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Saadullah Khan (Mughal Empire)
Mughal Grand Vizier (1645–1656) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sa'adullah Khan, also spelled Sadullah Khan (c. 1591 – April 1656) was the Grand Vizier and Vakil-i-Mutlaq of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Shah Jahan.[2][3]
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Biography
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Sa'adullah Khan was born in Chiniot, Lahore Subah, into a Punjabi family from the Thahim tribe of Jats in 1591.[4][5] He was introduced at the Mughal Court in December 1641 by Sadr Musavi, the sadr as-sudur; an allowance was fixed for him and he was given a robe and a horse. Soon he was appointed as the Arz-I-Mukarrar of the Empire and was awarded the rank of 1000 Zat and 200 Sawar. After serving for a short period in this prestigious post he was given the post of darogha-i-daulat khana-i-khas and rewarded with the title of "Khan". In 1643 his rank was increased to 1500 Zat and 300 Sawar on pretext of excellent service, an elephant from the royal stable was given as a gift.[6] In the same year he was made the Mir-i Saman of the Empire, a minister of great importance, second only to the Wazir.[7] In 1645 Sa'adullah was granted the post of Diwan-I-Khalisa, he was also given the charge of drafting royal orders. He worked for 46 days in this position before being appointed as the Grand Vizier, with his mansab reaching 5000 Zat and 1500 Sawar. A robe of honor and a jewelled sword was gifted to him by the Emperor. Sa'adullah Khan would remain the Grand Vizier until his death in 1656.[2]
Prime Minister of the Mughal Empire
In the year 1645, the incumbent Prime Minister Islam Khan II was made to vacate his position and take up governorship in the Deccan region by Shah Jahan. By this time, Sa'adullah Khan had become widely respected for his intelligence and talent, which had enabled his ascent in the Mughal administration despite a lack of political or family connections. He was appointed as the new Prime Minister.[8]
A year after his appointment, Sa'adullah Khan handled administrative issues regarding Shah Jahan's Balkh and Badakhshan campaigns. Sa'adullah Khan was sent to Balkh to manage the country and make the revenue settlements. Prince Murad Baksh was relieved of his command while Vizier Sa'adullah only took 22 days to settle the administrative affairs and returned to Kabul.[9] He was subsequently rewarded with a Khilat and an increase of 1000 in his mansab for managing the situation efficiently and saving the Mughals from a disaster in Balkh region.[10]
In 1654, he was ordered by Shah Jahan to lay siege to the Chittor Fort in Mewar, in response to provocations from Raj Singh I.[11] He was considered among the four most powerful mughal nobles during Shah Jahan's rule. He possessed 7,000 Zat and 7,000 sowar under his command, the highest of any non-royal.[12]
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European Accounts
First-hand accounts of European Travelers visiting the Mughal Court are full of praise for the renowned Vizier. Sa'adullah Khan is described as a "man esteemed by the king and the whole court" by the Italian Traveler Nicolas Manucci, he also relates the events of the rebellion of the Bundela Rajputs which was successfully put down thanks to the cunningness of the Vizier.[13] Francois Berner, a French physician and traveller noted that the Mughals considered Sa'adullah Khan to be the most accomplished statesman in all of Asia, his closeness to the Emperor Shah Jahan is mentioned in the work "Travels in the Mogul Empire".[14] A Dutch envoy Joan Tack accused the Grand Vizier of harboring an inherent hostility toward Europeans, notably citing his role in expelling the Portuguese from Bengal. He labeled Sa‘dullah Khan a "hereditary enemy of Christians" and portrayed him as a symbol of Mughal despotism. In this portrayal, Sa‘dullah Khan is cast as the de facto ruler of the empire, wielding near-autocratic control over its political machinery, symbolizing the centralized authority of the Mughal state.[15]
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Family
Sa'adullah Khan's son Hifzullah Khan was also a prominent noble and governor of Sindh and Kashmir in Aurangzeb's reign.[16] Sa'adullah Khan was the maternal grandfather of Nizam ul Mulk, the first Nizam and founder of Hyderabad State. Nizam's mother, Safiya Khanum was the daughter of Sa'adullah Khan.[17] He was also the paternal ancestor of the Nawab of Bijapur, Mutawassil Khan and the 3rd Nizam, Muzaffar Jung.[6]
Death
Sa'adullah Khan served as Prime Minister until his death in April 1656. He was mourned by many in the Mughal court and administration as well as emperor Shah Jahan himself, who issued a public eulogy announcing his demise.[18]
After Hidayatullah Khan Kashmiri's appointment as Wazir in the reign of Bahadur Shah I,[19] he asked for the title of Sa'adullah Khan which was the title of the most renowned Wazir of Shah Jahan. The Emperor replied, "It is not easy to be a Sadullah Khan, let him be known as Saidullah Khan." Nonetheless, he was popularly known by the name of Sa'adullah Khan.[19]
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Legacy
Sa'adullah Khan's accomplishments were stated to be a source of honour for Punjabis by his near contemporary poet Mita Chenabi in his Tuḥfat al-Panjāb. He was called as the best of the Mughal Grand Viziers by Ibn Hasan.[20] Sa'adullah Khan commissioned the Shahi Masjid in his hometown of Chiniot.[21]
Facade of Shahi Masjid, Chiniot
References
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