Mughal Army
Great Mogul And His Court Returning From The Great Mosque At Delhi India - Oil Painting by American Artist Edwin Lord Weeks
Founded	Late 15th Century
Current form	Disbanded in 1805
Disbanded	The once glorious and mighty Mughal army was disbanded in 1805 by the British
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief	Mughal Emperor

The Mughal Army was the army of the Mughal Empire.

Mirza Najaf Khan was commander in chief of the Mughal Army from 1772 till his death in April 1782.

The art of Mughal warfare brought about a complete change in the way wars were fought in the Indian subcontinent. The Muslim armies that invaded India in the 11th and 12th centuries were small yet the art of their warfare made them invincible. They brought with them techniques and instruments of warfare that were hitherto unheard of in the sub-continent. The soldiers were protected from physical attack by means of a complete shield of armour from head to foot, their daggers and swords were made of superior alloys, and they brought with them the use of gunfire in warfare. That is why despite the courage and valour of the Indian armies a small group of warriors was able to overtake them and lay the foundation for the Mughal Empire.

Mansabdari System[link]

Mughal amir horseback

The Mughal army was interrelated with the Mansabdari system, which was introduced by Akbar. He paid 240 rupees to Manasabdar as salary for every Sawar for a year. But Jahangeer reduced it to 200 rupees. The Emperor paid his own sawars based on their nationality: more to Mugal soldiers than Hindustani Muslims or Rajputs. Munsadar retained 5% of a soldier's salary. These savings were available to them in emergencies. Emperors liked their army to be a mix of Irani, Turani, Mughal, Indian Afghan, and Rajput soldiers, in order to eliminate the differences of tribes and caste. On some special occasions Mughal or Rajput mansabdars allow to recruit their own men.

Recruitment in the Mughal Army[link]

A large Mughal encampment

The Mansabdars or high ranking officials of the Mughal administrative system did the process of recruitment for the grand Mughal army. Men from military families who provided their own horses were recruited as cavalrymen. Initially they were mainly Muslim recruits. However as the Empire grew stronger in India, a number of Hindu warriors from the Kshatriya and warring castes were recruited. This is particularly true of the Rajputs in Rajasthan. These Hindu warriors were allowed to train and function under their own respective Kings and Rajahs. The army was divided into infantry, artillery and cavalry of which cavalry was the most important.

Mughal War Outfit[link]

The Mughals had an all-encompassing outfit for war that would secure maximum protection. Every part of the body had a corresponding unit for protection-head, torso and limbs. Discussed below are the various body protection units used by the Mughal warriors.

Armour of mail and plate[link]

Antique Mughal riveted mail and plate coat zirah bagtar.

A coat made of a combination of mail and plate was worn as body armour. This was known as the Bukhtar. Thick metal acted as a shield against incoming weapons like arrows and lances. This had become popular among the Mongols in the fifteenth century and the Mughals continued its usage right until the Seventeenth century. The coat of mail worn by the ruler and high ranking Amirs reached right up to the knees and was elaborately decorated even with gold bands. Under this was worn a linen or cotton smock which worked as a kind of talisman with writings from the scriptures printed on it. Apart from the Bukhtar, another kind of armour was the Angirkha, where an armour vest was worn under the coat and the Jama was over the Garment to make it in visible. This was usually worn for the protection of the Royal family.

Apart from the mail coat, the cavalry was additionally protected by forearm defences, thigh and knee defences. Arm braces and leg armour of the higher ranks were very expensive, and in the case of the Emperor, the arm braces reached up to the elbows and were lined with velvet.

Shields[link]

A portrait probably made by a Mughal artist, in the Deccan, during Aurangzeb's military campaigns there

Shields were also used for the purpose of protection. This was made out a variety of materials such as cane and bamboo (Pahri), wood and leather (Juna) hides of animals like buffalo and Deer and even crocodile, tortoise and Rhinoceros skin with the last being Forum on History of India a prized possession. Shields known as Sipar were made of iron and steel.

Helmet of Mail and Plate[link]

As headgears, helmets and chain mail were extensively used. This enabled the men to clearly see their enemies while fighting them. Free E-magazine The helmet was fitted like cap and had neck protector attached to it. The Emperor used to wear a helmet made of gold. The helmet typically Mughal outfit which was continued in use by subsequent rulers.

Horse armour of Mail and Plate[link]

Horses were considered as extremely valuable not only as a commodity for import purposes but also due to their extreme importance in warfare. It was on the horses that the warriors were seated and they had to move around the war field on horseback as well. It was therefore of prime importance to protect them from injury. The armour for the horses was made of separate metal pieces that would be fitted on the horse to protect the entire length of its body. A flat metal plate was moulded to fit on their heads to protect their faces from the onslaught of arrows.

The Mughal rulers, in order to ensure superior stock even instituted certain programs for the purpose of breeding horses. Indigenous breeds were found along the river valleys of the Deccan and Kutch (Gujarat). However the best quality horses were those that were brought from Iran via the Hindukush Mountains. Royal horses used in warfare were stamped with the official seal in order to distinguish them from other animals of a lower stock.

Weapons used in Mughal Warfare[link]

The Mughals used various sophisticated weapons for warfare which was the prime reason for their triumph in the sub-continent. A major development in war was made by the introduction of gunpowder in Indian battle, a feat never accomplished before. Among the commonly used weapons are the sword and dagger, guns and cannon, archery and the extensive use of cavalry and infantry during war.

Sword[link]

Talwar with a wootz blade and silver koftigari decoration to hilt and blade forte. The Talwar was the most widely used weapon during Mughal times.

