Mubariz Khan

Of a relative obscure background, he entered the Mughal service as a clerk and got employment in various courts, but he soon got his big career break when he married the daughter of Inayat Khan Kashmiri, a noble in the favour of Aurangzeb.

With the death of Aurangzeb, Golconda lost its prominence and splendour was subjected to numerous plunder raids by the Marathas to extract Chauth.

In the early months of 1714, he defeated a Maratha raid party near Hyderabad in which the raiders suffered 150 dead and 100 as casualties.

To proclaim his victory he erected in true Central Asian fashion a tower of skulls to instill fear to his opponents and to the locals.

[9] With the consolidation of power, Mubariz Khan began to punish the local zamindars for their delay in payments of tax.

Over a nine-month period Mubariz Khan led his army in a great circular route: north-east to Polavaram on the Godavari; up the Godavari to Bhadrachalam, the temple town; south-west away from the river to Paloncha ; to the east to Chennur, Narasimharapalam, and finally back to Rajahmundry, and by the end of the year to Eluru again.

One of the wretches, wherever he advanced beyond the borders received a severe reverse from the Khan, and every time he wanted to attack this zone, had to run away after being defeated by his strong force.

[14] In the last four years of his life, Mubariz Khan was ever busy with the affairs in Golconda but his eventual end didn't came from the Marathas, Saiyyids but from an able old Turani associate, Nizam Ul Mulk.

At that time he enquired into the appointments of Mubariz Khan and his sons and he found out significant arrears which were needed to be paid.

The Nizam soon however left Delhi and abandoned his post of Wazir as the King was found to be more indulging in personal pleasures rather than managing the affairs of the state .

Muhammad Shah fearing of the Nizam's rising powers released a farman granting the Governorship of the six provinces of the Deccan to Mubariz Khan.

[16] Mubariz Khan was at that time indulging in the siege of fort belonging to Appa Rao at Machilibandar that he was late in his response.

On 11 October 1724, Mubariz Khan died while fighting against the Nizam at Shakar Khera in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra.