Barha was the second son of the Nawab of
Ajmer,
Mian Abdullah Khan I.
Barha dynasty, to which Hussain Ali Khan belonged, was of peasant origins, and his ancestors had moved at an uncertain date from their homeland in
Punjab to a barren region in
Muzaffarnagar district of
Uttar Pradesh. Although Barhas claimed to be descendants of
Muhammad, or
Sayyids, this claim was always dubious. Emperor
Jahangir, although noting that people questioned their lineage, considered their bravery as a proof of their claims. They took much pride in their Indian ancestry, and according to the American historian
Richard M. Eaton, were "as native to India as were
Jats,
Rajputs or
Marathas." By the time of Emperor
Aurangzeb, the dynasty was firmly regarded as "Old Nobility" and held realms of
Ajmer and
Dakhin. The
Sadaat-e-Bara tribe, due to their reputation, acquired a hereditary right to lead the vanguard of imperial Mughal armies in every battle. The Mughal emperor
Jahangir remarked that the Sadaat-e-Bara were "averters of calamity from this dominion". Hussain Ali Khan started his early career as a
Faujdar during Aurangzeb's reign and eventually gained higher positions after backing
Bahadur Shah I in the succession war ensuing Aurangzeb's death. == Biography ==