Malik Ambar: Black Leaders Who Shaped the World
The Prime Minister of Ahmadnagar, Murtaza, Ruler and Military Leader, Malik Ambar was born in Ethiopia around 1549; he died in India in 1626. Ambar was sold into slavery in Yemen, taken to Baghdad where he was educated, and then resold to member of a royal family in the Deccan in southern India. Ambar’s rise to the apex of political power in the Indian Ocean world, is a testament to the African abilities to overcome adversity and shape the world around them. Ambar won his freedom in 1594; he then set out to build an army that first had 10,000 soldiers in 1595 and eventually over 40,000 soldiers (mostly Indians and at least 10,000 Africans) by 1620. Ambar defeated the Portuguese, the British, and the powerful Indian Mughal armies. He allied with other Africans (the Siddis) in the strategic Janjira in the 17th century; no ship, including British, Portuguese, Dutch, or Indian, could pass through Janjira fort without approval of the very capable African soldiers. Ambar founded the city of Khadiki (now Aurangabad), built palaces, developed irrigation system, and built an alliance with locals to maintain his rule. Ambar was one of the most powerful leaders in the Deccan, India during the 17th century. This brave son of Africa serves as an example of what one can do to shape their world while facing the greatest of adversity.
© Azaria Mbughuni
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