Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i (Mir 'Ali Shir Neva'i) (1441-1501). Chaghatay poet. He also was an important Central Asian cultural and political figure of the reign of the Timurid Husayn Bayqara (r. 1469-1506). He is universally considered as the greatest representative of Chaghatay Turkish literature and exerted profound influence on the development of Azeri, Uyghur, Tatar and Ottoman Turkish literatures.
Mir 'Ali Shir Neva'i see Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Neva'i, Mir 'Ali Shir see Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Nawa'i, Mir ‘Ali Shir see Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Mir 'Ali Shir Neva'i see Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Neva'i, Mir 'Ali Shir see Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Nawa'i, Mir ‘Ali Shir see Mir ‘Ali Shir Nawa’i
Miranshah ibn Timur
Miranshah ibn Timur (c. 1367-1408). Third son of Timur. Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, was his descendant.
Miranshah ibn Timur (c. 1367-1408). Third son of Timur. Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, was his descendant.
Mirdasids
Mirdasids (Banu Mirdas) (1023-1079/1080). Arab dynasty in Aleppo and northern Syria.
The Mirdasid dynasty was a dynasty that controlled the Amirate of Aleppo more or less continuously from 1024 until 1080.
The Mirdasids were members of the Banu Kilabi, an Arab tribe that had been present in northern Syria for several centuries. Like the other Arabs of the region, the Mirdasids were Shi'a Muslims, although as a result of the expansion of the Seljuk Turks into the area they were constrained to convert to Sunnism.
Unlike other Arab tribes of Greater Syria that managed to establish their autonomy or independence in the late 10th/early 11th centuries, the Mirdasids focused their energies on urban development. As a result, Aleppo prospered during their reign. The Mirdasids demonstrated a high degree of tolerance to Christians, favoring Christian merchants in their territories and employing several as viziers. This policy, no doubt influenced by comparatively good relations with the Christian Byzantine Empire, often upset the majority Muslim population.
The early history of the Mirdasid dynasty is characterized by constant pressure from both the Byzantines and the Fatimids of Egypt. By mixing diplomacy (the Mirdasids were vassals of both the Byzantines and Fatimids several times) and military force, the Mirdasids were able to survive against these two powers.
Militarily, the Mirdasids had the advantage of light Arab cavalry, and several Arab groups in the region, such as the Numayrids of Harran and their own Kilabi brethren, provided valuable assistance. Later on, the Seljuks supplanted the Byzantines and Fatimids as their primary antagonist; the Turks' light cavalry was superior to their own and the Mirdasids had a much more difficult time dealing with them. The Mirdasids had resorted to recruiting Turkish mercenaries into their armies, although this caused its own problems, as the Turks began to acquire an increased role in the government.
The timeline of Mirdasid Amirs reads as follows:
* Salih ibn Mirdas, 1024-1029
* Shibl al-Daula Nasr, 1029-1038
The Fatimids conquer Aleppo
* Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal, 1042-1057
Aleppo transferred to the Fatimids
* Rashid al-Daula Mahmud, 1060-1061
* Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal, restored, 1061-1062
* 'Atiyya ibn Salih, 1062-1065 (in Rahba only 1065-1071)
* Rashid al-Daula Mahmud, restored, 1065-1075
* Jalal al-Daula Nasr, 1075-1076
* Sabiq ibn Mahmud, 1076-1080
The Uqailids take over Aleppo
After the overthrow of the Hamdanids in 1004, Aleppo had been ruled by several princes nominally subordinate to the Fatimids. It was from these individuals that Slih ibn Mirdas took the town in 1024. When he died fighting the Fatimids five years later, his two sons Shibl al-Daula Nasr and Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal succeeded him, although Nasr quickly became sole amir. He became a Byzantine vassal, although later he transferred his allegiance to the Fatimids. However, the Fatimid governor of Damascus killed Nasr in battle and took Aleppo 1038.
Nasr's brother Thimal managed to recover Aleppo in 1042 and eventually made peace with the Fatimids. He was a vassal of both the Byzantine Emperor and Fatimid Caliph. Troubles with the Kilab, however, caused him to give up Aleppo to the Fatimids in exchange for several coastal towns. The Kilab threw their support behind Thimal's nephew Rashid al-Daula Mahmud, who took Aleppo in 1060. Thimal returned and in 1061 regained Aleppo from Mahmud, but died a year later.
After Thimal's death a succession dispute emerged between Mahmud and Thimal's brother 'Atiyya ibn Salih, leading to a split in the Mirdasid domains. Mahmud controlled the western half, while 'Atiyya controlled the east. In order to gain an edge over Mahmud, 'Atiyya recruited a band of Turks, but they later defected to Mahmud, forcing 'Atiyya to give up Aleppo in 1065.
The Turks began moving into northern Syria in greater numbers, forcing Mahmud to convert to Sunni Islam and become a vassal of the Seljuk sultan. Mahmud's death in 1075, followed by that of his son and successor Jalal al-Daula Nasr in 1076, resulted in Nasr's brother Sabiq ibn Mahmud becoming amir. Conflicts between him and members of his family, along with several different Turkish groups, left the Mirdasid domains devastated, and in 1080, prompted by Sabiq, the Uqailid Sharaf al-Daula Muslim took over Aleppo. The Mirdasids maintained a level of influence in the region after the loss of Aleppo, and attempted to stem the advance of the First Crusade.
Banu Mirdas see Mirdasids
Mirdasids (Banu Mirdas) (1023-1079/1080). Arab dynasty in Aleppo and northern Syria.
The Mirdasid dynasty was a dynasty that controlled the Amirate of Aleppo more or less continuously from 1024 until 1080.
The Mirdasids were members of the Banu Kilabi, an Arab tribe that had been present in northern Syria for several centuries. Like the other Arabs of the region, the Mirdasids were Shi'a Muslims, although as a result of the expansion of the Seljuk Turks into the area they were constrained to convert to Sunnism.
Unlike other Arab tribes of Greater Syria that managed to establish their autonomy or independence in the late 10th/early 11th centuries, the Mirdasids focused their energies on urban development. As a result, Aleppo prospered during their reign. The Mirdasids demonstrated a high degree of tolerance to Christians, favoring Christian merchants in their territories and employing several as viziers. This policy, no doubt influenced by comparatively good relations with the Christian Byzantine Empire, often upset the majority Muslim population.
The early history of the Mirdasid dynasty is characterized by constant pressure from both the Byzantines and the Fatimids of Egypt. By mixing diplomacy (the Mirdasids were vassals of both the Byzantines and Fatimids several times) and military force, the Mirdasids were able to survive against these two powers.
Militarily, the Mirdasids had the advantage of light Arab cavalry, and several Arab groups in the region, such as the Numayrids of Harran and their own Kilabi brethren, provided valuable assistance. Later on, the Seljuks supplanted the Byzantines and Fatimids as their primary antagonist; the Turks' light cavalry was superior to their own and the Mirdasids had a much more difficult time dealing with them. The Mirdasids had resorted to recruiting Turkish mercenaries into their armies, although this caused its own problems, as the Turks began to acquire an increased role in the government.
