Ahmedabad Dynasty-3
The sudden end of the Sultan Bahadur Shah (age 31Y) in the water of Arabian Sea made the Sultanate weaker as he had no son to succeed. Bahadur’s nephew Miran Muhammad Shah - I of Khandesh declared himself Sultan of Gujarat but he died on his way to Ahmedabad in May 1537. Finally, his another nephew of 11 years age Mahmúd Khan was selected as the Sultan. The government was carried on by his regents Darya Khan and Imad ul Mulk. Later when the Sultan joined hands with Alam Khan Lodhi but Darya Khan defeated both and placed Muzaffar Shah as Sultan.
But Mahmúd and Alam Khan regained strength and Darya Khan had to flee to Burhanpur. Sultan Mahmud following counsel of a bird catcher Charji (Muafiz Khan) ordered execution of his two principal nobles. The nobles besieged the Sultan and though Muafiz was under the protection of the Sultan, Alam Khan’s men killed Muafiz in the presence of the Sultan. Sultan attempted to kill himself. He then driven away Darya Khan and Alam Khan from the Sultanate. Afzal Khan was called back from retirement and was made Minister. Mahmud deprived Rajput Chiefs from the proprietorship of wantas and force Rajput and Kolis to wear red rag on right sleeve as identity mark. Persecutions over Hindus increased. The Sultan lost confidence of the people. One day, Burhan, his servant gave him intoxicating drug, stabbed in sleep and killed him in 1554. The Sultan was only 28 years old. Hindu regarded Burhan as saviour.
The nobles then place one of the descendants Ahmed Khan/Shah on the seat. As he was a child, the regents and nobles were running the government. Later the Sultanate was divided into divisions: the Sultan was given Ahmedabad and Daskoi as Privy Purse and rest of Gujarat was divided amongst the 12 nobles. In the infightings of the nobles and their men, and before the Sultan gain independence from them, he was assassinated in 1561 and his body was thrown on the sands of Sabarmati river. His reign was for eight years only.
He was succeeded by the last Sultan of the dynasty Muzaffar Shah-III in 1561 but the true powers were with the nobles. Akbar annexed Gujarat in 1573 and took Muzaffar Shah -III as the prisoner to Agra. It was such an important victory of getting big treasury of Gujarat that Akbar built ‘Gate way of Victory’ Buland Darwaza to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. But in 1583, he escaped from the Agra jail and regain the throne with the help of nobles but again was defeated by the General of Akbar in 1584. He fled and took asylum in Nawanagar and Kathiyawar Forces of Jadejas fought a battle with Mughals at Bhuchar Mori in 1591 to protect him. But when the Jadeja ruler of Kutch State Bharmalji-I surrendered him to Mughals, he finally committed suicide in 1592. The independent Ahmedabad dynasty started with Muzaffar Shah-I in 1407 was ended with the death of Muzaffar Shah-III in 1592.
Persian reads "Isa (Jesus), son of Mary said: 'The world is a Bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it. He who hopes for a day may hope for eternity, but the World endures but an hour. Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen.'"- Inscription in Persian on the main gateway of Buland Darwaza.
To consolidate Mughals domains in India, Emperor Jalal ud din Muhammad Akbar started a new age of Indianisation of Turk-Mughals by marriage and diplomacy and to run a Secular State paying respects to all religions. They developed centralised system of administration, built strong economy and patron arts and culture. Before British make this country India as one unified entity, Mughals seeded it’s shape.
Punamchand
22 July 2018
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