About 5 km from Junnar, in a locality known as Hapus Baug or Habshi Baug, stands a stone mansion that most people drive past without a second glance. But Habshi Mahal, also known as Malik Ambar Mahal, holds within its walls one of the most remarkable stories in Indian history: the story of Malik Ambar, an African who was enslaved before rising to become Prime Minister, a military strategist and a reformer, and whose palace once sheltered Shah Jahan.
Born in 1548 in the Khambata region of southern Ethiopia, the man who would later be known as Malik Ambar was originally named Chapu. He is believed to have belonged to the Oromo tribe, an ethnic group that today constitutes around 35 per cent of Ethiopia’s population.
How he entered the slave trade remains a matter of debate. Historians believe he was either captured during a war or sold into slavery by his parents because of poverty. What followed was a long and uncertain journey, during which he was bought and sold several times.
A painting of Malik Ambar, Circa.1620. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
“Malik Ambar was a native of Ethiopia, a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa. Driven by poverty, his parents sold him into slavery. He was sold several times before being brought to India, where he was eventually purchased by his last owner, Changez Khan, a nobleman serving the Nizam Shahi kingdom of Ahmadnagar,” said Sujit Meher, the current owner of Habshi Mahal.
He was not alone in making this journey. Historian Richard M. Eaton, in A Social History of the Deccan, 1300–1761: Eight Indian Lives, notes that the Deccan Sultanates systematically recruited Habshis—a term used for people from various ethnic communities of the Abyssinian highlands—as slaves during the 16th century. Ambar was one of around a thousand such slaves purchased by Changez Khan.
Constructed using Deccan basalt, brick and lime mortar, the palace is known for its Indo-Islamic and Mughal architectural influences, intricate jharokha-style windows and a water reservoir. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)
Rise of Malik Ambar
Under Changez Khan’s patronage, Malik Ambar’s abilities quickly came to the fore. He rose through the ranks and eventually served as the Peshwa, or Prime Minister, of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate under the Nizam Shahi rulers.
“Following Changez Khan, Malik Ambar rose through the ranks and later served as the Peshwa of the Ahmadnagar Sultanate. He reformed the agricultural revenue system, introduced land tax rates within the kingdom and initiated the practice of collecting revenue in cash,” said historian Siddharth Kasbe.
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In 1590, Malik Ambar built his mansion near Junnar. Constructed using Deccan basalt, brick and lime mortar, the palace is known for its Indo-Islamic and Mughal architectural influences, intricate jharokha-style windows and a water reservoir.
“After ascending five steps, one enters a large hall that served as the darbar, where revenue accounts were managed and administrative planning took place. On either side are two chambers and resting areas for the queens. There is also a dressing table. Stone staircases on both sides lead to the upper floor. The intricate carvings in stone and lime mortar reflect the distinctive craftsmanship of the period,” said Meher.
The palace also followed a carefully designed social protocol. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)
The palace also followed a carefully designed social protocol.
“This was the venue for formal salutations, mujra and the presentation of tributes, nazrana. To the south, behind the palace, is a large water reservoir. Malik Ambar devised a system of stone and lime-mortar pipelines to channel water into it and built a bathtub alongside. Whenever royal women visited the reservoir for bathing, specific musical instruments were played to signal that no one was permitted to remain in the vicinity until the ritual was over and the music stopped,” Meher said.
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The Mughal connection
According to Ase Ghadle Junnar by Dr Lahu Gaikwad, “In 1622, then-Prince Khurram, later known as Shah Jahan, rebelled against his father, Emperor Jahangir, influenced by court politics led by his stepmother, Nur Jahan. Defeated in the north, he retreated to the Deccan. During this period of military campaigns and political exile, Shah Jahan, along with Mumtaz Begum and their young son Aurangzeb, then just three years old, resided in the Malik Ambar Mahal for over two and a half years.”
Today, the palace stands on 1.5 acres within a 38-acre property, most of which remains under cultivation. It has been in the Meher family for around four generations.
“Our ancestors acquired this as watan land, a hereditary land grant awarded by pre-colonial and colonial rulers that is now private property. The palace occupies 1.5 acres of the 38-acre estate, while the remaining land is used for agriculture. Some of the trees here date back to the Nizam Shahi era. One tamarind tree is around 450 years old. As the area was inhabited by the Habshi community, it gradually came to be known by that name,” said Meher.
The family has recently undertaken restoration work to return the palace to its original form.
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“On average, around 50 people visit the palace on weekends. Earlier, entry was free, but rising maintenance costs and the restoration work prompted us to introduce an entry fee of Rs 40 per person. The palace is gradually becoming popular among history enthusiasts, archaeologists and even couples looking for pre-wedding photo shoots because of its historical significance,” said Tej Meher, Sujit’s son.
