Mohsin Khan of Cuddapah

Mohsin Khan was the Pathan Nawab of Kadapa (then Cuddapah) for a few years after the Maratha war of 1757.¹² He was the uncle and jailer of the last Nawab, Abdul Halim Khan, and in the end named him as heir.³² See the Nawabs of Cuddapah.

His names

The sources call him by these names:¹²³⁴

• Mohsun Khan, “alias Moocha Mean”, in Kirmani’s history of Haidar Ali, translated by W. Miles (1842)¹
• Moochi Meer, in the chronology of Sidhout printed in Gribble’s Cuddapah manual (1875)²
• Mahasim Khan, in Gribble’s own narrative, which says that this Nawab “appears to be called Moochee Meer” elsewhere³
• Mohsin Khan, in a Telugu account translated by C. P. Brown (1849)⁴

Gribble says that he was the brother of the Nawab Mahazid (Abdul Majid) Khan.³ See Abdul Majid Khan.

Nawab after 1757

In 1757 the Maratha general Balwant Rao invaded Kadapa.² Gribble’s chronology says that Syed Meer, the jagirdar (holder of a land grant) of Sidhout, was killed in the fighting.² Then “the Cuddapah Nabob, Moochi Meer, made peace with Moorari Rau by the cession of half his territory, comprising Gooty and Gurramkonda”.²

The same chronology says that “Moochi Meer after this became Nabob of Cuddapah”.² He imprisoned “the three sons of the former Nabob” in the fort of Sidhout.² He gave the jagir of Sidhout to his adopted son, Sarwar Khan, who commanded the fort.² See Siddhavatam, Gooty and Gurramkonda.

Losing the Baramahal

Kirmani tells how Mohsin Khan lost a good officer.¹ Asad Khan had held the Baramahal for the Nawabs and had fought off a Maratha raid there.⁵¹ Then a one-eyed man named Aziz Khan got the post instead.¹ Asad Khan felt that the Nawab did not value his service, so he left and settled at Rai Vellore.¹ Haidar Ali of Mysore sent for him and took him into his army.¹

Soon news came that Aziz Khan, “the one-eyed slave of Moocha Mean”, had thrown the Baramahal into disorder.¹ Some of its people came to Haidar’s general, Sayyid Mukhdum, to complain.¹ Haidar wrote back at once, allowing Mukhdum to take the district under his protection.⁶

The end of his rule, 1760–1761

The Telugu account says that in 1760 Mohsin Khan summoned Sarvar Khan, the commandant of Sidhout.⁴ Sarvar Khan was afraid to come.⁴ When Mohsin Khan planned to seize him, he fled to Cumbum, gathered a small force and raided Sidhout.⁴ Gribble’s chronology says that Sarwar Khan lost his jagir in 1760 “for insubordination”.²

In 1761, the Telugu account goes on, captains in the fort of Sidhout freed Abdul Halim Khan from prison.⁴ They seated him “on the chair of state” and brought him gifts.⁴ Mohsin Khan felt he could not safely act against this.⁴ So he left Kadapa and went to Kurnool.⁴ From there he sent his seal ring to Halim Khan with a man named Ghayas Saheb.⁴ He died at Kurnool about this time.⁴ See Abdul Halim Khan and Kurnool.

Gribble’s chronology tells the end more briefly.² It says that he died “at Kandakoor”.² He left a will that “he should be succeeded by Abdul Allim Khan, the son of the former Nabob whom he had imprisoned”.²

Where the sources disagree

• When he ruled and how he died. Gribble’s narrative says that he became Nawab after his brother’s death and “was killed in 1751”.³ Kirmani, Gribble’s chronology and the Telugu account place his rule after 1757.¹²⁴ The chronology and the Telugu account say that he died about 1760–61 and that Halim Khan followed him.²⁴
• Where he died. Gribble’s chronology says “Kandakoor”, and the Telugu account says Kurnool.²⁴
• Peace with the Marathas. Gribble’s chronology says that Moochi Meer made peace with “Moorari Rau” and gave up Gooty and Gurramkonda.² Orme says that Abdul Nabi Khan made the treaty with Balwant Rao at Sidhout.⁷⁸ Under it the country was divided equally and the Marathas received Gurramkonda.⁸
• Sarvar Khan. Gribble’s chronology calls him Mohsin Khan’s adopted son.² The Telugu account calls him only the commandant of Sidhout.⁴

Footnotes

1. Mir Husain Ali Khan Kirmani, The History of Hydur Naik, tr. W. Miles (1842), p. 68 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹

2. J. D. B. Gribble, A Manual of the District of Cuddapah (1875), p. 51, chronology of Sidhout (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

3. Gribble, Cuddapah (1875), p. 91 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

4. Ram Chandra Rao Punganuri, Memoirs of Hyder and Tippoo, tr. C. P. Brown (1849), p. 26, translator’s Telugu account (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

5. Kirmani, History of Hydur Naik, tr. Miles (1842), p. 67 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩

6. Kirmani, History of Hydur Naik, tr. Miles (1842), p. 69 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩

7. Robert Orme, A History of the Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan, Vol. II (Madras reprint, 1861), p. 291 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩

8. Orme, Military Transactions, Vol. II (1861), p. 292 (archive.org↗ (opens in a new tab)). ↩ ↩²