Muntakhab al-lubab 179: Rafi'u-d Daula, entitled Shah Jahan the Second, Fourteenth in descent from, and seventeenth king in Succession to, Amir Timur.
Muntakhabu-l Lubáb, of Kháfí Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 179
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Rafi'u-d Daula, entitled Shah Jahan the Second, Fourteenth in descent from, and seventeenth king in Succession to, Amir Timur.
179.1
[Text, vol. ii. p. 831.] On the 20th Rajab, 1131 A.H. (May 27, 1719 A.D.), Rafi'u-d Daula, who was one year and a half older than his brother Rafi'u-d Darajat, was raised to the throne with the title of Shah Jahan the Second. Matters went on just as before, for, excepting that the coins were struck and the khutba read in his name, he had no part in the government of the country. He was surrounded by creatures of Kutbu-l Mulk, and, as to going out or staying at home, holding a court, or choosing his food and raiment, he was under the direction of Himmat Khan. He was not allowed to go to the mosque on Friday, or to go hunting, or to talk to any of the amirs, without the presence of one of the Saiyids or his guardian. [vol. ii. p. 832.] Amiru-l umara Husain 'Ali sent Haidar Kuli Khan with a force in advance against Agra, and on the 7th Sha'ban he himself set out for that city with * * an army of about 25,000 men. * * Rajadhiraj Jai Singh, with a force of nine or ten thousand horse, and others whom he had collected, was waiting one march from Amber for Raja Chhabila Ram [to go and join Neku Siyar]. Kutbu-l Mulk Saiyid 'Abdu-llah, in consequence of the rumours that were afloat, taking the Emperor with him, marched, at the end of Sha'ban, with Maharaja Ajit Singh, and other amirs, and an army of upwards of thirty thousand horse, from Dehli towards Agra, and against Jai Singh.
179.2
At this time Maharaja Ajit Singh took back the Maharani, his daughter, who had been married to Farrukh Siyar, with all her jewels and treasure and valuables, amounting to a kror of rupees in value. According to report he made her throw off her Musulman dress, dismissed her Muhammadan attendants, and sent her to her native country. * * In the reign of no former Emperor had any Raja been so presumptuous as to take his daughter after she had been married to a King and admitted to the honour of Islam. The fort of Agra was invested, lines of approach were formed, and batteries raised. When Husain 'Ali Khan arrived, the cannonade began, and many houses inside and outside the fort were destroyed. The siege went on for three months. * * The rainy season caused Saiyid 'Abdu-llah to delay in his march against Jai Singh; but he reached Mathura, within ten kos of which place Jai Singh was awaiting the arrival of Raja Chhabila Ram and other allies. When the Raja found that none of his expected supporters arrived, he sent vakils to beg forgiveness for the offence he had committed.
179.3
Neku Siyar had a munshi named Nath Mai. At the invitation of some crafty men among the besiegers, he came out of the fort to conduct them to Neku Siyar. But these men made him prisoner, and took him to Amiru-l umara. In his portfolio were found several letters addressed by amirs in the besieging array to Neku Siyar, * * but the Amir thought it desirable to hush this matter up. * * The provisions in the fort were falling short, and the defenders were in despair. A proposal to surrender was accepted, and an assurance of safety to life and honour was given. The keys were given up, Agra was secured on the 27th Ramazan, and Neku Siyar and his supporters were made prisoners. Mitr Sen, who had set this revolt on foot, knowing that there was no hope of mercy for him, but that he would be put to death with ignominy, killed himself with a dagger.
179.4
After the fall of the fortress, Amiru-l umara Husain 'Ali took possession of the treasure, jewels, and valuables which had accumulated there in the course of three or four hundred years from the days of Sikandar Lodi and Babar Badshah, and were stowed away in the store-rooms. There were the effects of Nur Jahan Begam and Mumtaz Mahal, * * amounting in value, according to various reports, to two or three krors of rupees. * * There was in particular the sheet of pearls which Shah Jahan had caused to be made for the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, which was spread over it upon the anniversary of her marriage, and on Friday nights. There was the ewer of Nur Jahan, and her cushion of woven gold and rich pearls, with a border of valuable garnets and emeralds. The elder brother, 'Abdu-llah Khan, got nothing of all this, till, after four months, twenty-one lacs of rupees were grudgingly surrendered to him. Rajadhiraj (Jai Singh) sent his vakils to offer his apologies and make peace. * * It was eventually arranged that the faujdari of Surat, in the suba of Ahmadabad, should be held by Jai Singh, and the subadaris of Ahmadabad and Ajmir, including Jodhpur, should continue under Raja Ajit Singh. Under this arrangement the two rajas held all the country from thirty kos of Dehli, where the native land of Jai Singh begins, to the shores of the sea at Surat. Shah Jahan the Second died of dysentery and mental disorder, after a reign of three months and some days.