Mirza Ghazi Beg

Mirza Ghazi Beg Tarkhan (Persian: میرزا غازى بیگ ترخان) of Thatta was the most powerful Mughal governor who administered Sindh, during his rule had become a region fiercely loyal to the Mughals, in Sindh a network of small and large forts manned by cavalry and musketeers further extended Mughal power during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan^[1][2]. He was a descendant of the powerful Mirza clan which had arrived in the region with the Mughal Emperor Babur who had conquered South Asia in 1526. Mirza Ghazi Beg spoke nearly three languages which include Sindhi (his native-tongue), Persian (the official language of the Mughal Empire) and some Turkic.

He is remembered for the completion of the monumental Shah Jahan Mosque built in 1647-49 at Thatta, he is also credited for introducing the Sindhi Abjad (new Sindhi alphabets alongside the original Arabic Alphabtes). He was a charismatic leader who had a deep passion for Horse-back Archery and Sufi teachings. He was sometimes ruthless against the Hindu Brahmans. During his reign in 1568 Debal a Sindhi port city near Thatta was attacked by the Portuguese Admiral Fernão Mendes Pinto in an attempt to capture or destroy the Ottoman vessels anchored there, the port was heavy damaged and a large Mughal force armed with muskets was deployed on the shores to avoid such attacks and landings by the Portuguese.

See also

• Mughal (tribe)
• Tarkhan
• Tarkhan Mughals
• Mughal Empire
• Mughal weapons

References

1. ^ The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia by Nicholas Tarling p.39
2. ^ Cambridge illustrated atlas, warfare: Renaissance to revolution, 1492-1792 by Jeremy Black p.16 [1]