# Murshid Quli Khan

Part of a series on the :
History of Bangladesh :
Etymology
Timeline
Traditional
Urheimat :
Ancient Neolithic 7600 - 3300 BCE Bronze Age 3300 – 1200 BCE     Pundra kingdom c.1280 – c. 300 BCE Iron Age 1200 – 200 BCE Vanga kingdom c.1100 – c. 340 BCE      House of Vijaya 543 BCE - 66 CE Northern Culture 700 – 200 BCE Gangaridai c. 350 – c. 300 BCE Nanda Dynasty c. 345 BCE– c. 322 BCE Mauryan Empire 325 – 185 BCE Samatata kingdom c. 232 BCE – 800 AD Shunga and Kushan c. 185 BCE – c. 75 CE Southwestern Silk Road c. 114 BCE – c. 1450 CE Indo-Roman trade relations c. 30 BCE – c. 600 CE Gupta Empire 240 – 550 CE Kamarupa kingdom 350 – 1140 CE :
Medieval Jaintia Kingdom 500 – 1835 CE Gauda Kingdom 590 – 626 CE Laur kingdom 600 - 1565 CE Harikela kingdom 600 - 650 CE Gour Kingdom 600 – 1303 CE Khadga dynasty 650 – 750 CE Bhadra dynasty c. 700s CE Pala Empire 750 – 1100 CE Chandra dynasty 900 – 1050 CE Sena dynasty 1070 – 1320 CE Deva dynasty 1100 – 1250 CE Ghurid Conquest 1202 CE Khaljis of Bengal 1204 - 1231 CE Taraf Kingdom c. 1200s – c. 1600s CE Bhulua Kingdom 1203 – 1600s CE Delhi Sultanate 1204 – 1338 CE     Mamluk Dynasty 1206 – 1290 CE     Khalji Dynasty 1290 – 1320 CE     Tugluq Dynasty 1320 – 1338,1342 CECity State Sultanates     Sonargaon 1338 – 1352 CE     Lakhnauti/Gauda 1342 – 1352 CE     Satagon/Saptagram 1342 – 1352 CE Twipra Kingdom c. 1400 – 1949 CE Bengal Sultanate 1352 – 1576 CE     Ilyas Shahi dynasty 1342 – 1487 CE     House of Ganesha 1414 – 1436 CE     Habshi dynasty 1487 – 1494 CE     Hussein Shahi 1494 – 1538 CE     Suri Interruption 1539 – 1554 CE     Muhammad Shahi 1554 – 1564 CE     Karrani dynasty 1564 – 1576 CE Pratapgarh Kingdom 1489 – 1700s CE :
Early Modern Koch Kingdom 1515 – 1956 CE Suri Dynasty 1540 – 1556 CE Twelve Bhuyans 1550 – 1620 CE Porto Grande de Bengala 1528 – 1666 CE Kingdom of Mrauk U 1530 – 1666 CE Mughal Empire 1576 – 1717 CE     Bengal Subah 1576 – 1717 CE     Rajshahi Raj c. 1700s - 1950 CE     Zamindars 1700s - 1900s CE Pratapaditya Kingdom 1602 – 1611 CE Sitaram Ray Kingdom 1688 – 1714 CE Nawabs of Bengal 1717 – 1757 CE     Maratha Invasions 1742 - 1751 CE     Siege of Calcutta 1756 CE Shamsher Gazi's Kingdom 1748 – 1760 CE Company Raj 1757 – 1858 CE     Bengal famine of 1770 1770 CE     Bengal Renaissance 1772 - 1913 CE     Faraizi Movement 1818 – 1884 CE     The Great Rebellion 1857 – 1858 CE Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya 1830 – 1831 CE     Titumir's rebellion 1830s CE British Raj 1858 – 1947 CE     Partition of Bengal 1905 CE     Bengal and Assam 1905 - 1912 CE     Bengal Famine 1943 CE     Bengali Prime Minister 1937 - 1947 CE     Noakhali riots 1946 CE :
Modern East Bengal 1947 – 1955 CE     Partition of Bengal (1947) 1947 CE     East Bengali refugees 1947 CE     Bengali Language Movement 1948 – 1956 CE East Pakistan 1955 – 1971 CE     1964 East Pakistan riots 1964 CE     Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 1965 CE     Six Point Movement 1966 CE     East Pakistan Uprising 1969 CE     Pakistani general election 1970 CE     Non-cooperation 1971 CE Bangladesh Liberation War 1971 CE     Independence Declaration 1971 CE     Provisional Government 1971 – 1972 CE     Bangladesh Genocide 1971 CE     Surrender of Pakistan 1971 CE :
