other · South Asia

Rohilla State

1721 CE – 1774 CE (approx.) · capital Aonla

An Afghan state in the plains of Rohilkhand, north-east of Delhi, built by Rohilla soldiers in the decline of the Mughal Empire.

Origins

Afghan soldiers, known as Rohillas, settled in the Katehr region east of the Ganges from the late 17th century. Ali Muhammad Khan, adopted son of a Rohilla chief, built a power base there from the 1720s, making Aonla his capital, and was recognised by the Mughal court as nawab.

Rule and society

After Ali Muhammad's death in 1748, Hafiz Rahmat Khan ruled as regent for his sons and led a confederacy of Rohilla chiefs from Bareilly. The Rohillas supported Ahmad Shah Durrani at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. They promoted Afghan settlement, built towns and mosques, and patronised Persian and Pashto learning.

Decline and legacy

In 1774 the Nawab of the Awadh State, with East India Company troops, defeated and killed Hafiz Rahmat Khan in the Rohilla War. Most of Rohilkhand was annexed to Awadh, while the Rohilla chief Faizullah Khan kept the small state of Rampur.

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Rohilla State. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rohilla-state
MLA
“Rohilla State.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rohilla-state. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Rohilla State.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rohilla-state.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Rohilla State’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/rohilla-state (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