->Ramesh lalwani at 20:06, 1 September 2021

2021-09-01T20:06:06Z

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Shamsuddin Muhammad Atgah Khan (died 15 May 1562), also known as '''Khan-e-Kalan Shamsu'd-Din Muhammad Khan Atgah Khan''', was a prominent figure in the court of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Akbar]].

He held important positions in Akbar's court, including that of ''[[wakil]]'' (advisor or minister), to which he was appointed in November 1561, much to displeasure of [[Maham Anga]], another prominent advisor, whose son, [[Adham Khan]], murdered him in 1562. Ataga Khan was the husband of Jiji Anga, one of Akbar's [[wet nurse]]s.

==Service under Humayun==
Shams-ud-din was the son of Mir Yar Muhammad of Ghazni, a simple farmer, and started life as a soldier in [[Kamran Mirza]]’s army.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} He saved [[Humayun]] from drowning in the [[Ganges]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} As reward,{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} Humayun took him into his personal service and his wife Jiji became one of Akbar's foster-mothers. She was called foster-mother (''Anagah'') and her husband Shamsuddin was designated foster-father (''Atgah''). He also received the title of [[Khan (title)|Khan]] and his biological son, [[Mirza Aziz Koka|Aziz]] became Akbar's foster or milk-brother (''Kokah''). In 1545, he accompanied Akbar to Kabul alongside Jiji and Aziz.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com.pk/books/about/The_Great_Mughals_and_Their_India.html?id=40ywDAAAQBAJ&PA=104|title=The Great Mughals and their India|first=Dirk|last=Collier|date=March 1, 2016|publisher=Hay House, Inc|via=Google Books}}</ref>

==Service under Akbar==
In 1560, when Akbar relieved his [[regent]] [[Bairam Khan]] of his duties and instructed him to go to [[Makkah]] for [[Hajj]] ([[pilgrimage]]), he was goaded by his political opponents to rebel. Bairam marched upon Jalandhar, intent on taking Lahore. Akbar sent Shams-ud-din with the vanguard of the Mughal army to halt or at least slow down Bairam 's advance. Shams-ud-din managed to block Bairam Khan's advance near the village of [[Gunecur]], near [[Jalandhar]]. He tried to negotiate with Bairam, to no avail. After a fierce, heavily contested battle, Shams-ud-din triumphed and Bairam was forced to retreat. For his victory, Shams-ud-din was hailed as a hero and received lavish gifts, including [[robes of honour]], [[Heraldic flag#Heraldic Standard|standards]] and [[kettledrums]] that had once belonged to Bairam. Later, Bairam surrendered to Akbar and was pardoned and chose to continue his journey to Makkah; en route he was assassinated by a group of Afghans due to their leader's personal vendetta.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com.pk/books/about/The_Great_Mughals_and_Their_India.html?id=40ywDAAAQBAJ&PA=147|title=The Great Mughals and their India|first=Dirk|last=Collier|date=March 1, 2016|publisher=Hay House, Inc|via=Google Books}}</ref>

In 1561, Akbar dismissed [[Munim Khan]] as [[Vakil of Mughal Empire|vakil]] and appointed Shams-ud-din in his stead. Shams-ud-din would prove to be a competent and loyal administrator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com.pk/books/about/The_Great_Mughals_and_Their_India.html?id=40ywDAAAQBAJ&PA=153|title=The Great Mughals and their India|first=Dirk|last=Collier|date=March 1, 2016|publisher=Hay House, Inc|via=Google Books}}</ref>
{|
|[[File:Young Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana being received by Akbar, Akbarnama.jpg|200px|thumb|Young [[Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana]] being received by [[Akbar]], being helped by Ataga Khan, ''[[Akbarnama]]'', ca 1590-95]]
|[[File:Akbar orders punishment of Adham Khan, Akbarnama.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Akbar]] orders punishment of [[Adham Khan]] for murdering Ataga Khan, by throwing him twice down the terrace. [[Akbarnama]], ca. 1590-95]]
|}

[[File:Atgah Khan Tomb.jpg|thumb|Atgah Khan Tomb as seen from Dargah]]
==Death==
[[File:Atgha Khan's tomb.jpg|thumb|200px|Ataga Khan's Tomb near [[Chausath Khamba]] in [[Nizamuddin West]]]]
On May 16, 1562 [[Adham Khan]] accompanied by a few ruffians burst in upon him as he sat in the ''Diwan-e-Aam'', the hall of audience, in [[Agra Fort]], and murdered him, in the courtyard of ''Diwan-e-Aam''.<ref>[http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00litlinks/abulfazl/02_44_namah.html The punishment of Adham Khan] [[Akbarnama]]</ref> Hearing of this murder, an enraged Akbar ordered Adham Khan to be defenestrated from the ramparts of the fort. The fall only broke Adham Khan's legs, so the still angry emperor ordered that he be thrown down again. The second fall killed Adham Khan instantly.

After the death of Ataga Khan, his tomb was built by the instructions of Mughal emperor Akbar and built by his foster brother, [[Mirza Aziz Koka]], in 1566–67. It is situated on the northern edge of Nizamuddin, most known for the [[Nizamuddin Dargah|dargah]] of 13th century [[Sufi]] saint [[Nizamuddin Auliya]]. Its architect was Ustab Khuda Quli and calligrapher Baqi Muhammad from [[Bukhara]], who added Quranic verses on the white marble slabs, inlaid on the red sandstone exterior walls, which were suitably chosen reflecting his mode of death, considered a martyrdom by Mughal historian, [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak|Abul Fazal]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ctLNvx68hIC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=Ataga+Khan&source=web&ots=bb5eWzsFCC&sig=BPAks3xsLI_5nOT61ddM4o_kMNg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA42,M1 |title= The New Cambridge History of India |first=Catherine B|last=Asher|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|isbn=0-521-26728-5| page =42}}</ref> An inscription on the southern door of the tomb mentions that it was finished in 974 AH (1566–67).<ref>{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609034448/|date=2008-06-09 }}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*{{cite news |title=Delhi's Belly: Unknown city, Glimpses of Delhi's past through monuments that dot almost every neighbourhood|url=http://www.livemint.com/2011/04/01205634/Delhi8217s-Belly--Unkown-c.html |newspaper=[[Live Mint]] |date=Apr 1, 2011}}

{{Mughal Empire}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Ataga}}
[[Category:Mughal nobility]]
[[Category:1562 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:16th-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Akbar]]

Ataga Khan - Revision history

->Ramesh lalwani at 20:06, 1 September 2021