Consort: | yes |
Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi | |
Shahzada of the Safavid Empire | |
Succession: | Viceroy of Gujarat Subah |
Reign: | 1637 – 1659 |
Death Place: | Ajmer, Rajasthan, India |
Spouse: | Nauras Banu Begum |
Issue: | Dilras Banu Begum Sakina Banu Begum Mirza Muhammad Ahsan Safavi Mirza Mu‘azzam Safavi |
Full Name: | Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi |
House: | Safavid |
Father: | Mirza Rustam Safavi |
Religion: | Shia Islam |
Place Of Burial: | Ajmer Sharif, Ajmer |
Badi-uz-Zaman Safavi (died 1659) was a prince of the Safavid dynasty of Persia and a powerful amir at the Mughal court during Emperor Shah Jahan's reign. He is better known by the title Shahnawaz Khan or Mirza Deccan. Shahnawaz Khan was the father-in-law of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his younger brother Prince Murad Baksh.
Shahnawaz Khan was the son of Mirza Rustam Safavi,[1] who rose to eminence during Emperor Jahangir's reign. He belonged to the lineage of the old Mashad princes of Iran - his great-grandfather was a son of Shah Ismail I of the Safavid Empire.[2]
He was married to Nauras Banu Begum,[3] the daughter of Mirza Muhammad Sharif. The couple were the parents of two sons and five daughters, including Dilras Banu Begum, who married Prince Muhi-ud-din (later known as Aurangzeb upon his accession), the third son of Emperor Shah Jahan in 1637. Another daughter of his married Aurangzeb's youngest brother, Prince Murad Bakhsh in 1638.[4]
Shahnawaz Khan was made viceroy of Gujarat and ataliq to Shah Jahan's son, Prince Murad Baksh, at the time of his assignment to the Deccan.[5] Shahnawaz Khan was imprisoned by his son-in-law, Aurangzeb, in the Burhanpur fort in 1658 for not supporting him in the war of succession. Khan, instead of supporting his son-in-law, chose to support Aurangzeb's oldest brother, Crown Prince Dara Shikoh, the heir-apparent chosen by Emperor Shah Jahan. This resulted in a conflict of interests between Aurangzeb and him. Aurangzeb released him seven months later, upon the intercession of his eldest daughter Princess Zeb-un-Nisa and appointed him the viceroy of Gujarat.[6]
Shahnawaz Khan died in battle at Ajmer on 14 March 1659 and was buried in Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan by the orders of Aurangzeb.[6]