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{{Infobox military person
| name = Khwaja Sabir
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Portrait of Khan Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Portrait of Khan Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang, painted by Murad, a painter best known for his illustrations in the [[Padshahnama]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Painting by Murad- "Portrait of Khan Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451278 |website=www.metmuseum.org}}</ref>
| birth_date = 17th century
| death_date = 1645
| birth_place = [[Mughal Empire]]
| death_place =
| birth_name =
| allegiance = [[Mughal Empire]]
| serviceyears = c. 1620 - 1645
| commands = [[Malwa Subah|Mughal Governor of Malwa]]
| battles = Battle of Tons (1624)<br>Siege and conquest of Qandahar<br>[[Siege of Daulatabad (1633)]] <br>[[Siege of Parenda (1634)]]<br>[[Siege of Nagpur]] (1637)
| battles_label =
| spouse =
| relations = *Khwaja Hisari [[Naqshbandi]](father)
*Abdullah Khan (father-in-law)
}}

'''Khwaja Sabir''', '''Nasiri Khan''' or '''Khan-i-Dauran''' was an Indian Muslim [[viceroy of the Deccan]] and one of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal emperor]] [[Shah Jahan]]’s leading [[sardar]]s. He received the title "Khan Dauran" during the [[Siege of Daulatabad (1633)|conquest of Daulatabad]].<ref name= "battle"/> He died in Lahore in 1645 from a knife wound from his own attendant, a Kashmiri Brahmin. He held the rank of 7,000 soldiers.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6RBt4yePOdMC&q=Khwaja+Hisari+Naqshbandi |title=Journal of Research (humanities). Volumes 6-8 |page=79 |author=Madison |date=1971 |publisher=University of the Punjab }}</ref>

==Career==
According to Athar Ali, Khan-i Dauran was born in India, and as he belonged to the Hindustani Shaikhzadgan group of nobles, he was an Indian Muslim,<ref>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.142894/page/n177/mode/2up?q=babi |page=77 |quote= Nasiri Khan, Khan-i-Dauran Birthplace: India, Group: Indian |title= textsThe Mughal Nobility Under Aurangzeb |date=1968 |author= Athar Ali }}</ref> the son of Khwaja Hisari, a member of the [[Naqshbandi]] order. The real name of Khan Dauran was Khwaja Sabir.<ref name="emperor">{{cite book |last1=Welch |first1=Stuart Cary |title=The Emperors' Album: Images of Mughal India |date=1987 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |isbn=978-0-87099-499-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FDIyr9LRJ0MC&dq=Khwaja+Sabir&pg=PA225 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Mughal Empire|Mughal emperor]] [[Jahangir]] made him an officer of high rank and sent him to the [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]]. [[Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan|Khan Khanan]], the famous poet, finding him a youth of enterprising spirit, strived to give him the necessary training. But finding the work unpleasant, Sabir left [[Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan|Khan Khanan]] and entered the service of the [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Nizam Shahis]]. He gained the position of Aide-de-camp through his friend at the [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Nizam Shahi]] court and received the title of "Shahnawaz Khan". However, he did not remain for long here as well, abhorring his work and resigned.<ref name= "taj">{{cite book |last1=al-Dīn (Akbarābādī.) |first1=Muḣammad Muʻīn |title=The History of the Taj and the Buildings in Its Vicinity |date=1905 |publisher=Moon Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vMxAAAAAYAAJ&dq=Khwaja+Sabir&pg=PA102 |language=en}}</ref>

==Service under the Mughals==
[[File:The Surrender of the fort at Udgir to Khan Dawran (October 1636) c.1640 - 1650.jpg|thumb|The Surrender of the fort at Udgir to Khan Dawran (October 1636) c. 1640 - 1650]]
[[File:The Siege of Daulatabad (April-June 1633) c. 1635 - 1650.jpg|thumb|The Siege of Daulatabad (April-June 1633) c. 1635 - 1650. Nasiri Khan arrives on his grey horse (on the right)]]
[[File:Nasiri Khan leading the Mughal Siege of Kandhar, May 1631. Padshahnama, c. 1635-50.jpg|thumb|Khwaja Sabir "Nasiri Khan" directing the Siege of [[Kandhar Fort]] (Deccan), May 1631: Folio from the Windsor Padshahnama, c.1635-50]]
Returning to [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] territory, he got employment as a personal attendant of [[Shah Jahan|Prince Khurram]], who gave him the title "Nasiri Khan".<ref name="umara">{{cite book |last1=Ram |first1=Kewal |title=Tazkiratul-umara of Kewal Ram: Biographical Account of the Mughal Nobility, 1556-1707 A.D. |date=1985 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exMhAAAAMAAJ&q=Khwaja+Sabir |language=en}}</ref> In 1608-1609, Nasiri Khan served as the subedar of the Mughal provinces in the Deccan. He was joined by the [[Mir Bakhshi]], [[Shaikh Farid Bukhari|Shaikh Farid Murtaza Khan]], an Indian Muslim from Delhi, and patronized in such a way that "this servant was protected from transfers and paucity of jagirs and mansabs".<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=XQ5DAAAAYAAJ&q=khwaja+sabir+nasiri+khan |title= Proceedings |author=Indian History Congress |date=1999 |quote=In 1608-9, Shaikh Farid however joined the service of Khan-i Dauran Khwaja Sabir Ali Nasiri Khan, the Subadar of the Deccan, who patronized him in such a way that "this servant was protected from transfers and paucity of jagirs and mansabs" }}</ref> He served [[Shah Jahan]] obsequiously, remaining a loyal supporter of the prince during his rebellion against his father, Emperor [[Jahangir]]. In the Battle of Tons in 1624, Khwaja Sabir's father-in-law Abdullah Khan deserted the prince, defecting to [[Malik Ambar]], and Sabir was compelled to follow. After [[Malik Ambar]]'s death, he remained in the [[Ahmadnagar Sultanate|Nizam Shahi]] service until the second regnal year of Shah Jahan, when he presented himself at the Mughal court. [[Shah Jahan]] bestowed a [[Mansabdar|mansab]] of 2,000 cavalry upon him.<ref name="umara"/>

