Canberra, 17 March 2023 The East India Company’s beginnings in India were not very promising, mainly because of the concerted Portuguese opposition and the inability of the English to obtain permission from the Mughal Viceroy of Gujarat to erect a factory in Surat. The Portuguese were opposed to any new arrivals in India and made […]
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Tag Archives: Mir Jumla
Indian History Part 84 Aurangzeb Section I: Settling In – The First Two Decades
January 12, 2021 
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Canberra, 12 January 2021 On 5th June 1659 (or on 15th June, according to some historians), Aurangzeb celebrated his coronation for the second time, after two decisive victories, over Shuja at Khajuha and Dara at Deorai. Unlike the earlier crowning, grand banquets and dazzling illumination enlivened these functions with many loyal officers and nobles promoted […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 83 Shah Jahan Section IV The War of Succession 2. Civil War
January 1, 2021 0 Comments
Canberra, 1 January 2021 The four sons of Shah Jahan had started preparing for the inevitable succession struggle even before he actually fell ill. Each one attempted to win over as many nobles as possible to their individual camps; and the nobles responded in the only manner they would—attempting to side with the prince who […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 83 Shah Jahan Section III: The Deccan Campaign
November 30, 2020 0 Comments
Canberra, 30 November 2020 Prior to Shah Jahan’s accession, Mughal interest in the Deccan had waxed and waned in direct proportion to the stability and turmoil in North India. Akbar had started a concerted effort to bring the Deccan under the Mughal flag and in 1569 had conquered Khandesh. By 1600, parts of Berar had […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 69 Deccan Shahis – Other Aspects Sect I: Administration, Military and Foreign Affairs
December 29, 2018 0 Comments
Singapore, 29 December 2019 The Deccan was ruled for more than three centuries by Muslim kings, starting with the Bahmanis in early to mid-1300s during their highly centralised independent rule and continuing even after the splintering of the Bahmani kingdom into the five successor states—of these, Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golconda were the more prominent. Even […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 68 The Qutb Shahis of Golconda-Hyderabad Section V: Plateauing and Decline
December 8, 2018 0 Comments
Canberra, 08 December 2018 Muhammad Quli was succeeded to the throne by Muhammad Qutb Shah, the son of his brother Muhammad Amin who had pre-deceased him. The nephew Muhammad was also Muhammad Quli’s son-in-law, having married his daughter Hayat Bakshi Begum in 1607. There was some fear amongst the nobles that other contenders to the […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 68 The Qutb Shahis of Golconda Section II: Containing Instability
November 3, 2018 0 Comments
Canberra, 3 November 2018 Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk was succeeded on the throne by his son Jamshid, who was not the appointed heir apparent. Jamshid had come to the throne by force after capturing and blinding his elder brother Qutb ud-Din. In combination with the rumours of his involvement in the murder of his father Qutb-ul-Mulk, […]
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Sanu Kainikara 
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