A major change was brought about in the shape and quality of swords since after the advent of the Mughal rule. They brought with them the curved sword, as opposed to the heavy straight swords with rounded ends as was in use at the time. These were sleek, sharp. Curved and made of a superior alloy of iron. The most superior quality blades were imported from Iran and made of crucible steel which gave it a crystalline appearance was capable of cutting deep into the armour and bodies of their adversaries. The ruler always carried with him a sword enclosed in a red sheath. The `Indo-Muslim` hilt, with its typical dish-shaped pommel, seems to have been introduced by the Mughals, and spread throughout India together with the curved-blade, or Talwar. The Mughals and their successors continued to patronize this tradition through royal workshops or Karkhana, and some of the most exquisite items still in existence came from this source

The finest among the swords was considered to be the Shamsher. It was a curved sword with a sharp edge that was primarily used as a cutting weapon. This type of sword was of great value and in fact later went on to become one of the most preferred swords and part of the couture of the Hindu Rajput warriors, called the Khanda.

Daggers (Jamadhar)[link]

A dagger from the Mughal Empire with hilt in jade, gold, rubies and emeralds. Blade of damascened steel inlaid with gold.

Apart from swords, the Muslim armies also used the dagger for purposes of warfare. This was a sharp two-edged instrument that was kept hidden in the boot of the horseman (Khuff).This was used as a secondary weapon.

Archery[link]

A Mughal Warrior and his wife

The use of bows and arrows, after its skilled usage in the hands of the Central Asian Turks, continued to be practiced by the Mughals. The Bow, typically double- curved, was carried in a container known as the Qirban whereas arrows were carried in quivers called Tarkash. The Mughals were quite skilled in archery and have even been known to poison the tip of the arrows to incapacitate the enemy. Special care was taken even in the manufacturing of these weapons. Bow-makers were sent to special training centres in Damascus and then only the best were allowed to manufacture the same for the purpose of warfare.

Gunpowder and Cannons[link]

Bullocks dragging siege-guns up hill during the attack on Ranthambhor Fort

The Mughals introduced in India the system of gunfire shot from cannons. This was a very effective ploy in the art of war as apart from the damage on impact, the explosion served to disorient and frighten the horses and elephants. This allowed the cavalry to charge in and prevent the enemies from forming strategies and countering the attack. Cannons, though extremely effective, were quite problematic to transport because of their size and weight. The cannon balls themselves were five hundred forty pounds and the cannon had to be matched accordingly to bear this weight.

From the late fifteenth century there was widespread use of firearms-cannons, muskets and mortars. They were considerably improved and extensively used during the reign of Akbar. In fact the emperor himself had an impressive collection of arms categorized according to weight, make etc. were a large number of musketeers in the Mughal army as muskets tended to overheat and were slow to reload.

other weapons used by the Mughals include maces (Gada), with a dome shaped head and a handle and knob at the end, Piyazi and Garguz shaped like an onion and a flower with eight petals respectively. In order to break the helmet and armour of the enemy soldiers, Shapshar and Amud were used. War axes were great favourites of the infantry as were the Jaghnol-a sharp blade fitted with a spike at the back to pierce through the armour. The tiger claw or Bagh Nakh was another lethal weapon used to disembowel an enemy. This was often used for the purpose of political assassination

Armed with these various weapons of war, the Mughals reigned supreme in the Indian subcontinent as consequent wars and sustained victories led to the growth of a vast Empire. Many of their practices were later taken up and continued by the different Indian rulers, most noted among them the Rajputs.

Types of Mughal army unit[link]

Recruitment in the Mughal Army[link]

The Mansabdars or high ranking officials of the Mughal administrative system did the process of recruitment for the grand Mughal army. Men from military families who provided their own horses were recruited as cavalrymen. Initially they were mainly Muslim recruits. However as the Empire grew stronger in India, a number of Hindu warriors from the Kshatriya and warring castes were recruited. This is particularly true of the Rajputs in Rajasthan. These Hindu warriors were allowed to train and function under their own respective Kings and Rajahs. The army was divided into infantry, artillery and cavalry of which cavalry was the most important.

In Cavalry[link]

Sawar[link]

an armored Moghul horseman

Sowar's attack

The word Sowar means 'The one who rides' in Persian, was originally a rank during the Mughal period. The term had been used to define a horse-soldier belonging to the cavalry troops of the Mughal armies in South Asia. It is also used more specifically of a mounted orderly, escort or guard. It was also the rank held by ordinary cavalry troopers, equivalent to Sepoy in the infantry.

Ahadees[link]

Sawar Khan, one of the Royal Guards of the Emperor Shah Jahan.jpg

Ahadees are household troops of the Mughal emperors. Normally, Munsabdars provides large amount of soldiers. In addition to these soldiers, Emperor also depends on his personal troops. Emperor owned troops are called Ahadees. They are behave like gentlemen. They earn higher amount of salary than normal cavalry soldiers. They are dependable soldiers because of theiy more trusted. They are directly recruited by emperor. They have their own separate duty book. Each soldier maintained Five horses of their own.^[1]

Sometimes two Ahadees Maintain only one horse. Their duties are irregular. These type of Ahadees including clerksin Royal offices, Painters in Emperor's Durbar, supervisors in Royal Factories. Many of them are used as Auxiliaries. They carry the Orders of Emperors. In the time of Shajahan, There number is 7000. They Send to the Battlefield regularly. These auxiliary soldiers equally spread all types units as scouts. Some men also worked as artillery, archers.

Zamburak[link]

A type of Zamburak which were in use by the Mughal Empire.

The Zamburak was a specialized form of camel cavalry and mobile artillery from the Muslim World after the 16th century, consisted of a soldier on a camel with a mounted swivel gun (a small falconet), which was hinged on a metal fork-rest protruding from the saddle of the animal. In order to fire the cannon, the camel would be put on its knees. The name may be derived from Arabic zambūr, hornet (possibly in reference to the sound earlier camel-mounted crossbows made). The mobility of the camel combined with the flexibility and heavy firepower of the swivel gun to make an intimidating military unit.

The soldier type was probably introduced by Egyptian Mamluk warriors who originally mounted large crossbows on the camels, the Zamburak was rapidly adopted by especially by the Persian Safavid armies, the Zamburak was introduced into the Mughal Empire by Mughal Emperor Humayun, Zamburak were used against the invading British in the Anglo-Afghan Wars.

