Muntakhab al-lubab 195: Return of Nizamu-l Mulk to the Dakhin for the second time.
Muntakhabu-l Lubáb, of Kháfí Khán (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 195
- Language
- English
Return of Nizamu-l Mulk to the Dakhin for the second time.
195.1
[Text, vol. ii. p. 947.] When Nizamu-l Mulk arrived at Court, he was anxious, as a prudent minister, to show his devotion and competency in the service of the Emperor, by settling affairs of State, accumulating funds, and putting down disturbances. But there was the envy and opposition of the courtiers, especially of Koki Padshah, who would interfere in ministerial affairs, and by receiving bribes and improper gifts, was bringing the Emperor into bad odour. She was strongly opposed to Nizamu-l Mulk. Lastly there was the indifference of the Emperor himself, who made no resistance to the ill repute he was falling into. For these reasons, it appeared to Nizamu-l Mulk that he could not accomplish what was right by continuing to act as wazir. Various reasons have been assigned for Nizamu-l Mulk's second departure for the Dakhin; but I will relate the explanation which I have heard from credible sources. At this time intelligence came to Muhammad Shah from Persia, of the success of Mahmud Khan Afghan over Sultan Husain Shah, the sovereign of Iran. It appeared that the territory from Isfahan to Shiraz had passed into his hands; that the people of Isfahan had suffered great hardships; that Sultan Husain had been made prisoner, and that Prince Tahmasp, with the brothers and sons of Sultan Husain, had left the fortress of Isfahan, with the object of raising forces.
195.2
One day Nizamu-l Mulk, with the best intentions, told the Emperor that the system of farming the khalisa lands was very injurious to the country, and ought to be set aside; secondly, that the bribes which were received, under the name of peshkash, were disgraceful to the Emperor and adverse to good policy; thirdly, that the jizya upon infidels ought to be collected as in the days of Aurangzeb; fourthly, he recalled the fact that in the days of the rebellion against the Emperor Humayun, when the realm of Hindustan passed into the hands of Sher Shah Afghan, the Shah of Persia had rendered great help and service, and had shown hospitality to Humayun, when he went towards Persia. If the Emperor Muhammad Shah were now to help the ruler of Persia in repelling the domination of the Afghans, it would be recorded in history as a lasting honour to the House of Timur. The Emperor said, "Whom have I got to send on such a service?" Nizamu-l Mulk replied, "Any one of your enterprising officers whom you might send on this service would carry out your orders; or if it should please you to name me for the duty, I would strive heart and soul to accomplish it," and he added some more professions of his loyalty and devotion. When the Emperor consulted with other nobles of his Court on this subject, a party of them perverted the good opinion which the Emperor entertained of Nizamu-l Mulk, and set him against his wise and excellent minister.
195.3
The etiquette of the Court and the discipline of the State had fallen entirely away from the proper dignified standard of royalty, and Nizamu-l Mulk desired that orders should be issued to restore it to a suitable style. This greatly irritated the courtiers—and day by day they made statements about Nizamu-l Mulk which were entirely opposed to his thoughts, and by envious malicious insinuations they poisoned the mind of the Emperor against his devoted servant. They put such injurious designs into the head of the inexperienced Emperor against Nizamu-l Mulk, that for the sake of prudence and to save his honour, he at the end of Rabi'u-l awwal, in the sixth year of the reign, got a few days' leave of absence in the name of hunting, and left Dehli. Upon the excuse of needing change of air, he went thirty or forty kos from the capital to the side of the Ganges. There he hunted and recruited his health. While he was so engaged, bad news arrived of the disorders caused by the Mahrattas and other insurgents in Ahmadabad and Malwa, the first of these two provinces being held in the name of Nizamu-l Mulk himself, and the other in the name of his son, Ghaziu-d din Khan Bahadur. This became the common talk, and Nizamu-l Mulk having written on the subject to the Emperor, received permission to go and restore order in his two provinces. * * Before he arrived at Ujjain, the Mahrattas heard of his approach, and taking warning departed from the river Nerbadda towards the Dakhin.
