Later Mughals v1.c10.s13.6

v1.c10.s13.6

The next pressing work was to obtain possession of the hoards of treasure and other property. Husain Ali Khan in person proceeded to the fort, where he placed Haidar Quli Khan in general charge, and Ghairat Khan was told off to search for treasure. Trusty men were placed as sentries at the gates and no one, whether belonging to the army or not, was allowed to pass without being strictly searched. Ancient treasurers and guards of Alamgir’s time, who had long left the service, were summoned from their homes. By much urging and the offer of rewards they were induced to point out the underground store-houses. In one place thirty-five lakhs of tanka minted in the time of Sikandar Lodi (1488-1516) were recovered ; and in another seventy-eight lakhs of Shah Jahan’s silver coinage, with ten thousand gold coins of Akbar’s reign. The papers of account were also recovered. These showed that the money had been placed by Alamgir in the custody of Shaista Khan, Amir-ul-umara ; but upon that Emperor’s death in the Dakhin, no further notice had been taken of these hoards. They were not discovered in Bahadur Shah’s or Jahandar Shah’s time. In the wardrobe were a shawl studded with jewels which had belonged to Nur Jahan Begam, a sword used by the Emperor Jahangir, and the sheet sprinkled with pearls which Shah Jahan caused to be prepared for the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. One valuation puts the property at 1,80,00,000 Rupees (£1,800,000), 1,40,00,000 Rupees in cash and the rest in goods. Khafi Khan puts it still higher, namely, at two to three krors of Rupees (£2,000,000 to £3,000,000).*