Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I (Gujarati: અબુલ ફત નાસીર ઉદ દિન મહમુદ શાહ), more famously known as Mahmud Begada, was the Sultan of the Gujarat Sultanate from 1459 until his death in 1511. He is considered the greatest and most renowned Sultan of Gujarat. Raised to the throne at the young age of fourteen, he successfully conquered Pavagadh, Junagadh and Dwarka. He is known by his surname Begada. He established Champaner as the capital.
Names His full name was Abu'l Fath Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah I. He was born Fat'h Khan or Fateh Khan. He titled himself, Sultan al-Barr, Sultan al-Bahr, Sultan of the Land, Sultan of the Sea.
Of the origin of Mahmud's surname Begra or Begarh/Begarha are belived to be either: From his mustachios being large and twisted like a bullock's horn, such a bullock being called Begado. That the word comes from the Gujarati be, two, and gadh, a fort, the people giving him this title in honour of his capture of two forts; Junagadh of Girnar (1472) and Pavagadh of Champaner (1484).
Early life On the death of Qutb-ud-din Ahmad Shah II, the nobles raised to the throne his uncle Daud Khan, son of Ahmad Shah I. Daud appointed "low-born men", Hindus and recent converts to Islam, to high offices and committed improper acts, hence within a short period of seven or twenty-seven days, he was deposed. In 1459 his half-brother Fateh Khan, the son of Muhammad Shah II by Bibi Mughali, a daughter of Jam Nizamuddin II of Samma dynasty ruling from Thatta in Sindh; was seated on the throne at the age of little more than thirteen with the title of Mahmud Shah I.
The close connection of Fateh Khan with the saintly Shah Alam is frequently mentioned by with Gujarat chroniclers. According to the Mirat-i-Sikandari of his two daughters Jam Nizamuddin intended Bibi Mughali the more beautiful for the Saint and Bibi Mirghi the less comely for the Sultan. By bribing the Jam's envoys the king secured the prettier sister. The enraged Saint was consoled by his father who said: My son, to you will come both the cow and the calf. After Muhammad Shah II's death, fear of Qutb-ud-din Ahmad Shah II's designs against the young Fateh Khan forced Bibi Mughali to seek safety with her sister, and on her sister's death she married the Saint. Qutb-ud-din made several attempts to seize Fateh Khan. But by the power of the Saint when Qutb-ud-din attempted to seize him, Fateh Khan in body as well as in dress became a girl. According to one account Qutb-ud-din met his death in an attempt to carry off Fateh Khan. As he rode a mad camel, the king struck at the phantom, and his sword cleaving the air gashed his knee. This was the Saint's sword, which against his will, for he knew it would be the death of the king, Qutb-ud-din forced Shah Alam to bind round him before the battle of Kapadvanj against Mahmud Khalji of Malwa Sultanate.
Reign Early years
On Sunday 18 June 1459, Fateh Khan ascended the throne and assumed the title of Mahmud Shah. The coronation was marked by royal festivities, with titles, robes of honour, Arabian horses, embroidered belts and swords distributed among the nobles. According to Nizamuddin Ahmad, one crore tankas were also given out in charity.
Shortly after certain of the nobles including Saiful Mulk, Kabir-ud-din Sultani surnamed Akd-ul-Mulk, Burhan-ul-Mulk and Hisam-ul-Mulk represented to the Sultan that the minister Shaaban Imad-ul-Mulk contemplated treason and wished to set his son on the throne. Having seized and imprisoned the minister in the Bhadra Fort and set five hundred of their trusted retainers as guards over him, the rebels retired to their homes. At nightfall Abdullah, the chief of the elephant stables, going to the young Sultan represented to him that the nobles who had imprisoned Imad-ul-Mulk were the real traitors and had determined to place Habib Khan, an uncle of the Sultan's, on the throne. The Sultan consulting his mother and some of his faithful friends ordered Abdullah at daybreak to equip all his elephants in full armour and draw them up in the square before the Bhadra. He then seated himself on the throne and in a voice of feigned anger ordered one of the courtiers to bring out Shaaban Imad-ul-Mulk, that he might wreak his vengeance upon him. As these orders were not obeyed the Sultan rose, and walking up the Bhadra called: "Bring out Shaaban!" The guards brought forth Imad-ul-Mulk, and the Sultan ordered his fetters to be broken. Some of the nobles' retainers made their submission to the Sultan, others fled and hid themselves. In the morning, hearing what had happened, the refractory nobles marched against the Sultan. Many advised the Sultan to cross the Sabarmati River by the postern gate and retire from the city, and, after collecting an army, to march against the nobles. Giving no ear to these counsels the young Sultan ordered Abdullah to charge the advancing nobles with his six hundred elephants. The charge dispersed the malcontents who fled and either hid themselves in the city or betook themselves to the country. Some were killed, some were trampled by the Sultan's orders under the elephants' feet, and one was pardoned.
