Malik Ahmad Farooqui in Burhanpur District in Madhya Pradesh (formerly part of Khandesh Region under Farooqi Rulers), India
Malik Raja claimed his descent from the second Caliph
Umar-al-Faruq. Hence, the dynasty founded by him was known as Faruqi dynasty. The ancestors of Malik Ahmad belonged to a ruling family of Khorasan, one of the prominent rulers of the family was Abu Bin Adham or Sultan Ibrahim Bin Adham Balkhi, a famous muslim saint who gave up throne and became sufi. Some of its members escaped toward Delhi via Uch city (now in Pakistan) after conquest of
Balkh in 1220 A.D by Genghis Khan. They were welcomed by Sultan Iltutmish of Delhi and were counted amongst the most respectable nobles in the courts of
Ala-ud-Din Khalji and
Muhammad bin Tughluq because of their blue blood . Malik Raja's father Khan-i-Jahan or Khwaja e Jahan Faruqi was a minister in the
Delhi court. In 1365, Malik Raja and some other chieftains of Berar and
Baglana, joined a rebellion against the Bahmani ruler led by the governor of
Daulatabad, Bahram Khan Mazindarani. It failed, and he was forced to flee from Deccan. He settled at Thalner. He helped Firuz Shah Tughluq during one of his hunting expeditions in Gujarat. In return he was first made an officer of two thousand horses and then in 1370, he was granted the fiefdoms of Thalner and Karanda. In the same year, he defeated the Raja of Baglana and forced him to agree upon paying annual tributes to the Delhi sultan. In exchange, Firuz Shah Tughluq gave him the title of
Sipah-salar (governor) and raised him to the rank of a commander of three thousand horses. Within a few years he was able to muster twelve thousand horses and raise contributions from neighbouring rulers. By 1382, he became a completely independent ruler of the Khandesh. At the time of his accession, Khandesh was a backward region populated by a few thousand
Bhils and
Kolis. The only prosperous area in Khandesh was Asirgarh, populated by the rich cowherds,
Ahirs. One of the first acts of Malik Raja was taking steps to develop the agriculture in his kingdom. During his rule he was able to increase his area of control to such an extent that even the Gond Raja of Mandla was forced to pay tributes to him. Soon after his accession as an independent ruler, he attacked
Gujarat and annexed Sultanpur and
Nandurbar. Almost immediately, the governor of Gujarat Zafar Khan (
Muzaffar Shah) retaliated and laid siege to Thalner. Malik Raja had to return all the territories annexed by him. He died on April 19 (April 28, according to
Ferishta), 1399 and was buried in Thalner.
Sultan Nasir Khan Faroqi Nasir Khan or Malik Nasir (also known as Garib Khan) was the elder son of Malik Raja, who succeeded him in 1399. He commenced his rule from
Laling, as Thalner was under the control of his younger brother Malik Iftikar Hasan. Soon after his accession in 1400, he captured the fort of Asirgarh and killed its Hindu ruler. It became his capital till he shifted to Burhanpur, the new city founded by him. In 1417, with the help of
Malwa sultan Hoshang Shah, he captured the fort of Thalner and imprisoned his brother Malik Iftikar (who was later granted asylum in Gujarat). Next, the combined forces of Khandesh and Malwa attacked Gujarat and occupied the Sultanpur fort. But soon, Gujarat sultan Ahmad Shah's general Malik Turk repulsed the attack and Thalner was besieged. After swearing fealty to the Gujarat sultan, the siege was raised and Ahmad Shah honoured Malik Nasir with the title of Khan. In 1429, he married off his daughter to the Bahmani prince Ala-ud-Din (Ala-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II), son of Ahmad Shah I. In the same year, Raja Kanha of
Jhalawar fled from Gujarat and took refuge to Asirgarh. Later on his advice, Raja Kanha went to Bidar to ask help from the Bahmani sultan Ahmad Shah I. After initial advances in Nandurbar by the Raja along with the legions of Khandesh and Bahmani army, the Gujarat army defeated the combined forces. In 1435, Nasir Khan supported by the Raja of Gondwana and some discontented Bahmani officials attacked and captured Berar. The Bahmani governor fled to Narnala. In retaliation, the Bahmani sultan Ala-ud-Din Ahmad Shah II's army led by his general Malik-ut-Tujjar, first defeated him in Rohankhedaghat, then followed him to Burhanpur, ransacked the city and finally crushed his army in Laling. Nasir Khan died within a few days after this humiliating defeat on September 18 (September 19, according to
Ferishta), 1437. He was also buried in Thalner.
Miran Mubarak Khan Faroqi I Miran Mubarak Khan succeeded his father. He did not attempt any conquest, except two campaigns against the Raja of Baglana. He died on June 5 (May 17, according to
Ferishta), 1457
Alam Khan Faruqi With the support of the rulers of Ahmadnagar and
Berar, the nobles of Khandesh placed Alam Khan, a scion of Farooqi dynasty on the throne. But the Gujarat sultan Mahmud Shah I opposed him and supported the claim of Adil Shah, the great-grandson of Mailk Iftikar Hasan, brother of Malik Nasir and reached Thalner. Alam Khan had no other option but to flee from Burhanpur.
Miran Mubarak Khan Faroqi II . After the death of Miran Muhammad the nobles of Khandesh installed his son Raja on the throne. But Miran Mubarak, the brother of Miran Muhammad, soon deposed him. After the death of Bahadur Shah, the nobles of Gujarat decided to put Mahmud Khan (Mahmud Shah III), the son of Latif Khan (rebel brother of Bahadur Shah) on the throne. Miran Mubarak refused to hand over Mahmud Khan who was in his custody. The Gujarat army defeated him and took back Mahmud Shah. Again, when he supported a rebel Gujarat officer Imad-ul-Mulk, he had to face again the Gujarat army led by Mahmud Shah. Later, he signed a treaty with Gujarat and acquired the districts of Sultanpur and Nandurbar. The last sultan of Malwa,
Baz Bahadur after being defeated by
Akbar in 1561, took refuge in Khandesh. The Mughal general Pir Muhammad Khan followed him to Khandesh, devastated the kingdom and overran Burhanpur. Miran Mubarak asked Tufal Khan of Berar for help. The joint army of Berar and Khandesh defeated Pir Muhammad Khan, re-occupied Malwa and re-instated Baz Bahadur. Miran Mubarak died on December 24, 1566.
Raja Ali Khan / Miran Adil Khan Faroqi IV of
Akbar, minted in Asir. This coin was issued in the name of the Mughal ruler Akbar, to commemorate the capture of the Khandesh sultanate
Asirgarh (Asir) Fort on 17 January 1601 CE. Legend:
"Allah is great, Khordad Ilahi 45, struck at Asir". In 1577, Akbar sent an expeditionary force to Khandesh to secure its sub-ordination. Raja Ali Khan was compelled to accept it. In 1586 CE, Akbar's governor of Malwa Khan Azam invaded Berar. Raja Ali Khan joined hands with Ahmadnager and defeated him. In 1591 CE, Akbar sent
Faizi to Khandesh and Ahmadnagar courts to invite them to accept Mughal suzerainty. Raja Ali Khan agreed to accept. Later, Raja Ali Khan was assigned a rank (mansab) of 5000. On February 5, 1597, he died in the battle of Sonpet between the Mughals and Ahmadnagar, while fighting on the Mughal side. His body was brought to Burhanpur for burial. In a meeting with Akbar's emissary
Abu'l Fazl, he refused to join Mughal army in person. Again, in January 1599 when
prince Daniyal reached Burhanpur, he refused to meet him. Later, he took refuge in the Asirgarh fort and started preparation for war. On April 8, 1599, Akbar reached Burhanpur. He sent Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan to lay siege to Asirgarh and appointed Abul Fazl as governor of Khandesh. On December 10, 1600, Bahadur Shah surrendered to Akbar but the fort was still held by his general
Yakut Khan. Asirgarh fell to the Mughals only on January 17, 1601 Khandesh was annexed to the Mughal empire. Prince Daniyal was appointed viceroy of the
Subah. Bahadur Shah was taken prisoner and he died later in
Agra in 1624. == List of rulers ==