The timeline of Mirdasid Amirs reads as follows:
* Salih ibn Mirdas, 1024-1029
* Shibl al-Daula Nasr, 1029-1038
The Fatimids conquer Aleppo
* Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal, 1042-1057
Aleppo transferred to the Fatimids
* Rashid al-Daula Mahmud, 1060-1061
* Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal, restored, 1061-1062
* 'Atiyya ibn Salih, 1062-1065 (in Rahba only 1065-1071)
* Rashid al-Daula Mahmud, restored, 1065-1075
* Jalal al-Daula Nasr, 1075-1076
* Sabiq ibn Mahmud, 1076-1080
The Uqailids take over Aleppo
After the overthrow of the Hamdanids in 1004, Aleppo had been ruled by several princes nominally subordinate to the Fatimids. It was from these individuals that Slih ibn Mirdas took the town in 1024. When he died fighting the Fatimids five years later, his two sons Shibl al-Daula Nasr and Mu'izz al-Daula Thimal succeeded him, although Nasr quickly became sole amir. He became a Byzantine vassal, although later he transferred his allegiance to the Fatimids. However, the Fatimid governor of Damascus killed Nasr in battle and took Aleppo 1038.
Nasr's brother Thimal managed to recover Aleppo in 1042 and eventually made peace with the Fatimids. He was a vassal of both the Byzantine Emperor and Fatimid Caliph. Troubles with the Kilab, however, caused him to give up Aleppo to the Fatimids in exchange for several coastal towns. The Kilab threw their support behind Thimal's nephew Rashid al-Daula Mahmud, who took Aleppo in 1060. Thimal returned and in 1061 regained Aleppo from Mahmud, but died a year later.
After Thimal's death a succession dispute emerged between Mahmud and Thimal's brother 'Atiyya ibn Salih, leading to a split in the Mirdasid domains. Mahmud controlled the western half, while 'Atiyya controlled the east. In order to gain an edge over Mahmud, 'Atiyya recruited a band of Turks, but they later defected to Mahmud, forcing 'Atiyya to give up Aleppo in 1065.
The Turks began moving into northern Syria in greater numbers, forcing Mahmud to convert to Sunni Islam and become a vassal of the Seljuk sultan. Mahmud's death in 1075, followed by that of his son and successor Jalal al-Daula Nasr in 1076, resulted in Nasr's brother Sabiq ibn Mahmud becoming amir. Conflicts between him and members of his family, along with several different Turkish groups, left the Mirdasid domains devastated, and in 1080, prompted by Sabiq, the Uqailid Sharaf al-Daula Muslim took over Aleppo. The Mirdasids maintained a level of influence in the region after the loss of Aleppo, and attempted to stem the advance of the First Crusade.
Banu Mirdas see Mirdasids
Mirghaniyya
Mirghaniyya (Khatmiyya) (d. 1851). Dervish order founded by Muhammad ‘Uthman al-Mirghani. The main expansion of the order has been in eastern Sudan.
Khatmiyya see Mirghaniyya
Mirghaniyya (Khatmiyya) (d. 1851). Dervish order founded by Muhammad ‘Uthman al-Mirghani. The main expansion of the order has been in eastern Sudan.
Khatmiyya see Mirghaniyya
Mir Ja’far
Mir Ja’far (Mīr Muḥammad Jaʿfar Khan) (1691—February 5, 1765, Bengal, India). First Bengal ruler (1757–60; 1763–65). Mir Ja’far was an adventurer who married the half-sister of Alivardi Khan, the nawab of Bengal, thus entering the new ruling group in Bengal. His best-known act as a general was to betray his master, Siraj ud-Daulah, at the Battle of Plassey. Ambition and personal loyalty to Robert Clive, rather than support for the company (whose trading abuses he protested) were his politics. Forced to abdicate in favor of his son-in-law Mir Qasim, he was re-installed by the British when they declared war on his successor in 1763. Mir Ja’far died, frustrated with British self-aggrandizement, on February 5, 1765.
An Arab by birth, Mīr Jaʿfar assisted his brother-in-law, General ʿAlī Vardī Khan, in seizing the government of Bengal in 1740. Discontented, he conspired with others in 1756 to depose Sirāj al-Dawlah, the grandson and successor of ʿAlī Vardī. In 1757, he assured Robert Clive, British governor of Madras (now Chennai), that he would enter into an alliance with the British to exclude the French from Bengal and pay £500,000 to the East India Company and £250,000 to the European inhabitants of Calcutta (now Kolkata) to compensate them for the loss of the city to Sirāj the previous year, provided that the British support his bid to be ruler of Bengal. He also promised large gratuities to British military and naval forces and to the Calcutta city council members. He and his fellow conspirators took no active role in the Battle of Plassey (June 1757), in which Sirāj was overthrown, but he was installed afterward as the nawab (Muslim ruler) of Bengal.
Mīr Jaʿfar found the Bengal treasury unexpectedly small, but he undertook the fulfillment of his financial promises and issued free passes for the private trade of the English merchants, policies that led to the state’s financial ruin and a demoralization of the East India Company’s servants that marked the early years of British rule. After Clive’s departure in 1760, Mir Jaʿfar was deposed in favor of his son-in-law Mīr Qāsim. Reinstated in 1763 on the outbreak of war between the English and Mīr Qāsim, he made concessions to the English that led to his financial and political downfall. At his death he was addicted to opium and suffered from leprosy.
Mīr Muḥammad Jaʿfar Khan see Mir Ja’far
Mir Ja’far (Mīr Muḥammad Jaʿfar Khan) (1691—February 5, 1765, Bengal, India). First Bengal ruler (1757–60; 1763–65). Mir Ja’far was an adventurer who married the half-sister of Alivardi Khan, the nawab of Bengal, thus entering the new ruling group in Bengal. His best-known act as a general was to betray his master, Siraj ud-Daulah, at the Battle of Plassey. Ambition and personal loyalty to Robert Clive, rather than support for the company (whose trading abuses he protested) were his politics. Forced to abdicate in favor of his son-in-law Mir Qasim, he was re-installed by the British when they declared war on his successor in 1763. Mir Ja’far died, frustrated with British self-aggrandizement, on February 5, 1765.
An Arab by birth, Mīr Jaʿfar assisted his brother-in-law, General ʿAlī Vardī Khan, in seizing the government of Bengal in 1740. Discontented, he conspired with others in 1756 to depose Sirāj al-Dawlah, the grandson and successor of ʿAlī Vardī. In 1757, he assured Robert Clive, British governor of Madras (now Chennai), that he would enter into an alliance with the British to exclude the French from Bengal and pay £500,000 to the East India Company and £250,000 to the European inhabitants of Calcutta (now Kolkata) to compensate them for the loss of the city to Sirāj the previous year, provided that the British support his bid to be ruler of Bengal. He also promised large gratuities to British military and naval forces and to the Calcutta city council members. He and his fellow conspirators took no active role in the Battle of Plassey (June 1757), in which Sirāj was overthrown, but he was installed afterward as the nawab (Muslim ruler) of Bengal.
