Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c13.s2.3

v1.c13.s2.3

Jāvid Khan, though now fifty years old, was absolutely illiterate. He had never held any administrative charge, nor seen a battle in all his life, and yet he now began to decide all questions of war and peace, revenue and organisation as the supreme authority.* Abyssinian and Turkish slaves had displayed the highest military and administrative capacity in the long roll of Muslim history in India. But Jāvid Khan was not of that breed. His vulgar ambition was to acquire supreme influence by pandering to the Emperor’s vices and humouring the Queen-mother, and to use that influence to enrich himself. He assigned to himself the most lucrative jagirs and also appropriated the revenue collection that ought to have gone to feed the Emperor’s household and army. His good word in the Emperor’s ears was purchased by suitors for *lakhs* of Rupees.