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| Shah
'Alam II
Mughal Emperor (1728–1806) Other names: Mirza 'Abd Allah 'Ali Gauhar Sham 'Alam Biographical Emperor of India 1789–88 dep; nominal 1788–1806† Shah 'Alam’s rise to power was marked by turbulence. After the assassination of his father, Emperor 'Alamgir II, in 1759, he declared himself ruler while living under the protection of the Nawab of Oudh. His ambitions soon brought him into conflict with the East India Company, as his demands for tribute from Bengal and Bihar challenged their expanding authority. The Company’s victory at Buxar in 1764 left him dependent on their support, and in 1765 he formally legitimised their control in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa by granting them revenue rights in exchange for a pension. From his base at Allahabad, Shah 'Alam continued to aspire to a return to Delhi. An alliance with the Marathas in 1771 restored him to the capital, and under his minister Najaf Khan, imperial authority was briefly reasserted across much of northern India between 1772 and 1782. That recovery ended abruptly in 1788 when the Rohilla chief, enraged at his failure to uncover treasure, blinded the emperor. The final phase of the reign unfolded under the protection of stronger powers, first the Marathas and then the British after the Second Maratha War of 1803 to 1805. Confined largely to the palace, Shah 'Alam retained little real power and depended on a court income provided by his patrons. Though confined largely to his palace, Shah ?Alam accumulated a large sum in the imperial treasury. Place of birth: Delhi Place of death: Delhi Son of 'Alamgir II and Zinat Mahal, he had issue. |
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