Ali Mohammed Khan


Ali Muhammad Khan was the founder of the Kingdom of Rohilkhand, and progenitor of the Rohilla dynasty. He succeeded his foster father, Daud Khan Barech, as chief of the Rohillas at the age of fourteen, and was generally regarded as a non-oppressive ruler to the masses. He was well regarded for his political ability, and was granted the right to use India's highest insignia, the Mahseer, by Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah.
His early death led to the regency of Hafiz Rahmat Khan Barech, despite Rehmat Khan's solemn oath on the Quran to fulfill the dying Ali Muhammad's will.

Early life

Ali Muhammad Khan, originally named Prem Singh, was born around 1707 into a Jat family. As a child, he was captured by Daud Khan Barech, the Barech chief, during a conflict with rival Zamindars. Impressed by the boy, Daud chose to adopt him, convert him to Islam, and give him a new name.
According to the Inradus Sa'adat, Ali was a Hanafi Muslim belonging to the Qadiri Sufi Order, which was considered by them to be more closer to pure Islam than any other mystic order prevailing in India.

Reign

He succeeded Daud Khan and develop Rohilkhand into a powerful nation, which became independent in 1721. Ali Muhammad Khan distinguished himself by helping in suppressing the rebellion of the Barah Sayyids under the chief Saifudddin Barha who had put the Mughal governor Marhamat Khan and all of his followers to death. As a reward Ali Muhammad Khan was given the title of Nawab by Muhammad Shah in 1737. In 1746, due to an altercation over the collection of wood between the construction workers of Safdar Jang with the forest guards of Ali Muhammad Khan, Safdar Jang decided to eliminate him. Safdar Jang of Oudh informed the Mughal emperor of India Muhammad Shah, through Qamar-ud-Din Khan about Ali Mohammed Khan's supposed intentions to create his own Sultanate. Mohammed Shah sent an expedition against him, as a result of which Muhammad Khan was imprisoned. Later he was pardoned and made governor of Sirhind. After Nadir Shah, the conqueror of Iran, took control of Kabul and sacked Delhi in 1739, Ali Mohammed Khan returned to his homeland and ruled the independent state of Rohilkhand until his death in 1748.
Faizullah Khan was the second son of Ali Muhammad Khan. He assumed rule of the Rohillas after Nawab Saidullah Khan.

Descendants

In the 19th century, the descendants of Ali, specifically the Nawabs of Rampur, claimed he was a Barha Sayyid and began using the title of Sayyid. However, they could not present any pedigree or valid historical proof to support this claim. The Nawabs even hired a prominent maulvi of Rampur, Najmul Ghani, for establishing ancestry from Ali ibn Abi Talib, which was generally rejected.
The following is a list of his children:
  • Nawab Abdullah Khan, first son from his wife Marghalari Begum
  • Nawab Faizullah Khan, second son from his wife Marghalari Begum, would later found the Rampur State
  • Nawab Saadullah Khan, from his wife Sarah Begum
  • Nawab Muhammad Yar Khan, son from his wife Lado Begum
  • Nawab Alah-Yar Khan, son from his wife Raj Begum - He died of consumption around the same time that his younger brother Murtaza died.
  • Murtaza Khan, son - disgusted by Hafiz Rehmat Khan's unfair treatment, he left for Secunderabad where he died.
  • Shah Begum, daughter, from wife Marghalari Begum
  • Niyaz Begum, daughter,
  • Masoom Begum, daughter,
  • Inayat Begum, daughter,
  • a daughter, name unknown, who died in childhood and was engaged to a son of Qamar-ud-din Khan