Mirza Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi

Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi (died 1659) was a prince of the Safavid dynasty of Persia and a powerful amir at the Mughal court during Emperor Shah Jahan's reign. He is better known by the title Shahnawaz Khan or Mirza Deccan. Shahnawaz Khan was the father-in-law of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his younger brother Prince Murad Baksh.

Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi
Shahzada of the Safavid Empire
Viceroy of Gujarat Subah
Tenure1637 – 1659
Died(1659-03-14)14 March 1659
Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
Burial
Ajmer Sharif, Ajmer
SpouseNauras Banu Begum
IssueDilras Banu Begum
Sakina Banu Begum
Mirza Muhammad Ahsan Safavi
Mirza Mu‘azzam Safavi
Full name
Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi
HouseSafavid
FatherMirza Rustam Safavi
ReligionShia Islam

Family and lineage

Shahnawaz Khan was the son of Mirza Rustam Safavi,[1] who rose to eminence during Emperor Jahangir's reign. He belonged to the lineage of the old Mashad princes of Iran - his great-grandfather was a son of Shah Ismail I of the Safavid Empire.[2]

He was married to Nauras Banu Begum,[3] the daughter of Mirza Muhammad Sharif. The couple were the parents of two sons and five daughters, including Dilras Banu Begum, who married Prince Muhi-ud-din (later known as Aurangzeb upon his accession), the third son of Emperor Shah Jahan in 1637. Another daughter of his married Aurangzeb's youngest brother, Prince Murad Bakhsh in 1638.[4]

At the Mughal court

Shahnawaz Khan was made viceroy of Gujarat and ataliq to Shah Jahan's son, Prince Murad Baksh, at the time of his assignment to the Deccan.[5] Shahnawaz Khan was imprisoned by his son-in-law, Aurangzeb, in the Burhanpur fort in 1658 for not supporting him in the war of succession. Khan, instead of supporting his son-in-law, chose to support Aurangzeb's oldest brother, Crown Prince Dara Shikoh, the heir-apparent chosen by Emperor Shah Jahan. This resulted in a conflict of interests between Aurangzeb and him. Aurangzeb released him seven months later, upon the intercession of his eldest daughter Princess Zeb-un-Nisa and appointed him the viceroy of Gujarat.[6]

Death

Shahnawaz Khan died during the battle of Ajmer on 14 March 1659 and was buried in Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan by the orders of Aurangzeb.[6]

See also

References
  1. Koch, Ebba (1997). King of the world: the Padshahnama. Azimuth Ed. p. 104.
  2. Annie Krieger-Krynicki (2005). Captive princess: Zebunissa, daughter of Emperor Aurangzeb. Oxford University Press. pp. 1, 84, 92.
  3. Indian Historical Records Commission (1921). Proceedings of the ... Session, Volume 3. The Commission. p. 18.
  4. Waldemar, Hansen (1986). The Peacock Throne: The Drama of Mogul India. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 124.
  5. Balabanlilar, Lisa (2015). Imperial Identity in the Mughal Empire: Memory and Dynastic Politics in Early Modern South and Central Asia. I.B.Tauris. p. 186. ISBN 0857732463.
  6. Sir Jadunath Sarkar (1925). Anecdotes of Aurangzib. M.C. Sarkar & Sons. p. 35.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.