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Later Mughals v2.c16.s2: Sec. 85.—Court Parties and Court Favourites (1721-1733)

Later Mughals v2.c16.s2

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Sec. 85.—Court Parties and Court Favourites (1721-1733)

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Throughout his reign Muhammad Shah was influenced by private favourites, most of them women and eunuchs, whom his weakness encouraged to interfere in public affairs. As one writer [Ashob, 11a] says, the nobles of this time delighted in nothing but childish stories such as that of Hamza the Arab, who fought in seventy-two battles although he had become a martyr in the first of them—or the rubbish of the Shahnama and the Mahabharat: and to them these lines applied

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Birds of a feather flock together,
Children are fond of childish things ;
A crow goes gladly to roost with other crows,
How could he prefer the nightingale’s song?

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As we have already seen, these intriguers coalescing with Nizam-ul-mulk’s public rivals had been able to render his tenure of the post of chief minister so intolerable that he had abandoned the field to them and retired to the Dakhin. During the first half of the reign the most conspicuous and the most influential of these favourites was the woman Rahim-un-nissa, known familiarly as Koki Jiu (Madam Foster-sister), with her acolytes Hafiz Khidmatgar Khan, a palace eunuch, Roshan-ud-daulah Zafar Khan of Panipat, known usually by the nickname of Turra-i-baz (Falcon’s Crest), and the holy man Shah Abdul-ghaffur. During the same period the baneful influence of Khan Dauran Samsam-ud-daulah the Amir-ul-umara was equally paramount. The Wazir was an indolent man of intemperate habits ; while Muhammad Shah’s only share in the government was, as one writer says, “to sit on the throne and wear the crown.” [K. K. 940, Warid 44.]

Koki Jiu.

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This clever and capable woman, Rahim-un-nissa by name, was the daughter of Jan Muhammad, geomancer (rammal), originally thatcher in Old Dihli. He became a Muhammadan in his childhood, obtained some education in the schools of his quarter, and having acquired a knowledge of geomancy gained his living through telling fortunes by that method of divination. His six children, four sons and two daughters, were sent to school and all obtained some proficiency in letters. But the eldest girl Rahim-un-nissa was the most intelligent and excelled her brothers in handwriting and composition. She visited the mansions of the nobility as her father's messenger and thus acquired most polished manners. By degrees the fame of her father increased until he was consulted by the ladies in the harems of the royal Princes dwelling in the palace-prison of Salimgarh. Like all eastern women they had the liveliest faith in omens and the casting of dice, whether proved by the event to be true or false. One of the chief palace-friends of Rahim-un-nissa was Nawab Qudsiya, the mother of Roshan Akhtar (afterwards Muhammad Shah). During the illness of one of her children Jan Muhammad's prophecy of a recovery was fulfilled; from this time the Begam became a devout believer in him and his powers. Among other things Jan Muhammad, after consulting his dots and lines, had announced that Roshan Akhtar would soon ascend the throne. After this the Princess could not bear Rahim-un-nissa to be out of her sight. The doorkeepers, however, interfered with the woman's free access and a thousand wiles and entreaties were necessary before she was admitted. To overcome these obstacles it was given out that Rahim-un-nissa had been suckled by the same nurse as Roshan Akhtar, and that while still unweaned the Prince had become very fond of her. From this time forth, she became known as Koka or Koki Jiu, that is, Madam Foster-sister. She was employed to write letters and to act as intermediary between the Begam and her friends outside, a service she performed skilfully without detection. [K. K. 940, Siyar 75, Ashob 45b, Warid 44, Khush-hal 1042.]

