Malik Ambar: from Ethiopian Slave to a King in India

[@OddCompass]

For additional info, check out my timestamps below! For more history tidbits, check out my instagram: instagram.com/oddcompasshistory/ For references. This isn't a complete list (I used some primary source material concerning the last battles that I can't seem to find now...), but the following were critical: ‘Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji,’ by Manu S Pillai, A Social History of the Deccan, 1300-1761,' by Richard M Eaton, and some excerpts from 'Life and Times of Malik Ambar,' by Radhey Shyam and 'Malik Ambar: Power and Slavery across the Indian Ocean,' by Omar Ali. 1:15 -- initially, some historians posited that Malik Ambar came from a Christian tribe, but that opinion has largely fallen out of favor in the academic community after it was discovered that the Abyssinian Empire banned the exportation of Christian slaves (which is precisely why tribes of "pagans" were targeted). 3:08 -- the term "Habshi" is a linguistic perversion of the term "Abyssinian" or "al-Habash," denoting the Ethiopian origin of the community. 4:00 -- other famous Habshis of that time include Ikhlas Khan (the Prime Minister of Bijapur, who also led the Bijapur forces at Bhatwadi) and the Janjira Island pirate-kings, among many others. 6:24 -- Chand Bibi is a fascinating character. Like many other Muslim women of the Deccan, she refused to wear Hijab and would ride horses and "play war" from an early age. During the battles with the Mughals, historical records actually show that she led her troops from the front in full armor, directing them to rebuild battered areas of the fort as the Mughals picked the walls apart with land mines. 8:20 -- initially, Prince Daniyal (who had led the earlier, successful Mughal invasions against the Ahmadnagar Sultanate) was expected to take the throne, but his premature death due to alcohol poisoning led to a nasty succession dispute in Delhi. 8:58 -- much of the Deccan cannot be sequentially multi-cropped, leading to very short harvests. 11:52 -- Khirki was later renamed Aurangabad by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who finally conquered the Deccan (albeit briefly). 12:09 -- the "Neher" system was so well-designed that it did not have to be repaired until the early 1900s (according to British Raj records). 12:40 -- the Sultan's Persian wife was described as a "white Persian woman" by contemporary travelers in their accounts. 13:30 -- Maratha lords who served with Malik Ambar include Shahji, Shivaji's father. Fun fact: Shahji was named after a Sufi saint. 13:30 -- Malik Ambar's life was mythologized by Shivaji, who commissioned an epic on the subject. Shivaji and other Marathas came to believe that Malik Ambar provided the environment necessary for them to grow, and saw him as a critical figure in their "destiny" as a people. 13:45 -- the assassination attempts included drowning, poison, surprise dagger attacks, and more. 16:11 -- around this time, Malik Ambar negotiated a clever deal with Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan, who -- at the time -- was rebelling against his father (and ultimately took the Mughal throne).

[@darkdeccan8194]

Once again a nice content dude.

[@OddCompass]

Much appreciated!

[@OddCompass]

@Rohan D You're very welcome. I love Aurangabad -- just spent a week there exploring the city, its food, and Ellora caves nearby.

[@OddCompass]

Definitely! Lots of people have made requests - just a bit overwhelmed with topics at the moment, so have to get through those first!

[@OddCompass]

There are multiple theories! The historical record is very mixed. Currently, the scholarship leans towards him being Oromo, and having been converted to Islam after his arrival in Baghdad.

[@TaufiqueJoarder]

There were 2 Ethiopian slave sultans in Bengal too. They ruled for a short time though. Very few Bengalis nowadays know they were ruled by Ethiopians once. Ethiopians today don't even know this.

[@OddCompass]

Yep! I've read about the Ethiopian presence in Bengal -- very interesting

[@thefuture12]

Waw.. never heard of it, i an from ETH

[@A.D.540]

the only way ethiopian will know this is if they read history fortuntaly most dont take history serious.

[@zuboy4272]

@@A.D.540 even Indians don't know this

[@admirekashiri9879]

Really? Interesting what were they called?

[@JackRackam]

Well-produced videos on pre-industrial Indian history? Yes please!

[@OddCompass]

Thank you! I am actually planning on doing both Indian and SE Asian history videos, but I'm glad to fill an underserved niche! Really enjoy your videos btw :)

[@JackRackam]

@@OddCompass Thanks! Looking forward to seeing what you come out with next!

[@randomcheck8922]

@@OddCompass out of curiosity what are your sources? Are your coming through books or ??

[@OddCompass]

Hi Random Check -- weird, I thought I'd included some of my sources in the pinned comment or description! This isn't a complete list (I used some primary source material concerning the last battles that I can't seem to find now...), but the following were critical: ‘Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji,’ by Manu S Pillai, A Social History of the Deccan, 1300-1761,' by Richard M Eaton, and some excerpts from 'Life and Times of Malik Ambar,' by Radhey Shyam and 'Malik Ambar: Power and Slavery across the Indian Ocean,' by Omar Ali.

[@MegaGun2000]

Please for all that is good and pure in this world, collaborate 🥺

[@pableroy7765]

"He transformed himself into a king in all but name" "Malik" means king in Arabic, so he did that too! 💯

[@ifrahhassan3124]

He turned a bad situation into the best never give up

[@no.1spectator39]

He earned that name

[@UmaAnupindi1]

Malik also means Master in Hindi (pronounced differently) - So from slave to master

[@no.1spectator39]

@@UmaAnupindi1 true

[@aleenaprasannan2146]

It's interesting that 'Malik' in Urdu mean Master and I thought it was probably a derivative from the word 'Malkho' in Syriac which means King.

[@takenbythewindNdrivenbythesea]

Imagine from Slave to Kingships. What a legendary Malik Ambar an African who ruled in the heart of India.

[@OddCompass]

Indeed...his life is so fascinating!

[@takenbythewindNdrivenbythesea]

@Odd Compass he is considered as an inspiration... Thank you very much for the great video.

[@OddCompass]

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@JK-gu3tl]

Happens more than folks think.

[@muhsineco1911]

Qutubuddin aibak too.. It also depends on who is master.

