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Questions about Jahandar Shah

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Who was Jahandar Shah and when did he reign as Mughal emperor?

Jahandar Shah was the ninth Mughal emperor, reigning briefly from 1712 to 1713. Born on the 10th of May 1661, he was the son of Emperor Bahadur Shah I and the grandson of Emperor Aurangzeb. His reign lasted less than a year before he was deposed and executed on the 11th of February 1713.

Why is Jahandar Shah called the first puppet ruler of the Mughal dynasty?

Jahandar Shah is considered the first puppet ruler because real power was wielded not by him but by the noble Zulfiqar Khan, who engineered his accession to the throne. Upon Jahandar Shah's coronation on the 29th of March 1712, Zulfiqar Khan assumed the post of wazir and exercised effective control over the empire. This was the first time in Mughal history that absolute power was held by someone outside the dynasty.

Who deposed Jahandar Shah and how did he die?

Jahandar Shah was deposed by his nephew Farrukhsiyar, backed by the Sayyid brothers Husain Ali Khan and Abdullah Khan. After his army was defeated near Agra in early 1713, Jahandar Shah fled to Delhi, where Zulfiqar Khan and his father Asad Khan imprisoned him and handed him over to Farrukhsiyar. He was beaten to death and then beheaded on the 11th of February 1713, and his body was paraded through Delhi from two elephants.

What role did Zulfiqar Khan play in Jahandar Shah's rise and fall?

Zulfiqar Khan, the mir bakhshi, engineered Jahandar Shah's victory in the 1712 succession war by building an alliance among Bahadur Shah's sons and then helping Jahandar Shah betray and defeat his brothers. He then served as wazir and held effective power throughout the reign. At the end, Zulfiqar Khan and his father Asad Khan imprisoned Jahandar Shah and surrendered him to Farrukhsiyar, who had both men executed.

Who was Lal Kunwar and what was her significance in Jahandar Shah's reign?

Lal Kunwar was the daughter of Khasusiyat Khan and the favored wife of Jahandar Shah. After his accession, he gave her the title Imtiyaz Mahal, and her family gained unprecedented power and status at the Mughal court as a result of his attachment to her.

Where is Jahandar Shah buried?

Jahandar Shah was buried at Humayun's tomb in Delhi after his execution on the 11th of February 1713.