NAWAB SARFARAZ KHAN

                 Nawab Sarfaraz Khan

  

Sarfaraz Khan 

Mirza royal
Motamul ul-Mulk (Guardian of the country)

Ala ud-Dawlah (promoter of the state)

Aydar Jang (Lion in War)

Naib Nazim of Dhaka

Tenure 1734 - 1739

Predecessor Mirza Lutfullah Tabrizi 

Successor Abdul Fattah Khan

Nawab Nazim of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa 

Reigen 13 March 1739 - 29 April 1740

Predecessor Suja ud-Din Muhammad Khan 

successor Alivardi khan 

Born Mirza Asadullah

Probably after 1700

Died 29 April 1740

Burial Naginabag, Murshidabad 

Issue Sons: Mirza Hafizullah Khan ( d. November 

1771)

Mirza Mughal

Mirza Amani

Mirza Burhan (d. April 1795)

Shukrullah Khan (Mirza Aga Baba) (b. 29 April 

1740) 

and

5 Daughters.

Father  Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan 

Mother  Zinat-ud-nisa Begum

Religion  Shia Islam [1][2][3]

Coronation 1 July 1727 and 13 March 1739

Dynasty Nasiri 

Sarfaraz Khan (C.1700- 29 April 1740), Born Mirza Asadullah, was a Nawab of Bengal. Sarfaraz Khan's matemal grandfather, Nawab Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal (Bengal, Behar and Orissa) nominated him as the direct heir ot him as there was no direct heir. After Murshid Quli's death in 1727, Sarfaraz'sascended to the Masnad (throne) of the Nawab, Sarfaraz's father Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan, then the subahdar ofOrissa, getting to know iyt arrived at Murshidabad, the capital of the Nawabs of Bengal with a huge army. To avoid a confltctin the family the dowager Begum of the Nawab asked Shuja-ud-Din to nominate Sarfaraz as his heir anf after Shuja-ud-Din'sdeath in 1739, Sarfaraz Khan again ascended to Masnad as the Nawab of Bengal (Bengal, Bihar and Orissa).

Early life and succession 

Born Mirza Asadullah, sometime after 1700, Sarfaraz Khan was the son of Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan by his wife Zanat-un-nisa Begum. Sarfaraz Khan was the maternal grandson of Nawab Murshid quli Khan of Bengal Who died on 30 June 1727. In absence of a direct heir, Mudshid Khan nominated Sarfaraz Khan to succeed him. Thus, Sarfaraz Khan ascended to the Mansad (throne) as the Nawab in 1727 before abdicating in fovour of his father Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan in the same yea. On hearing of Sarfaraz's accsssion to the MAnsad, Shuja-ud-din Muhammad Khan,the Diwan Nazim of Orissa, marched at the head of a large army,  towards Murshidabad. To avoid a conflict in the family, intervened, and her son-in-low Shuja-ud-Din ascended to the Masnad of Bengal. By August 1727, Shuja-ud-Din was firmly established and recognised as the second Nawab oo Bengal. 

Shujauddin appointed Sarfaraz as the Naib Nazim of Bihar. In 1734, Sarfaraz Khan succeeded his cousin, Mirza Lutfullah Tabrizi, as the Naib Nazim of Jahangirnagar (Dhaka). Instead of moving to Dhaka, Khan appointed Shalib Ali Khan and Jaswant Rai as the Diwan. During his tenure, the city of Jahangirnagar saw rapid economic growth through agriculture and trade- the geateast since the time of Governor Shaista Khan.

But as fate had, circumstances lead Shuja-ud-Din to nominate his son, Sarfaraz again as his heir and successor and after Shuja-ud-Din died on 26 August 1739 Sarfaraz Khan again ascended to the Mansad as the Nawab of Bengal on 13 March 1739 with the titel of Ala-ud-Din Haidar Jang. 

Reign

Known to be an extremely pious religious and moderate ruler he left the administration into the hands of his Nazims and Naib Nazims. religious matters was his priority. This neglect in administrative matters resulted the gradual rise of Alivardi Khan the Nazim of Azimabad (patna).

Sarfaraz Khan was a pious ma, full of the outward forms of devotion, and extremely regular in his stated prayers and ablution. He moreover fasted three full months beside the blessed month of Ramzan, and was scrupulous in the discharge of the several forms of worship to be attended to at different periods throughout the year. he was, however, totally deficient in those great qualities of mind, so indispensably in sovereigns. Wholly engrossed in the little forms of religion, he neglected the affairs of state, and paid no attention to the observance of those duties requisite in a man of his high station and rank. It is true, he offered no injury to the persons of Ray-Rayan, Alam Chand, the Dewan of his father, nor to Jagat Seth or Haji Ahmed, his two other ministers, Who, together with the Ray-Rayan, had the absolute direction of affairs in the late reign, but he resigned of government into the hands of a few interested men, who had personal wrongs to revenge.

Among these were Haji Lutfullah, Mardan Ali Khan, Mir Murtaza, and others, who long incensed against Haji Ahmed, depreciated his character everywhere, and insulted him with taunting expression. These incensed nobleman, intent on giving vent to their enmity and hatred against Haji Ahmed, caused caricatures to be drawn of him, and eventually effected in Sarfaraz Khan's mind a total alienation of regard  towards him. Haji Ahmed was accordingly removed from the office of Dewan,which he had held ever since Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan;s accession, and the office was now bestowed on Mir murtaza the victory wanted also to deprive Ataulla khan son-in-law of the Haji of the millatary command of rajmahal to give it to his own son -in-law Hassan Muhammas Khan.

  

Defeat, death and succession

Sarfaraz was stark unlucky to have an opponent like Alivardi who besides being an excellent leader even at the age of 70, knew Sarfaraz's weaknesses. Sarfaraz Khan was defeated and killed in the Battle of Giria on the banks of the river Bhagirathi. The incumbents Alivardi Khan,the Nazim of Azimabad (patna) defeated him in a direct conflict. The battle was short but bloody and intense given the"loyalty standars" of the time. The outcome was decided early by Sarfaraz Khan falling to a bullet. The remnants of his army continued to put a brave resistance but Alivardi khan was too good a general for them.

The primary cause for this debacle was that Sarfaraz never saw what was coming in the form of Alivardi did not give him much time to settle down. Sarfaraz was more concerned of the "bigger threat" Nadir Shah who was vandalising Delhi and Punjab. Nadir had in fact written to Sarfaraz which aggravated matters further. He can be best described as mild mannered person who neither had the opportunity nor the exceptional merit required to leave a "mark on history on such troubled times and was consigned to the footnotes of history. 

Sarfaraz Khan's reign was for a little over 13 months. The Nasiri Dynasty of Murshid Quli Khan ended with the death of Sarfaraz Khan. Sarfaraz khan had five sons and five daughters who never made it to the doors of power thus Alivardi khan toppled the Nasiri Nawabs and became the new Nawab of Bengal. Alivardi khan also founded the Afshar Dynasty. He lies buried at Naginabag in Murshidabad.

According to the Archaeology Survey of India, the Tomb of Nawab Sarfaraz Khan at Naginabagh is a State protected  Monument.