War Elephants[link]

Elephant in Battle

The elephant had a ceremonial and almost power status in the traditional Mughal court. It did have a primary role on the battlefield in early Mughal armies but was supplanted by the faster horse archer. Despite this there were often several thousands, if not tens of thousands of elephants in the Mughal army. The elephant could serve the role of a command platform to keep the general above the crowd of the battle, although it also meant that if the soldiers saw an empty seat on top of an elephant that they may think that the general was dead and flee. l seat Elephants were also kept in the reserve to move in as a very obvious block or counter penetration force if the Mughal battle line was broken. As gunpowder weapons became more prevalent on the Indian battlefield the elephant lost its place even more. It was relegated to being a beast of burden to move weapons and supplies to the front line. It did however maintain the besieging role to pull down fortifications.

The elephant was as much a victim of gunpowder as was the European knight. Unlike the knight however, the elephant did not evolve on the battlefield to a new role but disappeared from the front lines and was pushed further back.

In Infantry[link]

Sepoy[link]

A Running Swordsman

The word sepoy is a disambiguation of the word Persian word Sipahi, the word was commonly used by Mughals and Safavids to describe individual infantry soldiers, the Ottoman Turks used the word to describe the elite Cavalry Sipahi.

The Sipahi were native Mughal musketeer units in the Mughal Empires basic military units, most of them carried Talwars and Sheilds, a special class known as the Atishbaz carried Mughal guns such as Muskets, the Atishbaz served under a Mir Atish (Mir of gunpowder weaponry).

Musketeers in India[link]

A Mughal Infantryman

Musket warfare became an integral part of Indian warfare when they were introduced to India by the Moghuls in 1519. They were an important defense against the tank-like War Elephants. Both the Mughals and their sworn enemies (such as the Marathas) used musketeers in cover formations while sending volleys of musket fire on unsuspecting soldiers, horses, and elephants.

Mahout[link]

Mahout on an elephant; gouache on paper

A howdah, or houdah, also known as Hathi Howdah, a carriage which is positioned on the back of an elephant, or occasionally some other animal, used most often in the past to carry wealthy people or for use in hunting or warfare. It was also a symbol of wealth for the owner, and as a result was decorated with expensive gems.

Most notable are the Golden Howdah, used traditionally during the Jamboo Savari (Elephant Procession) of the famous Mysore Dasara. The Museum at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan has a gallery of royal Howdahs.

Transport[link]

Howdah[link]

A decorated elephant with a howdah on its back

A howdah, or houdah, also known as Hathi Howdah, a carriage which is positioned on the back of an elephant, or occasionally some other animal, used most often in the past to carry wealthy people or for use in hunting or warfare. It was also a symbol of wealth for the owner, and as a result was decorated with expensive gems.

Most notable are the Golden Howdah, used traditionally during the Jamboo Savari (Elephant Procession) of the famous Mysore Dasara. The Museum at Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan has a gallery of royal Howdahs.

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Military history of the Mughal Empire

1. ^
   • [1]
   • [2]
   • [3]
   • [4],

Mansoor Ijaz
Born	1961 Tallahassee, Florida
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	1979-1983 University of Virginia 1983-1985 M.I.T. 1983-1986 Harvard-MIT M.E.M.P.
Occupation	Hedge Fund Management Venture Capitalist News Analyst & Opinion Writer Freelance Diplomacy
Religion	Islam
Spouse	Mdme Valerie Ijaz
Children	5

Mansoor Ijaz (born 1961) is an American businessman of Pakistani ancestry. He is an investment banker and media commentator, mostly in relation to Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan.^[1] He is the founder and chairman of Crescent Investment Management LLC, a New York investment partnership since 1990 that includes retired General James Alan Abrahamson, former director of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Ijaz has had ties to former CIA Director James Woolsey.

Personal Life[link]

Mansoor Ijaz was born in Tallahassee, Florida and grew up on a farm in rural Virginia.^[2] Ijaz received his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Virginia in 1983 and master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985, where he was trained as a neural sciences engineer in the Harvard Medical School-MIT Medical Engineering Medical Physics Program.

His father, Dr. Mujaddid Ahmad Ijaz (July 16, 1937— July 14, 1992) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and professor of physics at Virginia Tech University who was noted and known for his work with sub-atomic and hypothetical particles, and his early role in during Pakistan's early stages of nuclear energy programme.

Ijaz developed CARAT, a currency, interest rate and equity risk management system. He started his own investment firm in 1990. Away from Crescent's daily business affairs, Ijaz serves on the College Foundation Board of Trustees at the University of Virginia and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ijaz made a cameo appearance in music video in 2004 by DJ Junior Jack.

Media Commentator[link]

He used to appear regularly on a variety of financial and political news programs for CNN [1] [2], Fox News, BBC, Germany’s ARD TV, Japan’s NHK, ABC^{[disambiguation needed ]} and NBC. He has commented for PBS’ Newshour with Jim Lehrer [3], [4], [5], [6] and ABC News Nightline with Ted Koppel. Ijaz has been featured twice in Barron's Currency Roundtable discussions. He has also contributed to the editorial pages of London’s Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, Newsweek International, The Christian Science Monitor, The Weekly Standard, National Review, USA Today, and the Times of India. He endorsed views in the period prior to the Iraq War, later proven to be false, that included the presence of WMDs in Iraq and ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. Among other topics, he has commented on the lack of wisdom in letting politics and policymakers ignore good intelligence, vis-à-vis changes in the Muslim world^[3] and nuclear proliferation ^[4]

Ijaz was a Fox News Analyst and played a popular role on Special Report. He was a popular guest on the show and appeared on various Fox programs on more than 100 occasions. He articulated opinions on a wide array of subjects, including some that supported the Bush administration's policies on Iraq and Afghanistan. Some media outlets categorized his views as neo-conservative, placing him in the same category of analysts such as former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and former Defense Policy Board chairman Richard Perle. ^[5]

