Girdhar Bahadur

Girdhar Bahadur (also Giridhar) was a noble, serving as subahdar of several provinces of the Mughal Empire at various times. He was noted for his military service in Malwa against the Marathas, which led to his death at the Battle of Amjhera.

Girdhar Bahadur
Subahdar of Malwa Subahdar of Oudh Subahdar of Allahabad
Subahdar of Allahabad
Reign	1719 – ?
Predecessor	Chhabile Ram
Subahdar of Oudh
Reign	? – 1722
Predecessor	Mir Mushrif
Successor	Saadat Ali Khan I
Subahdar of Malwa
Reign	30 August 1722 – 15 May 1723
Predecessor	Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I
Successor	Azim-ullah Khan
Subahdar of Malwa
Reign	2 June 1725 – 29 November 1728
Predecessor	Azim-ullah Khan
Successor	Jai Singh II
Died	(1728-11-29)29 November 1728 Amjhera, Malwa Subah, Mughal Empire
Father	Daya Ram
Religion	Hinduism

Biography

On 29 November 1716, he was appointed the faujdar of Benares and Chunar, as well as the qiladar of the Chunar Fort. After being unable to quell rebellions in the region his uncle Chhabila Ram intervened.^[1]

Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah appointed Girdhar Bahadur the Subahdar of Malwa on 30 August 1722. Maratha incursions into the territory continued, and Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I of Hyderabad, exercising significant power in the Mughal government, gave Girdhar Bahadur's Subahdari to his own second cousin Azim-ullah Khan on 15 May 1723. However, the continuing rise in power of the Nizam after his defeat of Mubariz Khan in Golconda threatened the Mughal Emperor, who re-appointed Girdhar Bahadur to the Subahdari on 2 June 1725.^[2]

Maratha incursions made headway into Malwa and the Peshwa established the collection of taxes in Amjhera, Jhabua, Dhar, and Indore by 1725. Military forces pushed as far as Mandsaur but a counteroffensive by Daya Bahadur, the military commander in Malwa under Girdhar, repelled Maratha incursions and regained lost revenue in 1726. Continuing incursions in the next year led Girdhar Bahadur to lead a counteroffensive, encamping in Mandsaur in the rainy season of 1728. Girdhar Bahadur died in the Battle of Amjhera fighting against the Marathas on 29 November 1728, hit by musket shot while leading an elephant into battle. His cousin Daya Bahadur was captured and died in Amjhera itself.^[3] His nephew Bhawani Ram became the Subahdar for a brief period afterwards.^[4]