Mīr Jaʿfar found the Bengal treasury unexpectedly small, but he undertook the fulfillment of his financial promises and issued free passes for the private trade of the English merchants, policies that led to the state’s financial ruin and a demoralization of the East India Company’s servants that marked the early years of British rule. After Clive’s departure in 1760, Mir Jaʿfar was deposed in favor of his son-in-law Mīr Qāsim. Reinstated in 1763 on the outbreak of war between the English and Mīr Qāsim, he made concessions to the English that led to his financial and political downfall. At his death he was addicted to opium and suffered from leprosy.
Mīr Muḥammad Jaʿfar Khan see Mir Ja’far
Mir Jumla
Mir Jumla (Mir Jumla II) (Mir Muhammad Sa‘id Ardistani) (Mir Muhammad Saeed Ardestani) (Muhammad Sa‘id Mir Jumla) (c. 1591- March 30, 1663). Name of Mir Muhammad Sa‘id Ardistani, a Persian merchant adventurer who entered the service of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda around 1630. From the rank of havildar of Masulipatam, he gradually rose to be the chief minister under Abdullah Qutb Shah -- an appointment probably earned in appreciation for the military talent he displayed in the conquest of Udaygiri Fort in 1643. Master of a strong artillery in which even English gunners were employed, he carved out a dominion for himself by extensive conquests in eastern Karnataka. Mir Jumla established an efficient financial and civil administration, organized messenger service between Hyderabad and Karnataka, and maintained a powerful army paid both in cash and jagirs (tracts of land). The geopolitics of the region brought him into conflict with the Bijapuris but his main thrust was concentrated against the Vijayanagar empire. When in April 1656, Mir Jumla transferred his allegiance to Shah Jahan, the title of Mu’azzam Khan was conferred on him. Later, he was appointed diwan-i kul (chief minister) of the Mughal empire. Under Aurangzeb, he became governor of Khandesh and later viceroy of Bengal. He extended the Mughal frontiers to Cooch Behar and Assam. Mir Jumla’s mining activities made him the owner of twenty-five maunds of diamonds. He lent money to the English and conducted trade with West Asia and the East Indies.
Mir Jumla II was a prominent subahdar (governor) of Bengal in Eastern India under the Indian Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. An Iranian by birth, his original name was Mir Muhammad Saeed Ardestani (not to be confused with Mir Jumla I whose name was Mir Muhammad Amin during the reign of Emperor Jahangir). He received various titles from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb such as Mu'azzam Khan, Khan-i-Khanan, Sipah salar and Yar-i-Wafahdar, but he became more popular in history as Mir Jumla. His son's name was Muhammad Amin Khan.
Born in Ardestan, Isfahan, Mir Jumla was the son of a poor oil merchant from a Sayyid (the honorific title used by claimants as the descendants of Muhammad) family.
In his early age, Mir Jumla acquired some knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic through which he was able to secure the job of a clerk under a diamond merchant having connections with the Kingdom of Golkonda in Southern India (near present day city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India), which was famous for its diamond mines. He later came to India in the service of another merchant. He, however, started his own diamond business, farmed some diamond mines, engaged in maritime commercial ventures and gradually rose to be a merchant of much fame, owning many ships.
Mir Jumla entered the service of the Sultan of Golconda and rose to the position of Vizier or prime minister of the kingdom. He met and befriended the French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne during this time. Tavernier was a pioneer of European trade with India and the charismatic Mir Jumla is mentioned prominently in his book "Le Six Voyages de J. B. Tavernier".
Mir Jumla led campaigns against Karnataka, occupied it and gained immense wealth, which roused the suspicions of the Sultan of Golconda against him.
Prince Aurangzeb, the Mughal viceroy in the Deccan (Southern India) forwarded his cause and he got the protection of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who honored him with the title of Muazzam Khan, raised him to the rank of 6000 zat and 6000 sawar and appointed him the diwan-i-kul or the prime minister.
On his accession to the throne, Aurangzeb entrusted Mir Jumla with the task of dealing with Shah Shuja. Shuja was Auranzeb's brother and a contender to the Indian throne. He was defeated in the Battle of Khajwa and took to flight. Mir Jumla pursued Shuja from Khajwa to Tandah and from Tandah to Dhaka (capital of the present day republic of Bangladesh), where he arrived on May 9, 1660. The latter, however, had already left Dhaka, crossed the eastern border and ultimately found shelter with the king of Arakan (modern day Myanmar).
Soon after his arrival at Dhaka, Mir Jumla received the imperial farman (decree) appointing him subahdar (governor) of Bengal. The emperor, in recognition of his services, honored Mir Jumla with titles, rewards and increment of mansab (rank). He at once began reorganizing the administration, which had become slack in the absence of Shuja during the war of succession, and disobedience and refractoriness had become prevalent. Reversing the action of Shuja who had transferred the capital to Rajmahal, he restored Dhaka to its former glory. He then paid attention to the administration of justice, dismissed dishonest Qazis (clerics and judges) and Mir Adils and replaced them with honest persons.
Mir Jumla's construction activities in Dhaka and its suburbs resulted in two roads, two bridges and a network of forts, which were necessary for public welfare, strategic purposes, and speedy dispatch of troops, equipment and ammunition. A fort at Tangi-Jamalpur guarded one of the roads connecting Dhaka with the northern districts. It is now known as the Mymensingh Road. The other road led eastward, connecting the capital city with Fatulla (old Dhapa), where there were two forts, and by extension the road could lead up to Khizrpur where two other forts were situated. The Pagla bridge lies on this road off Fatulla. Some parts of the roads and forts built by Mir Jumla are still extant.
The most important aspect of Mir Jumla's rule in Bengal was his northeastern frontier policy, by which he conquered the frontier kingdoms of Kamrup (Kamarupa) and Assam. Koch Behar was a vassal state, but Raja Pran Narayan took advantage of the war of succession and shook off his allegiance. The Ahom king of Assam, Jayadhvaja Singh, occupied a part of Kamrup, which had earlier been integrated with the Bengal subah.
Mir Jumla advanced with a large army and navy against the enemy. He sent the main body of the troops and the navy towards Kamrup, while he himself proceeded against Koch Behar. On his approach, Pran Narayan evacuated the country and fled towards the hills. Koch Behar was occupied in about one month and a half and making administrative arrangements there, Mir Jumla came to join the advance party towards Kamrup.
The king of Assam was prudent enough to evacuate Kamrup, but Mir Jumla decided to conquer Assam also. Mir Jumla took 12,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry, and a fleet of 323 ships and boats up river towards Assam—the naval contingent comprised Portuguese, English, and Dutch sailors.
