ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>FARRUKH-S&#298YAR (1683-1719)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="FARRU"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279FARRU<u>KH</u>-S&#298YAR (1683-1719), Mu<u>gh</u>al emperor of India from 1713-19, was the second son of 'Az&#299m al-Sh&#257n, the third son of Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h. Born at Aura&#7749g&#257b&#257d in the Deccan on 11 September 1683, he in his tenth year accompanied his father to &#256gr&#257, and in 1697 to Beng&#257l, when that province was added to his charge. In 1707, when 'Az&#299m al-Sh&#257n was summoned to the court by Aura&#7749gz&#299b, Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar was nominated his father's deputy there, which post he held until his recall by 'Az&#299m al-Sh&#257n in 1711. When Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h died at Lahore on 27 February 1712, Farrukh-S&#299yar was at Pa&#7789n&#257, inquisitivehaving tarried there since the previous rainy season. Following the defeat and death of his father in the contest at Lahore, Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar proclaimed himself king at Pa&#7789n&#257 on 6 March 1712. He marched on Delhi, defeating Jah&#257nd&#257r Sh&#257h, who had succeeded Bah&#257dur Sh&#257h, on 10 January 1713, after a hard-fought battle at S&#257m&#363ga&#7771h near &#256gr&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After his accession to the throne of Delhi, Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar launched the sternest proceedings against Sikhs who had under Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur risen in the Punjab. He deputed his best military generals against them. 'Abd us-Samad <u>Kh</u>&#257n was appointed governor of Lahore and was entrusted with the task of quelling Sikh insurrection. According to <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r-i-Darb&#257r-Mu'all&#257,</i> high ranking military generals such as Ba<u>kh</u>sh&#299 ul-M&#363lk Muhammad <u>Kh</u>&#257n Bah&#257dur, <u>Gh</u>&#257z&#299 ud-D&#299n <u>Kh</u>&#257n Bah&#257dur, Mah&#257bat <u>Kh</u>&#257n Bah&#257dur and Ham&#299d ud-D&#299n <u>Kh</u>&#257n Bah&#257dur moved against the Sikhs at the head of their forces. Chopped heads of the victims were often sent to the emperor by the commanders to win his pleasure. Sikhs' main column under Band&#257 Si&#7749gh Bah&#257dur was subjected to a most stringent siege at the village of Gurd&#257s-Na&#7749gal, about 6 km from Gurd&#257spur. For eight long months, the garrison resisted the siege under gruesome conditions. The royal armies at last broke through and captured Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and his famishing companions on 7 December 1715. After being paraded in the streets of Lahore, they were taken to Delhi where they arrived on 27 February 1716. Besides 740 prisoners in heavy chains, the cavalcade to imperial capital comprised seven hundred cartloads of the heads of Sikhs with another 2,000 stuck upon pikes. By Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar's order, Band&#257 Si&#7749gh and some two dozen leading Sikhs were imprisoned in the Fort, while the remaining 694 were made over to the <i>kotw&#257l</i>, Sarbar&#257h <u>Kh</u>&#257n, to be executed in the Kotw&#257l&#299 Chab&#363tr&#257 at the rate of a hundred a day. Then Band&#257 Si&#7749gh, Bah&#257dur and his remaining companions were taken to the tomb of <u>Kh</u>w&#257j&#257 Qutb ud-D&#299n Bakhtiy&#257r K&#257k&#299, near the Qutb M&#299n&#257r. There he was offered the choice between Islam and death. Upon his refusal to renounce his faith, his four-year son, Ajai Si&#7749gh, was hacked to pieces before his eyes. Band&#257 Si&#7749gh himself was subjected to the harshest torments. His eyes were pulled out and hands and feet chopped off. His flesh was torn with red-hot pincers and finally his body was cut up limb by limb. This happened on 9 June 1716.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; According to George Forster, <i>A Journey from Bengal to England,</i> an edict was issued by Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar after the execution of Band&#257 Si&#7749gh directing that "every Sicque falling into the hands of his officers should, on a refusal of embracing the Mahometan faith, be put to the sword. A valuable reward was also given by the emperor for the head of every Sicque, and such was the keen spirit that animated the persecution, such the success of the exertions, that the name of a Sicque no longer existed in the Mughul dominion. Those who still adhered to the tenets of Nanock, either fled into the mountains at the head of the Punjab, or cut off their hair, and exteriorly renounced the profession of their religion."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Farru<u>kh</u>-S&#299yar was deposed and blinded by his own men with needles pressed into his eyes on 28 February 1819 and choked to death on the night between 27 and 28 April.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Bhagat Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>A<u>kh</u>b&#257r-i-Darb&#257r-Mu'all&#257.</i> Patiala, 1984<BR> <li class="C1"> Irvine, W., <i>Later Mughals.</i> London, 1922<BR> <li class="C1"> Nijjar, B.S., <i>Punjab under the Later Mughals.</i> Jalandhar, 1972<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>