Sadaat-e-Bara

Sadaat-e-Bara or Sadaat Bahera

Mohsin-ul-Mulk, a member of the Sadaat-e-Bara
Regions with significant populations
• India • Pakistan
Languages
• Urdu • Hindi • Awadhi
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
• Sayyid • Urdu-speaking people • Arab • Sayyid of Uttar Pradesh• Sadaat Amroha• Gardezi Sadaat • Sadaat-e-Sirsi * Sadaat-e-Bilgram • Sadaat-e-Saithal • Hyderabadi Saadatiyon (Asaf Jahi, Salarjung, Paigah intermixing * )

Sadat e-Bara sometimes pronounced Sadaat-e-Bahara, are a tribe of Indian Muslim Sayyids, originally elite or noble Sayyid families situated in the present-day Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh in India. ^[1]

This community had considerable influence during the early 18th century Mughal Empire. Its members were also found in Hyderabad, Karnal District and Haryana, Gujarat & Karnataka, Maharashtra state in India. Some of the members of this community have migrated to Pakistan after independence and have settled in Karachi, Khairpur State in Sind and Lahore.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

A cavalryman of the Saadat-e Barah.

According to one version, The ancestor of the Sadaat-e-Bara, Sayyid Abu Farah al-Husayni al-Wasiti, left his original home in Wasit, Iraq, with his twelve sons at the end of the 10th or beginning of the 11th century CE and migrated to India, where he acquired four estates in the Punjab. ^[2] The obtained four estates were located in Sirhind-Fategarh. By the 16th century Abu Farah's descendants had taken over Bārha villages in Muzaffarnagar. ^[3] . ^[2]

Another version said the family were Indian Muslims clan, whose claim as Sayyids, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, were disputed by som Modern historians. ^{[4] [5]} American historian Richard M. Eaton, who claimed their clan was "as native to India as were Jats, Rajputs or Marathas." ^[6] Also, Dutch historian and indologist Dirk H. A. Kolff argues that the ancestors of the Barhas moved at an uncertain date from their homeland in Punjab to a barren region in the Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. ^[7]

Role in the Mughal empire

The Decapitation of Khan Jahan Lodi (3 February 1631), with Syed Mian Barha on the right and Khan-i Jahan Muzaffar Khan Barha on the left

The Barha Sayyid tribe was famous throughout the country for its obstinate valour and love of fight, as well as religious fervour. ^{[8] [ page needed ]} The tribe traditionally composed the vanguard of the imperial army, which they alone held the hereditary right to lead in every battle. ^{[9] [ full citation needed ]}

Conquest of Gujarat (1572–1573)

Akbar’s conquest of Gujarat targeted the weakened Gujarat Sultanate under Muzaffar Shah III to secure its ports and agricultural wealth. The Akbarnama highlights Sayyid Mahmud Khan Barha, a Barha Sayyid, who served as a commander during the siege of Surat in 1573. He led Mughal forces against the rebellious Mirzas (Muhammad Husain Mirza and Shah Mirza), securing a decisive victory. ^[10] Sayyid Ahmad Barha also played a key role in the siege of Patan (January 1573), supporting Khan A‘zam against the Mirzas and Sher Khan Fuladi, repelling the besiegers and consolidating Mughal control. ^{[11] [12]}

Conquest of Malwa (1561–1562)

The conquest of Malwa aimed to defeat the Afghan ruler Baz Bahadur. The Akbarnama records Sayyid Mahmud Khan Barha’s participation under Adham Khan in the Battle of Sarangpur (1561), where Baz Bahadur was routed. ^[13] The campaign was marred by Adham Khan’s slaughter of Muslim theologians and Sayyids, highlighting their dual role as commanders and victims. ^{[14] [15]}

Conquest of Rajasthan: Chittor (1567–1568) and Ranthambore (1569)

Akbar’s campaigns against Rajput rulers, notably in Chittor and Ranthambore, were central to his Rajput policy. Sayyid Muhammad Khan aided in breaching Chittor’s defenses against Jaimal Rathore and Patta Singh Sisodia. ^[16] Sayyid Qasim Barha supported the Ranthambore siege, facilitating Rao Surjan Hada’s surrender. ^{[17] [18]} The Akbarnama notes Sayyid Muhammad Khan’s role in the siege of Chittor (1567–1568), where he served as a commander under Akbar, contributing to the defeat of Jaimal Rathore. ^[19] Sayyid Qasim Barha participated in the Ranthambore campaign (1569), aiding the siege against Rao Surjan Hada, which led to the fort’s surrender. ^{[20] [21]}

Campaigns Against Afghan Rebels

Afghan rebellions in eastern India challenged Akbar’s authority. The Akbarnama records Sayyid Ahmad Khan’s efforts in Jaunpur and Bihar during the 1560s, suppressing rebels like Khan Zaman (Ali Quli Khan). ^[22] Sayyid Abdullah Khan fought against Daud Khan Karrani in Bengal, contributing to his defeat in 1576. ^{[23] [24]}

