Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c13.s3.1

v1.c13.s3.1

There was a new distribution of offices at the accession of the new sovereign. The vacant wazirship was conferred upon Safdar Jang. When the news of the late Emperor's death reached Prince Ahmad's camp at Pānipat, Safdar Jang, then in command of his escort, had improvised a royal umbrella with cloth of gold taken out of robes and banners and held it over the prince's head, crying out "I congratulate your Majesty on becoming Emperor!" and Ahmad had responded with, "I congratulate you on your wazir-ship." But in fear of Nizām-ul-mulk Asaf Jāh, Safdar Jang's appointment was kept secret; he did not receive investiture in the official robes of a wazir till 19th June, when the news of the Nizām's death at Burhānpur (on 21st May) reached Delhi, and he first sat in his office and publicly signed papers, only on the 20th of June. His son Jalāluddin Haidar was given the Superintendentship of artillery hitherto held by him (6th July.) The Chief Paymastership, rendered vacant by the death of Asaf Jāh was conferred upon Sayyid Salābat Khan Zulfiqār Jang (29th June), who was originally known as Sādāt Khan, being a son of that Sādāt Khan whose daughter Gauhar-un-nisā had been married to Farrukh-siyar* and who had been Mir Atish under that Emperor. The First Bakhshi's post carried with it the title of Amir-ul-umarā. The Second Paymastership was bestowed on Intizām-ud-daulah Khān-i-Khānān, the eldest son of the late wazir Qamruddin and a brother of the Nizām's eldest son's wife. The *Diwāni* of Crown-lands was given to Ishaq Khan Najmuddaulah, and the *Sadr-ship* to Abdullah Khan, while S'aduddin Khan continued as Lord High Steward (*Khān-i-sāmān*.)