[@shesh2265]

So badass that the Sultan who painted himself shooting him in the head out of anger still praised him

[@rohanraghuram9635]

That was Jahangir, the Mughals descendants of mongols, descendants of Canaanites

[@YY-ug9mv]

@@rohanraghuram9635 They spoke Turkic and persian not mongol.Mughal means mongol in persian a name that stuck because their grand grand father Timur claimed he was the broom(gurkani)of genghis and married a descendant of genghis.It was a prestigious thing to do so he did.Mughals were actually Türks not mongol.

[@rohanraghuram9635]

​@@YY-ug9mv "The term Mughal/Moghul is actually the Persian term for Mongol. The Timurids on the other hand were Chagatai Turks or Turko-Mongols. The Timurid line of Babur and their followers became known as the Mughals." The Timurid line came from Babur, Akbar, Jahangir etc. The Tirmurid were Chagatai turks- a mix of Turk and Mongol. the Middle Khanate of the Mongol empire was the Chagati khanate. They are part of the same family from a Biblical perspective- they are descendants of Canaan.

[@Mr.Endlesss]

​@@rohanraghuram9635 babur is not considered himself as a Mongol Read the Baburnama (babur Autobiography) Babur Mother was Mongol his Maternal grandfather was King of Moghulistan & he great grandson of Chagtai khan

[@rohanraghuram9635]

@@Mr.Endlesss If Babur's mom is a mongol, then he has part mongol blood.

[@SampatK164]

I studied in India and through my whole schooling never were the Habshis or Malik Ambar mentioned!! The man is just straight up awesome.

[@sagark86]

We have studied here in Maharashtra about Malik Ambar

[@SampatK164]

@@sagark86 oh that's cool! It was CBSE for my schooling and it didn't have any mention of Malik Ambar. The Ahmadnagar Sultanate was mentioned but not Malik Ambar.

[@mohammedmujaheeduddin4204]

@@SampatK164 bro i am from Aurangabad(founded by Malik ambar) and here almost 80% of the residents don't know about him.

[@MB-dg2fl]

@@mohammedmujaheeduddin4204 wow .thats sad!!

[@heavenaraya802]

Did u mean the habesha people? Ethiopian and Eritrean people today

[@malek3719]

As an East African it is pretty cool to see the Indian sea ties

[@user-io7sh7nx7c]

There are still East African Siddis(Bantu) in my state Karnataka. They were probably brought as slaves by Portuguese in the 16th century and faced a lot of hardships and escaped to the forests once Portuguese were driven out of North Canara coast by Shivappa Nayak of the Keladi Nayak family and became a tribal population. Now they all speak our language(even speak English in Indian accent).

[@rohanraghuram9635]

Bantu is similar to the ancient Hebrew. The Siddi are the Real Hebrew Israelites

[@anugranmathimugan2778]

There estimated to be a population of 800,000

[@sadmanmahi2584]

You know he is a great man when his all time rival praises him after death.

[@mostviewedtubemvt2353]

I learned middle school and high school in Ethiopia, but never ever heard about this!!! Thanks Sharing this!

[@seidabdo4]

እኛን እኮ ተረት ተረት ነዉ ያስተማሩን

[@DMaybach93]

That’s because he is Somali and not Ethiopia. He was born in the Adal Sultanate which is modern day Somalia.

[@yeshanewrede6520]

@@DMaybach93 Adali were and are Afaris not Somalis.

[@markbogers4097]

Because it isnt true. He might came from kenya or Tanzania. Ethiopians have never been enslaved. Dont be a fool to believe this crap!

[@afanoromolyricsofficial]

@@markbogers4097 I think you are the one who is fool. Although Ethiopia has never been colonized by Europeans like other African countries, there was a slave trade happening in the country during Menelik and Emperor Haile Selassie regimes. These are a lot of recorded history, so you better educate before calling someone fool.

[@chadtep7571]

I been of Malik Ambar for several years now. It's great to see that his story is beginning to gain a lot of momentum lately.

[@OddCompass]

Yeah, I came across his story for the first time having read the book "Rebel Sultans." He is a fascinating man, and I'm glad his story is finally getting its time in the sun.

[@mrdubcek6824]

Screw the Game of Thrones prequel, HBO should make this into a show

[@nagihangot6133]

Hopefully not HBO / Hollywood.

[@tommysoliz3064]

Rather watch got lol

[@same0882]

I’m Indian from the U.S so I don’t get it too much what is the BJP doing rn?

[@Faisaldegrt]

Absolutely

[@lastprophet9904]

@@tommysoliz3064 🤢🤢🤮🤮

[@crazydrifter13]

From India. Didn't know ANYTHING about this. Thanks

[@HrishikeshDiwan]

Fantastic video - thanks. I grew up in the city of Aurangabad (historical Khirki/ Khadkee) and have visited Malik Ambar's "nehrein" in the hills around the Daulatabad (Devgiri) fort, and seen the city gates and gardens dating back to his rule all the time. So for me, watching this video was a nostalgia evoking, and context providing experience. Keep up the great work on Indian history (also extra points to you for making an effort on pronunciation!)

[@OddCompass]

Thanks for sharing your personal experiences! And I appreciate the support :)

[@sadocraju]

I am from Ahmadnagar but I never knew the history of my own town to this detail till today. Ahmadnagar fort and Chandbibi forts are still in decent conditon.

[@poulomi__hari]

Be so cool, that even your enemy writes a eulogy for you.

[@adityavardhangundla2722]

You are on Quora right?

[@ayyotube5224]

There is a saying in my culture even if you hate the person don’t hide their truth....like what is good about the person. Dont change their good story to bad just because you hate them

[@trejbiorgroup1713]

@@kyju733 You guys can continue romancing there on Quora... All the best

[@noobatthetower8747]

@@ayyotube5224 tell that to the bjp dumbasses

[@aakashsingh8120]

@@noobatthetower8747 pathetic to see political comments on non political topics, grow up. There is more than bjp congress etc in India. jeez

[@lionsofafrica3786]

I'm Ethiopian And I Never Even Knew An Ethiopian Ruled India, there are alot of things we need to learn about our history

[@lionsofafrica3786]

@Sudhamay Still Impressive

[@naseri5333]

i studied about malik amber in the school here in afghanistan

[@aryandhanawade8063]

Later on all African Muslim King were killed & Indian made then run back to african !

