After taking over Ahmedabad, Akbar set his sights on Surat. The port of Khambhat was already in his control. But Surat was also no less in the importance. Akbar got the army strength of the Sultan of Surat assessed by Raja Todarmal. Soon he had all the information on the enemy he needed. On January 11, 1573 Akbar set out from Baroda towards Surat.
Portugese from Goa also arrived to defend Surat against Moghuls. Even their arrival did not make much difference. Moghul force was too superior. The Portugese traders sense that if the battle broke out the Sultan of Surat would face sure defeat. So, they acted like businessmen and decided to go to the court of Akbar and present precious gifts. They did just that. Meanwhile, Akbar himself was in dilemma. He had heard so much about the naval power of the Portugese. The sea and naval warfare was totally alien to Moghuls. Akbar feared the sea attack by Portugese armada. But he was overjoyed to see Portugese themselves eager for a peace deal.
The Haj pilgrims from India used to go to Arabia through sea on ships from Khambhat or Surat and Arabian sea lanes were in the control of the Portugese ships. A peace deal with Portugese would prove very beneficial to the Haj pilgrims.
Akbar had started from Baroda for Surat on January 11 but the final decision on attack was taken on January 26. Surat surrendered. The Portugese had already made a deal with the Moghul Emperor.
Moghuls easily crushed the resistance of Mirzas.
Rahim’s rule in Gujarat
After quelling the rebellions in Gujarat, Emperor Akbar set out for his capital Fatehpur Sikri in 1573. But his departure resulted in the administration of Gujarat falling apart.
To set things right again Akbar dispatched Raja Todarmal to Gujarat. He reorganised taxation system and the empire started getting an annual revenue of Rs. 50 lakh after deducting local administrative expenses. Then Akbar sent Shahabuddin Ahmad Khan to reorganise the state. He divided Gujarat into 16 districts.
During the presence of Shahabuddin in Gujarat rebellions kept flaring up and he crushed them. During those years Akbar strengthened Moghul administrative system in north. When he saw Shahabuddin was not gaining the desired success in Gujarat he sent Etmad Khan to rule as Deputy Governor. But during his tenure Mazaffar Shah captured Ahmedabad and became Shah of Gujarat. The news reached to Akbar when he was at Allahabad. He rushed back to Agra. He sent Abdur Rahim, the son of Bairam Khan to Gujarat to replace Etmad Khan and deal with the situation. This was the same Abdur Rahim who was given the little of ‘Khankhana’ (chief of the chieftains). He was also a man of literary tastes who wrote by the pen name of ‘Rahim’. A very talented person he was. We all read the poems and couplets of ‘Rahim’ with great reverence even today. Let us see what he did in Gujarat to earn him the title of ‘Khankhana’?
As an administrator he was intelligent and equally brave. He defeated the enemy forces first at Sarkhej, near Ahmedbad and then at Rajpipla. The rebel Muzaffar Shah fled as he heard the news of the defeats. But he continued to harass Moghuls in Kathiawad and Kuchchh upto 1592. One day when he was caught he slashed his own throat and took his life.
With his competence, Rahim brought back peace to Gujarat for which Akbar rewarded him with the title. He became famous as Abdur Rahim Khankhana.
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