The Institutes of Akbar 276: Note on the Title of ‘Asaf Khan.’

276

Asaf was the name of the Vazir of Sulaiman (Solomon), who like his master is proverbial in the East for his wisdom. During the reign of Akbar three grandees received this title. Badaoni, to avoid confusion, numbers them Asaf Khan I., II., and III. They are—
‘Abdul Majid, Asaf Khan I., d. before 981. (No. 49).
Khwajah Mirza Ghiasuddin ‘Ali, Asaf Khan II., d. 989. (No. 126).
Mirza Ja’far Beg, Asaf Khan III., (No. 98).
The three Asafs were Diwans or Mir Bakhshis. The third was nephew to the second, as the following tree will shew :
Agha Mulla Dawatdar. 1. Ghiasuddin ‘Ali, Asaf Khan II. 2. Mirza Badi’uzzaman. 3. Mirza Ahmad Beg. Mirza Nuruddin. A daughter = Mirza Ja‘far Beg, Asaf Khan III. Mumtaz Mahall, (Shahjahan’s wife).
Jahangir conferred the title of ‘Asaf Khan’ (IV.) on Abul Hasan, elder brother of Nur Jahan, and father of Mumtaz Mahall (or Taj Bibi, Shahjahan’s wife), whose mother was a daughter of Asaf Khan II. During the reign of Shahjahan when titles containing the word Daulah were revived, Asaf Khan was changed to Asafuddaulah, and this title was conferred on Asafuddaulah Jumlatul Mulk Asadjang (Shahjahan-Aurangzeb), a relation of Asaf Khan IV. Under Ahmad Shah, lastly, we find Asafuddaulah Amir ul Mamalik, whose name like that of his father, Nizam ul Mulk Asaf-Jah, occurs so often in later Indian History.