An account of the campaign and the life during the times was presented by the Venetian adventurer Niccolao Manucci in his memoirs 'Storia do Mogor'. This book was a reference for the work of the French historian François Catrou who wrote the ‘Historic Generale de l’Empire du Mogol’ in 1715. Manucci also got acquainted with a Mughal Navy officer of British descent during the same period named Thomas Pratte. Pratte was appointed by Mir Jumla as an officer in the Mughal navy and used to collect war boats and procure gunpowder necessary for naval warfare.
Assam, in those days, was a big country and its physiography was much different from that of Bengal. But nothing daunted Mir Jumla. In less than six weeks' time, since his starting from Guwahati, Mir Jumla conquered up to Garhgaon, the capital of Assam.
Beyond that the country was full of high hills and mountains, inaccessible for horses and troops, where the Ahom king took shelter. During the rains, the Mughals were locked in a few raised grounds, the roads were submerged, the streams and even the nalahs (drains) swelled up to become big rivers. The Assamese harassed them from all sides by their habitual night attacks. The supply of rations from their base was also stopped, because they could not be sent due to inundation of roads.
There was very great shortage of food in the camps, both for men and beasts, soldiers began to slaughter furnished horses, and it was with great difficulty that the Mughals could save themselves from complete annihilation. Besides the shortage of food, pestilence broke out in the Mughal camps, due to bad and unhealthy air and water. As a result, Mir Jumla lost almost two-thirds of his army, and worst of all Mir Jumla himself became sick.
Many armies would have disintegrated under these circumstances but under Mir Jumla's magnificent leadership, the Indian Mughal army held firm and remained on the offensive.
After the rains were over, both Mir Jumla and the king of Assam agreed to sign a peace treaty. The terms of the treaty implied that the Ahom king would accept Mughal rule and also send two Ahom princesses to the court of the Indian Emperor as a sign of goodwill (one of whom was Romoni Gabhoru, who later became the daughter-in-law of Emperor Aurangzeb - a.k.a Princess Rahmat Begum). The Ahoms also had to pay a war indemnity and an annual tribute of 20 elephants. They also had to cede the western half of their kingdom from Guwahati to Manas river.
Although the terms were favorable to the Mughals, the occupied Assamese territory was lost as soon as Mir Jumla retraced his steps. He died on his way back on boat off Khizrpur (March 30, 1663).
His simple tomb located on a small hillock has been maintained over the centuries near Garo Hills in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya. The tomb reflects a remarkably long grave and bears testimony to the legendary height of Mir Jumla-a true giant among men.
Mir Jumla, a successful businessman himself in his early career, was aware of the contribution of trade and traders in the economy of a country and looked after the interests of the traders.
During his time, the Portuguese trade had declined. But the Dutch and English companies had emerged to take their place. They dreaded his influence and courted his favor. He helped the foreign traders including the European companies to enjoy the trade privileges already granted to them by the imperial authority.
Mir Jumla, a self-made man, was one of the remarkable personalities in 17th century India. Enterprising and amiable, he started as a simple clerk and rose to be one of the greatest generals and governors of the Indian Mughal Empire.
A great statesman, he was intelligent and farsighted. He is remembered as a just and humane Indian Mughal governor.
Mir Jumla II see Mir Jumla
Mir Muhammad Sa'id Ardistani see Mir Jumla
Muhammad Sa'id Mir Jumla see Mir Jumla
Mir Muhammad Saeed Ardestani see Mir Jumla
Mu'azzam Khan see Mir Jumla
Khan-i Khanan see Mir Jumla
Mir Jumla (Mir Jumla II) (Mir Muhammad Sa‘id Ardistani) (Mir Muhammad Saeed Ardestani) (Muhammad Sa‘id Mir Jumla) (c. 1591- March 30, 1663). Name of Mir Muhammad Sa‘id Ardistani, a Persian merchant adventurer who entered the service of the Qutb Shahis of Golconda around 1630. From the rank of havildar of Masulipatam, he gradually rose to be the chief minister under Abdullah Qutb Shah -- an appointment probably earned in appreciation for the military talent he displayed in the conquest of Udaygiri Fort in 1643. Master of a strong artillery in which even English gunners were employed, he carved out a dominion for himself by extensive conquests in eastern Karnataka. Mir Jumla established an efficient financial and civil administration, organized messenger service between Hyderabad and Karnataka, and maintained a powerful army paid both in cash and jagirs (tracts of land). The geopolitics of the region brought him into conflict with the Bijapuris but his main thrust was concentrated against the Vijayanagar empire. When in April 1656, Mir Jumla transferred his allegiance to Shah Jahan, the title of Mu’azzam Khan was conferred on him. Later, he was appointed diwan-i kul (chief minister) of the Mughal empire. Under Aurangzeb, he became governor of Khandesh and later viceroy of Bengal. He extended the Mughal frontiers to Cooch Behar and Assam. Mir Jumla’s mining activities made him the owner of twenty-five maunds of diamonds. He lent money to the English and conducted trade with West Asia and the East Indies.
Mir Jumla II was a prominent subahdar (governor) of Bengal in Eastern India under the Indian Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. An Iranian by birth, his original name was Mir Muhammad Saeed Ardestani (not to be confused with Mir Jumla I whose name was Mir Muhammad Amin during the reign of Emperor Jahangir). He received various titles from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb such as Mu'azzam Khan, Khan-i-Khanan, Sipah salar and Yar-i-Wafahdar, but he became more popular in history as Mir Jumla. His son's name was Muhammad Amin Khan.
Born in Ardestan, Isfahan, Mir Jumla was the son of a poor oil merchant from a Sayyid (the honorific title used by claimants as the descendants of Muhammad) family.
In his early age, Mir Jumla acquired some knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic through which he was able to secure the job of a clerk under a diamond merchant having connections with the Kingdom of Golkonda in Southern India (near present day city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India), which was famous for its diamond mines. He later came to India in the service of another merchant. He, however, started his own diamond business, farmed some diamond mines, engaged in maritime commercial ventures and gradually rose to be a merchant of much fame, owning many ships.
Mir Jumla entered the service of the Sultan of Golconda and rose to the position of Vizier or prime minister of the kingdom. He met and befriended the French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne during this time. Tavernier was a pioneer of European trade with India and the charismatic Mir Jumla is mentioned prominently in his book "Le Six Voyages de J. B. Tavernier".
Mir Jumla led campaigns against Karnataka, occupied it and gained immense wealth, which roused the suspicions of the Sultan of Golconda against him.
Prince Aurangzeb, the Mughal viceroy in the Deccan (Southern India) forwarded his cause and he got the protection of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who honored him with the title of Muazzam Khan, raised him to the rank of 6000 zat and 6000 sawar and appointed him the diwan-i-kul or the prime minister.
