The Rohillas of Rohilkhand, also called the Rohilla Afghans, the Rohilla Pathans or the Rohilla chiefs, were Pashtun settlers who rose to power in the foothills of north India during the eighteenth century, giving their name to the region of Rohilkhand in present-day western Uttar Pradesh. They came as soldiers and settlers in the age of Mughal decline and built a cluster of small states around Bareilly, Aonla, Pilibhit and Moradabad. Their story belongs to the same unsettled era as the rival powers in our guide to the Mughal Empire. Historians present some episodes differently, so this guide treats them neutrally.
Quick answer: The Rohillas were Pashtun, or Afghan, soldiers and settlers who established a regional power in north India in the eighteenth century, in the area that became known as Rohilkhand in western Uttar Pradesh. Their chiefs, including Ali Muhammad Khan and Hafiz Rahmat Khan, governed from towns such as Aonla and Bareilly until the Rohilla War of the 1770s weakened them. A branch survived as the Nawabs of Rampur, a princely state that lasted until Indian independence.
Key Takeaways
- The Rohillas were Pashtun settlers who gave their name to Rohilkhand in western Uttar Pradesh.
- Their rise took place in the eighteenth century as Mughal authority in north India weakened.
- Ali Muhammad Khan is remembered as the founding figure of Rohilla power in the region.
- Hafiz Rahmat Khan served as a leading regent and chief during the later period of Rohilla rule.
- The Rohilla War of the mid-1770s ended most Rohilla independence in Rohilkhand.
- A Rohilla line continued as the Nawabs of Rampur, famed for patronage of learning and music.
Read on for the history, culture, and legacy in detail.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Group | Rohillas, Pashtun (Afghan) settlers and soldiers |
| Region | Rohilkhand, western Uttar Pradesh |
| Key Towns | Bareilly, Aonla, Pilibhit, Moradabad, Rampur |
| Era of Power | Eighteenth century |
| Notable Leaders | Ali Muhammad Khan, Hafiz Rahmat Khan, Najib-ud-Daula |
| Surviving State | Princely state of Rampur |
Who Were the Rohillas?
The Rohillas were Pashtun, or Afghan, soldiers and settlers who migrated into north India and founded a regional power in the eighteenth century. The name is commonly explained as coming from roh, an old word for the hill country of the Afghan borderlands, so a Rohilla was a man of the hills. Many arrived as mercenaries and cavalrymen, and some were granted land and office by Mughal governors and nobles. Over time they formed a community that spoke Urdu and Pashto, mixed with local society and adopted the culture of the north Indian court. Their rise reflected the opportunities created when imperial control weakened. The Rohillas thus began as soldiers and ended as rulers of a distinct region.
Where Is Rohilkhand?
Rohilkhand is a historic region in the western part of Uttar Pradesh, lying between the Ganga and the foothills of the Himalaya. It includes the districts around Bareilly, Moradabad, Badaun, Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit, and the princely state of Rampur lay at its heart. The land is a fertile alluvial plain crossed by rivers such as the Ramganga, which supported farming and settlement. Its position near the Delhi region and the Himalayan trade routes gave it strategic and economic value. Before the Rohillas, the area was known by other names, and the name Rohilkhand emerged in the eighteenth century. The region today retains the name as a geographic and cultural identity.
What Was the Background of Mughal Decline?
The Rohillas rose against the background of Mughal decline, when imperial authority weakened and regional governors, chiefs and adventurers claimed power. After the long reign of Aurangzeb, succession struggles and invasions drained the empire’s strength, and provincial rulers in Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad became effectively independent. In this setting, military leaders with trained soldiers could carve out territories. The Rohillas used this opportunity in the north, taking over land in the foothill region and building fortified towns. They were one of several successor powers, alongside the Marathas, the Jats and the Nawabs of Awadh. Understanding Mughal decline therefore explains why a community of soldiers could become a ruling elite.
Who Was Ali Muhammad Khan Rohilla?
Ali Muhammad Khan is remembered as the founding figure of Rohilla power in Rohilkhand, a leader who rose from a military background to become a regional chief. Traditional accounts describe him as an adopted son of a Rohilla leader who built up a following among the Afghan settlers and took control of land in the region. He used Aonla as an early base and gradually extended his influence over neighbouring districts. His rise attracted the attention of the Mughal court, and he was recognised in some form as a local authority. Sources differ in detail on his early life, so historians describe his career in general terms. He is thus seen as the man who turned a community of soldiers into a political force.
