Later Mughals v1.c9.s23.5

v1.c9.s23.5

Qutb-ul-mulk had long been on his guard; he now redoubled his precautions. He never moved to darbar without being escorted by three or four thousand horsemen. It was not long before, by chance, it came to Sarbuland Khan's knowledge that, even if he carried the attempt to a successful issue, he might be rewarded liberally, but the office of Wazir was intended for another. He resolved to obtain confirmation of this from the Emperor's own lips, although to do so demanded great care in the way the question was put. Accordingly he framed it in the following way: "As Your Majesty has decided on the disgrace of these two brothers, you must have in your mind someone capable of bearing the burden of chief minister, an office of supreme importance." The simple-minded Emperor replied: "For this post I have Itiqad Khan (i.e., Muhammad Murad) in my mind; and to speak the truth, there is no one better than him for it." Sarbuland Khan, who in his hope of the wazirship had been hitherto hot as flame, now grew cold as ice. The position suggests to the author of the *Masir-ul-umara* the verse, "I am in love, and the loved one desires another; Like the first of Shawwal called the Feast of Ramzan." Qutb-ul-mulk had already warned Sarbuland Khan that he and his brother meant the contest to be one for death or life, that they meant to stake their heads on the cast of the dice. From that day Sarbuland Khan drew back. Although in appearance he continued to act and talk as before, in his heart he resolved to do nothing further. Finally he was appointed to Agra on the 19th Shawwal (14th September, 1718), but on the 1st Muharram 1131 H. (23rd November, 1718) he resigned office and returned from Faridabad, having gone no further than that place on his way to his new Government.*