Later Mughals v1.c8.s10: Sec. 10. Abdullah Khan, on Being Superseded at Allahabad, Gives in His Adhesion to Farrukh-siyar.
Later Mughals v1.c8.s10
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Sec. 10. Abdullah Khan, on Being Superseded at Allahabad, Gives in His Adhesion to Farrukh-siyar.
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At first Abdullah Khan's intention was to submit to Jahandar Shah, the *de facto* Emperor, to whom he sent letters professing his loyalty and offering his services. Three months before the death of Bahadur Shah, he had gone out towards Jaunpur to restore order. In this he was not successful and the pay of his soldiers fell into arrears. The men raised a disturbance, and Abdullah Khan's only anxiety was to escape from them and take shelter within the fort of Allahabad. He promised publicly that as soon as he reached the city, all the collections then in the hands of his agents should be made over to the troops. On the return march, word came of Bahadur Shah's death. [Warid, 138b.]
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A few days before his arrival at Allahabad, Shuja-ud-din Khan, son-in-law of Murshid Quli Khan, *diwan* of Bengal, had reached that place with one *kror* of Rupees (about £1,000,000),* the annual remittance from that province to the imperial treasury. Hearing of the late Emperor's death, the envoy halted at Allahabad in some perplexity. Abdullah Khan, at his second interview with Shuja-ud-din Khan, impressed on him the danger of keeping such a large amount of treasure in camp outside a turbulent city; it ought to be removed to a place of safety within the fort, and when the succession was settled, it could be made over to the Prince who gained the day. Shuja-ud-din Khan yielded to this specious advice, and Abdullah Khan, as soon as he was master of the coin, used it to pay the arrears of his soldiers. [Warid 138b, K. K. 711.]
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While Abdullah Khan was still in expectation of a favourable reply to his letter to Jahandar Shah, he was surprised to learn that his Government had been taken from him, and that the deputy of the new governor was on his way to take possession. The province had been granted to a Gardezi Sayyid of Manikpur, subah Allahabad, one Raji Muhammad Khan,* who had risen to notice in the recent fighting at Lahor, and through the reputation thereby acquired had been appointed Mir Atash, or general of artillery. The new governor nominated as his deputy his relation, one Sayyid Abdul-ghaffar (a descendant of Sayyid Sadar Jahan, Sadar-us-sadur, Pihanwi).†
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∗ Khafi Khan, ii. 715, puts the sum at 28 lakhs of Rupees (£280,000). Shuja-ud-daulah, Shuja-ud-din Mhd. Khan, died as subahdar of Bengal on the 17th Muharram 1152 H. (25th April, 1739), aged nearly 80 years (T-i-Mhdi.).
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† Blochmann, Ain i. 208, 468. Pihani, a village near Qanauj or Lakhnau; Sadar Jahan was Akbar's Sadar in the 34th year (about 1589). He died in 1020 H. (1611-12) in Jahangir's reign; he was said to be 120 years of age, Beale, 229; M. U. iii.
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Abdul-ghaffar obtained contingents from one or two zamindars and collected altogether 6,000 to 7,000 men. When he drew near to Karra Manikpur, Abul-hasan Khan, a Sayyid of Bijapur, who was Abdullah Khan's Bakhshi, advanced at the head of 3,000 men to bar his progress. In the end of Jamadi II. 1124 H. (29th = 2nd August, 1712) they met at a little distance from Sarai Alam Chand,‡ and encamping four or five miles from each other, they passed some days in fruitless negotiations. Then Abdul-ghaffar prepared his men and sent forward his artillery. It so happened that the very same day Saif-ud-din Ali Khan, Siraj-ud-din Ali Khan, and Najm-ud-din Ali Khan, younger brothers of Abdullah Khan, and Ratan Chand, his diwan or chief financial agent, arrived with a reinforcement of four hundred horsemen. Although some of the Sayyids rode out to the front, Abdul-ghaffar could not be tempted into attacking them. At length, when the opposing forces were at the distance of a musket shot from each other, Abdul-ghaffar discharged a volley from all his cannon and without an instant's delay ordered his horsemen to charge. Despite their well-known bravery, the Barha Sayyids gave way, many were killed and wounded, the rest fled. Only the three Barha brothers with Abul-hasan Khan and Ratan Chand stood fast at the head of four hundred men. In a short time many of Abdul-ghaffar's soldiers dispersed in search of plunder, but he kept together enough of them to surround the Sayyids. They now came to close quarters: when Siraj-ud-din Ali Khan with many others was cut down and killed. A high wind blew up the dust and it soon became impossible to distinguish officer from soldier, white from black, friend from foe. Suddenly there arose cries that Sayyid Abdul-ghaffar was slain.* The Barha Sayyid's drums and trumpets striking up a joyful march, the other side lost heart and turned for flight. In vain Abdul-ghaffar shouted, 'I am here! I am alive!' No one listened, and the day so nearly won was irremediably lost. Abdul-ghaffar withdrew his shattered force to Shahzadpur, one march to the rear.†
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∗ Gardezi, see Elliot, Supp. Gloss., 447; Gardez is situated in the Bangashat, not far from Kohat, Ain, ii. 407 note 2. Raji Mhd. Khan first entered the service through Munim Khan, Khan Khanan. Kamraj, Ibratnama, calls him Husam-ud-din, who had been made Sayyid Raji Khan Bahadur Dilawar Jang. Abdul-ghaffar is there called his brother.
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³⁴⁸ Pihani is now in the Hardoi district, Oudh Gaz. iii. 160.
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‡ Khafi Khan, ii. 712, spells the name Abul-muhsin Khan, and says he was originally from Najaf, the Holy. On the same page the month is Jamadi I. instead of II. Manikpur and Karra are both on the Ganges, the former about 45 and the latter about 39 m. n. w. of Allahabad. Sarai Alam Chand is 20 m. n. w. of the same place.
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† Khafi Khan, ii. 692, and 712; Khizr Khan, 24; Masir-ul-umara, iii. 132. Shahzadpur is on the Ganges about 35 miles n. w. of Allahabad.
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When it was too late, Jahandar Shah saw his error and endeavoured to propitiate Abdullah Khan. Promotion from 4,000 zat to 6,000 zat was offered, with confirmation in the Government of Allahabad in his own name. The fulsome heaping-up of titles in the letter addressed to Abdullah Khan is some indication of Jahandar Shah's consternation at the turn affairs had taken. Abdul-ghaffar was thrown overboard, and the letter to him is couched in terms which might have been addressed to a rebel, instead of to a man who had been trying to carry out faithfully the orders that he had received. It was too late, however, and in vain was this humiliating attitude assumed. Abdullah Khan, disgusted at the treatment he had received, had already thrown in his lot with Farrukh-siyar.‡
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∗ It was really his brother who was killed (Siwanih-i-Khizri, 24). Khizr Khan was present.
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‡ Khafi Khan, ii. 714. For the letters of Jahandar Shah, see Inshae Madhu Ram (lithographed) pp. 85,86. This compilation was put together in 1136 H. (1723-4).