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The Sayyid brothers were Abdullah Khan II and Syed Hussain Ali Khan, two powerful Mughal Empire nobles who were active during the decline of the Mughal Empire.
They were Punjabi Muslims belonging to the Sadaat-e-Bara clan of the Barha dynasty, who claimed to be or the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Their claim was generally not accepted, and they were said to be descendants of peasants from Punjab who migrated to the eastern part of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. According to historian Richard M. Eaton, they were "as native to South Asia as were Jats, Rajputs or Marathas."
The brothers became highly influential in the Mughal court after Aurangzeb's death in 1707 and became de facto sovereigns of the empire when they began to seat and unseat emperors. They restored Mughal authority to Ajmer in Rajasthan with the surrender of Maharaja Ajit Singh, and the Jat leader Churaman. During their rule, the Sikh rebel Banda Singh Bahadur was captured and executed. The Sayyids engaged in recruitment of soldiers, very few of whom were not Sayyids, or inhabitants of Jansath, or non-Muslims.
Emperor Bahadur Shah I died in 1712, and his successor Jahandar Shah was assassinated on the orders of the Sayyid brothers. In 1713, Jahandar's nephew Farrukhsiyar (r. 1713–1719) became the emperor also with the help of the brothers. His reign marked the ascendancy of the brothers, who monopolised state power and reduced the emperor to a figurehead. The brothers conspired to send Nizam-ul-Mulk to the Deccan Plateau, away from the Mughal court to reduce his influence. In 1719, the brothers blinded, deposed and murdered Farrukhsiyar. They then arranged for his first cousin, Rafi ud-Darajat, to be the next ruler in February 1719. When Rafi ud-Darajat died of lung disease in June, they made his elder brother, Rafi ud-Daulah (Shah Jahan II), ruler. After the latter died of lung disease in September, Muhammad Shah (r. 1719–1748) ascended the throne at the age of 17 with the Sayyid brothers as until 1720.
To restore his de facto power, Muhammad Shah arranged for the brothers to be killed with the help of Nizam-ul-Mulk. Syed Hussain Ali Khan was murdered at Fatehpur Sikri in 1720, and Syed Hassan Ali Khan was fatally poisoned in 1722.
In 1697, Syed Hassan Ali Khan was Faujdar (military commander) of Sultanpur, Nazarbar in Baglana, and was appointed Subahdar (governor) of Khandesh in 1698 to halt Maratha expansion in the region. Later he was appointed ruler of Hoshangabad, Khandesh (Maharashtra). He was responsible for attacking Aurangabad during the final campaign against the Maratha in 1705 and attended the funeral of Aurangzeb in 1707.
Hassan's younger brother, Hussain Ali Khan, who is known to have greater energy than his elder brother, had during the reign of Aurangzeb held charge first of Ranthambore Fort, in Ajmer, and then of Hindaun-Bayana, in Agra.
When Emperor Aurangzeb died and Prince Muhammad Mu'azzam Shah Alam, reached Lahore on his march to Agra to contest the throne, the Sayyids presented themselves and allied with Shah Alam. In the Battle of Jajau on 18 June 1707, they served in the vanguard where their brother, Syed Nur ud-Din Ali Khan, was left dead on the field, and Syed Hussain Ali Khan was severely wounded. Though their rank was raised to 4,000, and the elder brother received his father's title of Syed Mian, they were not treated with high favour either by the new emperor or his vizier. two Sayyids quarrelled with Khanazad Khan, the Vizier Munim Khan's second son, and offended Jahandar Shah, though the conflict was settled from a visit by the vizier, there is little doubt that this difference helped to keep them out of employment. The morning after the Battle of Jajau, the Prince Jahandar Shah visited their quarters to condole with them on the death of their brother, Syed Nur ud-Din Ali Khan. Syed Hussain Ali Khan responded aggressively, which angered Jahandar Shah and so refrained from making any recommendation to his father in their favour. However, Syed Shujaat Khan Barha held the province of Ajmer, and another Sayyid Hussain Barha was made faujdar of Amber.