In 2006, in an interview with Gulf News, Ijaz claimed that Iran already had a nuclear bomb and that US think-tanks were already formulating strategies to overthrow the Iranian Government. His opinion appeared in an interview published in Gulf News, a Dubai-based newspaper. ^[6]

International Negotiator[link]

Mansoor Ijaz has been involved in unofficial negotiations between US and Sudanese governments with regard to extradition of Osama bin Laden. In 1996 the United States Congress had imposed sanctions against the Sudanese government over the terrorist operations on its soil.^[7] Mansoor Ijaz reportedly tried to negotiate a deal between Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir and Clinton administration officials including Sandy Berger. Ijaz argued the U.S. should adopt a policy of "constructive engagement" with Sudan, in return for deporting Osama bin Laden.^[8] However bin Laden made his way to Afghanistan after the deportation from Sudan. According to Ijaz, that was a missed opportunity to capture bin Laden who has not even been indicted by US authorities,^[9] a claim that Clinton's administration has denied^{[citation needed]}. The 9/11 Commission found that although "former Sudanese officials claim that Sudan offered to expel Bin Laden to the United States", "we have not found any reliable evidence to support the Sudanese claim.".^[10]

Statements Regarding bin Laden[link]

According to Ijaz, the Sudanese government offered the Clinton administration numerous opportunities to arrest bin Laden and those opportunities were met positively by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright but spurned when Susan Rice and counter-terrorism czar Richard Clarke persuaded National Security Advisor Sandy Berger to overrule Albright.

Ijaz’s claims in this regard appeared in numerous Op-Ed pieces including one in the Los Angeles Times ^[11] and one in the Washington Post co-written with former Ambassador to Sudan Timothy M. Carney .^[12]

Similar allegations have been made by Vanity Fair contributing editor David Rose^[13] and Richard Miniter, author of Losing bin Laden, in a November 2003 interview with World.^[14]

Several sources dispute Ijaz's claim, including the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United States (the 9-11 Commission) which concluded in part “Sudan's minister of defense, Fatih Erwa, has claimed that Sudan offered to hand Bin Laden over to the United States. The Commission has found no credible evidence that this was so. Ambassador Carney had instructions only to push the Sudanese to expel Bin Laden. Ambassador Carney had no legal basis to ask for more from the Sudanese since, at the time, there was no indictment outstanding.” ^[15]

Memogate[link]

Mansoor Ijaz was involved in the memogate controversy, which revolves around a memorandum seeking help of the Obama administration to avert a military takeover of the civilian government in Pakistan in the wake of the Osama bin Laden raid, and to assist in a civilian takeover of the military apparatus.^[16] The contents of the confidential memo, addressed to Admiral Mike Mullen, were published in its entirety on Foreign Policy magazine's website on November 17.^[17]

Ijaz alleged that former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani asked him to deliver the confidential memo^[18] asking for US assistance. The memo is alleged to have been drafted by Haqqani at the behest of President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari.^[19] The Supreme Court of Pakistan has opened a broader inquiry into the origins, credibility and purpose of the memo.^[20]

References[link]

1. ^ CNN (October 18, 2001) Mansoor Ijaz: The Pakistan perspective (CNN interview of Ijaz) Obtained February 14, 2007.
2. ^ Rediff.com (November 28, 2000) The Rediff Interview/ Mansoor Ijaz Obtained February 14, 2007.
3. ^ Carney, Timothy; Ijaz, Mansoor (30 June 2002). "Intelligence Failure? Let's Go Back to Sudan". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A64828-2002Jun29. 
4. ^ http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/575nerhn.asp?pg=1
5. ^ http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1187
6. ^ http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iran/iran-has-bomb-and-trying-to-make-more-1.222961
7. ^ Gellman, Barton (October 3, 2001). "U.S. Was Foiled Multiple Times in Efforts To Capture Bin Laden or Have Him Killed". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A61251-2001Oct2. 
8. ^ http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1997_hr/h970610i.htm
9. ^ http://www.benadorassociates.com/article/568
10. ^ http://www.9-11commission.gov/staff_statements/staff_statement_5.pdf
11. ^ Ijaz, Mansoor (December 5, 2001). "Clinton Let Bin Laden Slip Away and Metastasize". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/05/opinion/oe-ijaz05. 
12. ^ Carney, Timothy; Mansoor Ijaz (June 30, 2002). "Intelligence Failure? Let's Go Back to Sudan". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A64828-2002Jun29. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
13. ^ Rose, David (January, 2002). "The Osama Files". Vanity Fair. http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2002/01/osama200201?currentPage=1. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
14. ^ Belz, Mindy (November 1, 2003). "'Clinton did not have the will to respond'". World. http://www.worldmag.com/articles/8206. Retrieved 2008-12-01. 
15. ^ http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch4.htm
16. ^ "Pakistan US ambassador offers to resign over 'memogate'". BBC News Asia. 17 November 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15782297. Retrieved 24 November 2011. 
17. ^ "Contents of the Mullen Memorandum". Foreign Policy. 17 November 2011. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/files/fp_uploaded_documents/111117_Ijaz%20memo%20Foreign%20Policy.PDF. Retrieved 24 November 2011. 
18. ^ "A dangerous path for Pakistan, says Mansoor Ijaz". The News. 31 October 2011. http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=9981&Cat=13. Retrieved 25 November 2011. 
19. ^ "Ambassador Haqqani again denies sending memo". Geo News. http://www.geo.tv/important_events/2011/mullenmemo/pages/english_news_18-11-2011.asp. Retrieved 24 November 2011. 
20. ^ Abott, Sebastion. "Pakistani Judicial Commission To Probe Memo Scandal". Associated Press. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/12/30/world/asia/AP-AS-Pakistan.html?hp. Retrieved 30 December 2011. 

