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Later Mughals v2.c19.s3: Sec. 121.—Exaction of Ransom from Dihli.

Later Mughals v2.c19.s3

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Sec. 121.—Exaction of Ransom from Dihli.

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Nadir spent two months in Dihli, secure in the occupation of the capital and engaged in the collection of the huge indemnity. On 26th March his younger son Mirza Nasr-ullah was married to an imperial Princess, a daughter of Dawar Bakhsh,[*] the grandson of Murad and great grandson of Shah Jahan. For one week before the ceremony, rejoicings on a grand scale continued day and night. The bank of the Jamuna opposite the Diwan-i-khas was illuminated with lamps every night, while combats of elephants, oxen, tigers and deer were held in the day.

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∗ Dawar Bakhsh's mother was a daughter of Aurangzeb.

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The conqueror allowed himself some relaxation after his arduous campaigns. Dances and songs were performed before him. One Indian dancing-girl named Nur Bai so highly fascinated him by her musical powers and ode in honour of him that he ordered her to be paid Rs. 4000 and taken to Persia in his train. It was with the greatest difficulty that she could save herself from this last mark of his favour. [Bayan 56.]

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The total indemnity secured by Nadir Shah at Dihli is estimated by his Secretary at nearly 15 *krors* of Rupees in cash, besides a vast amount in jewels, clothing furniture and other things from the imperial store-houses. The above figure includes whatever was taken from the nobles far and near and the imperial treasuries. [Jahan 361.] The grand total from all sources is raised to 70 *krors* by Frazer, according to the following estimate, which is clearly an exaggeration, as the State Secretary's figures are of the highest authority :

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| Gold and silver plate and cash ... | ... | 30 krors |
| Jewels ... ... ... | ... | 25 ,, |
| The Peacock Throne and nine other thrones, | | |
| also several weapons and utensils all | | |
| garnished with precious stones ... | ... | 9 ,, |
| Rich manufactures ... ... | ... | 2 ,, |
| Cannon, stores, furniture ... | ... | 4 ,, |
| Total ... ... | ... | 70 krors |

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In addition to these, 300 elephants, 10,000 horses and the same number of camels were taken away. [Hanway, 383, 389.] Anandram, who was attached to the Indian Wazir, however, gives—sixty lakhs of Rupees and some thousand gold coins, nearly one *kror* of Rupees' worth of gold-ware, nearly 50 *kror* worth of jewels, most of them unrivalled in the world ; the above included the Peacock Throne. [Anandram 51.]

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The Emperor had to surrender all his crown-jewels, including the famous diamond Koh-i-nur and the Peacock Throne of Shah Jahan which had cost 2 krors of Rupees. In the public treasuries were found three krors of Rupees, but in the inner vaults, which had been shut during many reigns, a much larger amount was discovered. [Hanway, 383.] Abdul Karim says that the personal property of the Begams of Dihli was not robbed. This statement cannot be accepted, though it is a fact that no torture was applied to these ladies or their servants for their jewels.

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While the Emperor and the nobles were being squeezed of their wealth, the general public did not escape. A contribution of one-half of their property was fixed on all the well-to-do citizens who had escaped the massacre and sack, and a total of two krors* was ordered to be raised from this source. [Shakir and Anandram.] Anandram, who was assessed five lakhs and had a Persian military guard placed at his door to enforce payment, describes the method of extortion thus:—

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"Accountants were appointed to levy the indemnity from the inhabitants, under the guidance of Tahmasp Khan Jalair. But in order to save the citizens from utter ruin, nobles of both the Governments were directed to supervise the assessment of the ransom in the law-court in the presence of the public. Footmen (*piadas*) of the *kotwal* and *nasaqchis* (military police of Persia) were sent to take a census of the houses and prepare lists of the property in each and enforce the appearance of the citizens, so that the sum to be contributed by each individual might be in accordance with his means. Helpless people, high and low, rich and poor, were compelled day after day to attend at the law-court where they were kept from dawn to sunset and often till one *prahar* of night......Without ascertaining the truth, the calumnies of Mir Waris and Khwaja Rahmat-ullah were believed......The lists were prepared. The contribution of the capital totalled two krors of Rupees. The Shah appointed

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∗ Hanway, 383, says "About the middle of April four kror was extorted from the merchants and common people." But Anandram is a better authority.

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the Nizam, the Wazir, Azim-ullah Khan, Sarbuland Khan and Murtaza Khan to collect the money. The entire city was divided into five sections, and lists of the different mahallas with the names of their inhabitants and the amount to be levied from each were given to these five nobles." [Anandram, 53.]

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After every citizen had been assessed his exact contribution, pressure was put upon them to pay the amount. Delay or objection only led to insult and torture. The floors of the houses were dug up in search of buried treasure. [Rajwade vi. 133.] Anandram writes in his autobiography: "In the two mahallas where the collection was entrusted to the Nizam and the Wazir, the people were treated humanely, as the Wazir paid a great part of the money from his own chests. But in the other three mahallas, especially in that assigned to Sarbuland Khan (i.e., Anandram's own!) the sufferings of the people knew no bounds......Whole families were ruined. Many took poison and others stabbed themselves to death." [Anandram 54.]

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It is said that the Wazir Qamar-ud-din Khan was exposed in the sun and thus made to pay one kror of Rupees plus jewels and elephants. His diwan Majlis Rai was assessed a large sum and delivered to Sarbuland Khan to be tortured. His ear was cut off in open darbar, and retiring home in the depth of disgrace he committed suicide on 8th April. The Court agent of the governor of Bengal was beaten, and he took poison with his entire family. As Hanway says, "No barbarities were left unpractised. The tax imposed was strictly exacted. What numbers destroyed themselves with their own hands........." [Hanway, ii. 382, Frazer 199, T-i-Mdi, Tilok Das.]

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All this time Nadir lived at Dihli as king. Coins were issued and the public prayer read in his name as sovereign, and the title of *Shahan Shah* ('king of kings') which the Mughal Emperors had borne was taken away from them and applied to him only. The governors of the provinces of India had to proclaim him as their suzerain and in some instances mint his coins in the provincial mints. Muhammad Shah lived in Dihli like a prisoner of state and his nobles in the same helpless and degraded condition.

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The entire population of Persia shared their king's prosperity. The revenue of that kingdom was remitted for three years. The chiefs of the army were lavishly rewarded; the common soldiers received 18 months' pay together, one-third of which was their due arrears, one-third an advance, and the remaining one-third a bounty. [Bayan 53.] The camp-followers received Rs. 60 per head as salary and Rs. 100 as bounty. [Jahan. 361.]

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At Dihli Nadir Shah talked of making a pilgrimage to the tomb of Shaikh Muin-ud-din Chishti at Ajmer. This journey was really intended for the spoliation of the Rajput States, because Ajmer is in the heart of Rajputana. At the report of his intended movement, Sawai Jai Singh in alarm sent his family and those of his nobles to the mountain-fastness of Udaipur and remained alone at his capital ready to flee away at the first notice. Baji Rao the Peshwa, then at Burhanpur, began to form plans for holding the line of the Chambal to prevent a Persian invasion of the Dakhin. [Rajwade vi. 133; Brahmendra S. C. 42.]

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