Short Notes on Munim Khan

Bairam Khan resigned as Vakil (prime minister) of the Mughal Empire in 1560, and Akbar selected Munim to succeed him in this role. Munim fought Mah Chuchak Begum, who had defied Akbar’s orders, but he was defeated at Jalalabad, and Ghani Khan, Munim’s son, was killed. The orders given by Akbar were followed. 

After the Uzbeks of Jaunpur began their insurrection, Munim Khan, the Mughal general, was handed control of Jaunpur and the eastern regions. Khan was promoted to the post of Mansabdar, the highest military rank at the time, in control of a force of 5000 soldiers.

Expeditions Aimed Toward Defeating Daud Khan Karani:

To overthrow the Mughal enemy Sultan Daud Khan Karani, Akbar sent Khan to the Bengali capital of Calcutta. Hajipur and Patna were finally under Munim Khan’s authority after some early failures. Immediately after this event, Khan was promoted to the office of Subahdar (Bengal’s Governor) (which included Bihar at the time). On September 25, 1574, he seized Khwaspur Tandah, which had been the capital of Bengal until that time. Munim Khan forced Daud Karani to sign a treaty restricting his power to Odisha after the Battle of Tukaroi on March 3, 1575. Before moving the capital from Tanda to Gaur, Munim Khan renamed it Tanda after himself.

Overview:

Munim Khan Khan-i-Khanan was a Turkish noble and the first Mughal governor under Humayun and Akbar. Andijan was his birthplace, and his father, Miran beg Andijani, was his paternal grandfather. A foster brother of Mirza Askari named Munim Khan has been given a prominent position thanks to Humayun’s appointment. 

Following Bairam Khan’s removal from office, Akbar elevated Khan-i-Khanan to the position of Vakil (Prime Minister) and bestowed upon him the title of Khan-i-Khanan. After the Uzbek insurrection was put down in 1564, he was promoted to subahdar of Jaunpur and continued to hold this office until then. 

The eastern regions that bordered his territory were made available to him. Munim Khan, the Mughal general, was given the rank of 5000 in Akbar’s mansabdari system, which was first implemented in 1574 or 1575 and was at the time the highest rank in the realm.

As a result of Daud Khan Karani, the Sultan of Bengal, refusing to recognise Akbar’s suzerainty over Bengal, Akbar decided to make an offensive against Karani. Munim Khan, the Mughal general, was entrusted with commanding the imperial army in its conflict with Daud. 

After Munim Khan attempted to subdue Daud were unsuccessful, Akbar intervened in the conflict. After the Daud was ousted from Hajipur and Patna, the emperor went to the capital intending to give Munim Khan the duty of bringing the Daud people under the Mughal rule. Raja Todar Mall remained behind to serve as an assistant to him.

When Munim Khan led his army of 20,000 men into battle against Bengal, they were successful. He captured Surajgarh, Munger, Bhagalpur, and Kahalgaon nearly without seeing any resistance. He advanced to Teliagarhi, where Daud had stationed a powerful army to fight against the Mughals. On September 25, 1574, with the support of local leaders, Munim Khan, the Mughal general, pushed over the Rajmahal hills and seized Tandah, the capital of Bengal.

On March 3, 1575, in a fiercely waged fight, Munim Khan prevailed against Daud Karani at Tukaroi, near the Subarnarekha. Following his escape, Daud sought refuge in the stronghold of Katak while evading Todar Mall’s relentless pursuit.

When Todar Mall lay hold to the fort, Daud had no choice but to file a suit for peace as his only remaining option. On April 12th, 1575, he submitted his surrender to Munim Khan, and shortly afterwards, a peace treaty was signed by all parties.

Personal Life:

• There were eight marriages and two children from Munim Khan’s many concubines
• Ghani Khan was beheaded in Kabul at the behest of Empress Mah Chuchak Begum
• Emperor Jahangir’s bride, Sahila Banu Begum, married him in 1607 at Agra

Death:

Muni, the Mughal general, died on October 23, 1575, after surviving a plague outbreak in Gaur and making his way to Tanda. Daud Khan Karani was able to regain Gaur after his death.

Conclusion:

Munim Khan, the Mughal general, established a watchtower at Gur. to keep an eye on the Afghans. However, the historic city had been uninhabited for a considerable time. Soon after, a severe disease that took the shape of an outbreak broke out there, resulting in many deaths. Unfortunately, Munim Khan could not survive his return to Tanda and passed away on October 23, 1575. He planted the seeds for the Mughals to eventually conquer Bengal in the future.