When the Afghan "Scourge of God" Collided with "the King of the World"
Muhammad Hayat Khan's 19th-century text Hayat-i-Afghani examines the historical and ethnological aspects of Afghanistan's tribes, including the Rohilla Pathan tribes. They settled in the 13th century in what was then known as the Kather region of northern India. This area was later renamed Rohilkhand after the Rohillas rose to prominence as a political force in this area. During the reign of the 17th Mughal emperor Shah Alam II (r. 1759-1806), the mighty Mughal Empire was already in its twilight years. The territorial extent of the empire and the political power of the reigning emperor were reduced enormously. The following Persian expression encapsulates the situation very aptly: سلطاناته شاه علم از دهلی تا پالم It means 'The empire of Shah Alam is from Delhi to Palam'. Palam was located on the outskirts of Shahjahanabad, the Mughal capital city. ...