Later Mughals v1.c9.s8.2

v1.c9.s8.2

Khan Dauran was the perfect type of the Indian courtier, and from this time until his death in 1151 H. 1738, he retained his position at Court, whoever was in power. He is described as a man of smooth plausible speech, with no learning and little knowledge of Persian, prefixing to every sentence the catch word *mera sahib*! (my good sir). To conceal his limited acquaintance with Persian, he used to begin by speaking in elegant Urdu, so that he might charm his hearers at the outset and prevent their noticing his defective scholarship. He used to say that for a man born in India to attempt to speak Persian was to make himself ridiculous by his own act. But he could quote occasionally with good effect Persian couplets or proverbs. An elder brother had been formerly in the service of Azim-ush-shan and was killed in the campaign in Bengal against Rahim Khan Afghan. Much of Khan Dauran’s prestige may have been derived from his commanding presence. A contemporary tells us that when he walked up the audience-hall with a group of followers, his head would be seen towering far above the others. From all accounts he and his brother, Muzaffar Khan, were boasters of a most extravagant order, while their courage was more than doubtful. At any rate, they rarely put it to the test. Khan Dauran might, indeed, have qualified as a member of the Peace Society, for whenever the subject was broached, he would ask, “What is to be gained by going to war?” He was one of those men, never absent from Eastern Courts, who do absolutely nothing, either in war or in peace, as a return for the rank and wealth which have been showered upon them. His hand was in every intrigue, and never without profit to himself. Throughout his career, he was the favourer of the Hindustani party in the State, the person through whom Jat or Rajput chiefs put forward any claim they might wish to advance. Especially was this the case with Rajah Jai Singh, for whom as we shall see, Khan Dauran obtained many favours. [M. U. i. 819, Yahya 119b, Ashob 73.]