Life and Career
Safdarjung was born as Muhammad Muqim in Khurasan, Persia and migrated to India in 1722.
In 1739 he succeeded his father-in-law and paternal uncle, the Burhan ul Mulk Saadat Ali Khan I to the throne of Oudh, apparently by paying Nadir Shah two crores of rupees. The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah gave him the title of "Safdarjung".
Safdarjung was an able administrator. He was not only effective in keeping control of Oudh, but also managed to render valuable assistance to the weakened Muhammad Shah. He was soon given governorship of Kashmir as well, and became a central figure at the Delhi court. During the later years of Muhammad Shah, he gained complete control of administration in the Mughal Empire. When Ahmad Shah Bahadur ascended the throne at Delhi in 1748, Safdarjung became his Wazir ul-Mamalik-i-Hindustan or Chief Minister of Hindustan. He was also made the governor of Ajmer and became the "Faujdar" of Narnaul. However, court politics eventually overtook him and he was dismissed in 1753. He returned to Oudh in December 1753, and made Faizabad military headquarter. He died in October 1755 at the age of 46 years in Sultanpur near Faizabad.
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