In April 1708, Prince Azim-ush-shan nominated the younger brother Syed Hussain Ali Khan, to represent him as the governor of Bihar, in the capital Patna (Patna). In October 1708, Syed Hassan Ali Khan was named subah of Ajmer, (then in a disturbed state owing to the Rajput rising) which displeased Syed Shuja'at Ali Khan Barha. When Syed Hassan Ali Khan almost reached Delhi, to raise new troops and make other preparations, Emperor Bahadur Shah, changed his mind and Shuja'at Ali Khan Barha was received again into favour and maintained in his government. Sayyid Saeed Khan Barha was placed in charge of the Kachhwaha capital at Amber. Prince Azim-ush-shan made Syed Hassan Ali Khan his deputy of Allahabad in January 1711. Khan-i Jahan Barha was made the faujdar of Moradabad.
Syed Hussain Ali Khan then swore a binding oath that he would espouse the Prince's cause. The following night Prince Farrukhsiyar presented himself at the Khan's house, saying that he had come either to be seized and sent to Emperor Jahandar Shah or to enter into an agreement for the recovery of the throne. The Sayyid decided to fight on Prince Farrukhsiyar's behalf. He wrote at once to his elder brother, Syed Hassan Ali Khan Barha, at Allahabad, inviting him to join the same side, and Prince Farrukhsiyar addressed a firman to him making many promises, and authorising him to expend the Bengal treasure, then at Allahabad, on the enlistment of troops. The two chief postings in the Empire, those of Vizier and of Amir ul Umara were formally promised to the two brothers as their reward in case of success. Syed Hassan Ali Khan Barha, on being superseded at Allahabad, gives in his allegiance to Prince Farrukhsiyar.
Syed Abdul Ghafoor obtained contingents from one or two zamindars and collected altogether 6,000 to 7,000 men. When he drew near to Karra Manikpur, Syed Abul Hasan Khan, a Sayyid of Bijapur, who was Syed Hassan Ali Khan Barha's Bakhshi, advanced at the head of 3,000 men to bar his progress. With Abul Hasan Khan's (who was allied to Syed Hassan Ali Khan) victory at the Battle of Sarai Alam Chand on 2 August 1712, it became clear that the Sayyids were allied against to Prince Farrukhsiyar, the new contender for the throne. Jahandar Shah confirmed Sayyid Hassan Ali Khan as governor of Allahabad.
Prince Farrukhsiyar, meanwhile, had marched out with an army along with Syed Hussain Ali Khan from Patna to Allahabad to join Syed Hassan Ali Khan. Emperor Jahandar Shah learning of the defeat of his general, Syed Abdul Ghafoor sent his own son Prince Azzu-ud-Din along with Generals Lutfullah Khan and Khwaja Hussain Khan Dauran to face this army. The Second Battle of Khajwah was fought in Fatehpur District, Uttar Pradesh on 28 November 1712. Prince Farrukhsiyar defeated Prince Azzu-ud-Din, and the General Lutfullah Khan of Panipat, Sayyid Muzaffar Khan Barha, the maternal uncle of Abdullah Khan, Sayyid Hassan Khan, the son of Hussain Ali Khan, and Sayyid Mustafa Khan, who were on the opposite side, joined the faction of Farrukhsiyar. This forced Jahandar Shah and his vizier to initiate the Battle of Agra on 10 January 1713, Prince Farrukhsiyar again won and became the Emperor of the Mughal Empire succeeding his uncle Jahandar Shah. Farrukhsiyar's revolt against Jahandar Shah was a risky pusuit, and his victory was due to the resources of the two Sayyid brothers.
