Furrukhsiyar

Furrukhsiyar (or Farrukhsiyar, 1683-1719) was the mughal emperor of India from 17. He was born as Muhammad in 1683 to Azim-ush-Shan, Bahadur Shah I's son.

Related Topics:
India - Bahadur Shah I

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Farrukhsiyar succeeded the throne on June 11, 1713, at the age of 30 with the aid of the two Saiyid brothers. Noted as a handsome but weak ruler easily swayed by his advisors, he lacked the ability and character to rule independently. His reign marked the ascendancy of the Saiyid brothers who monopolized state power and reduced the Emperor to an effective figurehead.

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Saiyid Huseyn Ali became Wazir or Prime Minister while his brother, Abdullah, became Commander-in-Chief of the army. Farrukhsiyar was irked by their supremacy, but various plots to overthrow their influence were never successfully executed, though the ensuing internecine strife affected the administration of the empire. Taking advantage of the situation, the Rajput, Jat, and Sikh factions created panic in the regions. Farrukhsiyar was successful in his campaign against the Sikhs and executed Banda Bahadur in 1716, recovering Lohagar from them.

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It was during Farrukhsiyar's reign in 1717 that the East India Company bought duty-free trading rights in Bengal for a mere 3,000 rupees. This favor aided the British in later years to establish a firm foothold in India.

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The constant plotting eventually led the Saiyid brothers to depose the Emperor. Farrukhsiyar was imprisoned, starved, blinded and finally strangled to death in 1719. The Saiyid brothers continued their career as kingmakers and placed Rafi-ul-Darajat on the throne. He was later deposed and replaced by his elder brother, Rafi-ud-Daula. After the death of Rafi-ud-Daula, Saiyid brothers appointed Muhammad Shah, another grandson of Bahadur Shah I, as the next emperor.

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