Rafi ud-Darajat
Rafi ud-Darajat (Persian: رفیع الدرجات) (1 December 1699 – 6 June 1719), the youngest son of Rafi-ush-Shan and the nephew of Azim ush Shan, was the 10th Mughal Emperor. He succeeded Furrukhsiyar on 28 February 1719, being proclaimed Badshah by the Syed Brothers. He died from tuberculosis.
| Rafi ud-Darajat | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padishah of the Mughal Empire Rafi ud-Darajat | |||||
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| 10th Mughal Emperor | |||||
| Reign | 28 February – 6 June 1719 | ||||
| Predecessor | Farrukhsiyar | ||||
| Successor | Shah Jahan II | ||||
| Regent | Syed Brothers (1719) | ||||
| Born | 1 December 1699 | ||||
| Died | 6 June 1719 (aged 19) Agra | ||||
| Burial | Mausoleum of Khwaja Qutbuddin Kaki, Delhi | ||||
| Spouse | Inayat Banu Begum | ||||
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| House | Timurid | ||||
| Father | Rafi-ush-Shan | ||||
| Mother | Razyiat-un-Nissa Begum | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Reign
Role of the Syed Brothers
As Rafi ud-Darajat owed his throne to the Syed Brothers they took full advantage of this. They wanted him to be a puppet ruler and so took steps to curtail his power. The previous emperor Furrukhsiyar was deposed by the Syed Brothers as he had tried to maintain his independence.
Rival claim to throne
The reign of Rafi ud-Darajat was one of turbulence. On 18 May 1719, less than three months after his own accession, Rafi ud-Darajat's uncle, Nekusiyar, assumed the throne at the Agra Fort as he thought he was more eligible for the post.
The Syed Brothers were extremely determined to defend the emperor they had raised to the throne and punish the offender. They swiftly succeeded. Only three months after Nekusiyar's enthronement, the fort surrendered and Nekusiyar was captured. He was respectfully received by the Amir ul-Umara and confined at Salimgarh where he died in 1723.
Death
Before dying, Rafi ud-Darajat requested that his elder brother be enthroned. Accordingly, on 6 June 1719, after a reign of 3 months and six days, he was dethroned. Two days later his brother, Rafi ud-Daulah, was enthroned. Rafi ud-Darajat died of Tuberculosis or was murdered at Agra, 6 June 1719. His remains were interred near the shrine of Sufi saint Khawaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli in Delhi.
Ancestry
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rafi ud-Darajat. |
Rafi ud-Darajat | ||
| Preceded by Furrukhsiyar |
Mughal Emperor 1719 |
Succeeded by Shah Jahan II |