Contemporary Bangladesh famine 1974 CE Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League 1975 CE Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman 1975 CE Jail Killing Day 1975 CEMilitary rule 1975 – 1990 CE Military coups in Bangladesh 1975 - 2011 CE Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict 1977 - 1997 CE Mass Uprising 1990 CETransition to democracy 1991 – 2008 CE Caretaker government of Bangladesh 1996 CE Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord 1997 CE Bangladeshi political crisis 2006–2008 CEHasina era 2009–2024 CE Vision 2021 and Digital Bangladesh 2008 CE Bangladesh Rifles revolt 2009 CE Shapla Square protests 2013 CE Bangladesh quota reform movement 2013 CE International Crimes Tribunal 2009 CE 2015 Bangladeshi political crisis 2015 CE 2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests 2018 CE 2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement 2018 CE 2021 Bangladesh Communal Violence 2021 CE Smart Bangladesh Bangladesh protests (2022–2024) 2022- 2024 CE July Revolution 2024 CEAftermath of July Revolution 2024–present CE Yunus ministry :
Related articles
Timeline of Bangladeshi history
Bangladeshi art
Bengali literature :
Bangladesh portal :
vte :
Murshid Quli Khan (c. 1660 – 30 June 1727), also known as Mohammad Hadi, (and according to some writers he was born as Surya Narayan Mishra), was the first Nawab of Bengal, serving from 1717 to 1727.
According to some writers, he was born a Hindu in the Deccan Plateau c. 1670, Murshid Quli Khan was bought by Mughal noble Haji Shafi. After Shafi's death, he worked under the Divan of Vidarbha, during which time he piqued the attention of the then-emperor Aurangzeb, who sent him to Bengal as the divan c. 1700. However, he entered into a bloody conflict with the province's subahdar, Azim-us-Shan. After Aurangzeb's death in 1707, he was transferred to the Deccan Plateau by Azim-us-Shan's father the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I. However, he was brought back as deputy subahdar in 1710. In 1717, he was appointed as the Nawab Nazim of Murshidabad by Farrukhsiyar. During his reign, he changed the jagirdari system (land management) to the mal jasmani, which would later transform into the zamindari system. He also continued sending revenues from the state to the Mughal Empire. He received various titles from the Mughal emperors such as Kārtalab Khān, Murshid Quli Khān, Jafar Khān and Mutamin al-Mulk Ála' al-Dauläh Jafar Khān Nasiri Nasir Jang Bahadur successively. He built the Katra Masjid mosque at Murshidabad where he was buried under the staircase after his death on 30 June 1727. He was succeeded by his son-in-law Shuja ud Din Muhammad Khan.

