Shuja-ud-Daulah served as Subedar and Nawab of Oudh and Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 until 26 January 1775. Nawab Safdar Jang's only son and heir, Mirza Jalal-ud-din Haidar, also known as Shuja-ud-daula. The Mughal crown prince Ali Gauhar sought refuge with him, and the Nawab Wazir proclaimed him Emperor of India afterward. Shuja-ud-daula became the Empire's Wazir. This article will explain to you about Shuja ud Daula (1754-75) which will be helpful in Modern Indian History preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

Shuja ud Daula - Early Life

• Ahmad Shah Bahadur picked Shuja-ud-Daulah, the son of Mughal Grand Vizier Safdarjung.
• Unlike his father, Shuja-ud-Daulah was recognized from an early age for his ability to synthesize his subordinates, and it was this ability that led to his being picked as Shah Alam II's Grand Vizier.
• When the Nawab of Bengal's domains were being attacked by Raghoji I Bhonsle and his Marathas, Shuja-ud-Daulah is said to have aided the legendary Alivardi Khan on several occasions.
• As a result, Shuja-ud-Daulah is said to have been a highly regarded character among Alivardi Khan's troops.

Shuja Ud Daula

Shuja ud Daula - Nawab of Awadh

• Shuja-ud-Daula was recognized as the next Nawab by Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur after his father, the Mughal Grand Vizier Safdarjung, died in 1753.
• Shuja-ud-Daula despised Imad-ul-Mulk, a Maratha Empire ally whose regime arose with the support of the Sadashivrao Bhau after the Battle of Sikandarabad.
• Ahmad Shah Bahadur was blinded by Imad-ul-Mulk, who then installed Alamgir II on the Mughal throne.
• Imad-ul-Mulk frequently persecuted Alamgir II and his son Prince Ali Gauhar for refusing to abandon their peaceful terms with Ahmad Shah Durrani.
• They also demanded Imad-ul-resignation, Mulk's primarily because of his relations with the Marathas.

Shuja ud Daula and The Mughals

• When Prince Ali Gauhar discovered a plot that would lead to the assassination of Mughal Emperor Alamgir II, he fled Delhi.
• Shuja-ud-Daula welcomed and protected Prince Ali Gauhar, who later declared himself Shah Alam II and recognized Shuja-ud-Daula as the Mughal Empire's Grand Vizier.
• They faced off against the usurper Shah Jahan III, who had been installed on the Mughal imperial throne by Sadashivrao Bhau and his forces, who had plundered much of the Mughal Empire.
• Shah Alam II was then advised to lead an expedition to retake the Mughal Empire's eastern provinces from Mir Jafar, who was backed by the British East India Company.
• Shuja-ud-Daula, Najib-ul-Daula, and Mirza Jawan Bakht allied with Ahmad Shah Durrani and aided his forces in the Second Battle of Sikandarabad in 1760, and later led a Mughal army of 43,000 in the Third Battle of Panipat.

Third Battle of Panipat (1761)

• The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 at Panipat, about 60 miles (95.5 kilometers) north of Delhi, between a Maratha Empire northern expeditionary force and King of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah Durrani, with two Indian Muslim allies - the Rohilla Afghans of the Doab and Shuja-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Oudh.
• Both the Marathas and the Afghans attempted to entice Shuja-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Awadh, into their camp.
• By late July, Shuja-ud-Daulah had decided to join the Afghan-Rohilla coalition, choosing to be part of the 'army of Islam.'
• Shuja provided much-needed funds for the extended Afghan stay in North India, hence this was a significant setback for the Marathas.
• Without Shuja's assistance, it's uncertain that the Afghan-Rohilla coalition would be able to continue fighting the Marathas.
• With no supplies and dying warriors, the Maratha leaders urged Sadashiv Rao Bhau, their commander, to let them die in combat rather than starve to death.
• The Marathas left their camp to march towards the Afghan camp in a desperate bid to break the siege.
• Over 125,000 men were involved in the conflict, which lasted many days.
• There were long skirmishes, with both forces losing and gaining.
• After eliminating many Maratha flanks, Ahmad Shah Durrani's men were victorious.
• The reign of Peshwa Madhavrao, who is credited with resurrecting Maratha dominance following the defeat at Panipat, spans ten years.
• Peshwa Madhavrao dispatched a huge Maratha force into North India in 1771, ten years after Panipat, in an attempt to: Re-establish Maratha dominance in North India
• Punish recalcitrant nations that had either joined with the Afghans, like the Rohillas or had managed to shake from Maratha dominance following Panipat.
• The campaign's triumph might be viewed as the final chapter in Panipat's lengthy history.

Shuja ud Daula - Battle of Buxar

• Shuja is also remembered for his involvement in the Fight of Buxar, a pivotal battle in Indian history.
• In one of the most important engagements in the history of the British East India Company, he and the armies of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II and Bengal ruler Mir Qasim were beaten by British forces.
• Even after Shuja-Ud-Daulah was destroyed, the English did not acquire Awadh after the Battle of Buxar because it would have required the Company to guard an enormous land boundary from Afghan and Maratha attacks.
• Shuja-Ud-Daulah became a close British ally, establishing Awadh as a buffer state between English and foreign incursions.
• The Treaty of Allahabad with Mughal Emperor Shah Alam-II turned the emperor into a valuable "rubber stamp" for the Company.
• Furthermore, the emperor's Farman legitimized the Company's political victories in Bengal.

Conclusion

Shuja ud Daula is best known for his roles in two pivotal battles in Indian history, the Third Battle of Panipat (1761) which ended Maratha dominance of the Mughal Empire's northern regions and overthrew Shah Jahan III, and the battle of Buxar (1764) which he had joined along with Mir Qasim which ended with Treaty of Allahabad.