New History of the Marathas v2.c27.49

v2.c27.49

It was now the end of March and the summer of India with its extreme heat set in. The waters of the Jumuna had practically dried up and what little remained became foul with the decaying corpses; the only source of drinking water for the people being thus contaminated, a terrible epidemic of cholera started in the ranks of Abdali, nearly 200 deaths taking place daily. He wisely retraced his steps on 24th March from Gokul and after reaching Delhi quickly, did not stay there more than a day. He reinstated the Emperor Alamgir on the throne with all his former dignity, appointed Ghazi-ud-din as his Wazir and Najib-ud-daula his Mir Bakhshi and on April 1st departed for his native country. Reports declared that he carried away 12 crores of wealth altogether, of which he acquired 4 crores from the single house of the ex-Wazir Khan Khanan Intizam-ud-daula and one crore from Ghazi-ud-din. He carried away as well Muhammad Shah’s daughter and other ladies from the imperial harem. They raised a terrible wail of grief and cries at such banishment for life. Abdali stationed Taimur Shah and Jahan Khan at Lahore for the protection of the Punjab and quickly returned to Kabul.