## Early life

According to Sir Jadunath Sarkar, Murshid Quli Khan was originally a Hindu and named as Surya Narayan Mishra, born in Deccan c. 1670. The book Ma'asir al-umara supports this statement. At the age of around ten years, he was sold to a Persian named Haji Shafi who circumcised him, and raised him with the name Mohammad Hadi. In c. 1690, Shafi left his position in the Mughal court and returned to Persia accompanied by Murshid Quli Khan. About five years after Shafi's death, Murshid returned to India and worked under Abdullah Khurasani, the Diwan of Vidarbha in the Mughal Empire. Due to his expertise in revenue matters, he was noticed by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and played an important role when applying the sharia based Fatwa Alamgiri's financial strategies.
Unlike other Islamic rulers, Murshid Quli Khan had only one wife, Nasiri Banu Begum, and no concubines. He had three children, two daughters and one son. One of his daughters became the wife of Nawab Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan and mother of Sarfaraz Khan.

## First appointment in Bengal
### Conflict with Azim-us-Shan

Aurangzeb appointed Quli Khan the Diwan of Bengal c. 1700. At that time, Azim-us-Shan, a grandson of the Mughal emperor, was the subahdar of the province. He was not pleased at this appointment as he intend to use the revenue collected from the state to fund his campaign to occupy the Mughal throne after Aurangzeb's death. Immediately after being appointed to the post, Quli Khan went to Jahangirnagar (present day Dhaka) and transferred officials from the service of Azim-us-Shan to himself, enraging Azim-us-Shan.

### Assassination attempt

Azim-us-Shan planned to assassinate Quli Khan. Taking advantage of the fact the soldiers had yet to be paid, he convinced them that Quli Khan was responsible for the situation. He planned to have them surround Quli Khan on the pretext of confronting him over non-payment of their wages, and he would then be stabbed.
One morning when Quli Khan was going to meet Azim-us-Shan, soldiers, under the leadership of Abdul Wahid, surrounded him and asked him for their wages. But, according to Historian Chowdhury, Quli Khan knew that us-Shan was responsible for inciting the soldiers, so he said to them: "You have conspired to assassinate me. Remember that the Alamgir (Aurangzeb) will come to know everything. Abstain from doing such things, as it is a way of showing disrespect to the emperor. Be careful! If you kill me, then you will face dire consequences."
Azim-us-Shan was extremely worried Quli Khan knew of his assassination plans and was fearful of Aurangzeb's reaction. Quli Khan behaved as if he knew nothing of the plan assuring us-Shan they would remain friends in the future. However, he wrote about the matter to Aurangzeb, who in turn sent a letter to us-Shan warning him that if Quli Khan was "harmed, then he would take revenge on him".

## Foundation of Murshidabad

Quli Khan felt unsafe in Dhaka, so he moved the diwani office to Murshidabad. He said that he relocated the office since Mukshudabad was situated in the central part of Bengal, making it easy to communicate throughout the province. As the city was on the banks of the Ganges, European trading companies had also set up their bases there. Quli Khan thought that it would be easy for him to keep a vigil over their actions. He also relocated the bankers to the new city. Azim-us-Shan felt betrayed as this was done without his permission. Historian Chowdhury says that Quli Khan was able to do this because he had the "support" of Aurangzeb. A year later, in 1703, Aurangzeb transferred us-Shan from Bengal to Bihar and Farrukhsiyar was made the titular subahdar of the province. The subah office was then relocated to Mukshudabad. The city became a centre for all activities of the region.
Quli Khan went to Bijapur to meet Aurangzeb, and to give him the revenue which was generated from the province. The emperor was happy with his work and gifted him clothes, flags, nagra, and a sword. He also gave him the title of Murshid Quli and gave him permission to rename the city Murshidabad (the city of Murshid Quli Khan), which he did when he returned to it.
When the city was renamed is disputed by historians. Sir Jadunath Sarkar says that he was given the title on 23 December 1702, and his return to the city would have taken at least three months; so Mukshudabad was renamed in 1703. But according to the newspaper Tarikh-i-Bangla, and Persian historian Riwaz-us-Salatin, the city was renamed in c. 1704. Chowdhury opines that this "might be the correct date" as the representative of the British East Indian Company in Orissa province met Quli Khan in early 1704. The fact that the first coins issued in Murshidabad are dated 1704 is strong evidence of the year of the name change.

