Explore Akbar's administrative reforms during the Mughal era, focusing on his innovative land revenue systems like zabti and dahsala.
Learn how these reforms shaped governance and economic policies in medieval India.
Explore Akbar's military campaigns that brought Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Bengal under Mughal rule.
Learn about the sieges of Chittor and Ranthambhor, conquests in Ahmedabad, and the Bengal campaign, shaping the early expansion of the Mughal Empire in India.
After the fall of Ahmadnagar and capture of Bahadur Nizam Shah by the Mughals, the state was expected to disintegrate and be absorbed by neighboring states.
However, the rise of Malik Ambar, an Abyssinian born in Ethiopia, prevented this disintegration.
Malik Ambar's early life is not well-documented, but he was sold at a slave market in Baghdad and later brought to the Deccan by a merchant.
He rose in service under Changez Khan, a Habshi noble of Murtaza Nizam Shah.
When the Mughals invaded Ahmadnagar, Ambar initially went to Bijapur but soon returned to join the powerful Habshi party opposing Chand Bibi.
After the fall of Ahmadnagar, Malik Ambar found a Nizam Shahi prince and, with support from Bijapur, established him as Murtaza Nizam Shah II, with Ambar as Peshwa.
Malik Ambar gathered a large band of Maratha troopers, adept in guerilla warfare, which hindered Mughal consolidation in Berar, Ahmadnagar, and Balaghat.
Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, the Mughal commander in the Deccan, defeated Ambar in 1601 but chose to ally with him for stability in the region.
After Akbar's death, Mughal power weakened, and Ambar launched a campaign to expel the Mughals from Berar, Balaghat, and Ahmadnagar.
Ambar's alliance with Bijapur, cemented by a marriage alliance, provided him with resources and military support, furthering his resistance against the Mughals.
Fortified with support from Bijapur and Maratha aid, Ambar forced the Mughal commander Khan-i-Khanan to retreat, losing Mughal gains in the Deccan by 1610.
Prince Parvez, sent by Jahangir to counter Ambar, failed to meet the challenge, resulting in a peace treaty that further embarrassed the Mughals.
Despite initial successes, Ambar's arrogance eventually alienated his allies, leading to a Mughal resurgence under Khan-i-Khanan and Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan).
In 1616, the Mughals, aided by Maratha sardars, inflicted a significant defeat on the combined forces of Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and Golconda, shaking the Deccani alliance.
Jahangir's strategic restraint in expanding Mughal territories in the Deccan aimed to encourage stability and peaceful relations with the Deccani states.
Despite defeats, Ambar continued resistance, but by 1618, he had to submit to a large Mughal force under Prince Khurram.
Jahangir's policy focused on moderation and alliances rather than territorial expansion, aiming for peaceful coexistence with Deccani states.
Ambar's continued resistance led to another severe defeat in 1620, forcing the Deccani states to pay an indemnity and restore Mughal territories.
Internal rivalries among Deccani states resurfaced, weakening their united front against the Mughals and leading to conflicts such as Ambar's campaigns against Bijapur.
Ambar's achievements were ultimately short-lived due to his inability to maintain alliances, and he passed away in 1626, leaving a legacy of Maratha resistance.
Malik Ambar introduced Todar Mai’s system of land revenue, replacing the ruinous ijara system with the zabti system, improving the administration of the Nizam Shahi state.
Ambar's reforms aimed at stabilizing and enhancing the efficiency of the state's revenue collection, benefiting the peasants and strengthening the state's economic base.
His administrative efforts reflected a recognition of the importance of stable governance and resource management in sustaining resistance against external threats.
Ambar's ability to recover territories during Prince Khurram's rebellion against Jahangir demonstrated his resilience and strategic acumen.
However, the reopening of conflicts with the Mughals ultimately led to the decision by Shah Jahan to extinguish Ahmadnagar as an independent state.
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