195.4
The other insurgents also put a stop to their outrages. Nizamu-l Mulk followed them to the neighbourhood of Ujjain; but when he heard that they had crossed the Nerbadda, he gave up the pursuit and fell back to the pargana of Sahur, near Sironj, in Malwa, intending to return to Court after he had set in order the affairs of that province. While he was thus occupied, important intelligence came from the Dakhin. Mubariz Khan, nazim of the suba of Haidarabad, two years before, at the close of the war with 'Alam 'Ali Khan, came to Nizamu-l Mulk, and made great professions of zeal and devotion. Nizamu-l Mulk took an interest in him, and obtained for him from the Emperor an addition of 2000 to his former 4000, the title of 'Imadu-l Mulk Mubariz Khan Bahadur Hizbar Jang, [and other distinctions for himself and his sons]. Mubariz Khan had served Nizamu-l Mulk faithfully. He now gave out that he had been appointed Subadar of the whole Dakhin, and leaving Haidarabad, he went to take possession of Aurangabad. * * The letters which Nizamu-l Mulk received from Court informed him that his son Ghaziu-d din, whom he had left as his deputy in the office of wazir, had been removed, that I'timadu-d daula Kamru-d din Khan had been appointed wazir, and that under the influence of Koki, bribery had increased.
195.5
For these reasons, and for others which cannot be committed to writing, he proceeded from Malwa towards the Dakhin, which country indeed was the conquest of that illustrious general and his ancestors. * * At the end of the month of Ramazan he arrived at Aurangabad. He repeatedly wrote to Mubariz Khan, but the answers which he received were proud and haughty, and made no profession of giving up his designs. Nizamu-l Mulk was very calm and forgiving. He again sent several admonitory letters, reminding Mubariz of old obligations, and he waited at Aurangabad for two months to see what time would bring forth. But the destroying angel had lain his hands upon Mubariz Khan, and led him towards Aurangabad. Mubariz Khan was joined by Bahadur Khan, brother of Daud Khan Pani, and by others with considerable bodies of men. He had collected large numbers of infantry, and his army was daily increasing. This was a great injury to the country, and encouraged the restless Mahrattas. At the end of Zi-l ka'da Nizamu-l Mulk marched out of Aurangabad, and encamped by the tank of Jaswant, near the city. He still wrote letters to Mubariz, to prevent a war, and save the lives of Musulmans; but his adversary was deluded with the prospect of being Subadar of the Dakhin, and remonstrances were of no avail. Mubariz took counsel with his adherents. First he proposed to make a rapid march and fall unawares on Nizamu-l Mulk.
195.6
Then he proposed to threaten his opponent's flanks, and by a rapid march in another direction throw himself into Aurangabad, and make himself master of the city. This plan he endeavoured to carry out. * * On the 23rd Muharram a battle was fought near the town of Shakar-Khera, in Berar, about forty kos from Aurangabad. [Long account of the plan and progress of the battle.] Two sons of Mubariz Khan were killed, and two were wounded and made prisoners. Mubariz Khan's elephant-driver received a number of wounds, and fell off the elephant. The Khan himself then wrapped a garment soaked with his own blood around him, and drove the animal himself, until he fell dead under the many wounds he received. Shouts of victory then rose high from the successful army. * * Nizamu-l Mulk next day provided for the burial of the dead, and took especial care that the wounds of Mubariz Khan's two sons should be carefully attended to. * * He afterwards gave them a large amount in goods, jewels, and stuffs, to set them up in life again.
195.7
After the victory, Nizamu-l Mulk marched towards Aurangabad. On his way he learnt that Khwaja Ahmad Khan, son of Mubariz Khan, who had been left as deputy in charge of Haidarabad, had gone into the fortress of Muhammad-nagar, near the city, with his property and goods, and that he had set the fort in order. After a short stay at Aurangabad, Nizamu-l Mulk marched to Farkhunda-bunyad Haidarabad, * * and by grant of jagirs and other favours, induced Khwaja Ahmad to give up the keys of the fortress. Nizamu-l Mulk had never moved a hair's breadth in opposition to the Imperial dynasty; but in all his undertakings had shed a new glory on the House of Timur. Now there came to him from the Emperor an elephant, jewels, and the title of Asaf Jah, with directions to settle the country, repress the turbulent, punish the rebels, and cherish the people. Under his former rule the troubles caused by the Mahrattas and other enemies had been mitigated; but although Mubariz Khan apparently did not pay the chauth according to the agreement made by the Saiyids, and had shown much activity in punishing the Mahrattas, still their officials, whenever and wherever they found the opportunity, levied the chauth, and whatever else they could get, and many of the roads were closed.
