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Farrukhsiyar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Furrukhsiyar (or Farrukhsiyar, 1683–1719) was the Mughal emperor between 1713 and 1719. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler, easily swayed by his advisers, Farukhsiyar lacked the ability and character to rule independently. His reign witnessed the primacy of the Saiyid Brothers who became the effective powers of the land, behind the façade of Mughal rule.
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Farukhsiyar was born at Aurangabad in the Deccan on September 11, 1683. He was the second son of Azim ush Shan, a son of former emperor Bahadur Shah I. His mother was Bai Jas Kanwar, a lady of Rajput birth hailing from the ruling family of Amber. In September 1715, Farrukhsiyar married Indira Kanwar, daughter of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur. He was also married to at least two other ladies.
Jahandar Shah was defeated at Samugarh near Agra on 10 January 1713. Following this, the Saiyad brothers, who were the king-makers of that era, placed Farukhsiyar on the throne as nominal emperor. He took the throne On June 11, 1713, at the age of 30. His reign marked the ascendancy of the Saiyid brothers who monopolized state power and reduced the Emperor to an effective figurehead. Saiyid Huseyn Ali became Wazir or chief minister while his brother, Abdullah, became commander-in-chief of the army.
Farrukhsiyar was irked by their supremacy, but could do little to change the situation. Various plots to overthrow the influence of the Saiyad brothers failed. The ensuing internecine strife affected the administration of the empire. Taking advantage of the situation, the Maratha and Sikh factions created anarchy in the provinces. Farrukhsiyar enjoyed some success in his campaigns against the Sikhs; recovered Lohagarh from them and executed Banda Bahadur in 1716.
The constant plotting eventually led the Saiyid brothers to depose the Emperor. Farrukhsiyar was imprisoned and starved; later, on February 28, 1719, he was blinded with needles at the orders of the Saiyad brothers. Farukhsiyar was strangled to death on the night of April 27/28, 1719. After accomplishing his assassination, the Saiyid brothers placed his first-cousin, Rafi Ul-Darjat on the throne. Rafi-ud-durjat's father and Farukhsiyar's father had been brothers.
It was during Farrukhsiyar's reign, in 1717, that the British East India Company purchased duty-free trading rights in all of Bengal for a mere three thousand rupees. It is said that the Company's surgeon, William Hamilton, cured Farrukhsiyar from some ailment and the emperor was moved to grant trading rights to the Company.[1] Another story tells of a bribe to a eunuch of the seraglio and a rumoured British Naval attack on the Moghul navy at Surat.[2] The favour or the bribe secured the firman which greatly aided the British to establish a firm foothold in India.
- ^ A Guide Book.Calcutta, Agra, Delhi, Karachi and Bomabay. The American Redcross of the China-Burma-India Command.
- ^ The History of British India By James Mill and Horace Hayman Wilson
| Preceded by Jahandar Shah |
Mughal Emperor 1713–1719 |
Succeeded by Rafi Ul-Darjat |
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