Later Mughals v1.c6.s5: Sec. 5.—The Advance of Muhammad Muazzam to Lahor, Dihli and Agra.
Later Mughals v1.c6.s5
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Sec. 5.—The Advance of Muhammad Muazzam to Lahor, Dihli and Agra.
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It was at Jamrud, twelve miles west of Peshawar, that Muhammad Muazzam heard of his father's death. The date was the 22nd March, 1707, only twenty days after the event, an instance of the speed with which intelligence could be carried, the distance from Ahmadnagar to Jamrud being about 1,400 miles, and the average distance travelled by the messengers being thus seventy miles a day. It was now a race between the competitors for the throne. Whoever could first reach Agra or Dihli and obtain the wealth stored at one or both cities, would be almost certain to overpower his rival. In such an emergency the usual dilatory movements of an Indian army would be useless. We have seen with what haste Azam advanced from the Dakhin. Muhammad Muazzam was now to display equal if not greater activity. The distances to be traversed were from Ahmadnagar to Agra about 700 miles, from Jamrud to Agra about 715 miles. The general opinion was that all the chances were in favour of Azam Shah's arriving first and winning the prize. [K. K. 577, Kamwar 7.]
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During the last years of his father's lifetime Muhammad Muazzam, in whom there must have been great power of dissimulation, had given out that if Azam Shah claimed the throne he would make no attempt to contend with him but would at once seek a refuge in Persian territory or elsewhere. But the truth was that he had made secret preparations in concert with Munim Khan, diwan of Kabul, to assert his claims without a moment's delay. Munim Khan had secured the Prince's confidence and had on his recommendation been made naib subahdar of Lahor. Here he worked busily to collect the means of war, and for a year had been in the field with an army beyond the Bias and even the Satlaj, on the pretext of a rebellion by Inayat Khan and other [robber zamindars] of the [Jalandhar] Duaba and Qasba of Talwan.* Camels, oxen to drag the cannon, and other means of transport with boats for making bridges across the rivers had been silently collected in readiness in the country between Lahor and Peshawar. Rao Budh Singh Hada of Bundi and Bijai Singh Kachhwaha, who had taken refuge with Bahadur Shah at Kabul were conciliated, and through them there were enlisted a large number of Rajputs, who joined the standard just about the time of Alamgir's death [Khush-hal Chand, 367a]. Everything was ready, the signal only was awaited. [Iradat ; K. K. 573 ; Qasim 8.]
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On the 31st March 1707, Muhammad Muazzam reached Peshawar with his two youngest sons Rafi-ul-qadr and Khujista-Akhtar. A congratulatory letter was received from Munim Khan, governor of Lahor. Orders were issued to the Prince's eldest son Muizz-ud-din, subahdar of Tattha and Multan, to join at Lahor, with his eldest son Azz-ud-din. Other leading men were also summoned. The march was resumed after one day and the Indus was crossed, by means of the boats collected by Munim Khan, a bridge which usually was made in two months being put together in two days. On reaching Pul-i-Shah Daulah, twelve kos north of Lahor, Muhammad Muazzam celebrated his accession and took the title of Bahadur Shah, by which name henceforth we will refer to him. Homage was paid by all the lords and great officials of the Panjab headed by Munim Khan. On the 1st Safar 1119 (3rd May, 1707) crossing the Ravi by a bridge Bahadur Shah entered Lahor, visiting there the tomb of the saint Shaikh Abul Hasan and the home of Shah Ramzi a holy man. Muizz-ud-din, the Prince’s eldest son, had now arrived from Multan and Bahadur Shah with his three sons, Muizz-ud-din, Rafi-ul-qadr, and Khujista-Akhtar, rested in the garden of Shalimar, which is situated four miles from Lahor on the road to Amritsar. The interval was devoted to preparing a new coinage, the inspection of the treasure and stores in the fort at Lahor, and the conferring of increased rank on the Princes and chief leaders. Munim Khan here received the new title of Khan Zaman, a set of drums, and the promise of being appointed Wazir. [K. K. 573-’5 ; Qasim 8 ; Dil. 164a.]
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∗ Mr. Irvine had read the word as Malun and left a query 'Malot of Ain ii. 317?' On referring to the Persian text I adopt the reading Talwan. [J. Sarkar.]