[@somayamohammed4194]

Thera are million’s of Oromo man like him you guys don’t want to learn about Oromo king that’s the problem

[@sus10651]

Not Sultan, he was Vizier that is something like Prime minister. But great guy. He may have introduced guerilla warfare in Indian martial ethos. Guerilla warfare was frowned upon in India as unethical. But as they say everything is fare in love and war. Thanks for covering Indian history. It doesn't get lot of coverage in west.

[@OddCompass]

Correct - he was a powerful minister who was essentially a “de facto” Sultan

[@shagma]

At the end he was controlling the sultanat putting a child on the throne.

[@Yanzdorloph]

@@OddCompass Sultan is title he never got,he was the "de facto" leader, but never was the sultan, abit like the Shogun and Emperor in Japan (ok thats a stupid comparison but you get me )

[@coolfreaks68]

You are wrong. Guerrilla warfare was documented by Kautilya, a very long time ago. Malik Amber was a good learner.

[@farleywilliams4840]

He was a sultan he was the one who ruled the empire. Give him his credit.

[@dagi135]

Being Ethiopian and hearing this just hits different.

[@mkkm8540]

This is actually a lie told by the British during their colonial rule when they tried to divide India by color they used to teach if you are black Indian you are slave so dont believe any thing you see on KZbin actually this is the reverse India was part of Ethiopia ,Ethiopian history is the most hidden history in the world ,I'm not Ethiopian but it saddens me to see Ethiopians dont even try to understand thier glorious history

[@mariah_9]

@@mkkm8540 so it's the other way around ?

[@rhythmkhandelwal2940]

@@mkkm8540 India was part of ethiopia???😂😂😂 What are you smoking

[@country9825]

.

[@theguide1192]

@@rhythmkhandelwal2940 what are you smoking

[@MashZ]

Interestingly, Bengal Sultanate also had Habshi rulers around 1487-1494. Basically Abyssinian(Ethiopian) slaves rose in military ranks and were appointed as palace guards. They killed the Sultan and their leader(Shahzada Barbak) became Sultan for a few years.

[@OddCompass]

Yep! A very interesting story as well

[@TheMohammadDanish]

Malik Ambar was a great warrior. He deserves a biopic on himself. Worthy mention of Chand Bibi who died while bravely fighting for her empire. I have been to Khirki (modern day Aurangabad) where there's still that Nahar exists which he constructed for water supply.

[@absar8304]

If I am not wrong, Malik Ambar trained Shahji bhosle in guerrilla warfare and later came the great Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who dominated the Deccan with Guerrilla warfare.

[@OddCompass]

You are correct!

[@absar8304]

@@OddCompass thanks

[@Mohak_16]

That's so cool. Malik ambar is easily my favourite Indian king.

[@anirudh177]

Maloji and his son Shahaji were generals serving under Malik Ambar. Maloji quickly rose to a high position under Ambar and granted the control of three parganas (a type of administrative units) of Elur, Derhadi and Kannarad. And on the recommendation of Malik Ambar, he was given the Pune and Supe parganas, along with the control of the Shivneri and Chakan forts. At the time of Maloji's death in 1622, 26-year old Shahaji was a minor commander in Malik Ambar's army and he too reached a high military position like his father under Ambar. Then in 1625, because he felt dissatisfied with Ahmadnagar rewarding his relatives more than him he defected to Bijapur and left Ahmednagar service. And in Bijapur too he held an important position, eventually became the chief general of Bijapur. Then Sultan Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur died in September 1627. He had been tolerant of Hindus and was the primary supporter of Shahaji and had recruited him into the Bijapuri military. After him an orthodox faction gained more power in the Bijapur court and advocated an alliance with the Mughals against Ahmednagar, seeing that his position would no longer be safe anymore he defected back into Ahmednagari service in 1628, by this point Malik Ambar was dead (he had died in 1626) and Shahaji was welcomed by his son Fatah Khan. Although the power of Ahmadnagar had been declining after Malik Ambar's death in 1626, but Shahaji held a higher position there than the one he held in Bijapur. Meanwhile, the newly-crowned Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan launched a fresh campaign against Ahmadnagar. In 1629, Shahaji led a 6,000-strong cavalry against the Mughals in the Khandesh region, but was defeated. Then a disaster happened, in 1630 Shahaji's in-laws and allies were murdered as a result of factional politics in the Ahmadnagar court. Now Shahaji decided to defect to the Mughals with 2000 cavalrymen. The Mughals sent him to caputre Junnar and Sangamner, and gave these districts to him to govern. But then in 1632, Fatah Khan placed a puppet on the Ahmednagar throne and then allied with the Mughals, As a reward, the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan granted him the jagir that had been earlier allotted to Shahaji. Then Shahaji defected again (for the fucking nth time) and was now a free warlord who went around looting the lands around Pune (he had inherited the Pune and Supe jagirs/fiefs from his father Maloji) then after the Mughals sent an army after him, he returned to Bijapuri service. In 1630 - 1632, The Mughals had taken the capital and large parts of Ahmednagar, Shahaji then took control of an area in the southern part of the Ahmadngar Sultanate. This area included lands in the triangle formed by the Nashik, Pune, and Ahmadnagar cities. Unlike southern Maharashtra, which was directly administered by the Bijapur government, this region was politically unstable because of constant warfare between Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, and the Mughals. The Ahmednagar king had been captured, and Shahaji installed the 10-year old Murtaza as a puppet, making himself the Chief Minister, basically becoming Kingmaker and ruling the remnants of the Ahmednagar Sultanate like Ambar while being in Bijapuri service. By 1635, Shahaji was forced to retreat and lost several cities and territories including Junar and Nashik. Now, Bijapur had two political factions: the first, including Shahaji, favoured resisting Mughal influence in Deccan; the second favoured establishing peace with the Mughals by recognizing their control over parts of the former Ahmadnagar territory. In 1636, the second faction emerged more powerful, and a peace treaty was signed between Bijapur and the Mughal Empire. As part of this treaty, Bijapur agreed to help the Mughals subjugate Shahaji, or to send him away from the Mughal frontier if he chose to join the Bijapuri service. Then the Mughals attacked Shahaji and the pretender king Murtaza who had retreated to Shahaji's fiefdoms. In October 1636, Shahaji finally surrendered and gave up his territories to the Mughals and returned to the Bijapur service. Shahaji was allowed to retain his jagir in the Pune region, but was weirdly restricted from living in that area as part of the Mughal-Bijapur treaty. Because of this was placed under the nominal administration of his minor son Shivaji (finally he comes into the game), with his subordinate Dadoji Kondadev as its manager. Shahaji was then transferred to the south by Bijapur. From 1637 - 1640, he and Ranadulla Khan were tasked with conquering the remnants of the Vijayangara empire and whatever South Indian states had emerged. The Bijapuri forces defeated several Nayakas, the local chiefs who had administered the area after the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire. In December 1638, the Bijapur forces seized Bangalore, which was assigned to Shahaji. Shahaji was also given the charge of Kolar, Hoskote, Doddaballapura, and Sira areas by Ranadulla Khan, in consultation with the Bijapur ruler Muhammad Adil Shah. Shahaji chose Bangalore as his headquarters because of its secure fortress and good climate. Each year, Bijapur expeditions brought more territories under Shahaji's control. From around the 1640s to 1660s, Shahaji mostly spent his time governing his Jagirs and serving in Bijapuri campaigns in the South, he was briefly arrested in 1648 for trying to ally with the Nayakas and Golconda Sultanate, but later on he was released. At this point his son Shivaji was becoming very active and started acting independently and defying the Bijapur Sultanate, Shahaji distanced himself from his son's actions and did not support his son's rebellion. But he often acted as a mediator and settled disputes between Shivaji and Bijapur to prevent things from spiralling out into a civil war. Shahaji would then meet his son Shivaji for the last time in between 1659 - 1662, in one of these mediator visits, and died in early 1664, in a hunting accident.

