NORTH INDIA, DATED 1702 AD

Details

AN IMPERIAL FIRMAN OF MUGHAL EMPEROR AURANGZEB
NORTH INDIA, DATED 1702 AD
Persian manuscript on paper backed on cloth, the headpiece with 7ll. of elegant gold muhaqqaq script with extended verticals and red vocalisation, a large seal, followed by six lines of elegant black nasta'liq script, the reverse side of the lower end of the firman with a further smaller seal impression and a further two smaller lines of nasta'liq, with horizontal creases from rolling
41¾ x 18½in. (106 x 47cm.)

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Lot Essay

This important historical document is dated to the month of Jumada al-Akhar of the 46th regnal year of Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707). It authorizes the transfer of authority over the fortress of Muhammadabad (Bidar) and Paranda in the Deccan to Jalal al-Din Khan, following the removal of Ghairat Khan from these posts. The reverse of the firman has a seal with the titles Amir al-'Umara and is dated AH 1113/1701-02 which corresponds to the 46th regnal year of Aurangzeb. This is probably the same Jalal al-Din Khan who in 1688 had already been appointed as qiladar (fort commander) at Golconda (Maria Sardar, Golconda through time, a mirror of the Evolving Deccan, Ann Arbour, 2007, p. 189).

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