On his accession to the throne, Aurangzeb entrusted Mir Jumla with the task of dealing with Shah Shuja. Shuja was Auranzeb's brother and a contender to the Indian throne. He was defeated in the Battle of Khajwa and took to flight. Mir Jumla pursued Shuja from Khajwa to Tandah and from Tandah to Dhaka (capital of the present day republic of Bangladesh), where he arrived on May 9, 1660. The latter, however, had already left Dhaka, crossed the eastern border and ultimately found shelter with the king of Arakan (modern day Myanmar).
Soon after his arrival at Dhaka, Mir Jumla received the imperial farman (decree) appointing him subahdar (governor) of Bengal. The emperor, in recognition of his services, honored Mir Jumla with titles, rewards and increment of mansab (rank). He at once began reorganizing the administration, which had become slack in the absence of Shuja during the war of succession, and disobedience and refractoriness had become prevalent. Reversing the action of Shuja who had transferred the capital to Rajmahal, he restored Dhaka to its former glory. He then paid attention to the administration of justice, dismissed dishonest Qazis (clerics and judges) and Mir Adils and replaced them with honest persons.
Mir Jumla's construction activities in Dhaka and its suburbs resulted in two roads, two bridges and a network of forts, which were necessary for public welfare, strategic purposes, and speedy dispatch of troops, equipment and ammunition. A fort at Tangi-Jamalpur guarded one of the roads connecting Dhaka with the northern districts. It is now known as the Mymensingh Road. The other road led eastward, connecting the capital city with Fatulla (old Dhapa), where there were two forts, and by extension the road could lead up to Khizrpur where two other forts were situated. The Pagla bridge lies on this road off Fatulla. Some parts of the roads and forts built by Mir Jumla are still extant.
The most important aspect of Mir Jumla's rule in Bengal was his northeastern frontier policy, by which he conquered the frontier kingdoms of Kamrup (Kamarupa) and Assam. Koch Behar was a vassal state, but Raja Pran Narayan took advantage of the war of succession and shook off his allegiance. The Ahom king of Assam, Jayadhvaja Singh, occupied a part of Kamrup, which had earlier been integrated with the Bengal subah.
Mir Jumla advanced with a large army and navy against the enemy. He sent the main body of the troops and the navy towards Kamrup, while he himself proceeded against Koch Behar. On his approach, Pran Narayan evacuated the country and fled towards the hills. Koch Behar was occupied in about one month and a half and making administrative arrangements there, Mir Jumla came to join the advance party towards Kamrup.
The king of Assam was prudent enough to evacuate Kamrup, but Mir Jumla decided to conquer Assam also. Mir Jumla took 12,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry, and a fleet of 323 ships and boats up river towards Assam—the naval contingent comprised Portuguese, English, and Dutch sailors.
An account of the campaign and the life during the times was presented by the Venetian adventurer Niccolao Manucci in his memoirs 'Storia do Mogor'. This book was a reference for the work of the French historian François Catrou who wrote the ‘Historic Generale de l’Empire du Mogol’ in 1715. Manucci also got acquainted with a Mughal Navy officer of British descent during the same period named Thomas Pratte. Pratte was appointed by Mir Jumla as an officer in the Mughal navy and used to collect war boats and procure gunpowder necessary for naval warfare.
Assam, in those days, was a big country and its physiography was much different from that of Bengal. But nothing daunted Mir Jumla. In less than six weeks' time, since his starting from Guwahati, Mir Jumla conquered up to Garhgaon, the capital of Assam.
Beyond that the country was full of high hills and mountains, inaccessible for horses and troops, where the Ahom king took shelter. During the rains, the Mughals were locked in a few raised grounds, the roads were submerged, the streams and even the nalahs (drains) swelled up to become big rivers. The Assamese harassed them from all sides by their habitual night attacks. The supply of rations from their base was also stopped, because they could not be sent due to inundation of roads.
There was very great shortage of food in the camps, both for men and beasts, soldiers began to slaughter furnished horses, and it was with great difficulty that the Mughals could save themselves from complete annihilation. Besides the shortage of food, pestilence broke out in the Mughal camps, due to bad and unhealthy air and water. As a result, Mir Jumla lost almost two-thirds of his army, and worst of all Mir Jumla himself became sick.
Many armies would have disintegrated under these circumstances but under Mir Jumla's magnificent leadership, the Indian Mughal army held firm and remained on the offensive.
After the rains were over, both Mir Jumla and the king of Assam agreed to sign a peace treaty. The terms of the treaty implied that the Ahom king would accept Mughal rule and also send two Ahom princesses to the court of the Indian Emperor as a sign of goodwill (one of whom was Romoni Gabhoru, who later became the daughter-in-law of Emperor Aurangzeb - a.k.a Princess Rahmat Begum). The Ahoms also had to pay a war indemnity and an annual tribute of 20 elephants. They also had to cede the western half of their kingdom from Guwahati to Manas river.
Although the terms were favorable to the Mughals, the occupied Assamese territory was lost as soon as Mir Jumla retraced his steps. He died on his way back on boat off Khizrpur (March 30, 1663).
His simple tomb located on a small hillock has been maintained over the centuries near Garo Hills in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya. The tomb reflects a remarkably long grave and bears testimony to the legendary height of Mir Jumla-a true giant among men.
Mir Jumla, a successful businessman himself in his early career, was aware of the contribution of trade and traders in the economy of a country and looked after the interests of the traders.
During his time, the Portuguese trade had declined. But the Dutch and English companies had emerged to take their place. They dreaded his influence and courted his favor. He helped the foreign traders including the European companies to enjoy the trade privileges already granted to them by the imperial authority.
Mir Jumla, a self-made man, was one of the remarkable personalities in 17th century India. Enterprising and amiable, he started as a simple clerk and rose to be one of the greatest generals and governors of the Indian Mughal Empire.
A great statesman, he was intelligent and farsighted. He is remembered as a just and humane Indian Mughal governor.
Mir Jumla II see Mir Jumla
Mir Muhammad Sa'id Ardistani see Mir Jumla
Muhammad Sa'id Mir Jumla see Mir Jumla
Mir Muhammad Saeed Ardestani see Mir Jumla
Mu'azzam Khan see Mir Jumla
Khan-i Khanan see Mir Jumla
Mirkhwand
Mirkhwand (Mirkhvand) (Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhwand) (Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhvand) (1433-1498). Timurid historian in Herat. He wrote a universal history in Persian which enjoyed exceptional popularity throughout the Turco-Iranian regions and was translated several times into Turkish.
Mirkhvand see Mirkhwand
Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhwand see Mirkhwand
Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhvand see Mirkhwand
Mirkhvand, Muhammad ibn Khwanshah see Mirkhwand
Mirkhwand, Muhammad ibn Khwanshah see Mirkhwand
Mirkhwand (Mirkhvand) (Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhwand) (Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhvand) (1433-1498). Timurid historian in Herat. He wrote a universal history in Persian which enjoyed exceptional popularity throughout the Turco-Iranian regions and was translated several times into Turkish.