[@porothashawarma2339]

@@anirudh177 wow

[@Lesliechow9]

If any one is travelling from bangalore to Goa (south) you’ll still find a lot of their descendants right after you get away from the highway very close to the Tibetan settlement I was surprised they live their lives like any Indian villager props to them 👍

[@OddCompass]

Indeed!

[@Shammer1]

It is so interesting to see how slaves were used and treated in different places. Also this the real underdog story.

[@the2ndcoming135]

👀

[@mohammadzaid1221]

Indian history is the most beautiful , so many grear kingdoms and dynasty. I love India ❤️

[@theguyver4934]

Im a pakistani i agree india is the greatest nation on earth jai hind

[@Dr.SyedSaifAbbasNaqvi]

​@@theguyver4934One lifetime isn't enough to travel the whole country. It's so big.

[@mickeygarg]

In today's terms: A journey from Clerk to CEO

[@oranebrown2169]

@Idiris real talk, that was a weak analogy.

[@oranebrown2169]

@Idiris exactly, i concur. I think misinterpet my comment.

[@afzalanaam3104]

Nah bro, a tea seller to indian President

[@shabbirsb87]

@@afzalanaam3104 modi is prime minster not president

[@someperson3390]

Lvl 1 crook to lvl 100 boss

[@tomwaldenberg6952]

Thanks for creating these great videos! It really shows how much world history is unexplored in modern America. Growing up in New Hampshire, I figured history started in 1620 and ended in 1865, and only took place from Savannah Georgia to Boston. Keep ‘em coming!

[@OddCompass]

Thanks Peeps!

[@007___8]

3:40 Marathi written in moDi script (𑘦𑘻𑘚𑘲) Such well researched video made by a foreigner Even some Maharashtrian don't know that marathi has its own writing system XD It adopted Devanagari script in 1950s Now moDi script is almost dead and forgotten

[@princehowell1013]

This is cool asf I’m oromo from Ethiopia (America now) never knew that stuff like this happened

[@OddCompass]

That's awesome -- glad I could bring our shared history to life!

[@S.F157]

Me too I’m Oromo but I just learned this about 1 year ago . I thought he was from the Harari or Amhara ethnic group but was surprised when I found out he was Oromo .

[@adangbe]

There's many more!

[@adangbe]

They have a decent size community in Gujarat, I believe.

[@Hamada932]

@Johnny Ola I’m an Oromo and I don’t have a single Bantu dna. I don’t know where you heard Oromo people are related to Bantu people but this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone even mention this. The Horn of Africa has preserved its genome for thousands of years.

[@zuzusha39]

I never knew Ethiopians ruled India ... Am from Addis Ababa Ethiopia One love brothers

[@anugrahadushing7756]

I am from Ahmadnagar and I never knew about Malik Ambar. This is so interesting.

[@sayanthrejinair6744]

The only history we learn in India is about the Mughals and British India. All of this is unknown to the Indian Public. The education system here is corrupt and stupid.

[@Zen-sx5io]

Then we must reform it.

[@butter790]

India is rich with history. Much respect to my indian brothers

[@honprarules]

All thanks to Congress, who barely saw anyone other than Mughals

[@honprarules]

@Mario Fonseca good comment. I believe that they need to show other kingdoms (especially north east cz I have 0 clue of their history). Thankfully, KZbin has got such wonderful channels and I'm learning new things about our history every passing day.

[@ftsrwr]

Indian education system is vast, subject-wise. And hence most regional topics (esp. in History) are only taught in schools/colleges under state education boards (like AHSEC in Assam, or MBOSE in Meghalaya) as central board (like CBSE) cannot cover it all without putting immense pressure on the students (especially school students, who might not even touch history in college ever again). If one pursues History (Hons) under state board curriculum, I am sure one would find ample instances of lesser known regional historical events.

