Later Mughals v1.c9.s35.7

v1.c9.s35.7

What had happened within the palace must now be told. After much discussion Qutb-ul-mulk, at a time between midday and afternoon prayer, presented himself before the Emperor. Qutb-ul-mulk at once repudiated Farrukh-siyar's proferred compromise, by which Itiqad Khan and his other friends were to act as the deputies of the Sayyids and their nominees. From the first, Qutb-ul-mulk had objected to the appointment as nazir of the harem of any one not a eunuch. Itiqad Khan was removed from that office, which was made over to a eunuch, Mahaldar Khan. Next, the Wazir expatiated on the base return given for his and his brother's services, bringing up again the secret instructions to Daud Khan, and similar letters sent to Rajah Sahu Mahratta and others, all of which the Sayyids had in their possession. The Emperor's repeated appeals: "Why does not my brother, the Amir-ul-umara, bring to me the supposititious Prince," passed entirely unheeded. In the course of this conversation Farrukh-siyar lost his temper and was overcome with anger; both sides were thus led to the use of abusive language and harsh expressions, things being said which had better been left unsaid. In his rage Farrukh-siyar shouted: "If I am a true son of Azim-ush-shan and a real descendant of the Lord of the Conjunctions (i.e., Taimur), I will impose retribution for these uncalled-for deeds and this unmeasured audacity. I will have the lands of the Barha ploughed by asses, and mice thrust into the trousers of their women."* Qutb-ul-mulk grew furious, and venting his wrath in disrespectful words, left the *Diwan-i-khas* for the guard-room (*peshkhana*) of the *Diwan-i-ala*, and turned out seven hundred of Itiqad Khan's horsemen who were still on guard at the Khizri, or water-gate of the palace, and the rest of Ajit Singh's men. He saw now that if they were to save themselves, extremities must be resorted to, for as Sadi has said: "When a snake touches the foot of the villager, he withdraws it and breaks the snake's head with a stone." As soon as the minister had left his presence, Farrukh-siyar turned upon Itiqad Khan and poured out on him angry abuse and reproach. We are told that Itiqad Khan had ventured to object to delivering the keys of the gate to the Sayyids. This aroused Farrukh-siyar's anger, and turning to him he exclaimed: "O wretched man! all this calamity has come on me by reason of you. This moment, when I am a prisoner in their hands, you choose as the time for giving contrary advice." The Emperor ordered him to be turned out of the palace. Itiqad Khan, seeing that things had assumed for him a different complexion, hurried away to his own dwelling, as already stated.†