Later Mughals v1.c6.s23.t1: Munim Khan, His Career and Character.
Later Mughals v1.c6.s23.t1
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Munim Khan, His Career and Character.
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Munim Khan,* born about 1062 H. (1651-2) was the son of Sultan Beg, of the Badakhshi tribe of Birlas, a man who had held office first as *kotwal* of Agra and then in some subordinate post in Kashmir. On his father's death, Munim Khan went to the Dakhin to push his fortunes, and his bravery attracted the notice of Ruhullah Khan then Mir Bakhshi, through whom he obtained an introduction to Alamgir. His first recorded office was that of *amin* to the *Haft Chauki* (a name for the establishment of pages or *khawas*) in place of Mir Abdul Karim, Multafat Khan. This was in the 34th year of Alamgir. Ten years afterwards we find him at the siege of Parnala and Pawangarh, two Mahratta strongholds, and in the succeeding year he received the gift of an Arab horse with gold trappings in acknowledgment of further services. In 1114 H. he became superintendent of the elephant stables with the rank of 1,000 *zat*, (300 horse). But owing to a charge made against him by Muhammad Amin Khan of not making sufficient haste to reinforce that noble, he was reduced in rank by 250 horse and the appointment in the elephant stable taken away. The Emperor's eldest son Muhammad Muazzam (afterwards Bahadur Shah) now became his patron. At his own request, Munim Khan was transferred from the Dakhin to Kabul. He replaced Aslam Khan as *diwan* or chief revenue officer to the Prince (1705), and shortly after succeeded the same noble as *diwan* of the *subah* of Kabul. In the next year he became the Prince's deputy in the Lahor *subah* and his rank was increased to 1,500 *zat*, (1,000 horse). From this point his fortunes, following those of his patron, Muhammad Muazzam, have been already sufficiently recorded in these pages.
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∗ M. U. iii. 667-677; K. K. 502; M. A. 338, 437, 450-451, 459, 464, 482-497. Dil. 164a, 167a.
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Although Munim Khan can hardly be called a great minister, he was at least a fairly good one, and considering the many difficulties which were crowded into the five years of his ministry, he may be held not altogether unsuccessful. Perhaps it may be laid to his charge and that of Bahadur Shah that there was too great a love of compromise, a habit of patching up any arrangement for the sake of obtaining temporary relief from an embarrassment without sufficient thought for the ultimate result of leaving the evil uneradicated.
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Personally he was hospitable and pleasant mannered, absolutely free from haughtiness and vain glory, firmly attached to his friends, and courteous to all. Even a man of low rank was honoured by him if the man had been known to him in his own humbler days. His conduct as minister was free from avarice and self-aggrandizement, and even the details of business were most scrupulously attended to. [Iradat Khan, K.K. 675.]* He also instituted a reform in the mode of charging officers for the feed of Government-cattle, which is gratefully referred to by Khafi Khan. He was skilled in various arts and also wrote verses. In religion he was inclined to the Sufi heresy, and wrote a book on the subject called Ilhamat-i-munami or the ‘Beneficent Revelation.’ The rationalistic views of this work are condemned by the author of the Masir-ul-umara. (iii. 675).†
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† Anand Ram [Mirat-ul-istilah, fol. 152b] says that Iradat Khan Wazih was the real author, and that he was one of those who encouraged Munim Khan in his Sufi opinions. The work was headed by a verse instead of the usual "In the name of God."
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With the idea of perpetuating his name and fame, he formed the project of building in every important town a mansion, a traveller’s hostel (sarai), and an enclosed market (katra). Unfortunately the local officials in their over-zeal were guilty of many harsh acts in acquiring the land required for these buildings. Thus, what was begun out of a benevolent intention was productive of more harm than good. At the time of his death many of the houses were still incomplete, and from that time they fell into decay without ever having been of the least use to anybody. Much of the land thus used was vacant town land which was purchased by the Wazir. In connection with these alienations, Mukhlis Khan (Mughal Beg) one day out of ill-will and a desire to make mischief, said to Bahadur Shah that if the rulers of Iran or Rum heard that His Majesty was selling land to one of his subjects, they would think it a disgrace to him. Although he was reputed to be so heedless, Bahadur Shah gave a very good answer: "Mukhlis Khan! What harm have I done? I give him unused land with nothing on it, and he spends a large amount in bringing it into order. He is an old man; tomorrow he may die, and it will all come back to the State." [K. K. 675; M.U. iii. 676.]
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∗ Khafi Khan (964), in recounting the facts of Ahmadabad-Gujarat, charges Munim Kh. with re-imposing 30 to 40 lakhs of Rupees reduced by Akbar besides adding to the jama kamil.