Mirkhvand see Mirkhwand
Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhwand see Mirkhwand
Muhammad ibn Khwanshah Mirkhvand see Mirkhwand
Mirkhvand, Muhammad ibn Khwanshah see Mirkhwand
Mirkhwand, Muhammad ibn Khwanshah see Mirkhwand
Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad (Sayyid Muhammad Mir Lawhi) (Naqibi). Shi‘a religious scholar from the seventeenth century. He wrote on Shi‘a theology, the Imamate, especially the question relative to the twelfth Imam, and on the refutation of all forms of Sufism. He directed sharp criticism against Majlisi-yi Awwal.
Sayyid Muhammad Mir Lawhi see Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad Mir see Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Naqibi see Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad (Sayyid Muhammad Mir Lawhi) (Naqibi). Shi‘a religious scholar from the seventeenth century. He wrote on Shi‘a theology, the Imamate, especially the question relative to the twelfth Imam, and on the refutation of all forms of Sufism. He directed sharp criticism against Majlisi-yi Awwal.
Sayyid Muhammad Mir Lawhi see Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad Mir see Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Naqibi see Mir Lawhi, Sayyid Muhammad
Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Mir, Muhammad Taqi (Khuda-e-Sukhan Mir Taqi Mir) (Meer Taqi Meer) (1722/1723- September 20, 1810). Along with Ghalib, one of the two greatest poets of the classical Urdu style of poetry, the ghazal. Mir was born and grew up in Agra, but lived his adult life first in Delhi, then after 1782 in Lucknow, where he died. Moody, proud, quite conscious of his own pre-eminence, he was often on difficult terms with his relatives and patrons. But his brilliance as a poet was recognized even before his first divan, or group of poems, was collected around 1750; during his lifelong poetic career, he produced a good deal of other Urdu and Persian poetry, together with an autobiography (in Persian) and an account of Urdu poets. Mir’s command of Persian, his fondness for prakritic vocabulary, and his wonderful capacity for wordplay give his language a piquancy that belies that reputation as a poet of unrelieved melancholy. More than any other poet Mir shaped the classical Urdu ghazal in its middle period. His popularity and influence remain very much alive.
Khuda-e-Sukhan Mir Taqi Mir was the leading Urdu poet of the eighteenth century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi School of the Urdu ghazal and remains arguably the foremost name in Urdu poetry often remembered as Khuda-e-Sukhan (god of poetry).
Mir Jumla was born in Agra, India (called Akbarabad at the time), ruled by the Mughals at the time. He left for Delhi, at the age of 11, following his father's death. His philosophy of life was formed primarily from his father, whose emphasis on the importance of love and the value of compassion remained with him through his life and imbued his poetry. At Delhi, he finished his education and joined a group of nobility as a courtier-poet. He lived much of his life in Mughal Delhi. Kuchha Chelan, located in the famous grain market Khari Baoli, in Old Delhi was his address at that time. However, after Ahmad Shah Abdali's sack of Delhi each year starting 1748, he eventually moved to the court of Asaf-ud-Daulah in Lucknow, at the king's invitation. Distressed to witness the plundering of his beloved Delhi, he gave vent to his feelings through some of his couplets. He remained in Lucknow for the remainder of his life. He died in Lucknow, of a purgative overdose, on September 20, 1810.
Mir's literary reputation is anchored on his ghazals. Mir lived at a time when Urdu language and poetry was at a formative stage - and Mir's instinctive aesthetic sense helped him strike a balance between the indigenous expression and new enrichment coming in from Persian imagery and idiom, to constitute the new elite language known as Rekhta or Hindui. Basing his language on his native Hindustani, he leavened it with a sprinkling of Persian diction and phraseology, and created a poetic language at once simple, natural and elegant, which was to guide generations of future poets.
After his move to Lucknow, his beloved daughter died, followed by his son, and then his wife. This, together with other earlier setbacks (including his traumatic stages in Delhi) lends a strong pathos to much of his writing - and indeed Mir is noted for his poetry of pathos and melancholy.
What Mir was practicing was probably the “Malamati” or “Blameworthy” aspect of the Sufi tradition. Using this technique, a person ascribes to oneself an unconventional aspect of a person or society, and then plays out its results, either in action or in verse. He was a prolific writer. His complete works, Kulliaat, consist of 6 dewans, containing 13,585 couplets comprising all kinds of poetic forms: ghazal, masnavi, qasida, rubai, mustezaad, satire, etc.
Khuda-e-Sukhan Mir Taqi Mir see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Meer Taqi Meer see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
God of Poetry see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Muhammad Taqi Mir see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Mir, Muhammad Taqi (Khuda-e-Sukhan Mir Taqi Mir) (Meer Taqi Meer) (1722/1723- September 20, 1810). Along with Ghalib, one of the two greatest poets of the classical Urdu style of poetry, the ghazal. Mir was born and grew up in Agra, but lived his adult life first in Delhi, then after 1782 in Lucknow, where he died. Moody, proud, quite conscious of his own pre-eminence, he was often on difficult terms with his relatives and patrons. But his brilliance as a poet was recognized even before his first divan, or group of poems, was collected around 1750; during his lifelong poetic career, he produced a good deal of other Urdu and Persian poetry, together with an autobiography (in Persian) and an account of Urdu poets. Mir’s command of Persian, his fondness for prakritic vocabulary, and his wonderful capacity for wordplay give his language a piquancy that belies that reputation as a poet of unrelieved melancholy. More than any other poet Mir shaped the classical Urdu ghazal in its middle period. His popularity and influence remain very much alive.
Khuda-e-Sukhan Mir Taqi Mir was the leading Urdu poet of the eighteenth century, and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language itself. He was one of the principal poets of the Delhi School of the Urdu ghazal and remains arguably the foremost name in Urdu poetry often remembered as Khuda-e-Sukhan (god of poetry).
Mir Jumla was born in Agra, India (called Akbarabad at the time), ruled by the Mughals at the time. He left for Delhi, at the age of 11, following his father's death. His philosophy of life was formed primarily from his father, whose emphasis on the importance of love and the value of compassion remained with him through his life and imbued his poetry. At Delhi, he finished his education and joined a group of nobility as a courtier-poet. He lived much of his life in Mughal Delhi. Kuchha Chelan, located in the famous grain market Khari Baoli, in Old Delhi was his address at that time. However, after Ahmad Shah Abdali's sack of Delhi each year starting 1748, he eventually moved to the court of Asaf-ud-Daulah in Lucknow, at the king's invitation. Distressed to witness the plundering of his beloved Delhi, he gave vent to his feelings through some of his couplets. He remained in Lucknow for the remainder of his life. He died in Lucknow, of a purgative overdose, on September 20, 1810.
Mir's literary reputation is anchored on his ghazals. Mir lived at a time when Urdu language and poetry was at a formative stage - and Mir's instinctive aesthetic sense helped him strike a balance between the indigenous expression and new enrichment coming in from Persian imagery and idiom, to constitute the new elite language known as Rekhta or Hindui. Basing his language on his native Hindustani, he leavened it with a sprinkling of Persian diction and phraseology, and created a poetic language at once simple, natural and elegant, which was to guide generations of future poets.