[@onose10000]

I'm an avid history nerd and I live here and I'm still learning so much.

[@shamsalfarabi6107]

Check out the Habshi slave dynasty of the Bengal Sultanate. We have had four African kings.

[@shamsalfarabi6107]

@Bitweded Abraha I am not trying to disrespect anyone or any nation. If I have offended in any way, I am sorry. I do lack knowledge about Ethiopian history. As far as I am concerned, in my country of Bengal, we've had four African kings who were all former slaves and belonged to the Abyssinian ethnicity.

[@liteney]

@@shamsalfarabi6107 Sorry Shams, Bitweded is a brown man whom is trying to hide the fact that brown people took black people as slaves. So he will not allow you to refer to the black kings as former slaves.

[@hyamick7584]

@Bitweded Abraha Slavery in Islam was much more different and merciful than western slavery

[@bruce2638]

@Bitweded Abraha no one's calling u a slave u dumbfuck

[@djantouahmed7319]

@@liteney brown people took black people slave? I don't understand the sentence

[@natashadandavati4904]

Thanks for another fantastic video!! Loved the visuals and both the incredible story of Malik Ambar and of the Habshi community--I didn't know about them, despite many visits to the Deccan!

[@OddCompass]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@StefanMilo]

Wow great production value and I had truly never heard of this story before. Brilliant!

[@OddCompass]

Thanks! I'm watching your videos right now, and they're so well-researched and interesting...it means a lot that you liked mine!

[@glennpeterson2477]

Mr. Stefan, I have two links for you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4XYqGuYhbmNjbs kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIqcg3x9erx3ldE

[@r.h.6249]

Imagine if this story were to become a movie...The legend of Yasuke is already being made with Chadwich Boseman but i would love love to see story of Malik Amber in a hollywood movie and it would be filled with Africans,Arabs,Mongols,Turks,Indians ...basically a huge middleeast cast...and it would be amazing if someonw like Chadwick Boseman or Will Smith do this role and bring light to hidden secrets of African history where they are portrayed not as slaves but as kings and rulers...and imagine how powerful it would be to see black people seeing that in other parts of world africans would build themselves up to be rulers....i live in India and in Aurangabad,which was the capitol city of Malik Amber's kingdom and we have legends of his stories although he has largely been forgotten by our people and its people like you who are keeping these legends alive

[@OddCompass]

That would be fantastic! I completely agree. Also, I just spent some time in Aurangabad recently and loved it (my family is from Hyderabad). Thanks for your thoughts, and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@mandarsawant7747]

A web series of 10 odd episodes (450 mins) would do more justice to the story of an amazing warrior and statesman

[@admirekashiri9879]

I don't think they're making a Yasuke film now ☹

[@admirekashiri9879]

@@hassanabdikarimmohamed2505 I agree

[@theconfusedoromo5361]

@@hassanabdikarimmohamed2505 will smith, chadwick boseman, wesley snipes perfectly looks Oromo. especially Wesley snipes perfectly looks Arfan qallo clan of Oromo were chapu born.and the rest looks barentu clan.

[@eshwar_dev6807]

"In India he could Transcend his fate but it wouldn't be easy" true till date..!

[@ashish282]

Can't imagine how much time researched you have put in, also the video quality is top notch

[@OddCompass]

Much appreciated!

[@Wallagamusic]

as an Oromo I'm proud to hear this history honestly I'm amazed seriously i have never heard about him

[@OddCompass]

Glad I could tell his story!

[@buab3117]

ኦሮሞ ባልሆንም በታሪኩ ኮርቻለሁ 👏👏👏👏

[@tselotshafi1397]

No one will teach you abt oromos greatness....till this day the greatest warriors musician novelist pilots engineer are mostly oromo in ethiopa...but they never teach their own history

[@M1ndfulJourney]

@@tselotshafi1397 menlik and haile selassie 😂

[@tselotshafi1397]

@@M1ndfulJourney who do you think they were?😄

[@iamhoney1018]

Stunning video sir🤩, very well detailed and that line- "The legendary Mughal Emperor Akbar" Created goosebumps 😍

[@thevilderblue]

To know more about him, read 'Rebel Sultans' by Manu S Pillai. There's a whole chapter dedicated to him in it.

[@JahangirAlam-fh3hy]

Need to turn this into a netflix show

[@theguide1192]

Exactly.

[@raadunwabarq1126]

Like ragnar who is a former farmer and after king. Ambars skill and bravery is more far better than ragnars history

[@anirudh177]

@@raadunwabarq1126 Ragnar isn't even real, his legend might have been based upon multiple raiding Norsemen, or some other guy. Some think that the story of Ragnar was made up propaganda by the leaders of the Great Heathen Army (865-878 AD) to justify their Invasion of Britain.

[@kyocobran1463]

I love your videos. I don't think you know how happy this makes me to see Desis doing Desi history and doing it so well. I love the animations - they really bring the story to life. Keep being awesome, Mr. Odd Compass!

[@branavanarumughanjeyendran226]

Excellent video, we have to admire the people who started out from nothing and climbed all the way to the top. This is what you call the greatest achievement according to the progress chart :). Definitely needs to be publicised in history books. It would be great if you could talk about the history of the 7 sister states of India (North East India).

[@OddCompass]

Absolutely - it’s inspiring to see how a person who was born into such disadvantage could transform himself into a hero in a foreign land. Also, I’ve got many videos planned down the line, on both South and Southeast Asian history, so stay tuned :)

[@branavanarumughanjeyendran226]

Keep up the good work. Also since you mentioned about African history, it would also be good for us to know more about the story of queen Amanirenas from the kingdom of Kush :)

[@OddCompass]

@@branavanarumughanjeyendran226 Interesting -- I'll keep that in mind!

[@yikana7535]

So glad this appeared on the algorithm

[@blackstatesofamerica2275]

King Amber deserves a show

[@Zen-sx5io]

Awesome, as an Ethiopian-American this was a bit of a shock for me.

