Yar Mohammad Khan, Second Nawab Of Bhopal (1728-42)

For Dost Mohammad Khan, the rivalry between the Moghul Court and the Nizam placed him in an acute dilemma. The Nizam was strong and well armed. He passed through Bhopal on his way down to the Deccan with an impressive show of force. On the other hand Dost owed allegiance to Moghul court, and was also a personal friend of the Sayyed brothers . Threatened at the local level by Marhattas and Rajputs, Dost aligned with the Moghul court. 

He allowed his brother, Mir Ahmed, to fight alongside Dilawar Ali Khan who was set up by the Moghul court to ambush the Nizam on his way to Deccan. Dilawar lost the battle of Burhanpur in 1720, Mir Ahmed was killed and Bhopal earned Nizam’s hostility. Confronted by a common enemy, the Nizam and Peshwa Baji Rao joined in an alliance against the Moghul emperors. On 19 June 1720, the Moghul army was defeated in the Battle of Khandwa. Consequently, the Nizam went on defeat the Moghul surrogate, Mubariz Khan in the battle of Shakarkhelda in 1724. Peshwa Baji Rao fought in league with the Nizam against Moghul emperor’s forces. Nizam then returned to Bhopal to settle scores with Dost.

Initially, Dost fortified himself at Islamnagar, but then agreed to a truce with the Nizam. Dost ceded the Islamnagar fort, ten lakh rupees and his 14 year son and heir, Yar Mohammad Khan as hostage. Dost was appointed the Killedar (fort commander) and was reduced to running the state on behalf of Nizam. Dost spent rest of his life consolidating the administrative upkeep of Bhopal with his trusted Dewan (Chief Minister) Bijjey Ram. When Dost died in March 1728, Yar Mohammad Khan, then 18 years old was dispatched to Bhopal at the head of a 400-strong detachment from Nizam’s army. 

Yar Mohammad Khan found that his only surviving uncle, Sultan Mohammad Khan, backed by the Barru-Kat high command of Dost’s army, had installed his eight-year old half-brother, Sultan Mohammad Khan, as the Nawab. Yar’s supporters including the Nizam’s detachment led by Bijjey Ram routed Sultan’s henchmen. With the help of trusted Dewan Bijjey Ram, Yar Mohammad Khan established himself as the Second Nawab of Bhopal at the age of 18 on 30th August 1728.