Created by ClariceLinderman
Last edited May 3, 2026

About: the Mughal nobleman during the reign of Akbar

For other uses, see Asaf Khan.


Template:Infobox royalty

Asaf Khan I was a Persian nobleman of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Akbar. He was governor of Ilahabad Subah and participated in many Mughal military expeditions, leading the Mughal conquest of Garha in 1564 and serving in the Battle of Haldighati in 1576.[1][2][3]

After personally attacking Garha and keeping the loot of war, including many precious gems and 800 war elephants, to himself, he rebelled fearing retribution by Akbar and joined many disaffected Uzbek noblemen in seeking independence from Mughal rule, fleeing to his subah on 17 September 1565. However, he soon submitted and was restored to his previous post in 1567.[4]

Asaf Khan played a pivotal role in Mughal conquest of Chittor in 1568 led by Akbar himself. After the fort was sacked in February 1568, Akbar handed it to Asaf Khan and returned to Agra.[5]

He probably died at Burhanpur aged 63 in the seventh year of Jahangir's reign (1611–12).[6]

References

  1. A Lamp for the Dark World: Akbar, India's Greatest Mughal{{#if:Sharma|, Sharma}. Rowman & Littlefield(2023-05-15). ISBN 978-1-5381-7790-7
  2. Acute Akbar Versus The Spirited Nur Jahan: The Soul's Journey Through Time and the Who's Who of Rebirth{{#if:Naravane|, Naravane}. Troubador Publishing Ltd(2018-09-28). ISBN 978-1-78901-231-6
  3. Allahu Akbar: Understanding the Great Mughal in Today's India{{#if:Sharma|, Sharma}. Bloomsbury Publishing(2019-10-18). ISBN 978-93-86950-54-3
  4. The Cambridge History of India{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(1937)
  5. Mewar and the Mughal Emperors: 1526-1707 A. D.{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Shiva Lal Agarwala(1962)
  6. The tūzuk-i-Jahāngīrī, or, Memoirs of Jahāngīr{{#if:Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan, 1569-1627|, Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan, 1569-1627}(2015). ISBN 978-81-7156-131-5