply was received. Raja Nahar sent as a present two white parrots that belonged to the late Emperor. Timur remarks that these parrots were much prized by him.[ citation needed ]

Death

In 1402, Nahar Khan was killed in an ambush by his in-laws of Kishangarh Bas. After his death, his son Raja Bahadur Khan succeeded him as Wali-e-Mewat.[ citation needed ]

Legacy

He had nine sons namely Wali-e-Mewat Raja Bahadur Khan, Malik Alaudin Khan, Shah Mehmood Khan, Pir Shahab Khan, Malik Haroon Khan, Siraj Khan, Fateh Khan, Noor Khan and Nizam Khan. He was the progenitor of Khanzada Rajput community. Hasan Khan Mewati, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, Nawab Feroz Khan, Khan Bahadur Fateh Naseeb Khan, Abdul Kadir Khanzada ,Tufail Ahmad khan, Suhaib Ilyasi and Shahzeb Khanzada are his direct descendants. [10]

Haveli Naharwali, in Kucha Sadullah Khan of Chandani Chowk in Old Delhi, is said to be originally owned by him, [11] which later came in the ownership of family of former president of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, where he was born and his grandfather sold it to Prem Chand Gola after whom this area is now called Gola Market. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firuz Shah Tughlaq</span> Ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty (1309–1388)

Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq was a Muslim ruler from the Tughlaq dynasty, who reigned over the Sultanate of Delhi from 1351 to 1388. He succeeded his cousin Muhammad bin Tughlaq following the latter's death at Thatta in Sindh, where Muhammad bin Tughlaq had gone in pursuit of Taghi the rebellious Muslim governor of Gujarat. For the first time in the history of the Sultanate, a situation was confronted wherein nobody was ready to accept the reins of power. With much difficulty, the camp followers convinced Firoz to accept the responsibility. In fact, Khwaja Jahan, the Wazir of Muhammad bin Tughlaq had placed a small boy on the throne claiming him to be the son of Muhammad bin Tughlaq, who meekly surrendered afterwards. Due to widespread unrest, his realm was much smaller than Muhammad's. Tughlaq was forced by rebellions to concede virtual independence to Bengal and other provinces. He established Sharia across his realm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sayyid dynasty</span> Rulers of the Delhi Sultanate (1414–1451)

The Sayyid dynasty was the fourth dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, with four rulers ruling from 1414 to 1451 for 37 years. The first ruler of the dynasty, Khizr Khan, who was the Timurid vassal of Multan, conquered Delhi in 1414, while the rulers proclaimed themselves the Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate under Mubarak Shah, which succeeded the Tughlaq dynasty and ruled the Sultanate until they were displaced by the Lodi dynasty in 1451.

The names of people, battles, and places need to be spelled as they are on other articles title and then wikified.

Mewat is a historical region of Haryana and Rajasthan states in northwestern India. The loose boundaries of Mewat generally include Hathin tehsil and Nuh district of Haryana, Alwar, Mahwa, Rajasthan and Mandawar, Rajasthan in Dausa district and Bharatpur districts of Rajasthan, and Chhata Tehsil of Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh. The main centre areas of Mewat are Firozpur Jhirka, Nuh, Ramgarh, Paharisikri and Punahana. Mewat region lies in between Delhi-Jaipur-Agra. In simple words Mewat region consists of Nuh district, eastern part of Alwar district and western part of Bharatpur district. Mandawar, Rajasthan and Mahwa, Rajasthan is in Dausa district but there are many Meos villages near Mahwa, Mandawar, Garhi sawairam, Pinan. The region roughly corresponds to the ancient kingdom of Matsya, founded in the 5th century BCE. Mewati dialect, a slight variant of the Haryanvi and Rajasthani dialects of Hindi, is spoken in rural areas of the region. Mewati Gharana is a distinctive style of Indian classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurgaon district</span> District in Haryana, India

Gurgaon district, officially known as Gurugram district, is one of the 22 districts of Haryana in northern India. The city of Gurgaon is the administrative headquarters of the district. The population is 1,514,432. It is one of the southern districts of Haryana. On its north, it is bounded by the district of Jhajjar and the Union Territory of Delhi. Faridabad district lies to its east. On its south, lie the districts of Palwal and Nuh. To its west lies Rewari district.

Nuh is a town and administrative headquarter of the Nuh sub-division and Nuh district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies on the National Highway 248, also known as the Gurgaon-Sohna-Alwar highway, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Gurgaon.

Tijara is a city and a municipality in Khairthal-Tijara district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Tijara comes under the NCR area and is situated 55 km to the northeast of Alwar. The nearest railway station to Tijara is Khairthal. Bhiwadi is a census town in Tijara. It is the biggest industrial area of Rajasthan and part of the historical Ahirwal Mewat region. Tijara is dominated by Yadav and Meo community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi</span> Sufi saint and poet (1274–1337)

Nasiruddin Mahmud Chirag-Dehlavi was a 14th-century mystic-poet and a Sufi saint of the Chishti Order. He was a disciple of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya, and later his successor. He was the last important Sufi of the Chishti Order from Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasan Khan Mewati</span> Muslim Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat from 1504 to 1527

Raja Hasan Khan Mewati was a Muslim Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat. The son of previous ruler Raja Alawal Khan, his dynasty had ruled Mewat State for nearly 200 years. He was a descendant of Raja Nahar Khan Mewati, who was the Wali of Mewat in 14th century.