External links[link]

• His testimony to House Judiciary Committee Sub-Committee on Terrorism and Crime, June 10, 1997
• His November 2000 interview with rediff.com on Kashmir's ceasefire
• Conversation with Deepak Chopra about averted Pakistani coup (45:43), 12-30-11

Imran Khan Niazi عمران خان نیازی
Personal details
Born	(1952-11-25) 25 November 1952 (age 59) Lahore, West Punjab, Dominion of Pakistan
Political party	Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Spouse(s)	Jemima Khan (1995–2004)
Children	Sulaiman Qasim Khan
Residence	Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alma mater	Keble College, Oxford
Occupation	Politician Philanthropist Cricketer
Religion	Islam
Website	PTI

Imran Khan Niazi (Urdu: عمران خان نیازی; born 25 November 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former cricketer, playing international cricket for two decades in the late twentieth century. After retiring, he entered politics. Currently, besides his political activism, Khan is also a philanthropist, cricket commentator, Chancellor of the University of Bradford and Founder and Chairman Board of Governors of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre.

Arguably Pakistan's most successful cricket captain, Khan played for the Pakistani cricket team from 1971 to 1992 and served as its captain intermittently throughout 1982–1992.^[1] After retiring from cricket at the end of the 1987 World Cup, he was called back to join the team in 1988. At 39, Khan led his teammates to Pakistan's first and only World Cup victory in 1992. He has a record of 3807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket, making him one of eight world cricketers to have achieved an 'All-rounder's Triple' in Test matches.^[2] On 14 July 2010, Khan was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.^[3]

In April 1996, Khan founded and became the chairman of a political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice).^[4] He represented Mianwali as a member of the National Assembly from November 2002 to October 2007.^[5] Foreign Policy magazine has described him as "Pakistan's Ron Paul".^[6]

Through worldwide fundraising, he has also helped establish the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre in 1996 and Mianwali's Namal College in 2008.

Family, education, and personal life[link]

Imran Khan was born in Lahore, the only son of Ikramullah Khan Niazi, a civil engineer, and his wife Shaukat Khanum.^[7] Although long settled in Mianwali in Punjab, the family were of Pashtun ethnicity and belonged to the Niazi Shermankhel tribe.^[8] A quiet and shy boy in his youth, Khan grew up with his four sisters in relatively affluent (upper middle-class) circumstances^[9] and received a privileged education. He was educated the Cathedral School in Lahore, the Royal Grammar School Worcester in England, where he excelled at cricket, and at Aitchison College, Lahore. In 1972, he enrolled to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Keble College, Oxford, where he graduated with a second-class degree in Politics and a third in Economics.^[10] Khan's mother hailed from the Burki family which had produced several successful hockey players,^[7] as also cricketers such as Javed Burki and Majid Khan.^[8] Early in life, Khan developed an interest in cricket, which is an extremely popular sport in Pakistan.

Marriage to Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith[link]

On 16 May 1995, Khan married Jemima Goldsmith, in an Islamic ceremony in Paris. A month later, on 21 June, they were married again in a civil ceremony at the Richmond register office in England, followed by a reception at the Goldsmiths' house in Surrey.^[11] . The marriage, described as "tough" by Khan,^[8] produced two sons, Sulaiman Isa (born 18 November 1996) and Kasim (born 10 April 1999).^[12] As an agreement of his marriage, Khan spent four months a year in England. On 22 June 2004, it was announced that the Khans had divorced because it was "difficult for Jemima to adapt to life in Pakistan".^[13] The marriage ended amicably. Imran has regular access to his children and his relationship with his ex-wife is friendly. Khan now resides in Bani Gala, Islamabad, where he built a farmhouse with the money he gained from selling his London flat. He grows fruit trees, wheat, and keeps cows, while also maintaining a cricket ground for his two sons, who visit during their holidays.^[8]

Cricket career[link]

Pride of Performance Award Recipient
Imran Khan was recipient of the Pride of Performance Award 1983
Presented by	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Date	1983
Country	Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Khan made a lacklustre first-class cricket debut at the age of sixteen in Lahore. By the start of the 1970s, he was playing for his home teams of Lahore A (1969–70), Lahore B (1969–70), Lahore Greens (1970–71) and, eventually, Lahore (1970–71).^[14] Khan was part of Oxford University's Blues Cricket team during the 1973–75 seasons.^[10] At Worcestershire, where he played county cricket from 1971 to 1976, he was regarded as only an average medium pace bowler. During this decade, other teams represented by Khan include Dawood Industries (1975–76) and Pakistan International Airlines (1975–76 to 1980–81). From 1983 to 1988, he played for Sussex.^[2]

In 1971, Khan made his Test cricket debut against England at Birmingham. Three years later, he debuted in the One Day International (ODI) match, once again playing against England at Nottingham for the Prudential Trophy. After graduating from Oxford and finishing his tenure at Worcestershire, he returned to Pakistan in 1976 and secured a permanent place on his native national team starting from the 1976–77 season, during which they faced New Zealand and Australia.^[14] Following the Australian series, he toured the West Indies, where he met Tony Greig, who signed him up for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket.^[2] His credentials as one of the fastest bowlers of the world started to establish when he finished third at 139.7 km/h in a fast bowling contest at Perth in 1978, behind Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding, but ahead of Dennis Lillee, Garth Le Roux and Andy Roberts.^[2]

As a fast bowler, Khan reached the peak of his powers in 1982. In 9 Tests, he got 62 wickets at 13.29 each, the lowest average of any bowler in Test history with at least 50 wickets in a calendar year.^[15] In January 1983, playing against India, he attained a Test bowling rating of 922 points. Although calculated retrospectively (ICC player ratings did not exist at the time), Khan's form and performance during this period ranks third in the ICC's All-Time Test Bowling Rankings.^[16]

Khan achieved the all-rounder's triple (securing 3000 runs and 300 wickets) in 75 Tests, the second fastest record behind Ian Botham's 72. He is also established as having the second highest all-time batting average of 61.86 for a Test batsman playing at position 6 of the batting order.^[17] He played his last Test match for Pakistan in January 1992, against Sri Lanka at Faisalabad. Khan retired permanently from cricket six months after his last ODI, the historic 1992 World Cup final against England at Melbourne, Australia.^[18] He ended his career with 88 Test matches, 126 innings and scored 3807 runs at an average of 37.69, including six centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score was 136 runs. As a bowler, he took 362 wickets in Test cricket, which made him the first Pakistani and world's fourth bowler to do so.^[2] In ODIs, he played 175 matches and scored 3709 runs at an average of 33.41. His highest score remains 102 not out. His best ODI bowling is documented at 6 wickets for 14 runs.

