Later Mughals v1.c10.s4: Sec. 4—Nekusiyar Proclaimed at Agra.
Later Mughals v1.c10.s4
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Sec. 4—Nekusiyar Proclaimed at Agra.
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During the weeks which followed the deposition of Farrukh-siyar, rumours of many sorts were prevalent. Suspicion chiefly rested on Rajah Jai Singh Sawai, Rajah Chabela Ram, governor of Allahabad, and Nawab Nizam-ul-mulk, the new governor of Malwa. A combination of these three nobles was supposed to be imminent. As to the last of them, it may be doubted whether there was any sufficient ground for these assertions. The other two men were, however, notorious partizans of Farrukh-siyar, Chabela Ram and his family owing their elevation entirely to that Emperor and his father, Azim-ush-shan. In the case of those two nobles, there was undoubtedly some foundation for the popular belief. The centre of danger appeared to be Akbarabad, where Nekusiyar and other members of the imperial house were in prison. A pretender might be set up from among these Princes; and against this possibility special precautions must be taken. Ghairat Khan, the Sayyids' nephew, was hurried off to his new Government, so that he might reach Agra before Nizam-ul-mulk passed through it on his way to Malwa. A new commandant, Samandar Khan, was appointed (16th Jamadi II. 1131 H., 5th May, 1719) to take charge of the fort at Agra. Much treasure was still in the vaults of that stronghold, and the new Government was anxious to obtain control of this money themselves, and prevent its falling into any one else's hands. To take charge of these hoards Dawar Dad Khan accompanied Samandar Khan; but in addition to this ostensible errand, every one believed that he had been commissioned to blind Nekusiyar and the other Princes. On the 1st Rajab 1131 H. (19th May, 1719) word was brought to Dihli that the new commandant had been refused admission by the Agra garrison, who had set up a rival Emperor in the person of Prince Nekusiyar.*
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∗ Khafi Khan 823; Qasim 263, 264; Kamwar 202; Siwanih-i-Khizri.
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Nekusiyar, eldest surviving son of Prince Muhammad Akbar, the fourth son of the Emperor Alamgir, was born in Shaban 1090 H. (September, October 1679). Early in Muharram 1092 H. (January 1681) Prince Akbar fled from his father's camp, and joining the Rathors, laid claim to the throne. His property was at once confiscated by Alamgir, and his wife, two sons, Nekusiyar and Mhd. Asghar, and two daughters were made prisoners. A few days afterwards Prince Akbar's family was sent off from Ajmer to Akbarabad. Here Nekusiyar had been a State prisoner ever since, and although now over forty years of age had never set foot outside the fort. His ignorance is described, no doubt with some exaggeration, as so great that when he saw a cow or horse, he asked what sort of animal it was and what it was called. [M. A. 202-203.]
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Accounts vary as to the part taken in the plot by Safi Khan, the displaced qiladar.* Some describe him as a willing agent, or even the originator of in the conspiracy ; others make him out to have acted under compulsion from the mutinous garrison. He had been transferred by the Sayyids from Kalinjar to Agra only a short time before (17th Shaban 1130 H., 15th July, 1718), and in those few months could not have acquired such influence over the garrison as to induce it to follow him in such an ambitious undertaking. Moreover, he was by this time nearly seventy years of age and thus not very likely to be a willing sharer in such a revolt. Some say that among the men mixed up in this Agra rising were Rup Lal Kayath, brother of Hira Lal, the diwan of Sher Afkan Khan Panipati, and one Himmat, a hazari, or officer of garrison artillery. But there can be no doubt that the prime mover was Mitr Sen, a Nagar Brahman.†
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∗ Kamwar Khan, 202; Shiu Das, 26b; Khafi Khan, 827.
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† Muhammad Qasim Lahori, 267, styles him a Tiwari, which is a sub-division of the Gaur Brahmans. Kamwar Khan 180, Burhan-ul-fatuh 167a.
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This Mitr Sen resided in the fort of Agra, in the employ of Prince Nekusiyar. He had some knowledge of physic. Through this means, and money-lending, he acquired considerable influence among the hazaris and Baksariyas forming the garrison.‡ When, a few months before this time Husain Ali Khan passed through Agra, on his way from the Dakhin to Dihli, Mitr Sen, introduced by some of the Bakhshi's attendants and some fellow-Brahmans, obtained access to the audience-hall, and thus became known by sight to the Mir Bakhshi.*
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∗ Mirza Abdus-salam, first Mumin Khan, then Safi Khan, died early in Rajab 1137 H. (March 1725) at Dihli, aged over 70 years. He was son-in-law of his uncle, Ashraf Khan (d. 1097 H., 1685-6). His brother, Islam Khan (Mir Ahmad, formerly Barkhurdar Khan) died 1144 H. (1731-2) aged 77. Their father was Safi Khan (d. 1105 H., 1693-4), second son of Islam Khan Mashhadi, (Mir Abdus-salam) whose first title was Ikhtisas Khan, (d. 1057 H., 1647-8), Masir-ul-umara, i. 162-167, 272, ii. 741; Tarikh-i-Muhammadi, years 1057, 1097, 1105, 1137, 1144 H., Burhan-ul-fatuh, 162a, 167a.
