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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mughal Empire | Tarkhan dynasty | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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AkbarSadiq Khan Abdul Rahim |
Mirza Jani Beg Tarkhan  Muhammad Paynda † Abu'l Fath † | ||||||||
In 1574, Akbar captured the island fortress of Bhakkar as part of his efforts to extend his control over the southern region of Sind near the Indus River's mouth. This strategic move aimed to solidify his dominance in northwestern India and establish a base for launching an offensive against Kandahar, which was then under the rule of Shah Abbas of Persia.
In 1590, the Mughal emperor Akbar appointed Abdul Rahim, also known as Khan Khana, as the governor of Multan. He was tasked with subjugating the principality of Thatta in lower Sindh, which was under the rule of Mirza Jani Beg. Following two battles, Mirza Jani Beg was defeated in 1591 and surrendered his territory, including the strategic forts of Thatta and Sehwan. Subsequently, Mirza Jani Beg entered Akbar's service as a mansabdar with the rank of 3,000 and became a follower of the Din-i Ilahi, Akbar's syncretic religious movement.
Background
The Arghuns sought to maintain amicable relations with the Mughal Empire by claiming a shared lineage. However, with the growing Portuguese influence in the region, Emperor Akbar rejected this claim and sought to assert Mughal authority over them. Consequently, Mughal control expanded to include Bhakkar and Siwistan by the 16th century, while the rest of Sindh was granted to Jani Beg as a jagir. Despite this arrangement, frequent military clashes occurred between Jani Beg and the Mughal rulers of the time.
Battle
In 1586, Nawab Sadiq Khan, the Mughal governor of Bakhar, launched a siege on Sehwan. However, Jani Beg, the Tarkhan ruler, successfully countered the Mughal forces by using his boats to cut off their supply lines, ultimately forcing them to retreat. Despite this setback, Emperor Akbar remained determined to bring the Tarkhans under Mughal control. In 1589–90, he dispatched Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan to lead a campaign against Kandahar. In response, Jani Beg mobilized an army comprising local tribes and European mercenaries to defend his territory. Despite suffering significant personal losses, including the deaths of his father, Muhammad Paynda, and his son, Abu'l Fath, Jani Beg managed to resist the Mughal advance for two years.
In 1592, Jani Beg was compelled to surrender to Khan-i-Khanan, marking the end of Tarkhan rule in Sindh. Emperor Akbar rewarded Jani Beg by elevating him to a higher military rank. After Jani Beg's death in 1600, his son, Ghazi Beg, assumed leadership. Under Mughal administration, Sindh was reorganized into a province divided into several districts. Thatta remained under the governance of various Mughal-appointed officials until 1737.
Related Pages
Reference
- SRIVASTAVA, ASHIRBADI LAL (1986). THE MUGHAL EMPIRE (1526-1803 A.D). SHIVA LAL AGARWAL,AGRA. pp. 155–156.
- Chandra, Satish (2005). Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals Part - II. Har-Anand Publications. p. 129. ISBN 978-81-241-1066-9.
- Prasad, Ishwari (1974). The Mughal Empire. Chugh Publications. p. 267.