The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c20.152

v4.c20.152

Farrukh-siyar was constantly plotting the overthrow of the Sayyid brothers, but his own character was extremely timid and fickle, and the successive agents chosen by him, after intriguing for some time and even making armed preparations, either gave up the attempt as hopeless or went over to the Sayyids as more capable of protecting their personal interests. This went on throughout the reign, with the result that the central administration of the empire became more and more confused and weak, while the provinces fell into greater neglect than before. The life of the state seemed to consist in alarms and excursions which all ended in smoke; the only form of activity was lying talk and court intrigue, while the work of the government stood still or inevitably drifted towards anarchy and bankruptcy. About the middle of June, 1714, it was hoped to use Nizām-ul-Mulk (who had been ousted from the viceroyalty of the Deccan by Sayyid Husain ‘Alī) as a lever for overthrowing the two brothers, but in two years he left the court in disgust, without attempting or even agreeing to make any *coup*. Mīr Jumla, who had been packed off to Patna owing to an earlier conspiracy against the minister, returned to Delhi (January, 1716) by secretly travelling like a veiled woman. The emperor, admonished by the minister for this breach of promise, ordered Mīr Jumla to retire to Lahore. But Mīr Jumla’s troops mutinied for their arrears of pay and threatened the capital with civil war. At last they were pacified by part payment and disbanded, while Mīr Jumla was compelled to go to Lahore.