[@migbossChannel]

i think people don't learn enough world history in schools

[@Tchalla_supreme_]

An Oromo man who became a great warrior king ? Nice . As an Oromo it makes me happy. our people were great warriors during those times , I wish we could rekindle our warrior spirits in this decade , these habeshas are targeting our people because we do not want to submit to their rules .

[@OddCompass]

Indeed, the Oromo people were known as both livestock herders and famed warriors (specifically archers). Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@apple20sara89]

we are still Warriors look what from 2015-2018 we got rid off TPLF, but our beloved learn JAWAR MOHMMAD and all Oromo political leaders and activities are in persion because we were not prepared to rule Oromia. Jawar trusted OPDO to bring democracy in Ethiopia.

[@thefuture12]

@@apple20sara89 nope, the only guy you get rid of was PM Halemariam Desalegn, and it's because of your ugly straight rally and throwing stones, and you kill eachother a lottt, then the results of your ugly rallies was hijacked. and now what you left with, nothing, mass arrest, death of youths, you guys are losers,

[@M1ndfulJourney]

@Mukhtar u look HABESHA stop u look notting like Somali 😂😂😂 ur ancestors were forced to become oromo

[@HamiticKushitic]

What's up my brother? True we Oromo never sumited to no one that why we still fighting to liberate ourselves and country from our enemy. Naggatti.

[@liyaqatsayed4266]

Indian history in international standard of presentation....great man...welll done..👍🏻

[@bittertruth4847]

Watching from Ahmednagar

[@MuhammadAli-hr1bj]

Mind blowing stuff. One wonders why such great examples of African leadership is whitewashed... The importance of Africa to human civilisation cannot be underestimated.

[@adrianalainez8499]

Not white washed. Blacked out. Because Ethiopia has written it's OWN history.

[@WilliamGarrow]

@@adrianalainez8499 That makes no sense. Are they teaching about him in Ethiopia?

[@ninaaden8338]

@@adrianalainez8499 nah, he's right.

[@anugranmathimugan2778]

Because they washed us all .

[@alejandromaldonado6159]

@@WilliamGarrow Why would they

[@ezradamie2836]

As Ethiopian ...am like what?? Why didn't we learn about this in school

[@Josh-eh5kj]

too much history to cover you should also check out 'yitsuke' an Ethiopian or Mozambique samurai

[@yoshi9358]

Well if it's any consolation his name is in every Indian textbook

[@jesbinjain2085]

probably looks bad because his parents sold him into slavery

[@adlerzwei]

Because it's not Ethiopian History.

[@esswasim]

In school? We learn nothing but drama in school.

[@vamshimohan1980]

I never seen such a detailed explanation. Thanks for making video 🙏

[@nandyalaram]

I Appreciate and thank you for giving very detailed history of India which our school books couldn't provide.

[@NilotpalKalita28]

Hey, another awesome video. For future, I'd love a story about the Ahom kingdom and how they defeated Mughal Empire in battle of Saraighat. There's no mention about this in school history books

[@OddCompass]

Thanks for the idea -- the Northeast definitely deserves some attention, I agree. I'd love to do a video possibly on that "black magic" mountain and the myth that a bunch of sorcerers defended the land against the Mughal invasion. As someone else said in the comments, I also want to start branching out to some more SE Asian history as well, but don't worry -- I've been making a topic list and yours is definitely on my mind. Hopefully I can improve my production efficiency going forward. Also, your videos are seriously awesome. Love your channel.

[@NilotpalKalita28]

@@OddCompass thanks man. Would be waiting for your videos. keep doing what you do.

[@nanusingh2278]

And also on the conquere of Arabs: Bappa raval.

[@plebeian6533]

In 1663 Ahoms defeated by Mughals and forced to make humiliating treaty..Under which Raja of Ahoms sent his daughter to Mughal haram, paid war indemnity and annual tribute of 20 elephants..

[@anirudh177]

@@nanusingh2278 correction: Bappa Rawal didn't conquer the Arabs, he defeated Arab invasions as a part of a larger alliance.

[@AscendantStoic]

Somebody should turn this into a TV show .. would be really interesting and informative.

[@vatsalamolly]

I knew of Malik Ambar but I didn't know he was Ethiopian! His story is fascinating.

[@abhishekjiwankar1]

I had read about Malik Ambar in history books. But this video is really good.

[@sivaprasadll.b.8083]

Habshiguda is a prominent place in Deccan Hyderabad which was named after Habshis.

[@manasachowdary2018]

Really . 😳😳😳

[@renthokstu]

@@manasachowdary2018 Yes, lands in and around Osmania University were donated or procured by the government(Post Independence) from Habshi warlords I think. Not sure..but close enough to truth.

[@muneebarshan]

And AC Guard which is an abbreviation of African Cavalry Guard. They were East African bodyguards of the Nizam of Hyderabad and even today they make a majority in the neighborhood

[@kumar7586]

@@muneebarshan You mean the Chaush people?

[@muneebarshan]

@@kumar7586 Chaush people are mainly Yemeni but historically Yemen and East Africa have been closely linked most Chaush live in Barkas. But AC Guard has descendants of African Bodyguards who worked for the Nizam.

[@ImSquitcher]

Second Video I have watched of your channel. Non-western centric content that is still extremely detailed and cream on top nicely animated? Sign me in. Thank you so much for this, please keep it up! By the way, I would love if you could add books or other sources at the end of your video or in your description for viewers that would be interested in learning more about the subjects.

[@rightalways7701]

I reside in Aurangabad, the very city of Khirki established by Malik Ambar. It's sad to see that once a glorious city is now just an another Indian planning hell. No sqaure no road is named after him and his magnificent tomb today, lies in ignorance, nobody visits it, there are weeds everywhere, and people have desecrated it by graphits. It's so sad to see how history forgets its own heros

[@bharathutra]

Mailk Ambar !! wow what a journey !! this guy was amazing !! thank you for bringing this to us !!

