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Later Mughals v2.c13.s20: Sec. 22.—Capture of Prince Ibrahim.

Later Mughals v2.c13.s20

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Sec. 22.—Capture of Prince Ibrahim.

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After Sayyid Saif-ud-din Ali Khan had removed Prince Ibrahim from the battle-field, finding it impossible to escort him to a place of safety, he made him over to the Sayyids of the village Nekpur, in pargana Palwal* some miles from the field. Those villagers were unable to protect him and refused him shelter. With him were Amir Khan, whose family had been for generations in the royal service, and some others. He sat down with these few companions in a mango orchard belonging to Qutb-ud-din Ali Khan, and not far from the houses. His men suggested that if he would move elsewhere, they would not desert him. The Prince replied that he considered this battle as a final test of his fortunes; if sovereignty had been meant for him, the fact would have declared itself by a different result. He had now nowhere to go. By this time the Prince's place of shelter had been traced, and Haidar Quli Khan, Zafar Khan, and Qamar-ud-din Khan came to arrest him.†

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† The Bayan-i-waqi, p. 448, omits Haidar Quli Khan and inserts Saadat Khan. There is a story that at daybreak Ibrahim reached the takiya of a faqir in Nekpur, and asked for a mouthful of water. The Prince rewarded him with four gold coins. The recluse began to prepare breakfast for him, but before he could eat, his pursuers arrived and seized him, Khush-hal, fol. 1020a.

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When these men had made their obeisance he rose up and came with them. That night, when he reached the Presence, Muhammad Shah embraced him and made him sit down beside him, asking: "How have you come?" The Prince answered: "By the way you came." His Majesty said: "Who brought you?" He replied: "The person who brought you." The allusion is, of course, to the fact that they had both been set on the throne by one and the same man, Abdullah Khan. An allowance of forty Rupees a day was fixed for Ibrahim's maintenance, and he was sent back to prison in the citadel of Shahjahanabad. There he died on the 8th Muharram 1159 H. (January 30th, 1746) at the estimated age of fifty years. As a quatrain quoted by Khush-hal Chand says, his day of power had been shortlived, "like a drop of dew upon a blade of grass."‡

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∗ Perhaps Begpur, pargana Palwal, near the Jamuna, and about 15 miles north of Bilochpur. See Indian Atlas, sheet 49, S. E.; I can find no Nekpur.

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‡ Shiu Das, f. 61b; Khafi Khan, 933; Rustam Ali, 249a; Tarikh-i-Muhammadi (year 1159 H.).

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