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During the first two years of Muhammad Shah the Sayyid Wazir and his brother were all powerful and the Emperor a mere cypher. But after their disappearance and the sudden death of Muhammad Amin Khan, Muhammad Shah obtained a certain amount of liberty in State affairs, and in the exercise of this power Koki Jiu's voice was predominant. It is doubtful whether she became the Emperor's concubine; more probably she was not. Her power came from a belief in her or her father's power to read futurity and prescribe the course leading to success and fortune. The Emperor himself, a youth of eighteen when he came to the throne, was occupied in frivolous pursuits, and to the neglecting of all public business, spent his time in idle talk and jesting with Amir Khan Umdat-ul-mulk and others of the same character. One day Muhammad Shah is reported to have said that if she were a man he would make her Wazir. A disrespectful courtier suggested that Roshan-ud-daulah's beard should be cut off and stuck on her face.* It is said that during the period of her power Koki Jiu held possession of the imperial seals and was permitted to impress them on documents on the Emperor's behalf. In the opposition to Nizam-ul-mulk during his ministry, Koki played a leading part, provoking the Wazir to compose a satirical quatrain, of which the last line was "To-day a filthy woman is in the place of Alamgir." [Bayan, 530.] A specific instance of the court paid to her is found in a statement made by Muhammad Khan Bangash that on his appointment to the Government of Malwa he paid or promised her one lakh of Rupees (£10,000). There can be little doubt that a considerable portion of these douceurs surreptitiously found its way into the pocket of the Emperor. He was not wise enough to see that for a little immediate profit he was ruining the State. [J. A. S. B. p. 306; Ashob 45b.]

Hafiz Khidmatgar Khan.

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One of the triumvirate who acted as Koki Jiu's agents was the eunuch Hafiz Khidmatgar Khan. Under the name of Khwaja Ambar he had been from childhood in the service of Alamgir by whom he was educated. His training by Alamgir had produced in him an appearance of ability which he did not actually possess. He was like 'gilded copper', and in reality he retained the qualities of slaves and eunuchs, who prefer men of base birth and low habits to the well-born. One writer, Warid, declares that Khidmatgar Khan, refused to take bribes, and being thus a hindrance instead of a help, Koki after one year's trial dispensed with his services. Be that as it may, he was generally believed to be one of her confidants and agents until his death, which took place on 21st June, 1732. His chief man of business, Khush-hal Chand Kayasth, was cruelly treated in order to make him disgorge the money obtained from the eunuch's office of privy-purse-bearer, and the accumulation from his lands in pargana Mirat. Dogs were set upon the man and his flesh torn by them before he would reveal the place where the money was hoarded. [K. K. 940 ; Warid 44, 47 ; Ashob 45a—46 b ; Khush-hal 1060.]

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∗ Dalpat Singh's Malahat-i-naql, B.M. Or. 1828, 32a.

Roshan-Ud-Daulah.

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We have already mentioned the rise of Khwaja Muzaffar in the first year of Farrukh-siyar. During the changes of Government following the deposition and death of Farrukh-siyar, he succeeded in making friends among the men of the new régime. Early in the reign of Muhammad Shah he formed a close alliance with the favourite Koki and soon acquired great wealth from the presents made to him to secure his support. He had no obvious qualities to account for his great position, but he possessed no doubt the suppleness required in a courtier.* Outside the Court he did not shine ; his service as faujdar of the troublesome country of Mewat did him no credit. But he was gracious in manner and hospitable, and the repute was great of his charity, more especially to religious mendicants. He was a devoted follower of the holy man Shah Bhik, who is buried at Thaska near Thanesar. Roshan-ud-daulah's yearly illumination of the road from Dihli to the shrine of Qutb-ud-din was long a subject of popular talk. He was also a great builder. In Dihli he built a mosque near the palace and a college with mosque in the main street or Chandni Chauk, both having their domes and minarets adorned with copper-gilt plates. In Panipat he erected in the same style another school and a tomb for himself. In Karnal and Panipat he added gilt domes to the shrines of Shah Sharf Buali Qalandar, also arches and a pulpit. In Thaska also he adorned the shrine of the same saint and added a house for pilgrims, a hall of assembly and a relief kitchen, which he endowed with several villages. At Dihli he also repaired and cleaned annually the shrine known as Qadam-i-sharif (The Holy Foot-prints) and on the twelfth day of Rabi I., the day on which the prophet was born, he distributed there food gratis and other largesse.* [M. U. ii. 333 ; Ashob 47b-56a ; Ghulam Ali 17a.]

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∗ Or, as Warid (58) says, applying a proverb to him, "He showed you wheat (as sample) but delivered you barley,"—i.e., he was a man of great promise and small performance.

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