Later Mughals v2.c14.s21.4

v2.c14.s21.4

During the reigns of Bahadur Shah (1707-1712) and Farrukh-siyar (1712-1719), order had been more or less preserved by successive governors; among the most notable of whom were Ghazi-ud-din Khan Firuz Jang and Maharajah Ajit Singh Rathor. It was in this period that Haidar Quli Khan Isfaraini's first connection with the province arose. He was in charge of the important city and port of Surat from Dec. 1715 to June 1718. In 1720 on the overthrow of the Sayyids, to whose party he belonged, Ajit Singh was replaced as we have seen by this Haidar Quli Khan. He gave way in turn to Nizam-ul-mulk's representative Hamid Khan in February 1723. [M. U. iii. 765.] But as Haidar Quli Khan contested his successor's rights, the province was left by him in the charge of his nominee, one Shujaat Khan. By a fresh turn of the wheel, Nizam-ul-mulk lost his appointment to this province, which was conferred on Sarbuland Khan Mubariz-ul-mulk. The new governor's first act was to re-appoint Haidar Quli Khan's nominee, Shujaat Khan, as his deputy. As this man and his brothers now become chief actors in our narrative, it will be well to give some account of them before we proceed further.