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Muhammad Ismail
Zulfiqar Khan
(1657–1713)

Other names: Nasrat Jang

Titles

Nusarat Jang 1695
Itiqad Khan, 1677

Positions Held

Amir-ul-Umra, 1707
Mir Bakhshi, 1702
Darogha-i Jilau 1699
Darogha-i Ghusal Khana 1687
Thanedar of Indi 1685
Qurbegi 1684
Bakhshi of Ahdis 1679

Biographical

The son of Asad Khan, a nobleman of the reign of 'Alamgir; Muhammad Ismail held several appointments under that emperor. He started his career with the rank of 300 zat in 1668, and was promoted to the following ranks: 1500/300 in 1682; 2000/400 in 1684; 3000/2000 in 1689; 4000/2500 in 1691; 4000/3000 in 1693; 5000/3000 in 1694; 5000/4000 in 1695; 5000/5000 in 1698; 6000/6000 in 1706.

On the accession of Bahadur Shah in 1707, the title of Amir-ul-Umra was conferred on him with the government of the Deccan. Apart from holding many important offices, he took part the following battles and campaigns in which he had much success: in Merta against the Rathors in 1682; conquest of Chanda in 1684; towards Zafarabad in 1684; towards Sangamnir and Bidar in 1685; near Mangalbeda against the Marathas in 1686; conquest of Bangalore fort in 1688; conquest of Raheri fort in 1689; conquest of Nirmal fort in 1691; conquest of Jinji fort in 1698; towards Parnala, defeating Dhanna Jadav in 1700; towards Burhanpur against Marathas in 1703; siege of Wakankhera fort in 1705; towards Aurangabad against Marathas in 1706.

It was by his aid and intrigues that Jahandiir Shah, after the death of his father, Bahadur Shah, overcame all his brothers and ascended the throne of Dehli, when he was appointed to be chief wazir; but after the defeat of that emperor in the battle against Farrukh-siyar, he was taken up and strangled, by order of the latter, as a punishment for his conduct. His head, with that of the late emperor Jahandar Shah, who had also been put to death in prison, was carried on poles, and their bodies, hanging feet upwards across an elephant, were exposed in the new emperor's train when he made his triumphant entry to the palace at Delhi, This event took place in January 1713. The aged minister, Asad Khan, Zulfiqar Khan's father, was compelled to attend the procession, accompanied by the ladies of his family as spectators of their own disgrace.