Emperor of Hindustan
Medieval and early modern Indian ruler
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Emperor of Hindustan or the Emperor of India, was the imperial title used by the Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire and later Maratha Empire to signify their suzerainty over the Indian subcontinent.[1][2][3]
The term Hindustan was simultaneously used for Northern India and Indian subcontinent during the Medieval period. During the rule of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, the term was equivalent to Emperor of India.
Even after effective Mughal rule had collapsed by about 1720, the Mughal dynasty continued to be recognised as the ceremonial rulers of India by regional powers in India, such as the Sikh Empire, the British East India Company and many other Indian polities, until Mughal rule was formally abolished in 1858. For example, the East India Company issued coinage in the name of the Mughal emperors until 1835.
History
Delhi Sultanate
After the Delhi Sultanate gained independence from the Ghurid Empire, it called its land Hindustan, representing its sovereignty over Northern India (the Indo-Gangetic plains) and later the Indian subcontinent.[4]
Scholar Bratindra Nath Mukherjee states that during the Delhi Sultanate, Hindustan simultaneously represented Northern India as well as the entire Indian subcontinent.[5]
Mughal Empire
The Delhi Sultanate was succeeded by the Mughal Empire, which called its polity Hindustan. By this period, Hindustan had come to mean the entirety of the Indian subcontinent rather than only Northern India.[6]
Maratha Empire
After the Maratha Empire gained its sovereignty from the Mughals, it also called its polity Hindūstān (just like both Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire), which simultaneously represented North India and Indian Subcontinent. They've also referred to their realm as Hindavi Swarajya, meaning "Hindu/Indian self-rule" under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj[7]
Variations
Variations of the title was common, such as:
- Emperor of Indostan,
- Sultan of Hindustan,
- Maharaja of Hindustan (Great Ruler of India),
- Shahenshah-e-Hind (Emperor of India),
- Shahenshah-e-Sultanat Al-Hindiyyah (Emperor of the Sultanate of India)