The Amir-ul-Umara Hussain Ali Khan, was inclined to the use of exaggerated and insolent language. Flatterers in the train of Hussain Ali Khan used to recite the verses in the emperor's presence:
Syed Hussain Ali Khan left Delhi on 6 January 1714 and Ajit Singh, "upon learning of the march of this army, was alarmed at its strength and at the prowess of the Sayyids." In Ajmer, Syed Hussain Ali Khan burnt the villages belonging to Marwar, while those belonging to Amber State were left unharmed. The country was thus settled and brought under imperial rule gradually. Syed Hussain Ali Khan overran Jodhpur and compelled the rebel Ajit Singh to flee and take refuge in the hills.Zahiruddin Malik, Zahir Uddin Malik (1977). 9780210405987, Asia Publishing House. . ISBN 9780210405987 After a brief campaign, Raghunath, a munshi in the service of Ajit Singh came to negotiate peace with Syed Hussain Ali Khan. The terms were that Ajit Singh should give one of his daughters in marriage to Farrukhsiyar. Roshan-ud-Daulah arrived at court on 18 May 1714 with the news.
As Farrukhsiyar was unable to overthrow the Sayyid brothers by himself, he raised the emperor's party with the aim to overthrow the Sayyids. For this task he chose Khan-i Dauran (an Indian Muslim of Agra), Mir Jumla, Shaista Khan (Inayatullah Kashmiri, an old Alamgiri noble), and later, Itiqad Khan, the last whom he chose as the future Wazir. Itiqad Khan was related by marriage to Farrukhsiyar's mother, who was also of Kashmiri descent.
There were other blocs of power such as the Irani faction, related by marriage to the court. The leader of this faction, Zulfiqar Khan, was a Shi'a Persian noble born in India, and it relied on Indian power-holders of various origin. The faction, during the year-long reign of Jahandar Shah, found opposition to Kolkatash Khan. With the overthrow of Jahandar Shah, and the execution of Zulfiqar Khan by the Sayyid Brothers, an Indo-Muslim party came into ascendance under the Sayyid faction. The Sayyid party which ruled during the reign of Farrukhsiyar was a powerful faction linked by ties of blood and marriage. The Sayyid party was distinct from other factions as the Sayyid leaders recruited very few who were neither Sayyids, nor Muslim. As the bulk of their troops were their own Sayyid clanmen, the Sayyids had greater strength and cohesion than other factions in the Mughal court. The Sayyids had developed a sort of common brotherhood among themselves and took up the cause of every individual as an insult to the whole group. They were strongly united around their leaders, Qutb-ul-Mulk and Amir-ul-Umara Hussain Ali Khan. The unique privilege of the Sayyids in leading the imperial vanguard also gave them an advantage over other parts of the Mughal military and exalted their sense of social pride.
The Sayyid party continuously tried to counteract Farrukhsiyar's plots to attain self-rule. Another bloc, the Turanis, also formed an opposition to Sayyid rule. The Turanis were not in a position to sufficiently act as a power pressure group against the Sayyids, or to bargain from a position of strength, and Farrukhsiyar did not trust the group as he suspected they would attempt to weaken him. There was a continual struggle for power between the Indian Muslim, Irani and Turani blocs at court, and each attempted to win the favour of the emperor in order to counter the other factions. History of Modern India: 1707 A.D. to Up to 2000 A.D. by Radhey Shyam Chaurasia, Atlantic Publishers & Dist,
"The Sayyids look upon you as their creation, and think nothing of you or your power. They hold the two chief civil and military officers, their relations and friends have the principal other offices, and the most profitable land assignments (jagirs). Their power will go on increasing, until should they enter on treasonable projects, there will be no one to resist them."