The Khanzada or Khan Zadeh are a cluster community of Muslim Rajputs found in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. A notable community is the Khanzadas of Mewat, the descendants of Raja Nahar Khan, who are a sub-clan of Jadaun. They refer to themselves as Muslim Rajputs. After the Partition of India in 1947, many members of this community migrated to Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq</span> Sultan of Delhi

Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq, also known as Nasiruddin Mohammad Shah, was the last sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty to rule the Islamic Delhi Sultanate.

Wali-e-Mewat Raja Khanzada Bahadur Khan was the Khanzada Meo Rajput ruler of Mewat. He succeeded as Wali-e-Mewat after the death of his father Raja Nahar Khan Mewati in 1402.

Wali-e-Mewat Raja Khanzada Akleem Khan, Bahadur, son of Khanzada Bahadur Khan Mewati, was the Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat from 1412 until 1417. He was succeeded by his brother Khanzada Feroz Khan as Wali-e-Mewat in 1417.

Wali-e-Mewat Raja Khanzada Feroz Khan, Bahadur, son of Khanzada Bahadur Khan, was the Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat State from 1417 till 1422. He succeeded his brother Akleem Khan as Wali-e-Mewat in 1417. Feroz Khan, proved to be an effective and popular ruler due to introduction of administrative reforms. He founded Ferozepur Jhirka in 1419.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khanzada Jalal Khan</span> Wali-e-Mewat

Fateh-Ud-Duniya-Wa-Ud Din Wali-e-Mewat Raja Khanzada Jalal Khan Bahadur a.k.a. Jallu Khan, son of Khanzada Feroz Khan, was the Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat State from 1422 to 1443. He succeeded his father as Wali-e-Mewat in 1422.

Wali-e-Mewat Raja Khanzada Ahmad Khan Mewati, Bahadur, son of Khanzada Jalal Khan Mewati, was the Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat from 1443 till 1468. He was succeeded by his son Khanzada Zakaria Khan Mewati as Wali-e-Mewat in 1468.

Wali-e-Mewat Raja Khanzada Zakaria Khan Mewati, Bahadur, son of Khanzada Ahmad Khan Mewati, was the Khanzada Rajput ruler of Mewat from 1468 till 1485. He was succeeded by his son Khanzada Alawal Khan Mewati as Wali-e-Mewat in 1485.

Firuz Khan Mewati was the first Nawab of Shahabad, Alwar and a Commandant in Mughal Army. He was a close confidant and trusted aide of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I. He belonged to a Khanzada Muslim Rajput family which ruled the region of Mewat. He was a descendant of Raja Nahar Khan, who was a Rajput ruler of Mewat State in 14th century. Due to his loyal service in Mughal Army, he was granted the Jagir of Simbli by Emperor Bahadur Shah I in 1710.

The Khanzada of Mewat was ruling dynasty of Muslim Rajputs from Rajputana who had their capital at Alwar. The Khanzadas were Muslim Rajputs who descended from Raja Sonpar Pal who was a Yaduvanshi Rajput who converted to Islam during the period of the Delhi Sultanate in India.

References

  1. 1 2 Census of India, 1901. p. 152. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Tareekh-e-Miyo Chhatri by Hakeem Abdush Shakoor". Rekhta. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  3. ↑ توصیف الحسن میواتی الہندی (23 August 2020). تاریخِ میو اور داستانِ میوات.
  4. ↑ Major P.W. Powlett (1878). Gazetteer of Ulwur. pp. 40–41.
  5. ↑ Imperial Gazetteer2 of India, Volume 15, page 26 - Imperial Gazetteer of India - Digital South Asia Library
  6. ↑ Panjab castes
  7. ↑ توصیف الحسن میواتی الہندی (23 August 2020). تاریخِ میو اور داستانِ میوات.
  8. ↑ Mayaram, Shail (2003). Against History, Against State: Counterperspectives from the Margins. Columbia University Press. pp. 26, 37. ISBN   978-0-231-12730-1 . Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Ahmad, Aijazuddin (1993). Social Structure and Regional Development: A Social Geography Perspective : Essays in Honour of Professor Moonis Raza. Rawat Publications. ISBN   978-81-7033-182-7 . Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Tareekh-e-Miyo Chhatri by Hakeem Abdush Shakoor". Rekhta. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  11. ↑ Heritage | The Old Delhi dictionary, Livemint, 2 March 2013.
  12. ↑ Haveli Naharvali, the-south-asian.com, June 2001.
Preceded by
Post established
 Wali-e-Mewat
1372 – 1402		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.