What Role Did Aonla and Bareilly Play?
Aonla and Bareilly were the main centres of Rohilla power, with Aonla serving as an early capital and Bareilly later becoming the principal city of Rohilkhand. Aonla, in the Bareilly district, was an important fortified base in the early period, and its remains still carry the memory of Rohilla rule. Bareilly grew into a prominent administrative and commercial town, and later passed through many hands, including the British. Other towns such as Pilibhit and Moradabad were strongholds of Rohilla chiefs and nobles. These towns functioned as centres of trade, craft and learning, with mosques, markets and gardens. The cities of Rohilkhand therefore show how the Rohillas translated military success into an urban culture.
Who Was Hafiz Rahmat Khan?
Hafiz Rahmat Khan was one of the most respected Rohilla leaders, who acted as guardian of the sons of Ali Muhammad Khan and became the leading chief of the confederacy. He is remembered as a scholar-soldier who combined administrative skill with religious learning, and his title Hafiz reflects that he had memorised the Quran. Under his guidance, the Rohilla chiefs managed their small states, handled relations with neighbours and tried to preserve independence. His leadership was tested by the pressure of the Marathas and the Nawabs of Awadh. He died in the conflict with Awadh and its allies in the 1770s, an event that marked a turning point. Hafiz Rahmat Khan remains a symbol of the Rohilla political tradition.
What Was Najib-ud-Daula's Role in Delhi?
Najib-ud-Daula was a Rohilla chief who rose to great influence at the Mughal court in Delhi and became one of the most important figures of mid-eighteenth-century north India. Originally from the Rohilla community, he built a power base in the upper Doab, including the region of Najibabad, which still carries his name. He supported the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali against the Marathas in the period of the Third Battle of Panipat, and afterwards he acted as a chief minister and military guardian of the imperial court. His career shows that Rohilla influence extended beyond Rohilkhand into the politics of the capital. Historians evaluate him differently, but all agree on his importance.
How Did the Rohillas Deal with the Marathas and Awadh?
The Rohillas dealt with the Marathas and the Nawabs of Awadh through a mix of conflict, payment and alliance, because both neighbours were stronger. Maratha armies raided the Doab and the foothill region, and the Rohillas sometimes agreed to pay tribute or sought help from other powers. The Nawabs of Awadh, whose territory lay to the east, also had interests in Rohilkhand and at times acted as protectors, at times as rivals. An agreement in which Awadh would defend Rohilkhand against the Marathas in return for payment later became a source of dispute. These tensions shaped the political fate of the Rohillas. The record shows a small state trying to survive between more powerful rivals.
What Was the Rohilla War?
The Rohilla War was a conflict in the mid-1770s in which the Nawab of Awadh, supported by troops of the British East India Company, defeated the Rohilla chiefs and took control of most of Rohilkhand. The dispute arose from claims about payment for earlier help against the Marathas, and it ended with the death of Hafiz Rahmat Khan in battle. Many Rohilla families left or were displaced, and the region came under Awadh authority. The war was later criticised in Britain and became a topic in parliamentary debate about the conduct of Company officials. Accounts differ on the justification and on the scale of the suffering, so historians use cautious terms. The war ended the independent phase of Rohilla rule in most of the region.
How Did Rampur Survive as a Rohilla State?
Rampur survived as a Rohilla state because Faizullah Khan, a son of Ali Muhammad Khan, reached a settlement after the war that allowed him to keep a small territory. This territory became the princely state of Rampur, ruled by the Nawabs of Rampur under the protection of the Nawabs of Awadh and then of the British. The state remained a stable centre of Rohilla culture through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It maintained its own administration, army and courts, and its Nawabs were known for their support of learning, music and the arts. Rampur joined the Indian Union after independence and later merged into Uttar Pradesh. Its survival ensured that the Rohilla name continued in public life.
What Part Did Rohilkhand Play in 1857?
