Muzaffar Shah I

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Muzaffar Shah I
Governor of
Muzaffarid dynasty of Gujarat
FatherWajih-ul-Mulk
ReligionIslam
Copper coin of Muzaffar Shah

Muzaffar Shah I, born Zafar Khan, was the founder of the

Kumbalgarh inscription says that Kshetra Singh (Maharana of Mewar) defeated and captured Zafar Khan, King of Patan (who later became the first independent Sultan of Gujarat) and the Khan remain in imprisonment with other Rajas.[1]

After his release, sometime later he was appointed the governor of Gujarat by

Tughluq dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate and later declared the independence of the Gujarat Sultanate while there was chaos in Delhi following Timur's invasion. He was deposed by his ambitious son Tatar Khan
but he regained the throne shortly after, when he died.

Ancestors

The Muzaffarid dynasty was founded by Muzaffar Shah I.

There are multiple theories of origin of Muzaffar Shah, he has been stated as a Tank

Jat convert to Islam.[7][8] According to Shaikh Sikandar Ibn Muhammad's Mirati Sikandari, who was a contemporary of Gujarat Sultans, Sadhāran/Sahāran had a long list of ancestors that eventually traced to Rāmacandra. This claim of the sultans’ links with the solar lineage is not found very often in texts and inscriptions they patronised.[9]

Early life

Zafar Khan was born on Muharram 25, year 743 (30 June 1342).[10]

Zafar Khan was a son of Wajih-ul-Mulk. According to a legend, saint Bukhari promised Gujarat to Zafar Khan prophetically in return of food provided to Fakirs at his house. He gave him handful of dates and declared, "Thy seed like unto these in number shall rule over Gujarat". The number of seeds varied from eleven to thirteen according to various sources.[11][12]

Muhammad Bin Tughluq was on an expedition to intervene in a war but died at

Firuz Shah Tughluq succeeded.[13]

Firuz Shah Tughluq appointed Malik Mufarrah, also known as Farhat-ul-Mulk Rasti Khan governor of Gujarat in 1377. In 1387, Sikandar Khan was sent to replace him, but he was defeated and killed by Farhat-ul-Mulk. Firuz Shah died in 1388 and his grandson,

Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq II succeeded but was reign only for five months. He was succeeded by another grandson Abu Bakr Shah but after nine months he was deposed by Firuz Shah's son, Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III who ruled for three years 1389–1392.[14]

Reign

Governor of Gujarat under Tughluqs (1391–1407)

In 1391, Sultan Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III appointed Zafar Khan, the son of Wajih-ul-Mulk as governor of Gujarat and conferred him the title of Muzaffar Khan. In passing

Anhilwada Patan and occupied the city of Anhilwada Patan. He founded Jitpur at the site of victory.[16][14]

On the death of Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III in 1392, his son Sikandar assumed the throne but he died just after 45 days. He was succeeded by his brother Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq II but his cousin Nusrat Khan also claimed similar rank in Firuzabad.[17]

Zafar Khán's fought against the Rao of Idar, who, in 1393, had refused to pay the customary tribute, and this chief he humbled. The contemporary histories seem to show that the previous governors had recovered tribute from all or most of the chiefs of Gujarát except from the Ráo of Junagadh and the Rája of Rajpipla, who had retained their independence. Zafar Khán now planned an expedition against the celebrated Somnath temple, but, hearing that Ádil Khán of Ásír-Burhánpur had invaded Sultánpur and Nandurbar, he moved his troops in that direction, and Ádil Khán retired to Ásir.[15]

In 1394, he marched against the Ráo of Junágaḍh and exacted tribute. Afterwards, proceeding to Somnath, he destroyed the temple, built an Jumma Mosque, introduced Islám, left Muslim law officers, and established a thána or post in the city of

Sambhar and Dandwana, and then attacking the Rájputs of Delváḍa and Jháláváḍa,[A] he defeated them, and returned to Pátan in 1396.[18]

About this time his son Tátár Khán, leaving his baggage in the fort of Panipat, made an attempt on Delhi. But Iqbál Khán took the fort of Pánipat, captured Tátár Khán's baggage, and forced him to withdraw to Gujarát. In 1397, with the view of reducing Ídar, Zafar Khán besieged the fort, laying waste the neighbouring country.[18]

In prevailing situation, Timur invaded India and marched on Delhi in 1398. In early 1399, he defeated Mahmud II and looted and destroyed the much of Delhi. Sultan Mahmud II escaped and after many wanderings, reached Patan. He hoped to secure Zafar Khan's alliance to march to Delhi but Zafar Khan declined. He went to Malwa where he was declined again by local governor. Meanwhile his Wazir Iqbal Khan had expelled Nusrat Khan from Delhi so he returned to Delhi but he had no longer enough authority over provinces which were ruled independently by his governors.[17]

Before Zafar Khan had taken the Idar fort Zafar Khán received news of Timur's conquest of Delhi, and concluding a peace with the Ídar king, returned to Pátan. In 1398, hearing that the Somnáth people claimed independence, Zafar Khán led an army against them, defeated them, and established Islám on a firm footing.[18]