After his move to Lucknow, his beloved daughter died, followed by his son, and then his wife. This, together with other earlier setbacks (including his traumatic stages in Delhi) lends a strong pathos to much of his writing - and indeed Mir is noted for his poetry of pathos and melancholy.
What Mir was practicing was probably the “Malamati” or “Blameworthy” aspect of the Sufi tradition. Using this technique, a person ascribes to oneself an unconventional aspect of a person or society, and then plays out its results, either in action or in verse. He was a prolific writer. His complete works, Kulliaat, consist of 6 dewans, containing 13,585 couplets comprising all kinds of poetic forms: ghazal, masnavi, qasida, rubai, mustezaad, satire, etc.
Khuda-e-Sukhan Mir Taqi Mir see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Meer Taqi Meer see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
God of Poetry see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Muhammad Taqi Mir see Mir, Muhammad Taqi
Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim (Mir Kasim) (Mir Kasim Ali Khan) (d.1777). Nawab of Bengal (r.1760-1763). Mir Qasim was the son-in-law of his predecessor, Mir Ja’far. Installed by the British, Mir Qasim refused to be a puppet. A more proficient administrator than Mir Ja’far, he doubled revenue collections and attempted to modernize the army. When the British refused to stop abusing their trade privileges, Mir Qasim boldly extended the same exemptions from tax to the Indian merchants. The outraged British declared war in June 1763 and brought back Mir Ja’far. Mir Qasim’s alliance with Nawab Shuja ud-Daulah of Awadh and with the Mughal emperor culminated in his defeat at Baksar on October 23, 1764
Mir Qasim was Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1764. He was installed as Nawab by the British East India Company replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been installed by the British after his role in the Battle of Palashi. However, Mir Jafar had started to assert independence by trying to tie up with the Dutch East India Company. The British eventually overran the Dutch forces at Chinsura and replaced Mir Jafar with Mir Qasim. Qasim later fell out with the British and fought them at the Battle of Buxar. His defeat has been suggested as the last real chance of preventing a British-ruled India following Britain's victory in the Seven Years War.
Upon ascending the throne, Mir Qasim repaid the British with lavish gifts. To please the British, Mir Qasim robbed everybody, confiscated lands, reduced Mir Jafar's purse and depleted the treasury. He also transferred the districts of Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong to the British East India Company. However, he soon tired of British interference and endless avarice and like Mir Jafar before him, yearned to break free of the British. He eventually shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger in present day Bihar where he raised an independent army, financing them by streamlining reforms in tax collection.
He opposed the British East India Company position that their imperial Mughal license (dastak) meant that they could trade without paying taxes (other local merchants with dastaks were required to pay up to 40% of their revenue as tax). Frustrated at the British refusal to pay these taxes, Mir Qasim abolished all taxes on the local traders as well. This upset the advantage that the British traders had been enjoying so far, and hostilities built up. After losing a number of skirmishes, Mir Qasim overran the Company offices in Patna in 1763, killing several Europeans including the Resident. Mir Qasim teamed up with Shuja-ud-Daula of Avadh and Shah Alam II, the itinerant Mughal emperor, who were also threatened by growing British might. However, their combined forces were defeated in the Battle of Buxar in 1764, thus ceding control of the rich Gangetic plain to the British.
Mir Qasim's short campaign against British was significant. It was a direct fight against the outsider British by a native Bengali. Unlike Siraj-ud-Daulah before him, Mir Qasim was an effective and popular ruler. The battle with Mir Qasim and the success at Buxar established the British as conquerors of Bengal in a much more real sense than the Battle of Plassey ten years before.
Mir Qasim died in obscurity, possibly in Delhi in 1777. He passed his last days in abject poverty. His shawl had to be sold to pay his coroners.
Mir Kasim see Mir Qasim
Kasim, Mir see Mir Qasim
Qasim, Mir see Mir Qasim
Mir Kasim Ali Khan see Mir Qasim
Khan, Mir Kasim Ali see Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim (Mir Kasim) (Mir Kasim Ali Khan) (d.1777). Nawab of Bengal (r.1760-1763). Mir Qasim was the son-in-law of his predecessor, Mir Ja’far. Installed by the British, Mir Qasim refused to be a puppet. A more proficient administrator than Mir Ja’far, he doubled revenue collections and attempted to modernize the army. When the British refused to stop abusing their trade privileges, Mir Qasim boldly extended the same exemptions from tax to the Indian merchants. The outraged British declared war in June 1763 and brought back Mir Ja’far. Mir Qasim’s alliance with Nawab Shuja ud-Daulah of Awadh and with the Mughal emperor culminated in his defeat at Baksar on October 23, 1764
Mir Qasim was Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1764. He was installed as Nawab by the British East India Company replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been installed by the British after his role in the Battle of Palashi. However, Mir Jafar had started to assert independence by trying to tie up with the Dutch East India Company. The British eventually overran the Dutch forces at Chinsura and replaced Mir Jafar with Mir Qasim. Qasim later fell out with the British and fought them at the Battle of Buxar. His defeat has been suggested as the last real chance of preventing a British-ruled India following Britain's victory in the Seven Years War.
Upon ascending the throne, Mir Qasim repaid the British with lavish gifts. To please the British, Mir Qasim robbed everybody, confiscated lands, reduced Mir Jafar's purse and depleted the treasury. He also transferred the districts of Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong to the British East India Company. However, he soon tired of British interference and endless avarice and like Mir Jafar before him, yearned to break free of the British. He eventually shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger in present day Bihar where he raised an independent army, financing them by streamlining reforms in tax collection.
He opposed the British East India Company position that their imperial Mughal license (dastak) meant that they could trade without paying taxes (other local merchants with dastaks were required to pay up to 40% of their revenue as tax). Frustrated at the British refusal to pay these taxes, Mir Qasim abolished all taxes on the local traders as well. This upset the advantage that the British traders had been enjoying so far, and hostilities built up. After losing a number of skirmishes, Mir Qasim overran the Company offices in Patna in 1763, killing several Europeans including the Resident. Mir Qasim teamed up with Shuja-ud-Daula of Avadh and Shah Alam II, the itinerant Mughal emperor, who were also threatened by growing British might. However, their combined forces were defeated in the Battle of Buxar in 1764, thus ceding control of the rich Gangetic plain to the British.
Mir Qasim's short campaign against British was significant. It was a direct fight against the outsider British by a native Bengali. Unlike Siraj-ud-Daulah before him, Mir Qasim was an effective and popular ruler. The battle with Mir Qasim and the success at Buxar established the British as conquerors of Bengal in a much more real sense than the Battle of Plassey ten years before.
Mir Qasim died in obscurity, possibly in Delhi in 1777. He passed his last days in abject poverty. His shawl had to be sold to pay his coroners.
