Bairam Khan

Early life and ancestors

Bairam Khan was born in the region of Badakhshan in Central Asia, and belonged to the Baharlu Turkoman clan of the Kara Koyunlu confederation. The Kara Koyunlu had ruled Western Persia for decades before being overthrown by their Ak Koyunlu rivals. Bairam Khan's father Seyfali beg Baharlu and grandfather Janali beg Baharlu had been part of Babur's service. His great-grandfather was Pirali beg Baharlu, a brother to Babur's wife Pasha Begum and son-in-law of Qara Iskander.

Military service

Bairam entered Babur's service at the age of 16 and played an active role in the early Mughal conquests of India. Bairam Khan later contributed greatly to the establishment of the Mughal empire under Humayun when he was entrusted with the position of muhardar (keeper of the seals) and took part in military campaigns in Benares, Bengal and Gujarat. He accompanied Humayun during his exile in Persia and helped conquer Kandahar before serving as its governor for nine years. In 1556, he played a leading role as a commander in Humayun's reconquest of Hindustan.

Following Humayun's death in 1556, Bairam Khan was appointed regent over the young monarch Akbar. As regent, he consolidated Mughal authority in northern India and most notably led the Mughal forces at the Second Battle of Panipat, which was fought between Akbar and Hemu in November 1556.

Later years

Bairam Khan was a Shia Muslim and was disliked by the Sunni Turkic nobles. Although a Shia, he attended Friday services in the mosque of a noted Sufi and was also responsible for Shah Gada, the son of Sikandar Lodi's court poet Jamali Kanboh, becoming sadr-as-sudr in the Mughal Empire after Humayun's return to Delhi in 1555.

Marriages

Gazetteer of Ulwur states:

Soon after Babar's death, his successor, Humayun, was supplemented by Sher Shah in 1540 A.D., later followed by Islam Shah in 1545 A.D. During the reign of the latter, a battle was fought and lost by the Emperor's troops at Firozpur Jhirka in Mewat, on which, however, Islam Shah did not lose his hold. Adil Shah, the third of the Pathan interlopers, who succeeded in A.D. 1552, had to contend for the Empire with the returned Humayun.

In these struggles for the restoration of Babar's dynasty Khanzadas apparently do not figure at all. Humayun seems to have conciliated them by marrying the elder daughter of Jamal Khan, the nephew of Babar's opponent Hasan Khan, and having his minister, Bairam Khan, marry Jamal's younger daughter. Bairam's other wife was Salima Sultan Begum, who married Akbar after his death.

Death

Due to a difference in opinion with Bairam Khan, Akbar told him that he could either retire and stay in the palace or go on the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Bairam chose the latter. While traveling through Gujarat he was killed. It came about when Bairam Khan was at Sahastralinga Tank, a religious site near Anhilwad Patan, and was recognised by Lohani Pashtun, an associate of Haji Khan Mewati. Upon learning of this Haji Khan planned his attack and killed Bairam Khan in order to take revenge for Emperor Hemu's death. Haji Khan Mewati was from Alwar and he had been a general of Hemu, and had been staying at Patan after his defeat by Akbar's forces and the capture of Alwar Sarkar in 1559.

Bairam Khan died on 31 January 1561. However, his son and wife were allowed to go free and were sent to Agra. Bairam Khan's wife, who was also the cousin of Akbar, married Akbar after Bairam Khan's death. Bairam's son, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, became an important part of Akbar's administration and was one of the nav-ratans (nine gems) of Akbar's court.