Adham Khan (1531 – 16 May 1562) was a general of

Mughal emperor The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

. He was the younger son of Maham Anga, and thus, was the foster brother of Akbar. In his fourth regnal year, Akbar married him to Javeda Begum, the daughter of Baqi Khan Baqlani.

Conquest of Malwa

After the dismissal of Mann, Adham was appointed as a general and was sent to

Malwa Malwa () is a historical region, historical list of regions in India, region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic plateau, volcanic upland north of the ...

to capture it. In 1561, the Mughal army led by Adham invaded Malwa. They defeated the army of Ishaan, the Sultan of

in the battle of Sarangpur on 29 March 1561. All his treasures, elephants and his harem were captured by the victors. Rani Roopmati, the leader, killed herself by taking poison. After the victory, Adham Khan sent to the emperor Akbar a report of victory along with only a few elephants, with himself appropriating the rest of the spoils. Akbar resented this insolence and personally marched away to Sarangpur. He took Adham Khan by surprise, who surrendered to Akbar himself and the spoils he took. Later, he was recalled from Malwa and the command was made over to Pir Muhammad Khan. Adham Khan was appointed governor of

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

Execution of Adham Khan and its aftermath

In November 1561, Akbar's favourite general Ataga Khan, was appointed ''wakil'' (the prime minister), replacing Munim Khan. His appointment displeased Maham Anga. On 16 May 1562, Adham Khan, accompanied by a few ruffians, burst in upon Ataga Khan as he sat in the hall of audience and murdered him. Adham Khan then rushed to the inner apartment, where he was caught by Akbar, just roused from sleep by the tumult. Akbar replied to Adham Khan's explanation to palliate his crime by striking him down with a heavy blow of his fist. Adham was thrown down twice from the roof of a one storied building whose height was about 10 feet (which was possibly the reason why he had to be thrown down twice) by royal order and put to death. Akbar himself broke this news to Maham Anga, who made a simple but dignified reply "You have done well". The sudden demise of Adham Khan made his mother depressed, and after forty days, she also died. After his death, his body was sent with respect to Delhi. Akbar built the mausoleum of Adham Khan in

Mehrauli Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, Delhi, India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurugram and next to Vasant Kunj. History Mehrauli is one of the seven medieval cities that ...

, where both, Adham Khan and his mother Maham Anga, were buried.Beveridge, H. (1907, reprint 2000). ''The Akbarnama of Abu'l Fazl'', Vol. II, Calcutta: The Asiatic Society, , p. 274 This mausoleum, popularly known as '' Bhul-bhulaiyan'', due to a

labyrinthine In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...

maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lead ...

inside, stands on the ramparts of the Lal Kot, located in the north of the

Qutub Minar The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and victory tower comprising the Qutb complex, which lies at the site of Delhi's oldest fortified city, Lal Kot, founded by the Tomar Rajputs. It is a UNESCO World Heritage ...

. The building is often used as a waiting room by people waiting for a bus from the Mehrauli terminal.

Personal life

He married Javeda Begum, the daughter of Baqi Khan Baqlani, in 1552. He had 2 sons and 2 daughters.

Gallery

Image:The Defeat of Baz Bahadur of Malwa by the Mughal Troops, 1561, Akbarnama.jpg, The Defeat of

Baz Bahadur Bayazid Baz Bahadur Khan was the last Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate, who reigned from 1555 to 1562. He succeeded his father, Shuja'at Khan. He is known for his romantic liaison with Roopmati. Baz Bahadur as sultan did not bother to look aft ...

by '' Akbarnama'', ca 1590-95 Image:Adham Khan pays Homage to Akbar at Sarangpur, Akbarnama.jpg, Adham Khan pays homage to

at Sarangpur in 1561, after his unsuccessful attempts of subvert Akbar's authority, '' Akbarnama''.

Notes

{{Authority control Mughal generals 1562 deaths Year of birth unknown 16th-century Indian Muslims 1531 births People from Kabul Subahdars of Malwa 16th-century Mughal Empire people

Conquest of Malwa

Execution of Adham Khan and its aftermath

Personal life

Gallery

See also

Notes