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‡ Hazari (literally, "having thousand") is the name for a captain of artillery. Sometimes they are called by the Turkish word minkbashi, "head of one thousand." Baksariya means a foot-soldier or militia man. Apparently the name is derived from Baksar on the Ganges, a fort in pargana Bhojpur of subah Bihar, if we are to trust Rai Chatarman, Chahar Gulshan, fol. 127b, who in an itinerary from Bareli to Patna enters "Baksar, original home of the Baksariyas."
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Some of the Sayyid's old wounds having opened afresh and given him trouble, Mitr Sen offered his services as surgeon, and in this way obtained private speech with Husain Ali Khan. From some of the Mir Bakhshi's intimates he had wormed out the secret that Farrukh-siyar would soon be dethroned. This inspired him with the idea that Nekusiyar might be proposed as a candidate for the vacant throne. The artillery officers entered into the plan. Mitr Sen thereupon, without gaining over any great noble, or even consulting Nekusiyar, made overtures in the Prince's name to Husain Ali Khan. The latter, enraged that his secret intention should have been divined, directed that Mitr Sen should no longer be admitted to his presence. [K. K. 825.]
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Mitr Sen made his escape. He is supposed to have gone now to Rajah Jai Singh at Amber, where conditions were agreed on with him, and a letter addressed by Rajah Jai Singh to Rajah Chabela Ram, governor of Allahabad, was made over to him. It was also believed that Mitr Sen visited Nizam-ul-mulk when he passed through Agra but from him no definite answer was obtained. The secret of this interview was not kept; and it was the receipt of a report about it that led to the appointment of Samandar Khan, a man of high rank, as a new commander in the fort.
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When Samandar Khan reached Gao-ghat on the Jamuna, a few miles north-west of Agra, he called upon the garrison and all the establishments to come out to greet him and escort him into the fort. Instead of obeying this order, the garrison after a consultation returned word that their pay for three years was due, that they did not know who was now Emperor, that they were acquainted with any qiladar of the name of Samandar Khan. Mitr Sen was in the plot. On the 29th Jamadi II. (18th
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* I doubt if Agra can be the right place of meeting, for Husain Ali Khan does not seem to have passed through it on his way to Dihli. I tell the story as Khafi Khan does: the rest of the facts are probably correct.
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May, 1719), Nekusiyar and his two nephews were brought out by the soldiers; the former was placed on a throne and homage was paid to him as Emperor. Coin was issued in his name with the inscription:
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*Ba zar zad sikka sahib-qirani*
*Shah Nekusiyar, Taimur-i-sani.*
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"On gold struck coin the Lord of the Fortunate Conjunction, The Emperor Nekusiyar, a second Taimur."*
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Mitr Sen was raised to the rank of commander of 7,000 horse with the title of Rajah Birbal and the office of Wazir. One *kror* and eighty lakhs of Rupees were withdrawn from the treasure-house and distributed among the garrison. The next day Nekusiyar with two nephews was brought to an open building† over the main gate, a royal umbrella being held over his head. With both hands the Prince made reassuring gestures in the direction of the crowd, which had assembled in the open space below the gate, while Mitr Sen, now become Rajah Birbal, poured gold over his head. Soon men hurried to the fort from all directions and offered to enlist. Blacksmiths, bullet-founders, and other artisans were brought into the fort, and a new *kotwal*, or chief police officer, was placed in charge of the city on behalf of the pretender.‡
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† It is called a *bangala* i.e., four pillars supporting a roof.
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‡ Shiu Das 27*a*, Khafi Khan 827.
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Hostilities were commenced by the garrison firing upon the mansion (known as that of Islam Khan) occupied by Ghairat Khan, the new *nazim* of the province. This house was in a very exposed position, to the west of and almost immediately under the fort. Ghairat Khan, most of whose men were dispersed in the *subah* for the purpose of bringing in revenue, wished to abandon the house. He was, however, dissuaded by his officers, Sanjar Khan and Shamsher Khan, *Wala-shahis*.
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∗ Khafi Khan, 825. *Sahib-i-qiran* is one of the titles of Taimur, the founder of the dynasty. In the British Museum collection there is no coin with this distich. The one assigned to Nekusiyar (*Catalogue*, p. 197) is hardly likely to be his; it is more probably an abnormal issue of Muhammad Shah's coinage. The same objection applies to those in Rodgers, p. 209.
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He therefore maintained his position, recalled his horsemen, and proceeded to enlist more troops. The facts were reported to the Wazir at Dihli.*
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As soon as a camel-rider had brought the news to Dihli, Rajah Bhim Singh Hada and Churaman Jat,† the latter of whom had been for some time a sort of prisoner at large, were hurried off to reinforce the nazim. With them went Haidar Quli Khan, Iwaz Khan and Asad Ali Khan. The sons of Safi Khan and his brother, Islam Khan, were arrested and sent to prison, their jagirs being also confiscated. The Sayyid brothers held a consultation, and it was decided that one or the other must proceed to Agra at the head of an army. The duty was undertaken by Husain Ali Khan. On the 7th Rajab 1131 H. (25th May, 1719) he marched to Barahpula, south of the city, and there began to collect his men and make other preparations. A letter was written to Ghairat Khan assuring him of the speedy arrival of the Amir-ul-umara.‡
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† According to Kamraj, Ibratnama, 68a, Churaman now received a gift of the country twenty days' journey in length and breadth, extending from the Barahpula bridge outside Dihli to the borders of Gwaliyar. This means that he was appointed to be rahdar or road-guardian of this extent of country.
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‡ There is a copy of the letter in Shiu Das, fol. 28b.