Aurangzeb era onward

By the time of Emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century, the dynasty was firmly regarded as "Old Nobility" and held prestigious Subahs (provinces) such as Ajmer and the Deccan (Dakhin). ^[25] They formed a Hindustani faction of Mughal nobility as opposed to the Turko-Persian Turani in the late Mughal period. ^[26]

The Sayyid Brothers were de-facto rulers of the Mughal Empire in the 1710s

Aurangzeb's warning to his sons to be cautious in dealing with the Sayyids of Barha, "...because a strong partner in government soon wants to seize the kingship for himself", would eventually become true. ^{[28] [29] [30]}

Six years after the death of Aurangzeb, the Barhas became kingmakers in the Mughal empire under Qutub-ul-Mulk and Ihtisham-ul-Mulk, creating and deposing Mughal emperors at will. ^[31]

After the Mughal empire

The Barha Sayyids regained many of their estates from the Marathas and regained their status in the parganah by the time of British arrival. ^[32]

See also

• Sadaat
• Barha dynasty

References

1. Markovits, Claude (2002). A History of Modern India, 1480-1950. Anthem Press. p. 175. ISBN   9781843310044.
2. Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (1980). The Encyclopaedia of Islam: Supplement: Parts 1-2. Brill. p. 126. ISBN   9004061673.
3. The Encyclopaedia of Islam: Supplement : Fascicules 1–2 Archived 6 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine , Clifford Edmund Bosworth, Brill Archive, 1980
4. Kolff, Dirk H. A. 2002, p. 18.
5. Reichmuth, Stefan 2009, p. 4.
6. Eaton, Richard M. (2020). India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765. National Geographic Books. p. 342. ISBN   978-0-14-198539-8. On one side were the Saiyid brothers, whose Baraha clan of Indian Muslims was as native to India as were Jats, Rajputs or Marathas.
7. Kolff, Dirk H. A. 2002, p.18: As another example of such soldiers of marginal peasant origin, the Barha Sayyids, a celebrated troop of soldiers under the Mughals deserve attention. They were said to be the descendants of the families who had, at an uncertain date, moved from their homes in Panjab to a sandy and infertile tract of what is now the eastern part of the Muzaffarnagar district.
8. Mohammad Yasin · (1958). A Social History of Islamic India, 1605-1748.
9. Rajasthan Institute of Historical Research (1975). Journal of the Rajasthan Institute of Historical Research: Volume 12. Rajasthan Institute of Historical Research.
10. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. III. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
11. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. III. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
12. Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 45–47. ISBN   978-0-521-56603-2.
13. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
14. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
15. Majumdar, R. C. (1960). Majumdar, R. C. (ed.). The Cambridge History of India, Volume IV: The Mughul Period. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co. pp. 112–114.
16. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
17. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
18. Majumdar, R. C. (1960). Majumdar, R. C. (ed.). The Cambridge History of India, Volume IV: The Mughul Period. New Delhi: S. Chand & Co. pp. 118–120.
19. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
20. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
21. Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 50–52. ISBN   978-0-521-56603-2.
22. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. II. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
23. Abu’l-Fazl (1907–1921). Akbarnama. Vol. III. Translated by Beveridge, Henry. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal.
24. Richards, John F. (1995). The Mughal Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 55–57. ISBN   978-0-521-56603-2.
25. Irvine, William (August 2012). The Later Mughals. HardPress. p. 203. ISBN   978-1290917766.
26. Eaton, Richard M. (2020). India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765. National Geographic Books. pp. 342–344. ISBN   978-0-14-198539-8.
27. Journal of Indian HistoryVolume 39. Department of Modern Indian History. 1960. p. 21.
28. Muhammad Umar (1998). Muslim Society in Northern India During the Eighteenth Century. Available with the author. p. 22. ISBN   9788121508308.
29. Jadunath Sarkar (1963). Anecdotes of Aurangzeb. p. 48.
30. Sheikh Muhammad (1998). History of Muslim Civilization in India and PakistanA Political and Cultural History. Institute of Islamic Culture. p. 331. ISBN   9789694690018.
31. Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. p. 193. ISBN   978-9-38060-734-4.
32. Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, Dr. Krishna Gopal (2003). Fairs and Festivals of India-Volume 3. Indiana University. p. 470. ISBN   9788121208109.

Sources

• Kolff, Dirk H. A. (2002). Naukar, Rajput, and Sepoy: The Ethnohistory of the Military Labour Market of Hindustan, 1450-1850. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-521-52305-9.
• Reichmuth, Stefan (2009). The World of Murtada Al-Zabidi: 1732-91 Life, Networks and Writings. Gibb Memorial Trust. ISBN   978-0-906094-60-0.