The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c21.33

v4.c21.33

At the time of Āsaf Jāh’s death, his eldest son Mīr Muhammad Panāh (Ghāzi-ud-dīn Khān) was living in Delhi as his father’s deputy at court. The viceroyalty of the Deccan was seized by his second son Nāsir Jang, who had for some years past acted as his father’s lieutenant and being present on the spot could easily get hold of his treasures and troops. At the secret invitation of the emperor he started for Delhi with the object of overthrowing the new minister Safdar Jang, but had to return from the bank of the Narbadā (5 June, 1749), as the emperor was cowed by his minister and ordered Nāsir Jang to go back, formally creating him viceroy of the Deccan with the title of Nizām-ud-Daula. At this time Āsaf Jāh’s daughter’s son, Muzaffar Jang, claiming the viceroyalty, went to the Carnatic in concert with Chanda Sāhib, an aspirant to the Nawābship of Arcot, who had recently secured release from a Marāthā prison. The two allies bought the help of Dupleix (July)¹ and gained Arcot after killing its Nawāb. Nāsir Jang, with a vast army of 70,000 horse and 100,000 foot, marched to the Carnatic, came upon his enemies near Valudavūr (end of March, 1750), secured the abject surrender of Muzaffar Jang (5 April), and returned to Arcot. But on 16 December he was shot dead by Himmat Khān, the Pathān chief of Kurnool, during a treacherous attack on his camp by the French under Dupleix's orders, twenty miles north of Gingee.²