Neither Farrukhsiyar nor his favorites dared to attack them openly, and Farrukhsiyar was obliged to submit to the Sayyid brothers, but continued his intrigues. Farrukhsiyar had obtained the throne largely due to the martial kills of the Sayyid Brothers, who, from Barha had provided contingents to the imperial armies. Even as Emperor, he lacked revenues to fund his own forces, as he could not confront the Syed Brothers. Further, the Syed Brothers threatened to enthrone another imperial family member whenever Farrukhsiyar proved too demanding. Farrukhsiyar was forced to turn to other nobles, who were to be raised on an equal position to them. The Sayyid Brothers, resisted the raising of other nobles to power. During the Mir Bakhshi's absence during the Rajputana campaign, Farrukhsiyar started raising funds to raise troops for Khwaja Asim Khan-i Dauran and Ubaidullah Mir Jumla II in opposition to the Sayyid brothers.John F. Richards, Gordon Johnson (1993). 9780521566032, Cambridge University Press. . ISBN 9780521566032 Khan-i Dauran was put at the head of 5,000 Wala-Shahis, while Mir Jumla was given 5,000 Mughal troops, recruited by his adopted son, Amanat Khan.
Being a man of the sword and a soldier, Syed Hassan Ali Khan had no natural taste for civil and financial administration, and found no opportunity in acquiring such experience. The Sayyids had historically served military roles rather than as administrators. This Wazir was endowed with virtues of courage and generosity, but lacked the zeal for public service and resisted the drudgery of office work. Ratan Chand, a Hindu Baniya of Jansath near the Sayyids home was appointed instead by Abdullah to his clerical work and trusted him with the financial affairs of the state that was meant for the Wazir. He had been recently created a Raja with the rank of 2,000 zat in 1712 by Farrukhsiyar,Rajvanshi Samaj ki mahan vibhitiyan, Ghaziabad, 7 May 2017 and came to be regarded as a very effective administrator.History of Origin of Some Clans in India, Mangal Sen Jindal, Pub. Sarup and Sons, 1992The Kingmaker of the Mughal Empire (2018) Avnish Rajvanshi Productions A Sketch of the History of Hindustán from the First Muslim Conquest to the Fall of the Mughal Empire by Henry George Keene, published by W. H. Allen & Co., 1885 He was even entrusted with appointment of Qadi. While it was usually the Wazir who brought candidates to the Emperor, Mir Jumla instead independently did this. As the Wazir suffered in influence, the Sayyids felt aggrieved, and Abdullah Khan now wrote letters to his brother to return to Delhi with all possible speed from his campaign in Rajputana. The Mir Bakhshi reached the capital on 16 July 1714.
Mir Jumla, having no real strength of character, made excuses during talks and drew to one side. While Khan Dauran was frightened that if he should ever be called on to take the lead, he may lose his life in the attempt to destroy the Sayyids. As for the Emperor, his own troops were much weaker to the Sayyids. The imperial and Wala-shahi troops comprised many low-caste men and mere artisans held commands. As the Emperor was aware of the unity and the firm resolve of the Syed Brothers, decided once more to resume friendly relations with them. In December 1714, the Syed Brothers assembled their troops and possessed themselves of the gates of the citadel containing the Emperor's palace, proposing terms of reconciliation.
The Sayyid Brothers' terms were that they would not reconciliate unless Mir Jumla and Khan-i Dauran were dismissed. Islam Khan V, Sayyid Hussain Khan Barha, Sayyid Shujaat Khan Barha and Khwaja Jafar would negotiate a settlement whereby Mir Jumla was forced out of office in Delhi and sent to Bihar on 16 December 1714. However, Khan-i Dauran was spared due to the intercession of his brother Khwaja Jafar, who was a holy man, who swore that Khan-i Dauran would never act against the Sayyid Brothers. Lutfullah Khan Sadiq, Farrukhsiyar's closest advisor, who was despised by the Sayyid Brothers, was deprived of his rank, and his mansions and gardens were confiscated. Successive agents chosen by Farrukhsiyar gave up the attempt and went over to the Sayyids as they were seen to be more capable in protecting their own interests.
