Later Mughals v1.c9.s34.6

v1.c9.s34.6

On the 5th and 6th Rabi II. (24th and 25th February, 1719) Farrukh-siyar sat as usual in the Diwan-i-khas; and all seemed likely to go on as before. The 8th Rabi II. was one of the days fixed in each week for hunting expeditions. Believing that the storm had blown over, the Emperor issued orders to prepare his retinue for that day, intending to go out of the city as usual.* Suspicion arose in the Sayyids' minds that this was a mere pretext for flight to Jai Singh's camp, which was not then very far off. Qutb-ul-mulk at once wrote to the Emperor that on that day, the 8th, Husain Ali Khan craved an audience, for the purpose of delivering the captive Prince brought from the Dakhin, and of taking his own leave before returning to that province. Overjoyed at the prospect of at last obtaining possession of this dreaded rival, Farrukh-siyar countermanded his expedition or, as another contemporary writer maintains, the hunting expedition had been a mere pretext. By this second account, it had been decided that directly the Emperor left the palace he should fall upon the Nawab, whose suspicions, as they thought, would have been lulled by the negotiations, and thus catching him unawares, he would be easily destroyed. A message was sent postponing the audience; but before it reached him, Husain Ali Khan had been warned by a woman in the harem. In his answer, he announced that as the next day had been pronounced exceedingly auspicious, he could not put off the audience, and prayed that the hunting excursion might be countermanded instead. His troops remained on the alert all night; and three hours before sunrise, Rajah Muhkam Singh occupied the Lahori Gate of the palace, where he awaited Qutb-ul-mulk.†