Sayyid brothers
Also called: Kingmakers · Topic: The Mughal Empire: Babur to Aurangzeb · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Sayyid brothers were two powerful Mughal nobles, Abdullah Khan and Husain Ali Khan. From 1713 to 1720, after Aurangzeb's death, they controlled the Mughal throne and made and removed emperors as they wished. This is why they are called the "Kingmakers". Abdullah Khan became wazir (chief minister), and Husain Ali Khan became Mir Bakhshi (head of military matters). Their rule showed that the later Mughal emperors had become puppets in the hands of powerful nobles.
Example
In 1713, the brothers helped Farrukhsiyar win the throne. In 1719 they removed him and had him killed, then put other princes on the throne in turn. Their power ended in 1720 under Emperor Muhammad Shah, when Husain Ali Khan was murdered and Abdullah Khan was defeated.
Don't confuse with
- Sayyid dynasty: a ruling family of the Delhi Sultanate in the 15th century. The Sayyid brothers were nobles of the 18th-century Mughal court, not a ruling dynasty.