Najib ad-Dawlah
Najib ad-Dawlah (Pashto: نجيب الدوله), also known as Najib Khan Yousafzai (Pashto: نجيب خان), was a Rohilla Yousafzai Afghan who earlier served as a Mughal serviceman but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1757 in his attack on Delhi. He was also a House chief of Rohilkhand, and in the 1740s founded the city of Najibabad in Bijnor district, India. He was instrumental in winning the Third Battle of Panipat.
Najib ad-Dawlah | |
|---|---|
| Nawab Mir Bakhshi Mukhtar Khas "Excellence of the State" "Noble one of the State" | |
| Commander-in-Chief of The Mughal Empire | |
| Office holding | 1756 – 1759 |
| Successor | Mirza Najaf Khan |
| Padishah | Alamgir II |
| Years active | 1740 – 1770 (30 years) |
| Born | Early-18th Century |
| Died | 30 October 1770 |
| Children | Zabita Khan |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Mughal Empire (Mir Bakhshi of Alamgir II) Mughal Empire (in service of Shah Alam II) |
| Service/ | Mughal Army Kingdom of Rohilkhand |
| Rank | Ispahsalar, Plenipotentiary |
| Battles/wars | Mughal-Maratha Wars Third Battle of Panipat Capture of Agra Fort |
He began his career in 1743 as an immigrant from Manri kohistan as a soldier. He was an employee of Imad-ul-Mulk but later deserted the cause of the Mughals and joined Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1757 in his attack on Delhi. He was then appointed as Mir Bakhshi of the Mughal emperor by Abdali. Later in his career he was known as Najib ad-Dawlah, Amir al-Umra, Shuja ad-Dawlah. From 1757 to 1770, he was governor of Saharanpur, ruling over Dehradun. Many architectural relics of the period of Rohilla, the remains in Najibabad, were overseen by him, which he founded at the height of his career as a Mughal minister.