Later Mughals v1.c6.s7.4

v1.c6.s7.4

Early in Rabi II. 1119 (July 1707), Asad Khan, the late Emperor's Wazir, and his son Zulfiqar Khan arrived in Agra, escorting the Emperor's sister, Zinat-un-nissa. Many of the leading men, who had marched from the Dakhin in the train of Azam Shah, came in with them. Asad Khan and Zulfiqar Khan presented themselves with their hands bound; the bonds of the first were untied by Bahadur Shah himself, those of the second by Jahandar Shah, his eldest son. Asad Khan was offered the position of Wakil-i-mutlaq, that is, Vice Emperor, an office superior to that of Wazir, which had been held in the reign of Shah Jahan by Asaf Khan that Emperor's father-in-law. The office of Wazir had been already promised at Lahor to Munim Khan. With this arrangement Asad Khan was, in his heart, far from pleased, he would have liked to exercise, as before, the full powers of minister. This reluctance was learnt by Bahadur Shah through the Princes, his sons, and he hesitated to give final orders. Perhaps, as some say, this tenderness for Asad Khan arose out of deference to the wish expressed in Alamgir's will that he should be retained as Wazir. In consultation with his youngest and then favourite son Jahan Shah, he sent the Prince's chamberlain, Lutfullah Khan Sadiq, to conciliate Asad Khan. The latter was induced to consent, but abated little of his pretensions. In his written petition he asked first to be made Wazir. If not, then let whatever the Emperor liked be done. "What can a slave claim? His master's orders are right." But he sent a separate list of the powers exercised by and the dignities conferred on the late Yamin-ud-daulah Asaf Khan, and these he asked for himself. They were as follows: Asaf Khan used to attend the evening audience for the purpose of laying all business before His Majesty, then next day he went to his own office. There the two chief officials attended; one, Afzal Khan, sat behind him, the other, Sadiq Khan, owing to his relationship, was allowed to sit on the right at a distance of two yards from his cushion. On the left at a distance of four yards sat the Tan Bakhshi. Sadiq Khan brought before Yamin-ud-daulah i.e., Asaf Khan, all appointments and removals of subahdars, faujdars and diwans. Afzal Khan brought forward the office reports about resumption or exchange of land assignments (jagir). Yamin-ud-daulah signed the orders and went home. Then Sadiq Khan used to proceed to the Emperor's audience-hall and report what had been done. It was not till this report was made that His Majesty sanctioned the promotions, appointments and grants. In addition the Wakil-i-mutlaq kept the seal, received a copy of the reports from the provinces and of every paper filed by the chief diwan, his seal and signature were attached to all warrants of appointment, the Court reporter appeared before him daily with all new intelligence. Asad Khan also claimed the rank of 9,000 (9,000 horsemen), the togh (yak's tail) and tuman, the governorship of Lahor, the right to sit in the audience-hall, permission to beat his drums next after those of the royal Princes, and when the Court was moving about to come in his litter as far as the enclosure (jali), and when it was stationary to come into the courtyard of the public and private audience-halls, or if the audience had begun, then as far as the doorway. [Kamwar 14, Tarikh-i-Muzaffari, Qasim 17.]