Captaincy[link]

At the height of his career, in 1982, the thirty-year-old Khan took over the captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team from Javed Miandad. Recalling his initial discomfort with this new role, he later said, "When I became the cricket captain, I couldn’t speak to the team directly I was so shy. I had to tell the manager, I said listen can you talk to them, this is what I want to convey to the team. I mean early team meetings I use to be so shy and embarrassed I couldn’t talk to the team."^[19] As a captain, Khan played 48 Test matches, out of which 14 were won by Pakistan, 8 lost and the rest of 26 were drawn. He also played 139 ODIs, winning 77, losing 57 and ending one in a tie.^[2]

In the team's second match under his leadership, Khan led them to their first Test win on English soil for 28 years at Lord's.^[20] Khan's first year as captain was the peak of his legacy as a fast bowler as well as an all-rounder. He recorded the best Test bowling of his career while taking 8 wickets for 58 runs against Sri Lanka at Lahore in 1981–82.^[2] He also topped both the bowling and batting averages against England in three Test series in 1982, taking 21 wickets and averaging 56 with the bat. Later the same year, he put up a highly acknowledged performance in a home series against the formidable Indian team by taking 40 wickets in six Tests at an average of 13.95. By the end of this series in 1982–83, Khan had taken 88 wickets in 13 Test matches over a period of one year as captain.^[14]

Imran Khan's test career bowling statistics

This same Test series against India, however, also resulted in a stress fracture in his shin that kept him out of cricket for more than two years. An experimental treatment funded by the Pakistani government helped him recover by the end of 1984 and he made a successful comeback to international cricket in the latter part of the 1984–85 season.^[2]

In 1987, Khan led Pakistan to its first ever Test series win in India, which was followed by Pakistan's first series victory in England the same year.^[20] During the 1980s, his team also recorded three creditable draws against the West Indies. India and Pakistan co-hosted the 1987 World Cup, but neither ventured beyond the semi-finals. Khan retired from international cricket at the end of the World Cup. In 1988, he was asked to return to the captaincy by the President Of Pakistan, General Zia-Ul-Haq, and on 18 January, he announced his decision to rejoin the team.^[2] Soon after returning to the captaincy, Khan led Pakistan to another winning tour in the West Indies, which he has recounted as "the last time I really bowled well".^[8] He was declared Man of the Series against West Indies in 1988 when he took 23 wickets in 3 tests.^[2]

Khan's career-high as a captain and cricketer came when he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Playing with a brittle batting line-up, Khan promoted himself as a batsman to play in the top order along with Javed Miandad, but his contribution as a bowler was minimal. At the age of 39, Khan scored the highest runs of all the Pakistani batsmen and took the winning last wicket himself.^[14]

Post-retirement[link]

In 1994, Khan had admitted that, during Test matches, he "occasionally scratched the side of the ball and lifted the seam." He had also added, "Only once did I use an object. When Sussex were playing Hampshire in 1981 the ball was not deviating at all. I got the 12th man to bring out a bottle top and it started to move around a lot."^[21] In 1996, Khan successfully defended himself in a libel action brought forth by former English captain and all-rounder Ian Botham and batsman Allan Lamb over comments they alleged were made by Khan in two articles about the above-mentioned ball-tampering and another article published in an Indian magazine, India Today. They claimed that, in the latter publication, Khan had called the two cricketers "racist, ill-educated and lacking in class." Khan protested that he had been misquoted, saying that he was defending himself after having admitted that he tampered with a ball in a county match 18 years ago.^[22] Khan won the libel case, which the judge labelled a "complete exercise in futility", with a 10–2 majority decision by the jury.^[22]

Since retiring, Khan has written opinion pieces on cricket for various British and Asian newspapers, especially regarding the Pakistani national team. His contributions have been published in India's Outlook magazine,^[23] the Guardian,^[24] the Independent, and the Telegraph. Khan also sometimes appears as a cricket commentator on Asian and British sports networks, including BBC Urdu^[25] and the Star TV network.^[26] In 2004, when the Indian cricket team toured Pakistan after 14 years, he was a commentator on TEN Sports' special live show, Straight Drive,^[27] while he was also a columnist for sify.com for the 2005 India-Pakistan Test series.^[28] He has provided analysis for every cricket World Cup since 1992, which includes providing match summaries for BBC during the 1999 World Cup.^[28]

In November 2009 Khan underwent emergency surgery at Lahore's Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital to remove an obstruction in his small intestine.^[29]

Social work[link]

For more than four years after retiring from cricket in 1992, Khan focused his efforts solely on social work. By 1991, he had founded the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, a charity organisation bearing the name of his mother, Mrs. Shaukat Khanum. As the Trust's maiden endeavour, Khan established Pakistan's first and only cancer hospital, constructed using donations and funds exceeding $25 million, raised by Khan from all over the world.^[4] Inspired by the memory of his mother, who died of cancer, the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, a charitable cancer hospital with 75 percent free care, opened in Lahore on 29 December 1994.^[8] Khan currently serves as the chairman of the hospital and continues to raise funds through charity and public donations.^[30]

During the 1990s, Khan also served as UNICEF's Special Representative for Sports^[31] and promoted health and immunisation programmes in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.^[32]

