Later Mughals v2.c16.s2.t1.2

v2.c16.s2.t1.2

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.]