[@sultanahazuri3903]

Many Habshis are still living in India and Pakistan. Simply called sheedi or Siddi today. My father is a sheedi from Pakistan. Thank you for this beautiful historical lesson. I wish more people knew about Malik Ambar and the great African people who became kings in Indian history

[@seanskywalka5172]

He wasnt Habashi, he was Oromo lol. There are various ethnic group in the fake western maintained (via "aid") and christian ruled modern state of Ethiopia

[@sultanahazuri3903]

@@seanskywalka5172 yes I am aware he was Oromo. today in India/Pakistan people of African descent are generally called Habshi, Siddi or Sheedi no matter where their ancestors originated.

[@porothashawarma2339]

Your features still reflect your ancestry, I apologise for simping but you’re absolutely gorgeous 🌹

[@sultanahazuri3903]

@@porothashawarma2339 thank you so much.

[@charlettegonzalez2737]

Very fascinating story, It's amazing how Malek rose to power. I've also seen dozens of portraits of him, and they are amazing. Anyhow I still can't get over how badass he was that even the Mughal Emperor fanboyed over him.

[@olbradley]

Now this is a story worth telling!

[@the2ndcoming135]

Moral of the story is sometimes your parents gotta kick you outta the house so you can go make your own rules😂

[@ajay2302ful]

I'm really happy to see someone is taking honest efforts to make videos on Indian history. Thank you so much for providing such quality content to people like me who love history and archaeology 👍🏼 Subscribed ❤️

[@OddCompass]

It's my pleasure!

[@ChangedNames]

The legacy continues, as long as youre in Baghdad knowledge will flood your heart

[@ColtraneTaylor]

Baghdad?

[@ChangedNames]

@@ColtraneTaylor The land of wisdom

[@ateium2409]

@@ChangedNames Mongols: Let's wreck all of that

[@thequietkid1548]

It's soo weird that I had read about prettymuch all major kingdoms of this Era in high school, but not a single time did they mention the name of Malik Ambar. Damn. Loved it!

[@aneeshwairagade9505]

Love your videos. Please do one on the Vakataka dynasty. A lot of their history is largely unknown to people and yet they have had a huge influence of central and western India. They also gave us the Ajanta caves.

[@OddCompass]

Thanks for watching! I'm always open to new topics. Also just a correction, the Satavahana Dynasty (based out of Amaravati in modern day Andhra Pradesh) built the original Ajanta Caves complexes, and the Vakataka added Buddhist structures to the Ajanta Caves later on. It's quite fascinating, as the Ajanta Caves were constantly added to with every successive ruling dynasty.

[@aneeshwairagade9505]

@@OddCompass you are right. Usually though the history textbooks give Vakatakas a lot of credit for Ajanta caves. I have also read that they also added some Ellora caves, but haven't read up much that backs their contribution to those (Again most books give Rashtrakutas a lot of credit, rightly so). There has also been a recent(ish) excavation in central India (near modern day Nagpur, Maharashtra) in the past 2 decades, this is believed to be Pravarasena II's capital. Quite an interesting place that is : www.asinagpurcircle.org/nagpur1.html Again, thanks for the amazing videos you make!

[@OddCompass]

Interesting, thanks for the additional info! One thing I find curious is how much the general public (and I'm sure textbooks) downplay just how thoroughly Marathi-Telugu-Kannada people were co-involved in empire-building. In the time of the Yadavas, for example, the court language was actually Kannada (and it changed to Marathi in the later stages of the kingdom).

[@Azhar_shaikh1]

This is how Asian and African slavery is distinguished against Transatlantic slave trade. If we look at history, we get a lot of things to learn.

[@ZeiBeatz]

False and Islamic slavery was worste and lasted the longest as its Apparent today

[@karthiksridharan1691]

This is really awesome- your videos keep getting better and better! Keep up the great work, we need more channels like this that explore less-covered topics. Is the Habshi culture related to the Siddi communities of Karnataka and Telangana?

[@OddCompass]

Thanks! The Habshis and Siddis are actually the same group. The term Siddi is just a different word used to describe a member of the East African community in India, and came into linguistic use more commonly in the 1700s onward.

[@riteshleo]

Lovely video. Its fun to see indian history explained which is quite neglected. Shamelessly, request ypu to consider more of these especially on Mughals and Marathas

[@babitasharma4816]

Still keeping the legends alive sir!

[@OddCompass]

Thanks! I’m glad to tell Malik Ambar’s story 🙏

[@rajbagwe3732]

Woah... I live in Aurangabad, which was known as Khadki(or Khirki) earlier. Whytf didn't I know this earlier!? All I knew was that Malik Ambar was a guy who founded our city.

[@reya720]

Amazing 💯💯 he comes from my ethnic in Ethiopia❤️

[@anirudh177]

Yo, Raj.

[@porothashawarma2339]

You guys should rename it to Khirki , not Sambhajinagar or whatever it is lol

[@rajbagwe3732]

@@porothashawarma2339 Agreed. Protests are going on against the name change, but I don't think they'll succeed in the current political landscape... These nasty hindutva politicians can't release funds for infra projects but they'll jump to take credit for stupid renaming gimmicks

[@trishitmukherjee5552]

Your production quality is awesome. If you keep it up, you will have more subscribers in no time. I love that you are covering our history, but if you made videos about places which also don't get as much attention, it would be nice. Maybe other parts of southeast Asia, Africa, pre colonization Americas, etc. It would be nice to know about other parts of the world that is largely ignored... that we don't know of. Well, just an idea to consider. Keep up the good work.😁😁😁

[@OddCompass]

Thanks so much! I've been trying hard to constantly improve and experiment with style (which is why each video has some differences visually, haha). I am DEFINITELY interested in covering SE Asia, Africa, and pre-colonial Americas. Actually, that's my intention with this channel, though I began with Indian history since there were a bunch of topics I wanted to cover. I lived in Malaysia for four years and have a deep love for the region, so don't worry -- there will be lots of "world history" videos coming in the future. Also, I appreciate the bode of confidence -- if you get a chance to share the video, that helps for sure. Thanks again!