Syed Hussain Ali Khan entered the palace with his men, observing the same precautions as in the case of Syed Hassan Ali Khan Barha. Some months before this time Hussain Ali Khan had obtained in his own favour a grant of the Deccan Plateau provinces, but he had meant to exercise the government through a deputy, Daud Khan Panni. Now it was proposed that Hussain Ali Khan would leave court and take over charge of the Deccan himself. Khan-i Dauran was appointed as the deputy of Hussain Ali Khan in his duties as Mir Bakhshi.
He rejected his predecessor Daud Khan Panni's agreements of tribute to the Marathas. Farrukhsiyar sent Daud Khan Panni, the newly appointed governor of Burhanpur, a secret message to attack and kill Hussain Khan, if possible. Daud Khan Panni attempted to gain the backing of the Marathas in order to attack Hussain Khan, while the Nizam left in disgust. However, at the Battle of Burhanpur, Daud Khan was easily defeated and killed by Hussain Khan, who captured Farrukhsiyar's letters to the rebel at his camp.John F. Richards, Gordon Johnson (1993). 9780521566032, Cambridge University Press. . ISBN 9780521566032 The Marathas had remained inactive during the battle.
Hussain Khan was eager to establish his firm hold over the Deccan. Without much precaution, he declared hostility to the Marathas. As a result, Maratha raiding and indecisive open warfare continued.John F. Richards, Gordon Johnson (1993). 9780521566032, Cambridge University Press. . ISBN 9780521566032 In 1717, his general Zulfiqar Beg sent 4,000 horse and 2,000 infantry to punish Khandoji Dabhade, who was defeated and killed.Setumadhava Rao Pagdi, P. Setu Madhava Rao (1963). 9788171543670, the University of Michigan. . ISBN 9788171543670 In order to avenge his death, Syed Hussain Ali Khan sent Muhakkam Singh, the son of Churaman Jat (who was loyal to the Barha Sayyids), and his brother Saif-ud-Din Khan Barha, to punish the Marathas. Dahbade and his Marathas, who were plundering Khandesh, were defeated at a battle near Ahmadnagar. The army dispersed and fled, after which Syed Hussain Ali Khan ravaged the Maratha territory up to the suburbs of Satara.Setumadhava Rao Pagdi, P. Setu Madhava Rao (1963). 9788171543670, Popular Prakashan. . ISBN 9788171543670 In these campaigns he was assisted by the Maratha chiefs Chandrasen Jadhav and Nemaji Sindhia.
In 1717, fearing that the Sayyid brothers would replace him, Farrukhsiyar blinded three princes who had the potential to be raised to the throne, including his younger brother.
of the Mughal Empire, by Muhammad Shah on 21 February 1722, to overthrow the Sayyid Brothers.]]Meanwhile, in Delhi, a plot was devised against the Sayyid brothers. Syed Hussain Ali Khan was ultimately killed by Haider Beg of the Dughlats on 9 October 1720. Syed Hassan Ali Khan with a big army set out to avenge his brother's murder but he was defeated at Shahpur (later Hasanpur in Haryana) on 15–16 November 1720 and was imprisoned. Bringing the protracted career of the Sayyid brothers to an end.
The Barha Sayyids held their ground at the Battle of Hasanpur, then retreated and evacuated their families to Jansath (friendly territory of the Sayyids). One of the relative of Qutb-ul-Mulk was discovered while taking refuge in a house attached to the Sayyids. She was taken to Muhammad Shah’s mother, who proposed her marriage to the emperor, but Qutb-ul-Mulk objected, and the idea was dropped by Muhammad.
In order to reduce the power of the Turani nobles, Muhammad Shah thought of using the services of Qutb-ul-Mulk after setting him free and raising him to a high mansab. But Qutb-ul-Mulk's opponents had him poisoned to death on 12 October 1722. In 1723 Muhammad Shah released Sayyid Najmuddin Ali Khan Barha from prison to defeat Hamid Khan and Nizam-ul-Mulk in their separatist policy in Gujarat, and as a result Najmuddin Ali Khan Barha was given the governorship of Ajmer after the defeat of Hamid Khan.
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