Born as Suryanarayana Mishra, a Hindu Brahmin from the Deccan Plateau around 1670, Murshid Quli Khan was sold into slavery at the age of ten and converted to Islam, eventually rising to become the first Nawab of Bengal. This dramatic transformation from a Hindu child to the most powerful administrator in the Mughal Empire defies the typical narratives of the era. He was purchased by a Persian noble named Haji Shafi, who renamed him Mohammad Hadi and raised him within the Mughal court. After Shafi returned to Persia in 1690, the young Hadi returned to India to work under Abdullah Khurasani, the Diwan of Vidarbha. His exceptional talent for revenue management caught the eye of Emperor Aurangzeb, who recognized his ability to implement the financial strategies outlined in the Sharia-based Fatwa Alamgiri. This early recognition set the stage for a career that would reshape the political and economic landscape of eastern India.
The Assassination Plot
In 1700, when Aurangzeb appointed Murshid Quli Khan as the Diwan of Bengal, he ignited a deadly power struggle with Azim-us-Shan, the province's subahdar. Azim-us-Shan, a grandson of the emperor, resented the appointment because he intended to use the province's revenue to fund his own campaign to seize the Mughal throne. The conflict escalated when Azim-us-Shan convinced unpaid soldiers that Quli Khan was responsible for their lack of wages, planning to have them surround and stab the Diwan. On a fateful morning, soldiers led by Abdul Wahid surrounded Quli Khan, demanding their pay. Instead of fleeing, Quli Khan calmly revealed that he knew of the conspiracy and warned them that Aurangzeb would exact revenge if he was harmed. His bold confrontation, combined with a secret letter he sent to the Emperor, forced Azim-us-Shan to abandon the plot. The incident demonstrated Quli Khan's political acumen and his ability to turn a potential assassination into a display of imperial authority.The Birth of Murshidabad
Feeling unsafe in Dhaka after the assassination attempt, Murshid Quli Khan relocated the diwani office to a new city he renamed Murshidabad, the city of Murshid Quli Khan. The location was strategic, situated in the central part of Bengal with easy communication to the rest of the province and on the banks of the Ganges. European trading companies had already established bases there, and Quli Khan believed he could better monitor their activities from this new capital. He also moved the bankers to the city, consolidating economic power. The renaming of the city is a subject of historical debate, with some sources citing 1702 and others 1704, but the first coins issued in Murshidabad are dated 1704, providing strong evidence for the latter date. This move effectively shifted the center of power from Dhaka to Murshidabad, establishing a new political and economic hub that would endure for decades.