Later Mughals v1.c10.s10: Sec. 10.—Rising of Shaista Khan at Dihli.
Later Mughals v1.c10.s10
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Sec. 10.—Rising of Shaista Khan at Dihli.
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Shaista Khan, maternal uncle of the late Emperor,[†] Farrukh-siyar, was naturally discontented with the new régime, and at the instigation of Rajah Jai Singh, began to collect soldiers, with the intention of escaping from Dihli and joining the Rajah, then on his march to the assistance of Nekusiyar. Meanwhile he kept the Rajah well informed of all that was going on at Dihli. Khan Dauran, (Khwaja Asim) and other great men attempted to dissuade Shaista Khan from this dangerous course. He paid no heed to them and continued his preparations. Then by accident a letter addressed by him to Rajah Jai Singh fell into the hands of Husain Ali Khan. By this time the malcontent was reported to have collected seven or eight thousand men.*
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∗ Kamwar Khan, 203. Khafi Khan, ii. 831, fixes the 20th Rajab for the accession, perhaps to suit his chronogram : Shambah bistam-i-mah-i-Rajab bud, (1131 H.). Nor was it possible for the 20th to have fallen on a Saturday; it was either a Wednesday or a Thursday. The Khizrabad referred to is about five miles south of the new city or Shahjahanabad, and near the Jamuna river.
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† Khwaja Inayatullah Kashmiri, entitled Shaista Khan, died early in Rajab 1141 H. (January, February, 1729), at Shahjahanabad, Tarikh-i-Mhdi.
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On the 23rd Rajab 1131 H. (10th June, 1719), Zafar Khan and Nahar Khan Hansawi† were sent against Shaista Khan with a strong force. They stormed his mansion and, taking him a prisoner, conveyed him to Husain Ali Khan then at Barahpula where he had been encamped since the 7th Rajab, (25th May, 1719). Shaista Khan's property in cash and goods, his horses and his elephants, his cows and his asses, were given up to plunder. This incident aroused suspicions in the Sayyids' hearts with regard to many other of the nobles. But at such a critical moment silence seemed the wisest thing. Of those suspected, only a few men openly declared themselves. Ruhullah Khan III., son of Ruhullah Khan, the second of that title, had been appointed faujdar of Ahmadabad in Gujarat, but on his way to that place had turned aside and joined Rajah Jai Singh. Tahavvar Khan Turani had also escaped secretly from Dihli a week after Husain Ali Khan had started for Agra, and he, too, repaired to Jai Singh's camp by forced marches. Qutb-ul-mulk sent horsemen in pursuit, but they were unable to overtake the fugitive. Another of these absconders to Jai Singh was Sayyid Salabat Khan, brother-in-law of Farrukhsiyar and lately commander of the imperial artillery. [Kamwar 204, Qasim 272, K. K. 832.]
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∗ Khafi Khan 831, Kamwar Khan 204, and Siwanih-i-Khizri.
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† That is "native of Hansi." He was either a Ranghar (a Muhamadan Rajput) or a Khanzada. Possibly he is identical with the Nahar Khan Shaikhzada, of Hansi, mentioned as faujdar of Dholka in Gujarat, see Kamwar Khan, p. 200, entry of 24th Jamadi I. 1131 H. Kamraj, Ibratnama, 69a, says S. Dilawar Ali Khan, Bakhshi of the Wazir, was also sent against Shaista Khan.