Mir Kasim see Mir Qasim
Kasim, Mir see Mir Qasim
Qasim, Mir see Mir Qasim
Mir Kasim Ali Khan see Mir Qasim
Khan, Mir Kasim Ali see Mir Qasim
Mirza
Mirza. Persian title, originally meaning “born of a prince.” In Persian usage, it was also given to noblemen and others of good birth, thus corresponding to the Turkish Aga. In Indian usage, it is accorded, from Mughal times onwards, to kinsmen of the Mughals, the Timurids, the Safavids, members of other royal houses and to certain Mughal nobles.
The title Mirza (Persian: میرزا ) is a high title of nobility, originally used in the Persian Court. Starting in the 15th century, the title was also adopted by the Ottomans, Mughals, and various Tatar khanates and is still in use, in areas which were conquered by them (from modern day Eastern Europe/Former Yugoslavia to South Asia). The name Mirza still enjoys a wide degree of use in Iran and the neighboring states of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mirza. Persian title, originally meaning “born of a prince.” In Persian usage, it was also given to noblemen and others of good birth, thus corresponding to the Turkish Aga. In Indian usage, it is accorded, from Mughal times onwards, to kinsmen of the Mughals, the Timurids, the Safavids, members of other royal houses and to certain Mughal nobles.
The title Mirza (Persian: میرزا ) is a high title of nobility, originally used in the Persian Court. Starting in the 15th century, the title was also adopted by the Ottomans, Mughals, and various Tatar khanates and is still in use, in areas which were conquered by them (from modern day Eastern Europe/Former Yugoslavia to South Asia). The name Mirza still enjoys a wide degree of use in Iran and the neighboring states of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mirza Abu’l-Qasim ‘Arif
Mirza Abu’l-Qasim ‘Arif (1880-1934). Persian revolutionary poet and satirist. His poetry is full of social satire, attacks on corruption, and of nostalgia for Persia’s great past.
'Arif, Mirza Abu'l-Qasim see Mirza Abu’l-Qasim ‘Arif
Mirza Abu’l-Qasim ‘Arif (1880-1934). Persian revolutionary poet and satirist. His poetry is full of social satire, attacks on corruption, and of nostalgia for Persia’s great past.
'Arif, Mirza Abu'l-Qasim see Mirza Abu’l-Qasim ‘Arif
Mirza Ahmad Khan
Mirza Ahmad Khan. Indian Muslim noble and traveller to the West during the eighteenth century. In 1794, he travelled via Muscat, Istanbul and Marseilles to Paris, where he was well received by the Committee of Public Safety. In gratitude, he translated the “Declaration of the Rights of Man” into Persian.
Khan, Mirza Ahmad see Mirza Ahmad Khan.
Mirza Ahmad Khan. Indian Muslim noble and traveller to the West during the eighteenth century. In 1794, he travelled via Muscat, Istanbul and Marseilles to Paris, where he was well received by the Committee of Public Safety. In gratitude, he translated the “Declaration of the Rights of Man” into Persian.
Khan, Mirza Ahmad see Mirza Ahmad Khan.
Mirza ‘Aziz Koka
Mirza ‘Aziz Koka (c. 1542-1624). Son of the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s wet nurse Jiji Anaga. He rose to prominence in the Mughal court, army and administration.
Koka, Mirza 'Aziz see Mirza ‘Aziz Koka
Mirza ‘Aziz Koka (c. 1542-1624). Son of the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s wet nurse Jiji Anaga. He rose to prominence in the Mughal court, army and administration.
Koka, Mirza 'Aziz see Mirza ‘Aziz Koka
Mirzakhani, Maryam
Maryam Mirzakhani (Persian: مریم میرزاخانی; b. May 3, 1977, Tehran, Iran - d. July 14, 2017, Palo Alto, California) was an Iranian mathematician, and a full professor of mathematics (beginning on September 1, 2008) at Stanford University.
Her research interests included Teichmuller theory, hyperbolic geometry, ergodic theory, and symplectic geometry. In 2014, Mirzakhani became the first woman, as well as the first Iranian and the second person from the Middle East (after Elon Lindenstrauss), to be awarded the Fields Medal.
Maryam Mirzakhani was born in 1977 in Tehran, Iran. She went to high school in the city at the Farzanegan School, a school for gifted girls that is administered by the National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents (NODET). Mirzakhani competed and was recognized internationally for her math skills, receiving gold medals at both the 1994 International Mathematical Olympiad (Hong Kong) and the 1995 International Mathematical Olympiad (Toronto), where she was the first Iranian student to finish with a perfect score.
Mirzakhani obtained her BSc in mathematics (1999) from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran. She went to the United States for graduate work, earning a PhD from Harvard University (2004), where she worked under the supervision of the Fields Medalist Curtis McMullen. She was also a 2004 research fellow of the Clay Mathematics Institute and a professor at Princeton University.
Mirzakhani made several contributions to the theory of moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces. In her early work, Maryam Mirzakhani discovered a formula expressing the volume of a moduli space with a given genus as a polynomial in the number of boundary components. This led her to obtain a new proof for the formula discovered by Edward Witten and Maxim Kontsevich on the intersection numbers of tautology classes on moduli space, as well as an asymptotic formula for the growth of the number of simple closed geodesics on a compact hyperbolic surface. Her subsequent work has focused on Teichmüller dynamics of moduli space. In particular, she was able to prove the long-standing conjecture that William Thurston's earthquake flow onTeichmuller space is ergodic.
Mirzakhani was awarded the Fields Medal in 2014 for "her outstanding contributions to the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces". She was congratulated for her win by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Mirzakhani was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. After four years, it spread to her bone marrow. Mirzakhani died from breast cancer on July 14, 2017 at the age of 40.
She married Jan Vondrak, a theoretical computer scientist. They had a daughter named Anahita.
Mirzakhani was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013. After four years, it spread to her bone marrow. Mirzakhani died from breast cancer on July 14, 2017 at the age of 40.
Mirza Muhammad Amir Kabir
Mirza Muhammad Amir Kabir (c. 1807-1852). Reformist statesman of nineteenth century Persia. He took part in diplomatic missions to Russia and Turkey and, as a consequence, made strenuous efforts to introduce modernising measures. He met with hostility at the court, and was executed in Kashan.
Kabir, Mirza Muhammad Amir see Mirza Muhammad Amir Kabir
Mirza Muhammad Amir Kabir (c. 1807-1852). Reformist statesman of nineteenth century Persia. He took part in diplomatic missions to Russia and Turkey and, as a consequence, made strenuous efforts to introduce modernising measures. He met with hostility at the court, and was executed in Kashan.
Kabir, Mirza Muhammad Amir see Mirza Muhammad Amir Kabir
Mirzas
Mirzas. Turbulent family of Timurid descent in Gujarat who were troublesome during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Mirzas. Turbulent family of Timurid descent in Gujarat who were troublesome during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