Intervention in Malwa–Bahmani Wars
In 1462, according to Firishta, Nizam Shah Bahmani (), the sultan of the Bahmani Sultanate in Deccan, whose country had been invaded by Sultan Mahmud Khalji of the Malwa Sultanate, applied for help to the Gujarat king. Mahmud Shah at once started to Nizam Shah's aid, and on his way receiving another equally pressing letter from the Deccan sovereign, and being joined by the Bahmani general Khwajah Jahan Gawan, he pushed on with all speed by way of Burhanpur. When Sultan Mahmud Khalji heard of his approach, he retired to his own country by way of Gondwana, from thirst and from the attacks of the Gonds, losing 5,000 to 6,000 men. The Sultan of Gujarat, after receiving the thanks of the Deccan sovereign, returned to his own dominions. In 1462, Sultan Mahmud Khalji made another incursion into the Deccan at the head of 90,000 horse, plundering and laying waste the country as far as Daulatabad. Again, the Deccan sovereign applied for help to Mahmud Shah, and on hearing of Mahmud's advance the Malwa Sultan retired a second time to his own dominions. Mahmud Shah wrote to the Malwa Sultan to desist from harassing the Deccan, threatening, in case of refusal, to march at once upon Mandu. His next expedition was against the pirate zamindars of the hill fort of Barur and the bandar of Dun or Dahanu, whose fort he took, and after imposing an annual tribute allowed the chief to continue to hold his hundred villages.
Campaign of Barur
The principality of Barur, near the port of Daman, was a base for local piracy that disrupted maritime trade. Sultan Mahmud Begada sought to secure it to protect merchant shipping, block Portuguese advances, and assert political control. In 1464, Mahmud personally led the siege with large arms crossing the difficult terrain. After a prolonged stalemate marked by fierce resistance and repeated skirmishes, neither side could gain a decisive advantage. The garrison had taken refuge in the hill-fortress utilizing the difficult terrain. Sultan Mahmud then personally led a detachment of soldiers up the steep hills, catching the defenders completely by surprise. His spread panic among the troops, breaking their morale. The Hindu chief of Barur surrendered, sending his mother to present the fort keys. Treating the chief generously, Mahmud declined presents, granted him a khilat and golden belt, restored the fort, and imposed only an annual tribute. He avoided full annexation to prevent alliances among smaller Hindu rulers until major strongholds like Junagadh and Champaner were secured, then returned victorious to his capital.
Conquest of Junagadh
Mahmud Shah next turned his thoughts to the conquest of the mountain citadel, Uparkot, of Girnar hill near Junagadh in Sorath (now in Saurashtra region of Gujarat). In 1467, he attacked the fort of Junagadh, and receiving the submission of Ra Mandalika III, the Chudasama ruler, returned to his capital. In the following year, hearing that the Junagadh chief continued to visit his temple in state with a golden umbrella and other ensigns of royalty, Mahmud despatched an army to Junagadh, and the chief sent the umbrella to the king, accompanied by fitting presents. In 1469, Mahmud once more sent an army to ravage Sorath, with the intention of finally conquering both Junagadh and Girnar. While Mahmud was on the march the Ra Mandalika suddenly joined him, and asking why the Sultan was so bent on his destruction when he had committed no fault, agreed to do whatever Mahmud might command. The king replied there is no fault like infidelity, and ordered the Ra to embrace Islam. The chief, now thoroughly alarmed, fled by night and made his way into Girnar. In 1472–73, after a siege of nearly two years, forced by the failure of his stores, he quit the fort and handed the keys to the king, converted to Islam. Though the Ra's life was spared, Sorath from this date became a crown possession, and was governed by an officer appointed by the king and stationed at Junagadh.At the close of the war, in 1479, Mahmud Shah repaired the fort Jehanpanah, the present outer or town wall of Junagadh, and, charmed with the beauty of the neighbourhood, settled Sayyids and learned men at Junagadh and other towns in Sorath. He induced the nobles to build houses, himself raised a palace and made the new city his capital under the name of Mustafabad and enforced his claims as overlord on all the neighbouring chiefs. In the times of Ahmad Shah I, these chieftains, including even the Junagadh Ra himself, had paid tribute. But Mahmud established rule so firmly that the duty of collecting the tribute was entrusted to an officer permanently settled in the country. The author of the Mirat-i-Sikandari dilates on the dense woods round Junagadh, full of mango, raen, jambu, gular, amli, and aonla trees (Mangifera indica, Mimusops hexandra, Eugenia jambolana, Ficus glomerata, Tamarindus indica, and Emblica officinalis.), and notes that this forest tract was inhabited by Khants.
In 1480, when Mahmud Shah was at Junagadh, Khudawand Khan and others, who were weary of the king's constant warfare, incited his eldest son Ahmed Khan to assume royal power. But Imad-ul-Mulk, by refusing to join, upset their plans, and on the king's return the conspiracy was stamped out.
Campaign of Kutch
The kingdom of Kutch had long thrown off allegiance to the Delhi Sultanate. Since 1410 the rulers of Kutch continued to pay tribute to Gujarat while remaining practically independent. After conquering Junagadh, Mahmud Begada turned to Kutch, which he regarded as part of his kingdom. The Kutchi raided into Gujarat. Mahmud received complaints that Muslims were being persecuted by Hindus. He also wished to spread Islam there. In February–March 1472 Mahmud led a large army across the Rann of Kutch. Finding the marshy terrain difficult for a large force, he left the main army behind and pushed on with only 600 cavalry. After a 120-mile march he reached Thar and Parkar. Local landlords raised 24,000 men against him. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Mahmud's well-trained cavalry broke the enemy formation. The poorly trained Kutchi troops fled and many were killed. The defeated landlords sued for peace. Mahmud accepted their submission and tribute without further demands. He stayed for a time, met local Muslims who intermarried and lived as Hindus. He bought some of them to Mustafabad for proper Islamic instruction. Few later returned to their home. Most of them remained at court, receiving titles and jagirs. Mahmud then moved on to a campaign in Sind to support his maternal grandfather, Jam Nizamuddin II, against rebels.
Campaign of Sindh