Ikhlas Khan was an East African who, in the 17th century, became Prime Minister of the Indian state of Bijapur.
By Sandro CAPO CHICHI / nofi.media
As is well known, Black Africans were particularly victims of the slave trades in the second half of the 19th century.
In several of the places where this occurred, such as Morocco with the Abid al-Bukhari, these Black Africans managed to overcome their servile condition in order to obtain the highest positions in society.
This was also the case in certain parts of what is now India, particularly in the Deccan region. If the most famous of these Africans was without doubt Malik Ambar, many slaves, first used as guards, demonstrated through their martial qualities that they could rise to the rank of general, and even to that of sovereign.
This was the case of Daulat Khan, also known as Khawas Khan. General of the armies of Bijapur, he managed to defeat the armies of the powerful Mughal Empire. However, the independence of Khawas Khan with respect to the young sultan Muhammad ‘Adil Shah inspired fear among the parties close to the latter.
Islamic,
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper; H. 4 3/4 in. (12 cm) W. 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
Another former African slave, more loyal to the young sultan, was tasked with assassinating Khawas Khan in 1635. This was Malik Raihan Habshi, who had served Ibrahim Adil Shah II, the father of the current sultan, as both a general and minister of finance. He gained political preeminence through this act. Under the title of Ikhlas Khan, he held the office of Prime Minister of the Sultanate of Bijapur until 1656.
The very numerous representations of Ikhlas Khan in positions of power in the art of his time, such as this depiction of him on an elephant with Sultan Muhammad, testify to his very great importance in the government.