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Taking twenty-eight lakhs of Rupees with him, Bahadur Shah left Lahor on the 5th May 1707. At Sarhind the faujdar, Wazir Khan, contributed eight lakhs from the revenue that he had collected. On the way much munition of war was brought in to Khanazad Khan, the son of Munim, by Mirza Asadullah, faujdar of Sonipat. Dihli was reached on the 1st June 1707. Munim Khan, preceding the army and accompanied by Sayyid Amjad Khan (Bu Ali) then Bakhshi and Waqia-nigar of Dihli, had an interview with Muhammad Yar Khan, the subahdar of Dihli who sent back his son, Hasan Yar Khan, with the keys of the fort and the usual offerings in token of submission. On entering the city shrines were visited and alms distributed. A sum of thirty lakhs of Rupees was taken from the treasure-house in the fort, and after visits to the shrine of Khwaja Qutb-ud-din and of Nizam-ud-din Auliya (surnamed Sultan-ul-mashaikh), on the 3rd June the journey was resumed. On the 12th June, the day that Azam Shah reached Gwaliyar, Bahadur Shah arrived near Agra. He was met by Mukhtar Khan, the late subahdar, Jan Nisar Khan, faujdar of Gwaliyar, and other officials of the province. Baqi Khan Qul, commandant of the Agra fort, also sent a letter of submission with the keys of the fortress, stating that if Munim Khan would come alone he would make over the place to him. Accordingly Munim Khan entered by a narrow plank placed over the deep ditch and leading to a wicket gate. After a short rest, he sealed up the treasury and posted his own men at the gates. The Emperor's camp was pitched close to Bagh Dahr-Ara.* [K. K. 576-577 ; Kamwar 9 ; Jagjivan ; Dil. 164a ; Iradat ; Yahya 112b-113a.]
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It is said that, in spite of Alamgir's costly campaigns in the Dakhin which lasted for the last twenty-five years of his reign, twenty-four krors, or as some say thirteen krors gold and silver, coined and uncoined, collected during the four previous reigns, were found stored in the fort at Agra. Four krors were brought out and of this sum two krors were distributed at once, three lakhs to each of the three Princes with the Emperor, three lakhs to Munim Khan and his sons, one lakh to the Barha Sayyids, one lakh to Aghar Khan and his Mughals. On the same scale all those who had joined received their shares. Munim Khan's titles were again increased and the divisions of the army were set in order. [K. K. 578.]
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BAHADUR SHAH'SLETTER TO AZAM SHAH AND THE LATTER'SREPLY.
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From Mathura, while on his way from Dihli to Agra, Bahadur Shah sent to Azam Shah a letter by the hand of a holy man Mir Abd-ul-Karim, "the patch-wearer." He reminded his brother that their father had made a division of the Empire, allotting to him as second son the four provinces of the Dakhin. If this did not content him he might take Gujarat and Ajmer in addition. In this way they would avoid the sin of spilling the blood of God's creatures. Some say that Bahadur Shah added that if this offer was not accepted, he was willing to meet his brother in single combat and leave it for the sword to decide.
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∗ It is at Poyah Ghat, close to Sultanganj (Tarikh-i-Agra, p. 31, lithographed, Husaini Press, Fathgarh.) There seem to be two Baghs at Agra with somewhat similar names, Bagh Dahra and Bagh Dahr-Ara. The former is also called Nur Manzil (same work, p. 28) and possesses a large well which is the only thing now left. It is called the 'well of the 52 water bags' (Bawan lao ki kua). The site is 3 miles south of the fort, it is now within the cantonments, and is called Khawas-pura (Mirza Vikar Ali Beg's letter of 20 Feb. 1893). The name of Nur Manzil was given it with reference to the Emperor Jahangir's name Nur-ud-din Mhd. (M. U., iii. 79.)
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These proposals only served to further incense Azam Shah against the *Banya*, his favourite nickname for his elder brother. His answer was that a kingdom was not a thing which could be divided like an inheritance. His brother, although a learned and well-read man seemed to have forgotten the verses in Shaikh Sadi Shirazi's *Gulistan* which every schoolboy knows, "Ten poor men can sleep comfortably under one blanket, while two kings cannot be contained within one kingdom." How could two swords be kept in one scabbard? Further, if a division was to be made, it should be an equal one. Was it fair to offer him four provinces, while Bahadur Shah kept fourteen for himself? Some assert that the only division he would accept was, as he said, that given in the lines
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Az farsh-i-khana ta balab-i-bam az an-i-man,
Az bam-i-khana ta ba sariya az an-i-tu.
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"My share is from the floor to the roof of the house, yours from the roof up to the firmament." He ended by reciting in a loud voice with arms stretched forth and sleeves rolled up the line from the *Shah Nama*, "When to-morrow's sun has risen there we will be, I and my mace, the battlefield, and Afrasyab." [*Jangnama*, Iradat 29, K. K. 585-'7, Kamwar 10, Kamraj 24*a*, *Bahadur-Shah-nama* 10, Khush-hal Chand 369*a*, *M. U.* ii. 670, *Storia do Mogor* iv. 400-406.]