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(–1682)
Positions Held
Subedar of Ahmedabad
Subedar of Gujarat
Subedar of Kabul 1670
Subedar of Lahore
Mir Bakhshi 1657
Deputy wazir of Golconda
Biographical
The son of Mir Jumla, Muhammad Amin Khan served under the emperors Shah Jahan and 'Alamgir. He was an important noble in the Golconda Kingdom. When his father switched allegiance to Shah Jahan, Qutb Shah imprisoned Muhammad Amin Khan along with his family, and his property was confiscated. He was later released by Aurangzeb's forces. Together with his father, he joined the Mughal service in 1656. After arriving to court, he was granted a Khilat and the title of 'khan'. When his father was removed from the office of wazir of Golconda, Muhammad Amin Khan, his deputy, was denied his right to succeed him by Dara Shukoh, Shah Jahan's successor. In 1658 he was imprisoned briefly in Agra for neglect of duty, but in reality, over the suspicion of his father colluding with Aurangzeb. During the reign of Aurangzeb, he received various promotions and appointments. In 1667 he was sent to suppress the Yusufzai Afghan uprising. Chosen as the next wazir, he went to the Mughal court in 1671 and attempted to set certain conditions before accepting the office, but the emperor withdrew the nomination and he returned to Kabul. He was severely injured in 1672 in battle on the Khyber Pass against the Afghans where his only son, Abdullah Khan, was slain. Some of his family members, including a daughter, were taken prisoner and released after a ransom was paid. In disgrace, Muhammad Amin Khan's rank was reduced to 5000/5000, and was barred from visiting the court. He was recalled in 1679 for the campaign against the Rana, and he paid homage to the emperor in 1679. After this, he and his officers were rewarded generously. He left Chittor in 1680, and returned to Ahmedabad . Muhammad Amin Khan was apparently a failure in the military, but he was competent and successful in administration during his term in Gujarat. He was, however, a haughty, bigoted man. He was averse to Hindus, and shunned their presence. In Ahmedabad , he denied the common people access to the mosque he frequented which, on one occasion, led to him being mobbed as he left after prayers, and was forced to seek refuge. The emperor censured him for this behaviour. He died shortly after this incident. At his death, he left a large a large estate. Muhammad Amin Khan had been raised to the following ranks: 3000/1000; 3000/1500 in 1657; 1000/3000 in 1658; 5000/5000 in 1659; 6000/6000. His daughter married Sultan Karbalai of Najaf in 1664.
Place of death: Ahmedabad
Place of burial: Bhadra citadel
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Sources
1. M. Afzal Khan, 1987. Iranian Nobility Under Shahjahan and Aurangzeb. Thesis. Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.
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