Qulij Khan Turani

Qulij Khan Turani, also Qilich Khan Turani (died 1654) was a Mughal governor and general who fought against the Safavids in 1638–39.

On May 3, 1638, Qulij Khan Turani, previously governor of Multan, arrived from Multan to Kandahar with imperial decrees in order to take possession of the fortress as imperial governor, following the Surrender of Kandahar of February-March 1638.[2] He then participated to later campaigns to take Safavid fortresses in Afghanistan, particularly capturing the fortress of Bost from Mihrab Khan in 1638 at the Siege of Bost (1638).[3][4][1][5]

As a youth, Qulij Khan Turani was a follower and servant of 'Abdullah Khan Zakhmi.[6]

Qulij Khan Turani also held various positions as Governor: Ruler of Multan (1631–1638),[7] Governor of Kandahar (1638-),[7] Subah of Multan (1641–1642), Subah of Lahore (1643–1645). He was also Governor of Delhi in the reign of Shah Jahan.[6]

A portrait of Qulij Khan Turani dated ca. 1640 appears in the Shah Jahan Album, with a mention in Shah Jahan's own hand reading "a portrait of Qilich Khan, governor of Qandahar Fort, done by La'lchand" (shabih-i Qilich Khan hakim-i qal 'a-i Qandahar 'amal-i La'/chand).[8]

  • Portrait of Qilich Khan Turani. Shah Jahan Album. Painting by La'lchand. ca. 1640
  • Portrait of Qilich Khan Turani (detail). Shah Jahan Album. Painting by La'lchand. ca. 1640

References

  1. ^ a b Welch, Stuart Cary (1985). India: art and culture, 1300-1900. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. pp. 247–248. ISBN 978-0030061141. "In the miniature, Qulij Khan accepts the keys of a conquered city, probably Bust, which was captured in the eleventh year of the reign from Mihrab Khan, one of the Iranian shah's abler generals. (...) Qulij Khan Turani, the devoted follower of the emperor, whose army boasted an elite corps of one thousand Uzbeks"
  2. ^ Thackston 2025, p. 25 "After the imperial decree and Qilich Khan arrived in Qandahar, Alimardan Khan came out of the fortress with his followers and camped outside the city on the 18th of Dhu’l-Hijja [May 3]."
  3. ^ Thackston, Wheeler M. (2025). Padshahnama: A Chronicle of the Reign of Shahjahan (Volume 2: 1637–1647). Singapore: Springer. pp. 28–30, 61. ISBN 978-981-96-5924-1. p.28: The next day Qilich Khan and the army commanders toured the fortress, and he stationed his liegeman Fulad Beg there with five hundred riflemen and yeomen to guard it. After reassuring himself of the security of all the ways in and out of that installation and of the others he turned his attention to conquering the Bust fortress. He arrived at the foot of that bastion on the 14th of Rabi' I [July 26], and on the 18th [July 30] he assigned battle stations around the fortress to the troops. (...) p.61: When the Qandahar fortress came under the control of the agents of the empire this Mihrab Khan had been the castellan of Bust, and Qilich Khan took Bust from him by force and gave him amnesty and leave to return to Iran.
  4. ^ Khan, Nawwab Samsam-ud-daula Shah Nawaz (1952). The Maathir -ul-umara Vol.ii. p. 1001. (Mirza) Yusuf Khan Radavi (...) In the 11th [1638-1639] year when the Qandahar fort came into the royal possession, he was deputed with the Faujdar of Siwistan for settling that area. He performed valuable services in company with Qulij Khan the Governor of the area in connection with the capture of the Bust fort.
  5. ^ "La reddition de Kandahar". Musée Guimet (in French).
  6. ^ a b Singh, Nagendra Kr (2001). Encyclopaedia of Muslim Biography: Muh-R. A.P.H. Publishing Corporation. p. 461. ISBN 978-81-7648-234-9.
  7. ^ a b Thackston 2025, p. 18.
  8. ^ Welch, Stuart Cary; Schimmel, Annemarie; Swietochowski, Marie Lukens (1987). The Emperors' Album: Images of Mughal India [catalog of an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from october 21 1987 to February 14 1987]. New york: Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 224, item 70. ISBN 978-0300194074.
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