Tarikh-i ʿAlamgir-i Thani 1
Tarikh-i 'Alamgir-sani (Elliot & Dowson, extracts) 1
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1.1
[Time in its changeful tortuous course is always bringing forth some fresh event, and new flowers are every day blooming in the garden of the world. In these days events have come to pass such as have never entered into the mind of man, and of these it is the writer's intention to give a brief relation. Ahmad Shah, son of Muhammad Shah, succeeded to the throne of Hindustan, and reigned for six years three months and nine days. He gave himself up to useless pursuits, to pleasure and enjoyment, and his reign was brought to an end by the enmity which he showed to Nizamu-l Mulk Asaf Jah (Ghaziu-d din Khan), at the instigation of his wazir the Khan-khanan and his mother Udham Bai. He was succeeded by Muhammad 'Azizu-d din, son of Mu'izzu-d din Jahandar Shah, son of Shah 'Alam Bahadur Shah, son of Muhammad Aurangzeb 'Alamgir. Ghaziu-d din Khan, being embittered against Ahmad Shah, desired to remove him, and to raise to the throne some other of the royal race who would rule under his guidance. After the defeat at Sikandra, Ahmad Shah fled into the citadel of Shah-Jahanabad. Nawab Malika-i Zamani (Queen dowager), Nazir Roz-afzun Khan, and other people of the palace, were at Sikandra, and the Queen dowager and the Nazir conspired together to raise Muhammad 'Azizu-d din to the throne, and they informed this Prince of their intention.
1.2
On the 9th Sha'ban, 'Akibat Mahmud Khan went to Ahmad Shah on the part of Ghaziu-d din, and called upon him to dismiss Khan-khanan from the office of wazir, and not to allow him to enter the fortress, to remove Udham Bai from the fortress, and to give the robe of wazir to him (Ghaziu-d din). Ahmad Shah, being unable to help himself, sent the robe and portfolio of wazir by the hands of 'Akibat Mahmud Khan. Next day, 11th Sha'ban 1167 A.H. (5 June, 1754 A.D.), Ghaziu-d din crossed the river with a body of Mahrattas, put on the official robe, and took his seat in the office with the usual formalities. He then directed 'Akibat Mahmud Khan to go to the dwelling of the princes (deorhi salatin) and bring 'Azizu-d daula. Accordingly 'Akibat Mahmud, taking with him Thakur Das peshkar and Nazir Roz-afzun Khan, went thither, and bringing forth 'Azizu-d daula, placed him on horseback, and, accompanying him on foot, conducted him towards the royal palace. Ghaziu-d din met him on the way, and paid his homage. Other attendants of royalty joined the procession. On reaching the public hall of audience, the Prince was placed upon the throne, the drums beat out, and he received the title of 'Abu-l 'Adl 'Azizu-d din Muhammad 'Alamgir II. Badshah-i Ghazi. He was born on the 17th Zi-l hijja, in the year 43 of Aurangzeb, 1110 Hijra (1699 A.D.).
1.3
Up to this time Ahmad Shah knew nothing of what was passing until the kettle-drums roused him from his heedlessness. Soon afterwards Ghaziu-d din's men, with some harem attendants, arrived, brought out Ahmad and his mother Udham Bai, and were about to make an end of them, when he implored them to send him to the abode of the princes, and there confine him. So they placed him and his mother in one litter, threw a sheet over their heads and took them to the dwelling of the princes. * * The new Emperor was fifty-six years of age, and had five sons, the eldest of them twenty-eight years old. * * He used to come out of his private apartments into the stone mosque or into the public hall to say the prayers at the five appointed times in the congregation; he applied himself to reading books of history, and took no pleasure in seeing dancing or hearing singing ; but he never failed on the Sabbath to attend either the Jami'-masjid or the wooden mosque within the palace. * *
1.4
When (previous to this) Raghunath Rao, Malhar Rao, and the other Mahratta chiefs came to the aid of Ghaziu-d din, he pledged himself to pay them a large sum of money. Suraj Mal Jat also made peace with the Mahrattas ; they raised the siege of his fortress, and he recovered his lands. Ghaziu-d din and 'Akibat Khan then sent the Mahratta army against Ahmad Shah, who was at Sikandra. They plundered the royal army and made Nawab Malika Zamani Sahiba-mahal, Nazir Roz-afzun Khan, and many others prisoners. They plundered the ladies of their money and jewels, and calling together all the officers of the palace and great men who were there, they demanded payment of the promised money, declaring that they would not let the ladies go until it was paid. Ghaziu-d din and 'Akibat Mahmud Khan made themselves sureties for the payment of forty lacs, and the ladies were then sent to Dehli in a bullock carriage with an old tattered covering, such as they had never ridden in before. The Mahrattas crossed the river, encamped four kos out of the city, and there waited payment of the money. * *
1.5
Ghaziu-d din was annoyed at the ascendency obtained by 'Akibat Mahmud Khan, * * and sent for him to make inquiries about a sum of money which he had obtained. 'Akibat Mahmud Khan answered bitterly, and Ghaziu-d din, who had before thrown out hints about killing him to Shadil Khan and Bahadur Khan, got up and went out. No sooner had he done so than these men despatched him with their swords and daggers, and cast his body on to the sand beside the river. Intelligence of the murder was brought to the Emperor when Saifu-d din Muhammad Khan, brother of 'Akibat Mahmud Khan, was present. Ghaziu-d din came on horseback soon afterwards, and embraced and consoled Saifu-d din. On that same day Ahmad Shah and his mother were brought out from their dwelling, and conducted to another, where in the evening they were both deprived of their sight, only a short time after 'Akibat Mahmud Khan was killed.