Later Mughals v1.c6.s2.7

v1.c6.s2.7

As Asad Khan and his son Zulfiqar Khan (at Alamgir's death away on duty in the south beyond the Krishna†) play a principal part in Azam Shah's contest for sovereignty and continue to be important personages until the accession of Muhammad Farrukh-siyar, it will be well to give here some account of them. Asad Khan (Md. Ibrahim) was the son of Zulfiqar Khan Qaramanlu who took refuge in India from the enmity of the sovereign of Iran. Asad Khan was born about 1631 and entered the imperial service in the 27th year of Shah Jahan (1654). In Alamgir's reign he was long second Bakhshi, then deputy of the Wazir from the 13th year (1670), and in the 19th year (1676) was himself made Wazir. From the 27th year (1684) he served continuously in the Dakhin. His son Zulfiqar Khan (Md. Ismail) was born in 1657, his mother being Mihr-un-nissa Begam, daughter of Asaf Khan, Yamin-ud-daulah. He was thus highly connected on the mother's side. He received his first appointment in the 11th year of Alamgir (1668) and in 1677 married the daughter of Shaista Khan the Amir-ul-umara. At the same time he received the title of Itiqad Khan. In 1689 A.D., as a reward for taking the fort of Raheri and along with it the sons of Sambha Mahratta and his whole family, he was made Zulfiqar Khan. In 1698 he took the Mahratta stronghold of Jinji and was made Nusrat Jang; and in 1702 he succeeded Bahramand Khan as Mir Bakhshi. His last service had been the bringing of reinforcements in 1705, when Alamgir was sore pressed during the siege of Wakinkhera fort which was held by Parya Naik. But envious tongues raised doubts in Alamgir’s suspicious mind by repeating the gossip of the camp and by quoting, in allusion to Zulfiqar Khan’s title, the saying “There is no young man like Ali and no sword like Zulfiqar” (Ali’s sword). To counteract this supposed pre-eminence, Alamgir forthwith began to promote nobles of the Turani party. But at the Emperor’s death these two men Asad Khan and Zulfiqar Khan were incontestably the first in the Empire both in rank and influence. They threw in their lot with Azam Shah. [M.U. i. 310, ii. 93 et seq.]