Later Mughals v2.c13.s1: Sec. 1.—Accession.
Later Mughals v2.c13.s1
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Sec. 1.—Accession.
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During the few days which elapsed between the death of Rafi-ud-daulah and the arrival of his successor, the Wazir and his brother made their usual daily visit to the imperial quarters and returned with robes of honour, as if newly conferred on them, thus deceiving the common people into the belief that the Emperor was still alive.*
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At length on the 11th Zul Qada 1131 H. (24th September, 1719), Ghulam Ali Khan arrived in the camp at Bidyapur, a village three kos to the north of Fathpur Sikri. He brought with him Prince Roshan Akhtar, the son of the late Khujista-Akhtar, Jahan Shah, fourth son of the Emperor Bahadur Shah.† The death of Rafi-ud-daulah was now (26th September, 1719) made public, his bier brought out, and his body despatched for burial to Dihli. Arrangements were at once made for the enthronement of his successor.‡
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This enthronement took place at Bidyapur§ on the 15th Zul Qada 1131 H. (28th September, 1719) and Roshan Akhtar was proclaimed under the titles of Abul Fath,* Nasir-ud-din, Muhammad Shah, Badshah, Ghazi. He was a handsome and, at that time, fairly intelligent young man, and having been born at Ghazni on the 23rd Rabi I. 1114 H. (16th August, 1702), was now in his eighteenth (lunar) year. Coin was issued and the khutba read in his name; and it was directed that the commencement of the reign should be antedated, and fixed from the removal of Farrukh-siyar from the throne. All other arrangements were continued as in the last two reigns, and no new appointments were made. All the persons surrounding the sovereign were as before the nominees of the two Sayyids, and Himmat Khan continued as before to act as tutor and guardian. Muhammad Shah deferred to him in everything, and asked of him permission to attend the public prayers on Friday or to go out shooting. On the march men in the confidence of the Sayyids surrounded the young Emperor and prevented any access to him.†
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∗ Shiu Das, 32b. A newly-conferred khilat was worn for twenty-four hours, and nothing was allowed to be put on over it. † Rustam Ali, Tarikh-i-Hindi, fol. 237a, says the Prince was brought from Dihli in three days, travelling in a boat down the Jamuna. ‡ Kamwar Khan, 211; Khafi Khan, ii. 840. § From the tahsildar's report kindly obtained for me by Mr. Reynolds as already stated, I find that there is a place Tajpur, four miles west of Bidyapur. From the name, and the fact that the village is a perpetual muafi, I infer that Tajpur may be the actual place of enthronement.
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† Kamwar Khan, 213; Khush-hal Chand, Berlin MS. No. 495, fol. 995a has, for date, "middle of Zul Qada."