On 27 April 2008, Khan's brainchild, a technical college in the Mianwali District called Namal College, was inaugurated. Namal College was built by the Mianwali Development Trust (MDT), as chaired by Khan, and was made an associate college of the University of Bradford (of which Khan is Chancellor) in December 2005.^[33] Currently, Khan is building another cancer hospital in Karachi, using his successful Lahore institution as a model. While in London, he also works with the Lord’s Taverners, a cricket charity.^[4]

Political work[link]

Imran Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in World Economic Forum

In 1996, Khan founded a political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which emphasized on anti-corruption policies.^[8][34] The newly formed party was unable to win a seat during the 1997 Pakistani general election.^[35] Khan supported General Pervez Musharraf's military coup in 1999,^[36] believing Musharraf would "end corruption, clear out the political mafias".^[37] According to Khan, he was Musharraf's choice of prime minister in 2002 but turned down the offer.^[38] The 2002 Pakistani general election were held in October across 272 constituencies. Khan anticipated doing well in the elections and was prepared to form a coalition if his party did not get a majority of the vote.^[39] He was elected from the NA-71 constituency of Mianwali and being the only party member to have secured a seat, PTI won only 0.8% of the popular vote. Khan, who was sworn in as an MP on 16 November,^[40] remained part of the Standing Committees on Kashmir and Public Accounts, and expressed legislative interest in Foreign Affairs, Education and Justice.^[41]

On 6 May 2005, Khan became one of the first Muslim figures to criticise a 300-word Newsweek story about the alleged desecration of the Qur'an in a U.S. military prison at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Khan held a press conference to denounce the article and demanded that Gen. Pervez Musharraf secure an apology from the American president George W. Bush for the incident.^[42]. In June 2007, the federal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr. Sher Afghan Khan Niazi and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party filed separate ineligibility references against Khan, asking for his disqualification as member of the National Assembly on grounds of immorality. Both references, filed on the basis of articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution of Pakistan, were rejected on 5 September.^[43]

On 2 October 2007, as part of the All Parties Democratic Movement, Khan joined 85 other MPs to resign from Parliament in protest of the Presidential election scheduled for 6 October, which General Musharraf was contesting without resigning as army chief.^[5] On 3 November 2007, Khan was put under house arrest at his father's home hours after President Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan. Khan had demanded the death penalty for Musharraf after the imposition of emergency rule, which he equated to "committing treason". The next day, on 4 November, Khan escaped and went into peripatetic hiding.^[44] He eventually came out of hiding on 14 November to join a student protest at the University of the Punjab.^[45] At the rally, Khan was captured by students from the Jamaat-i-Islami political party, who claimed that Khan was an uninvited nuisance at the rally, and they handed him over to the police, who charged him under the Anti-terrorism act for allegedly inciting people to pick up arms, calling for civil disobedience, and for spreading hatred.^[46].

On 30 October, 2011, Imran Khan changed the political picture of the country by addressing more than 100,000 supporters, challenging the policies of the current government, calling this new change a "tsunami" against the ruling parties,^[47] followed by another successful public gathering in Karachi on 25 December, 2011.^[48] Since then Imran Khan has become a real threat for the current ruling parties and future political prospect in Pakistan. According to International Republican Institute (IRI)'s survey, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tops the list of popular parties in Pakistan both at the national as well as provincial level, leaving Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peopleís Party (PPP) behind.^[49]

Ideology[link]

Khan's proclaimed political platform and declarations include: Islamic values, to which he rededicated himself in the 1990s; liberal economics, with the promise of deregulating the economy and creating a welfare state; decreased bureaucracy and the implementation of anti-corruption laws, to create and ensure a clean government; the establishment of an independent judiciary; overhaul of the country's police system; and an anti-militant vision for a democratic Pakistan.^[18][26][50]

Khan told Britain's Daily Telegraph, "I want Pakistan to be a welfare state and a genuine democracy with a rule of law and an independent judiciary."^[18] Other ideas he has presented include a requirement of all students to spend a year after graduation teaching in the countryside and cutting down the over-staffed bureaucracy in order to send them to teach too.^[51] "We need decentralisation, empowering people at the grass roots," he has said.^[52]

Criticism[link]

Khan had a child out of wedlock with Ana-Luisa White (Sita White).^[53] This was confirmed by a judgement of paternity rendered by a Superior Court of the State of California for the county of Los Angeles in favour of White^[54] wherein it was held that Khan was the father of a female child born on June 15, 1992.^{[55][56][not in citation given]} Khan did not challenge that judgement and in 2004 accepted the child as his daughter. He and his wife Jemima became the girls guardians.^{[57][58] [59] [60] [61]}

During the 1970s and 1980s, Khan became known as a socialite due to his "non-stop partying" at London nightclubs such as Annabel's and Tramp, though he claims to have hated English pubs and to never drink alcohol.^{[4][8][26][42]} He gained notoriety in London gossip columns for romancing young debutantes such as Susannah Constantine, Lady Liza Campbell and the artist Emma Sergeant.^[8]

Khan is often dismissed as a political lightweight^[45] and a celebrity outsider in Pakistan,^[19] where national newspapers also refer to him as a "spoiler politician".^[62] The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, has asserted that Khan is "a sick person who has been a total failure in politics and is alive just because of the media coverage".^[63] Political observers say the crowds he draws are attracted by his cricketing celebrity, and the public has been reported to view him as a figure of entertainment rather than a serious political authority.^[51]

Declan Walsh in The Guardian newspaper in England in 2005 described Khan as a "miserable politician," observing that, "Khan's ideas and affiliations since entering politics in 1996 have swerved and skidded like a rickshaw in a rainshower... He preaches democracy one day but gives a vote to reactionary mullahs the next."^[64] The charge constantly raised against Khan is that of hypocrisy and opportunism, including what has been called his life's "playboy to puritan U-turn."^[19] Political commentator Najam Sethi, stated that, "A lot of the Imran Khan story is about backtracking on a lot of things he said earlier, which is why this doesn’t inspire people."^[19]. He is also criticized for being a puppet of Pakistan's 'establishment'.^[65]