## Reign
### Death of Aurangzeb

Until the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, all the powers of the subahdar were vested in the hands of Quli Khan. He was succeeded by Azim-us-Shan's father Bahadur Shah I. He reappointed his son as the subahdar of the province and made Quli Khan his deputy. Azim-us-Shan influenced his father to throw Quli Khan out of the province. As a result, he was appointed the Diwan of Deccan in 1708, and served in the post until 1709.
But, in 1710, Quli Khan was brought back as the diwan (revenue officer) of the province on the advice of us-Shan. According to Sarkar, he did so to form an allegiance with him, as he thought that it would be impossible to occupy the Delhi throne without the support of local nobility. Though he was brought back, his relationship with the Mughal prince remained stained.
Shah was succeeded by Jahandar Shah in 1712, (27 February 1712 – 11 February 1713) and he was followed by Farrukhsiyar in 1713. In 1717, he gave Quli Khan the title of Zafar Khan and made him the Subahdar of Bengal, thus holding both the post of subahdar and diwan at the same time. He declared himself the Nawab of Bengal and became the first independent nawab of the province. The capital was shifted from Dhaka to Murshidabad.

### Revenue

Quli Khan replaced the Mughal jagirdari system with the mal jasmani system, which was similar to France's fermiers generals. He took security bonds from the contractors or ijardaars who later collected the land revenue. Though at first there remained many jagirdars, they were shortly squeezed out by the contractors, who later came to be known as zamindars.
Quli Khan continued his policy of sending part of the revenue collected to the Mughal Empire. He did so even when the empire was in decline with the emperor vesting no power, as the power became concentrated in the hands of kingmakers. He justified his action by saying that it would be impossible to run the Mughal Empire without the revenue he sent. Historian Chowdhury says that his real reason was to show his loyalty to the Mughal Emperor so that he could run the state according to his own wishes.
Records show that every year 1 crore 30 lakh rupees was sent as the revenue to the Mughal emperor. Besides money revenue was also paid in kind. Quli Khan himself used to carry the money and other forms of revenue with the infantry and the cavalry to Bihar where they were given to the Mughal collector.

### Structures built

With Murshidabad evolving as the capital of Bengal, it became necessary for Quli Khan to build buildings and offices for work to be carried out from that city. In the Dugharia region of the city he built a palace, a diwankhana ("office of revenue collection", a court of exchequer). He also built an inn and a mosque for foreign travellers. He constructed a mint in the city in 1720. In the eastern end of the city he built the Katra Masjid mosque in 1724 where he was buried after his death.

### Conditions in Murshidabad

During Quli Khan's reign the people of the Murshidabad used to participate in many festivals. One of them was the Punyah which occurred in the last week of the Bengali month of Chaitra. The zamindars, or their representatives, took part in it. However, the festival which was celebrated with the greatest pomp and grandeur was Mawlid the festival to celebrate the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. During Mawlid people from neighbouring provinces came to the city to celebrate. On Quli Khan's order chirag or lamps were lit in all religious places such as mosques, and imambararas.
Quli Khan also imitated the Mughal tradition of holding a durbar in the city which was attended by the city's bankers, foreign tourists, and European companies' representatives. Because of the increase in trade, a new class of businessmen arose who also attended his durbar. Due to his pious nature, Quli Khan followed Islam strictly and, according to Islamic rules, visitors were fed twice a day.
The city used to be a major exporter of rice across India but c. 1720, Quli Khan prohibited all export of rice. Chowdhury says that the condition of Hindus during his reign was "also good" as "they became more rich". Though Quli Khan was a Muslim, Hindus were employed in the tax department primarily because he thought they were experts in the field; they could also speak fluent Persian.

## Death and succession

Quli Khan died on 30 June 1727. He was succeeded initially by his grandson Sarfaraz Khan. But his son-in-law Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan did not accept the succession, and planned to fight a war against him. Khan gave up without a fight and Shuja-ud-Din became the nawab in 1727. Sarfaraz would ascend the throne after his father's death in 1739 only to be defeated and replaced by Alivardi Khan in 1740.
Quli Khan remains buried under the stairs to the main-floor of Katra Masjid—a five-bayed rectangular mosque constructed by himself—pursuant to his wishes. Popular belief holds the mosque to have been constructed of material obtained upon destruction of several Hindu temples and residences; however, it is unlikely since the mosque shows an uniformity of material and Khan used to be an active patron of local temples.