[@trishitmukherjee5552]

@@OddCompass Awesome! I already shared this with a bunch of friends. I love to tell people about our history. Sadly, here not many people understand how rich, complex and diverse our history is. For most people I see, history is - hindu empire > muslim empire > British empire > freedom. Love that your videos are about these obscured details of history.😁😁😃😁

[@OddCompass]

You are awesome, thanks for sharing! And yeah, haha, the history of the Indian subcontinent is so nuanced regionally that it deserves more complex discussion than the prototypical meta-narrative (i.e., Indus Valley -> Mauryas -> Guptas -> Delhi Sultanate -> Mughals -> Brits). I also find myself so inspired by these individual stories and how people crafted amazing legacies from nothing.

[@somsubhro]

Absolutely loving your videos!!! Thank you for making them :)

[@thegirlsquad2500]

Thank you for the video, I didn’t know this part of history of India. I was always fascinated by slaves emancipation in the Arab world by giving them education so they are sold to be used as ministers or military commanders, I can see lot of similitude with the “white” slaves of Egypt, the Mamelukes, a video about those is greatly appreciated.

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

Bro where you from. I can recommend another slave trade if you want to read. In north Africa white Europeans were made slaves this led to barbary wars between usa and morocco kingdom

[@nikhilmudaliar2501]

Didn't learn this in school. Amazing stuff, thank you so much!

[@ricky-sanchez]

The last quote from sultan, was an insult to malik ambar's legacy. I can almost envision the crazy laughter after the message was created. Ancient times truly were bad times.

[@mactown91210]

I’m please to see that credit was given where it was due. As a man of color I often find that our history seems to take a backseat to everyone’s else but when I do find new tidbits like this it’s usually fantastic information. Good deal!

[@shahajighuikhedkar5404]

Actually he was the one who present the theory of Guerilla warfare He was the mentor of Shahaji raje Bhosale (father of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) And at the time Bhatwadi battle his was too old to lead So he made Shahaji raje incharge of the battle And it was old Dam which was destroyed by Shahaji raje And it was because of him they won the battle

[@shahajighuikhedkar5404]

@@Aaron_1428 yes But the problem is The Muslim ruler who were good There name is not in history books But those who were worse than barbarian they were consider as great rules.

[@shahajighuikhedkar5404]

@@Aaron_1428 yes Sir

[@anirudh177]

Eh? not really, the usage of Guerilla warfare stretches way before him, but perhaps his specific techniques and style of guerilla warfare might have passed down to Shivaji through Maloji (Shivaji's grandfather).

[@bossmayne23]

this was awesome keep up the great work

[@kailanthecartographer2627]

Another great video! By the way, have you ever thought of covering the Sur Empire?

[@OddCompass]

Interesting -- I hadn't heard of them, but it could be a good topic in the future. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@mbathroom1]

Hi I'm Micah

[@syednaseeruddinhyder7835]

@@OddCompass Cover Sher Shah Suri. He is also a hidden gem like Malik Ambar. He defeated the second Mughal emperor Humayun, who went into exile to Iran. Sher Shah Suri created the Grand Trunk Road that spanned India from the East to the West. He also coined the Rupiya, which is still the Indian currency in the form of the Rupee. All this in 5 years.

[@afanoromolyricsofficial]

Thank you for sharing this amazing story of my fellow Ethiopian Malik Ambar.

[@funlawchic]

Now if we could only get people in #India 🇮🇳 and their global Diaspora to stop engaging in anti-Blackness, Islamaphobia, colorism, and caste discrimination against Indians of African Descent.

[@johnpurple5121]

I want a Netflix show about this man

[@Sumit-Sh]

Netflix is more into demeaning Indian culture. I have seen some Indian series in Netflix they suck big time

[@Kkishflower]

This is an amazing video, am really enjoying all videos on your channel. However, your pronunciations are quite incorrect. I suggest you look up the words in devanagari script

[@hanamantmunnolli6381]

Amazing story. It's really helpful. Thanks.

[@carrington8999]

Amazing story from slave to soldier to ruler.

[@the2ndcoming135]

Right. This aspiring and someone who people should be impressed by in terms of breaking glass ceilings. It’s unfortunate that most cultures tend to focus on more homegrown leaders and rulers.

[@kiranus8286]

Awesome, great work and admirable quality of vedio

[@feysaltaajir740]

I was born in Ethiopia, this is the first time I hear about this legend.

[@deekshas3936]

Very interesting! And I see that your subscriber count is increasing steadily! Well deserved

[@niftybright]

I don't know this till now, as I'm living near his fort ( murud janjeera) so closed that his fort is seen from my house windows.

[@336atifnoman7]

love from deccan to malik ambar

[@hhk0698]

Keep up the good work 💪👌👍

[@OddCompass]

Thanks!

[@ranjithraman4503]

You continue to amaze with your videos on un-touched upon aspects of Indian History!

[@OddCompass]

Thank you so much 😀

[@sushmitsoni9484]

If chaos is a ladder, then Malik ambar climbs straight to the top.

[@कश्परैना]

😅😂😂🙏🙏

[@Gaga682]

It is like a slave becoming a God. He was very lucky to get into good circumstances that boosted him into success but main cause was he took advantage where ever he went and life gave him.

[@rahulpal2490]

this to me sounded like a great novel, this guy was just like Alexender the great.

[@OddCompass]

Indeed! His story is very dramatic 👍🏽

[@bvbxiong5791]

lul this guy just produced a video from his Bannerlord campaign and you guys believed him.

[@robb4394]

Alexander the Great was born into a life of opportunity. His father conquered pretty much all of Greece. Granted when he took power lots of city states succeeded but he had the same army that originally conquered them to get them back. This guy literally started with nothing.

[@Yanzdorloph]

@@robb4394 well tbh he was raised to be an exceptional slave in the middel east, that's what they did back then, slaves becoming generals and leaders or even vizirs was pretty common in all the muslim empires that existed, you can find such stories trough all the periods and regions, from Morocco to India, heck ever sultans (Mameluks for ex ) slavery back then was very different from what we imagine(doesn't make it anyless of a cruel inhuman thing thou)

[@TheHorseOutside]

Nah fuck Alexander. His "empire" was just a warpath he couldn't be bothered to consolidate. Malik Ambar was actually competent