Awards and honours[link]

Khan in Germany

• Khan is featured in the University of Oxford's Hall of Fame and has been an honorary fellow of Oxford's Keble College.^[31]
• In 1976 as well as 1980, Khan was awarded The Cricket Society Wetherall Award for being the leading all-rounder in English first-class cricket.
• In 1983, he was also named Wisden Cricketer of the Year
• In 1983, he had received the President’s Pride of Performance Award
• In 1985, Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year
• In 1990, Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year^[14]
• In 1992, Khan was given Pakistan's civil award, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz
• On 8 July 2004, Khan was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Asian Jewel Awards in London, for "acting as a figurehead for many international charities and working passionately and extensively in fund-raising activities.^[66]
• On 7 December 2005, Khan was appointed the fifth Chancellor of the University of Bradford, where he is also a patron of the Born in Bradford research project.
• On 13 December 2007, Khan received the Humanitarian Award at the Asian Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur for his efforts in setting up the first cancer hospital in Pakistan.^[67]
• On 5 July 2008, he was one of several veteran Asian cricketers presented special silver jubilee awards at the inaugural Asian cricket Council (ACC) award ceremony in Karachi.^[68]
• In 2009, at International Cricket Council's centennial year celebration, Khan was one of fifty-five cricketers inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.^[69]
• In 2011 he was given Jinnah award.

Writings by Khan[link]

Khan has published six works of non-fiction, including an autobiography co-written with Patrick Murphy. He periodically writes editorials on cricket and Pakistani politics in several leading Pakistani and British newspapers. It was revealed in 2008 that Khan's second book, Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan, had required heavy editing from the publisher. The publisher Jeremy Lewis revealed in a memoir that when he asked Khan to show his writing for publication, "he handed me a leatherbound notebook or diary containing a few jottings and autobiographical snippets. It took me, at most, five minutes to read them; and that, it soon became apparent, was all we had to go on."^[70]

Books

• Khan, Imran (1989). Imran Khan's cricket skills. London : Golden Press in association with Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-56349-9. 
• Khan, Imran & Murphy, Patrick (1983). Imran: The autobiography of Imran Khan. Pelham Books. ISBN 0-7207-1489-3. 
• Khan, Imran (1991). Indus Journey: A Personal View of Pakistan. Chatto & Windus. ISBN 0-7011-3527-1. 
• Khan, Imran (1992). All Round View. Mandarin. ISBN 0-7493-1499-0. 
• Khan, Imran (1993). Warrior Race: A Journey Through the Land of the Tribal Pathans. Chatto Windus. ISBN 0-7011-3890-4. 
• Khan, Imran (2011). Pakistan: A Personal History. Bantam Press. ISBN 0-593-06774-6. 

Articles

• Guardian comments, political and cricket commentary by Khan
• Telegraph columns, sports articles penned by Khan from 2000 to present
• We must address the root causes of this terror, Khan's editorial in the Independent following the 11 September attacks
• Benazir Bhutto has only herself to blame, Khan's 2007 editorial on Bhutto's return to Pakistan

In popular culture[link]

After the permission from him, Kaptaan is a biographical film about him.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Tennant, Evo (1996). Imran Khan. Trafalgar Square. ISBN 0-575-05936-2. 

External links[link]

• Player profile: Imran Khan from ESPNcricinfo
• Player profile: Imran Khan from CricketArchive
• Player Profile: Imran Khan from Yahoo! Cricket
• Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Khan's political party
• Chancellor: Imran Khan at the University of Bradford
• Column archive at The Guardian
• Imran Khan on Charlie Rose
• Imran Khan at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Imran Khan in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Imran Khan collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• PTI to move SC against speaker's decision today, says Imran Khan, The News International, May 28, 2012]
• PTI will form next government, says Imran Khan, Geo News Pakistan]

Articles

• The NS Interview: Imran Khan Mehdi Hasan, New Statesman, 20 August 2010
• Imran Khan's revolution, Murtaza Razvi, Dawn, 27 April 2011
• Imran Khan: Pakistan's next leader?, Frost Over the World, Aljazeera English, 10 December 2011
• Thousands rally for Pakistan's Imran Khan, Aljazeera English, 25 December 2011
• Hundreds of thousands gather at PTI rally in Karachi, Dawn, 25 December 2011

• Imran stands out, Adiah AfrazThe News International, 27 May 2012

• The Imran that we know Shafqat Mahmood, The News International, 27 May 2012

v t e Pakistan squad – 1975 Cricket World Cup 1 Asif Iqbal (c) 2 Asif Masood 3 Imran Khan 4 Javed Miandad 5 Majid Khan 6 Mushtaq Mohammad 7 Naseer Malik 8 Pervez Mir 9 Sadiq Mohammad 10 Sarfraz Nawaz 11 Wasim Bari (wk) 12 Wasim Raja 13 Zaheer Abbas

v t e Pakistan squad – 1979 Cricket World Cup Semi-Finalists 1 Asif Iqbal (c) 2 Haroon Rashid 3 Imran Khan 4 Javed Miandad 5 Majid Khan 6 Mudassar Nazar 7 Sadiq Mohammad 8 Sarfraz Nawaz 9 Sikander Bakht 10 Wasim Bari (wk) 11 Wasim Raja 12 Zaheer Abbas

v t e Pakistan squad – 1983 Cricket World Cup Semi-Finalists 1 Imran Khan (c) 2 Abdul Qadir 3 Ijaz Faqih 4 Javed Miandad 5 Mansoor Akhtar 6 Mohsin Khan 7 Mudassar Nazar 8 Rashid Khan 9 Sarfraz Nawaz 10 Shahid Mahboob 11 Tahir Naqqash 12 Wasim Bari (wk) 13 Wasim Raja 14 Zaheer Abbas