Rohilkhand played a notable part in the revolt of 1857, when Bareilly became a centre of resistance to British rule. Khan Bahadur Khan, a descendant of Hafiz Rahmat Khan, was proclaimed ruler in Bareilly and organised an administration for the region during the uprising. Rohilla soldiers and local communities joined the rebellion, and the area saw serious fighting before British forces regained control. Khan Bahadur Khan was later captured and executed. Rampur, by contrast, remained loyal to the British under its Nawab, showing that the Rohilla community was not united in its response. The events of 1857 thus reveal both the memory of Rohilla independence and the divisions of the time.
What Is the Rampur Raza Library?
The Rampur Raza Library is one of the most important cultural legacies of the Rohilla Nawabs, a major repository of manuscripts, paintings and rare books in Rampur. The collection was built by the Nawabs over generations, who gathered works in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sanskrit and other languages. It includes illustrated manuscripts, calligraphy, miniature paintings and historical documents, and it is housed in the Hamid Manzil, a grand building of the Nawabs. Today it is an institution of national importance under the Government of India. The library shows how the Rohilla rulers valued scholarship and art, and it ranks among the finest libraries of its kind in the country.
How Did Rampur Shape Music and Culture?
Rampur shaped north Indian music and culture through the patronage of its Nawabs, who supported musicians, poets and craftsmen. The Rampur Sahaswan gharana of Hindustani classical music grew in the state, and the court attracted leading singers and instrumentalists from across the country. Urdu poetry flourished at the court, and Rampur became a place where scholars and poets found support. Local crafts included zardozi embroidery, lace work and the distinctive Rampuri knives, which later became widely known. Food traditions, including courtly cuisine, also developed. The cultural life of Rampur shows that the Rohilla legacy lies as much in the arts as in politics.
How Do Historians View the Rohillas Today?
Historians view the Rohillas as an important but contested part of eighteenth-century north Indian history, and they use different sources and perspectives. Persian chronicles, British records, family traditions and court documents each give a different picture of Rohilla rulers and their relations with neighbours. Earlier colonial writing sometimes portrayed the Rohillas as marauders or victims, while later work stresses their role as one of several successor states. Neutral scholarship stresses their administration, the growth of towns and the diversity of the Rohilla community. The debate shows the importance of reading many sources together. The Rohilla story is therefore best understood as a complex chapter in the transition from Mughal to colonial India.
The Rohillas of Rohilkhand Today
The Rohillas live on in the name of Rohilkhand and in the heritage of Rampur, Bareilly, Aonla and neighbouring towns. Descendants of Rohilla families are found across north India and beyond, and many keep alive the memory of ancestral chiefs and the Pashtun heritage. Historic mosques, tombs, gardens and forts of the region are studied by local historians and protected as heritage sites in several cases. Institutions such as the Rampur Raza Library keep manuscripts and art accessible to scholars. For readers of Indian history, the Rohillas illustrate how migration, soldiering and politics shaped regional identity. The Rohilla legacy remains a visible part of Uttar Pradesh’s cultural landscape.
Sources & Further Reading
- Ministry of Culture, Government of India (indiaculture.gov.in).
- Rampur Raza Library, Ministry of Culture (razalibrary.gov.in).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Rohillas?
The Rohillas were Pashtun, or Afghan, soldiers and settlers who founded a regional power in the Rohilkhand region of north India in the eighteenth century. Their chiefs governed towns such as Aonla and Bareilly.
Why is the region called Rohilkhand?
The region is called Rohilkhand because it was the land of the Rohillas. The name emerged in the eighteenth century when Rohilla chiefs ruled the area between the Ganga and the Himalayan foothills.
Who was Ali Muhammad Khan Rohilla?
Ali Muhammad Khan was the founding leader of Rohilla power in Rohilkhand, who rose from a military background and used Aonla as an early base. Accounts differ on details of his early life.
What was the Rohilla War?
The Rohilla War was a mid-1770s conflict in which the Nawab of Awadh, aided by Company troops, defeated the Rohilla chiefs. It ended most Rohilla independence and led to the death of Hafiz Rahmat Khan.
What happened to the Rohillas after the war?
After the war, most of Rohilkhand came under Awadh, but Faizullah Khan retained a small territory that became the princely state of Rampur. The Nawabs of Rampur ruled until Indian independence.
What is the Rampur Raza Library?
The Rampur Raza Library is a major institution in Rampur holding rare manuscripts, paintings and books collected by the Rohilla Nawabs. It is now managed by the Government of India as a centre of national importance.
