Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal

Murshid Quli Khan

The first among these to declare himself the de-fact ruler was Asaf Jah-I of Hyderabad. The next was Murshid Quli Khan of Bengal.

• Under the nose of Farrukhsiyar, the name of Makhsusabad was changed to Murshidabad and Nawab Murshid Quli Khan became the de-facto ruler of Bengal and Orissa, however, he kept on working “for” decrepit Mughals.
• Murshid Quli Khan was the First Nawab of Bengal whose reign in this capacity was from 1717 to 1727.

As soon as Farrukhsiyar acknowledged his changing the name of Makhsusabad to Murshidabad he released Zurbe Murshedabad coin, in his own new mint.

He kept on sending annual tributes to the Mughals but was the real ruler of Bengal. He died in 1727. Before he died, he had appointed his maternal grandson Sarfaraz Khan as heir apparent, who abdicated the seat for his father Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan, who became the second Nawab of Bengal.

• In some British Records, Murshid Quli Khan is named Jafar Khan. He was a Brahmin by birth and was brought up as a slave in Persia. He became a fanatic muslim and destroyed some temples.