Moin-ul-Mulk

Moin-ul-Mulk, also known by his title Mir Mannu (died 1753), was the Mughal and later Durrani governor of the Punjab between 1748 and 1753.

Early life Moin-ul-Mulk was the son of Qamar-ud-Din Khan, Grand Vizier of the Mughal Empire, and younger brother of Intizam-ud-Daulah. His father had been the brother-in-law of Zakaria Khan. During the campaign, his father was struck and killed by a cannonball whilst encamped and praying. In battle he held the Mughal vanguard until reinforcements arrived from Safdar Jung, subsequently making a bold dash of cavalry which resulted in the routing of Durrani's forces.

After Durrani's retreat to Afghanistan, Moin-ul-Mulk was made governor of the Subah of Lahore on 11 April 1748 by Muhammad Shah Rangila. The appointment of Moin-ul-Mulk was opposed by the new wazir Safdar Jung.

Soon into Moin-ul-Mulk's reign in the Punjab, Durrani launched a second invasion in December 1749. Despite requests to Delhi, the Mughal government led by Safdar Jung refused to send reinforcements to his aid. Realising he could not defeat the Afghans, he opened negotiations. The terms of the treaty promised revenue from the Chahar Mahal region, namely Sialkot, Gujrat, Pasrur and Aurangabad to the Afghans. Moin-ul-Mulk died on 3 November 1753 after being thrown from his horse. Durrani's three-year-old son, Mahmud Khan, succeeded as the Afghan governor of Lahore and Multan, with Moin-ul-Mulk's two-year-old son, Muhammad Amin Khan, as his deputy. In reality power was exercised through Moin-ul-Mulk's widow Mughlani Begum. His property, including slaves, fell into the possession of his widow Mughlani Begum. During Sikh-rule, the tomb was opened up by Raja Hira Singh due to the belief that there was treasure in it.

In popular culture Indian film director Surjit Singh Sethi made Mughlani Begum, a 1979 Punjabi-language film about the Begum and Mir Mannu.

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