He participated in many military campaigns such as the Siege and conquest of [[Kandhar Fort|Qandahar]] and the conquest of [[Daulatabad Fort|Daulatabad]], in both of which he distinguished himself. He [[Siege of Daulatabad (1633)|captured the Daulatabad fortress]] in 1632 and imprisoned the [[Nizam Shahi dynasty|Niazm Shahi]] prince Husain Shah.<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-9-38060-734-4 |pages=170}}</ref> For his distinguished services during the latter campaign, he was rewarded with the title of "Khan Dauran" and a [[Mansabdar|mansab]] of 5,000.<ref name="umara"/> He then participated in the failed [[Siege of Parenda (1634)]] where he narrowly rescued the siege commander [[Mahabat Khan]] from capture.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yoI8AAAAIAAJ |title=The Cambridge History of India |date=1955 |publisher=CUP Archive |pages=193–194 |language=en}}</ref> In 1631, he was appointed [[Malwa Subah|governor of Malwa]]. In 1636, Khan Dauran was dispatched to chastise [[Jhujhar Singh]], the rebellious [[Orchha State|raja of Orchha]] and his son Bikramjit. He sent their heads to court, for which he received the title ''Bahadur''.<ref name="emperor"/><ref name= "taj"/>

===Campaign against the Gonds of Deogarh===
{{Main|Siege of Nagpur}}
In 1637, [[Gonds of Deogarh|Kok Shah]], the [[Gonds of Deogarh|Gond raja of Deogarh]] had defaulted in payment of tribute to the Mughals and had given safe passage to the rebel [[Jhujhar Singh]]. Hence to punish him, Khan Dauran was given permission by [[Shah Jahan]] to invade and demand payment of tribute from Kok Shah. Kok Shah refused and [[Siege of Nagpur|his stronghold of Nagpur was besieged and captured by Khan Dauran]], followed by Kok Shah's surrender and payment of extra tribute.<ref name= "battle">{{cite book |last1=Sane |first1=Hemant |title=BATTLES OF NAGPUR 1817.docx |url=https://www.academia.edu/36442873}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sane |first1=Hemant |title=DEOGARH-NAGPUR GOND DYNASTY.docx |url=https://www.academia.edu/38055455 |archive-date=2023-07-11 |access-date=2022-06-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711021539/https://www.academia.edu/38055455 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The victorious Khan-i-Dauran returned to the Emperor, with 8 lakhs of rupees levied from the Gond chiefs and others, and was extolled and given the high
title of Nusrat Jang or "Victorious in War”. He also presented 200 elephants to [[Shah Jahan]] which he had brought from [[Adil Shahi dynasty|Bijapur]] and [[Qutb Shahi dynasty|Golconda]]. The presented elephants included "Gajmoti", an elephant taken from the [[Qutb Shahi dynasty|Qutb Shahis of Golconda]], considered the finest elephant in the Deccan.

==Death and legacy==
In the 13th regnal year of [[Shah Jahan]]'s reign (1641), Khan Dauran was recalled from the Deccan due to political reasons. He then accompanied the emperor to [[Kashmir]] whence he returned to capital of [[Lahore]], from which he prepared to march to the Deccan, pitching his tents outside the city.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n_BtAAAAMAAJ&q=Kashmiri+Brahmin+,+whom+he+had+converted+to+Islam+and+enrolled+among+the |page=325 |title= The Shah Jahan Nama of 'Inayat Khan |author=A.R.. Fuller |date=1990 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-562489-2 }}</ref> When Khan Dauran was halted within two miles of the town in the night, he was stabbed in the belly by one of his personal attendants, a Kashmiri youth of the [[Brahmin]] caste, whom he had taken from Kashmir and converted to [[Islam]].<ref name="emperor"/> He was seriously wounded and had no hope of recovering. Hence he divided his property among his sons and he bequeathed the rest to the emperor.<ref name= "taj"/> Shah Jahan ordered for his remains to be buried in the family vault at [[Gwalior]], and gave his sons more than Khan Dauran had willed.

By the time of his death in 1645, he had been promoted to the highest imperial rank ever held by a non-royal person- 7,000 soldiers.<ref name="emperor"/><ref name= "battle"/> He was of a suspicious disposition and used to treat people with great severity. He was unpopular to such an extent that when news of his death reached [[Burhanpur]], the residents rejoiced greatly, whole shops of sweetmeats being distributed.<ref name= "taj"/>

==Tomb==
<gallery>
</gallery>

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last1=al-Dīn (Akbarābādī.) |first1=Muḣammad Muʻīn |title=The History of the Taj and the Buildings in Its Vicinity |date=1905 |publisher=Moon Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vMxAAAAAYAAJ&dq=Khwaja+Sabir&pg=PA102 |language=en}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:17th-century regents]]
[[Category:Nobility from the Mughal Empire]]
[[Category:17th-century births]]
[[Category:1645 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:17th-century Mughal Empire people]]
[[Category:17th-century nobility]]

Khwaja Sabir - Revision history

Marinawxb at 19:26, 15 March 2026