37 Facts About Malik Ambar

Malik Ambar was a military leader and statesman who served as the Peshwa of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate and its de facto ruler from 1600 until his death in 1626.

Originally a slave from modern day Ethiopia, Chapu, as he was known then, was sold from place to place by many slave merchants, one of whom renamed him Ambar and converted him to Islam.

Malik Ambar was eventually brought to India, where he was bought by his last owner, the Peshwa of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate.

Malik Ambar rose through the ranks at Ahmadnagar, where he created a mercenary force numbering greater than 50,000 men.

Malik Ambar was eventually given the title "Malik" meaning King in arabic.

Malik Ambar was based in the Deccan region and was hired by local kings.

Malik Ambar became a popular Prime Minister of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate, showing administrative acumen.

Malik Ambar is regarded as a pioneer in guerrilla warfare in the region.

Malik Ambar is credited with carrying out a revenue settlement of much of the Deccan, which formed the basis for subsequent settlements.

Malik Ambar is a figure of veneration to the Siddis of Gujarat.

Malik Ambar challenged the might of the Mughals and Adil Shahs of Bijapur and raised the low status of the Nizam Shah.

Malik Ambar was born in 1548 in Harar, Adal Sultanate.

Qasim converted Chapu to Islam from his traditional religion, educated him, and gave him the name Malik Ambar, after recognizing his superior intellectual qualities.

Malik Ambar was then purchased by Changiz Khan, a former Habshi slave himself who served as the peshwa or chief minister of the Sultanate of Ahmadnagar.

Once his master died, Malik Ambar was freed by his master's wife.

Malik Ambar got married, and after getting freed, Ambar served the Sultan of Bijapur as an officer and gained the title "Malik" during this time.

Malik Ambar was the regent of the Nizamshahi dynasty of Ahmednagar from 1600 to 1626.

Malik Ambar raised a cavalry which grew from 150 to 7000 in a short period of time and revitalized the Ahmadnagar sultanate by appointing puppet sultans to repel Mughal attacks from the North.

Malik Ambar criticized Ambar as "the ill-starred" and "the black fated".

Malik Ambar changed the capital of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate from Paranda to Junnar and founded a new city, Khadki, which was later on renamed to Aurangabad by Aurangzeb in the 1650s.

Malik Ambar is said to be one of the proponents of guerrilla warfare in the Deccan region.

Malik Ambar assisted Shah Jahan wrestle power in Delhi from his stepmother, Nur Jahan, who had ambitions of seating her son-in-law on the throne.

Malik Ambar had restored some credibility to the Sultans of Ahmadnagar, who had been subdued by the earlier Mughals.

Later Malik Ambar offered full control of Berar and Ahmadnagar to the Mughal as a sign of surrender.

Malik Ambar defeated the Mughal General Khan Khanan many times and often attacked Ahmadnagar.

Malik Ambar died in a dual battle against a Dadhiwadiya Charan of Marwar in 1626 at the age of 77.

Malik Ambar had by his wife, Bibi Karima two sons; Fateh Khan and Changiz Khan and two daughters.

One of his daughters was married to a prince of the Ahmednagar royal family, who through Malik Ambar's aid was crowned as Sultan Murtaza Nizam Shah II.

Malik Ambar became famous for his involvement in several important military campaigns, such as the Kandahar Wars against Shah Abbas of Persia.

Malik Ambar was killed by Prince Murad Baksh in the Battle of Samugarh during the Mughal War of succession in 1658.

Malik Ambar cites Ambar's military prowess as the reason he rose to such influence during his life, but claims that a string of decisive defeats at the end of his career instigated distrust and resentment amongst those in his close administration.

Eaton and his proponents claim Malik Ambar's journey is an impressive story of success, and gave Africans representation in India for a short while, but believe his lack of positive leadership in the final years of his tenure prevented him from solidifying his influence, as his successors quickly worked to reverse many of Malik Ambar's policies.

Regardless of his posthumous impact on the Deccan, and Indian states generally, it cannot be disputed Malik Ambar was an avid supporter of education and a patron of the arts.

Some historians believe that those words came out of frustration as Malik Ambar had resisted the powerful Mughals and kept them away from Deccan.

Malik Ambar is especially famous for the Neher water system of the city of Khadki.

Malik Ambar completed the Neher within fifteen months, spending a nominal sum of two and a half lakh Rupiyahs.

Malik Ambar is credited with the construction of the Janjira Fort in the Murud Area of present-day Maharashtra India.