In 1403, Zafar Khan's son Tatar Khan urged his father to march on

Nandod in Rajpipla. He marched towards Delhi, but on the way he was poisoned by his uncle, Shams Khán Dandáni at Sinor on the north bank of the Narmada river. Some sources says he died naturally due to weather or due to his habit of heavy drinking. After the death of Muhammad Shah, Zafar was released from the prison in 1404. Zafar Khán asked his own younger brother Shams Khán Dandáni to carry on the government, but he refused. Zafar Khán accordingly sent Shams Khán Dandáni to Nágor in place of Jalál Khán Khokhar. Zafar took over the control over administration. In 1407, he declared himself as Sultan Muzaffar Shah at Birpur or Sherpur, took the insignia of royalty and issued coins in his name.[19][16][20][21]

Gujarat Sultanate (1407–1411)

At this time Álp Khán, son of Diláwar Khán of Málwa, was rumoured to have poisoned his father and ascended the throne with the title of Sultán Hushang Ghori. On hearing this Muzaffar Sháh marched against Hushang and besieged him in Dhár.He had successful expedition against Dhar (Malwa) which came under his control.[21]

Muzaffar handed Hushang to the charge of his brother Shams Khán, on whom he conferred the title of Nasrat Khán. Hushang remained a year in confinement, and Músa Khán one of his relations usurped his authority. On hearing this, Hushang begged to be released, and Muzaffar Sháh not only agreed to his prayer, but sent his grandson Áhmed Khán (later Ahmad Shah I) with an army to reinstate him. This expedition was successful; the fortress of Mándu was taken and the usurper Músa Khán was put to flight. Áhmed Khán returned to Gujarát in 1409–10 AD. Meanwhile Muzaffar advancing towards Delhi to aid Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughluq, prevented an intended attack on that city by Sultán Ibráhím of Jaunpur.[22]

He had suppressed a rebellion or sent an unsuccessful expedition to

Kutch. According to Mirat-i-Ahmadi, he abdicated the throne in favour of his grandson Ahmad Shah I in 1410 due to his failing health. He died five months and 13 days later. According to Mirat-i-Sikandari, Ahmad Shah was going to an expedition to quell the rebellion of Kolis of Ashawal. After leaving Patan, he convened an assembly of Ulemas and asked a question that should he took retribution his father's unjust death. Ulemas replied in favour and he got the written answers. He returned to Patan and forced his grandfather Muzaffar Shah to drink poison which killed him. He was buried in Patan. Ahmad Shah I succeeded him at the age of 19 in 1411.[19][16][20][22]

Notes

  1. Jháláváḍa in the north-east. But the Delváda of the text can hardly be near Diu. It apparently is Delváda near Eklingji about twenty miles north of Udaipur. The account of Ahmad Shah I
    's expedition to the same place in 1431 confirms this identification.

References

  1. ^ Sarda, Har Bilas. Maharana Kumbha: sovereign, soldier, scholar. p. 4.
  2. ISBN 9781107153318. These men, a certain Saharan and his brother Sadhu, were, mostly likely peasants or pastoralists, non-Muslim Tank Rajputs from Thanesar in northwestern India (modern-day Haryana
    ).
  3. .
  4. . Similarly, Zaffar Khan Muzaffar, the first independent ruler of Gujarat was not a foreign muslim but a Khatri convert, of low subdivision called Tank, originally from southern Punjab.
    Khan, Iqtidar Alam (25 April 2008).
    Historical Dictionary of Medieval India. Scarecrow Press. p. 107. . The founder of the Gujarat Sultanate he was a convert from a sect of Hindu Khatris known as Tanks.
    Misra, S. C. (Satish Chandra) (1963).
    The rise of Muslim power in Gujarat; a history of Gujarat from 1298 to 1442. Internet Archive. New York, Asia Pub. House. p. 137. Zafar Khan was not a foreign muslim. He was a convert to Islam from a sect of the Khatris known as Tank.
    Khan, Iqtidar Alam (2004). Gunpowder and Firearms: Warfare in Medieval India. Oxford University Press. p. 57. . Zafar Khan (entitled Muzaffar Shah) himself was a convert to Islam from a sub-caste of the Khatris known as Tank.
    Yarshater, Ehsan (2003).
    Encyclopaedia Iranica: Giōni. Mazda Publishers. .
  5. ^ Misra, S.C. (1963). The Rise of Muslim in Gujarat: A History of Gujarat from 1298 to 1442. Asia Publishing House. pp. 137–139.
  6. .
  7. .
  8. . The independent kingdom of Gujarat was founded by Zafar Khan, son of Sadharan, a Jat convert to Islam.
  9. .
  10. .
  11. ^ Taylor 1902, p. 2.
  12. ^ Nayak 1982, p. 66.
  13. ^ Taylor 1902, pp. 3.
  14. ^ a b Taylor 1902, pp. 4.
  15. ^ a b Campbell 1896, p. 233.
  16. ^ a b c Majumdar, R.C. (2006). The Delhi Sultanate, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pp. 155–7
  17. ^ a b Taylor 1902, pp. 5.
  18. ^ a b c Campbell 1896, p. 234.
  19. ^ a b Taylor 1902, pp. 6–7.
  20. ^ a b Nayak 1982, pp. 66–73.
  21. ^ a b Campbell 1896, p. 235.
  22. ^ a b Campbell 1896, p. 236.

Bibliography