Bairam Khan also Bayram Khan was an important military commander, among top
generals, later commander in chief of the Mughal army, a powerful statesman
and regent at the court of the Mughal emperors Humayun and Akbar, also
guardian, chief mentor, advisor, teacher and most trusted person of Humayun.
Humayun honored him as Khan Khanan,means king of kings. Bairam was originally
called Bairam "Beg" but later, however, becoming honored as 'Kha' or Khan.
Early life Bairam Khan was born in Badakhshan, now
in present-day Afghanistan, and belonged to the Baharlu clan of the Turkmen Kara
Koyunlu tribe. The Kara Koyunlu had ruled Western Persia for decades before
being overthrown by their Ak Koyunlu rivals. Bairam Khan's father and
grandfather had previously taken part in Babur's service.
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. Under Humayan he was entrusted the position of muhrdar 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 Mughal forces at the Second Battle of
Panipat, which was fought between Akbar and Emperor Hemachandra Vikramaditya in
November 1556. Later years
Bairam Khan was a Shia muslim and was disliked by the Sunni Turkic nobles. He
subsequently chose to leave India to perform the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
While travelling through Gujarat, he was assassinated by Haji Khan Mewati of
Alwar, who was the General and close confidant of Emperor Hemu] - Hemu.
Mewati had been staying at Patan after Akbar's forces captured Alwar Sarkar in
1559. One day when Bairam Khan was at Sahastralinga Tank, a religious site
near Anhilwad Patan, he was recognised by Lohani Pashtun, an associate of Haji
Khan Mewati. Haji Khan attacked and killed Bairam Khan, to take the revenge
for Hemu's death. Bairam Khan died on 31 January 1561. However, his son and wife
were allowed to go free and sent to north India. Bairam Khan's wife, who was
also the cousin of Akbar, married Akbar after Bairam Khan's death. Later on,
Bairam's son, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, got an important assignment in Akbar's
administration and was one of the 'Nau-rattans' of Akbar.
Marriage with Khanzada Jamal Khan's Daughter
Gazetteer of Ulwur states: Soon after Babar's death, his successor,
Humayun, was in A.D. 1540 supplemented by Sher Shah, who, in A.D. 1545, was
followed by Islam Shah. 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, nephew of
Babar's opponent, Hasan Khan, and by causing his great minister, Bairam Khan,
to marry a younger daughter of the same Mewatti.
ggazetteerofulwur00powliala#pagemode/2up His other wife was Salima Sultan Begum,
who married Akbar after his death. Death
Due to the differences between Akbar and Bairam Khan, Akbar had told Bairam Khan
that either he could stay in the palace, but not as a minister, or go for a
pilgrimage to Mecca. While travelling through Gujarat, he was assassinated by
Haji Khan Mewati of Alwar, who was the General and close confidant of Hindu
Kings of North India Hemu, and was staying at Patan after Akbar's forces
captured Alwar Sarkar in 1559. One day when Bairam Khan was at Sahastralinga
Tank, a religious site near Anhilwad Patan, he was recognised by Lohani
Pashtun, an associate of Haji Khan Mewati. Haji Khan attacked and killed
Bairam Khan, to take the revenge for Hemu's death. Bairam Khan died on 31
January 1561. However, his son and wife were allowed to go free and sent to
north India. Bairam Khan's wife, who was also the cousin of Akbar, married Akbar
after Bairam Khan's death. Later on, Bairam's son, Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan,
got an important assignment in Akbar's administration and was one of the
'Nau-rattans' of Akbar. Notes
Further reading = English=
Singh, Damodar Khan-i-Khanan Bairam Khan: a political biography Janaki
Prakashan, Patna, India, OCLC 54054058 Shashi, Shyam Singh Bairam Khan :
soldier and administrator Anmol Publishing, New Delhi, India, OCLC
247186335 Pandey, Ram Kishore Life and
achievements of Muhammad Bairam Khan Turkoman Prakash Book Depot, Bareilly,
India, OCLC 5007653. Ray, Sukumar Bairam Khan Institute of
Central and West Asian Studies, University of Karachi, Karachi,
Pakistan, OCLC 29564939. = Hindi=
Agravāla, Sushamā Devī Bairamakhām̐ aura usake vaṃśaja kā Mugala sāmrājya meṃ
yogadāna Rāmānanda Vidyā Bhavana, New Delhi, India, OCLC 34118191, in Hindi.
Devīprasāda, Munśī Khānakhānā nāmā Pratibhā Pratishṭhāna, New Delhi, India,
ISBN 81-85827-89-3, in Hindi. = Bengali=
Ahmed,Humayun Badsha Namdar,Dhaka,Bangladesh, ISBN
978-984-502-017-6