Mirza Najaf Khan

Who was Mirza Najaf Khan?

Mirza Najaf Khan was a Persian adventurer in the court of Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. He had royal lineage, having been a Safavi prince, when that dynasty was deposed by Nader Shah in 1736. He came to India around 1740 and may even have come a year earlier with the Afsharids. His sister married into the family of the Nawab of Awadh. He also held the title of Deputy Wazir of Awadh. He served during the Battle of Buxar and his main contribution in history was as the highest commander of the Mughal army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.