195.8
[Text, vol. ii. p. 965.] When Nizamu-l Mulk was appointed Subadar of Ahmadabad, Haidar Kuli Khan repaired to Court; but he left (as his deputies) in Ahmadabad, Shuja'at Khan and Ibrahim Kuli Khan, two brothers whom he had brought forward in the world, and he also left the third brother, Rustam 'Ali Khan, as his deputy at Surat. * * Nizamu-l Mulk appointed his uncle, Hamid Khan, to be deputy governor of Ahmadabad. * * On hearing of his approach, Shuja'at 'Ali and Ibrahim Kuli desired to go into the city and oppose his entry, or, according to another account, to obtain promises of safety, and then to submit. There was a continual state of hostility and war between these three brothers and the Mahrattas, and they did not pay the chauth. Safdar Khan Babi had a bitter hatred of Haidar Kuli Khan. With seven or eight thousand horse he joined the enemy, and went to meet Hamid Khan, and persuaded him that the three brothers were resolved upon resistance. It happened that Shuja'at Khan, riding on an elephant, met Hamid Khan as he was entering, and he drove his elephant towards that of Hamid Khan. A struggle then began, in which Shuja'at Khan was killed. Ibrahim Kuli Khan hid himself in his house, * * but he was soon afterwards killed in a party fight. * * Rustam 'Ali Khan heard at Surat of the death of his brothers, and his fraternal blood boiled to avenge them. He immediately began his preparations for exacting vengeance.
195.9
Between Rustam 'Ali Khan and Piluji, a Mahratta chieftain at the head of ten or eleven thousand men, there had been for a year past a continual state of war, in consequence of a refusal to pay the chauth. There had been repeated conflicts, but no decisive action. Rustam 'Ali, under pressure of events, made friendly overtures to Piluji, and after a peace was settled he united the Mahratta's forces with his own. Piluji, on his side, thought that fortune was in his favour, and joined him with his forces. * * Hamid Khan, hearing of Rustam 'Ali's preparations, prepared his army and artillery, and he was joined by a Mahratta chief named Kantha, with 12,000 horse. On reaching the banks of the Mahi, a great battle was fought, with a heavy loss of killed and wounded on both sides. Hamid Khan was defeated, and his tents and baggage were plundered. He fled from the field to the river-side. Rustam 'Ali, having gained the victory, encamped a kos or two farther on. Hamid Khan won over the crafty Piluji, and on the next day gave battle again. Rustam 'Ali had lost most of his brave veterans in the fight, but he prepared to resist. The forces of Piluji now fell on Rustam 'Ali's baggage, and after some sharp fighting Rustam 'Ali's force was routed, and he himself was killed. The Mahrattas on both sides fell to plundering, and carried off whatever they could from the bazars and shops of Ahmadabad and the districts round Baroda.
195.10
The Emperor Muhammad Shah, on being informed of these events, sent Sarbuland Khan to be governor of Ahmadabad. Nizamu-l Mulk recalled Hamid Khan. But although Sarbuland Khan had an army of seven or eight thousand horse, most of whom were veterans, and a strong force of artillery, the Mahratta forces so swarmed in the province that he was unable to settle its affairs or to punish the enemy. Their power increased from day to day, and the price of grain rose high. Sarbuland Khan was as it were besieged in the city; all that he could do was to wink at and rail against the Mahrattas, for as they numbered nearly 30,000 horse, he was unable to fight and chastise them. They ravaged the country round Ahmadabad up to its very gates. Many merchants and traders and artisans were so ill-treated and oppressed, that they left their native land, and wandered into foreign parts. The country could not repel the ravagers, and in its desolation it was unable to pay the sum required of it for the support of the soldiers, whose numbers were excessive. The officers with parties of men demanded their pay, and used violence and insolence in extorting it. At length it was arranged that, for the sake of quietness and to stop disturbances, the officers should obtain orders drawn upon bankers and merchants for the pay. With these drafts they went to the bankers, seized them, put them in prison, and tortured them until they got the money.
195.11
Bir-nagar was a flourishing town full of merchants of the famous Nagar class, who carried on there a trade amounting to lacs of rupees. That district, beyond all the flourishing places of Hindustan, abounded in every sort of wealth, gold, cash, and every production of nature; but it was ransacked by the enemy because the subadars were unable to answer the cries of the inhabitants for protection. When a report of this state of things reached the Emperor Muhammad Shah, he removed Sarbuland Khan, and appointed Raja Durgar Singh in his place. On his arriving at Ahmadabad, Sarbuland Khan refused to admit him, and prepared to resist him by force of arms. So he fled, and for some days no trace was found of him. He did not go to Court, and the Emperor was much displeased with him, so he remained for a long time in disgrace. This rich province, which no other province of Hindustan could equal, * * was reduced to such a state of wretchedness, that merchants and traders left their native land, abandoned their hereditary dwelling places, and dispersed over distant countries. But thanks to the mercy of God, the cries of the oppressed were heard, and the beneficent shade of Nizamu-l Mulk Bahadur Fath Jang Asaf Jah was to fall upon it, and to be the cause of its restoration to prosperity.