Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c13.s3.2

v1.c13.s3.2

Among the more important provinces Lāhor had been already bestowed upon Muin-ul-milk, the second son of the late wazir, during the last days of Muhammad Shah. The *subahs* of Allahabad and Agra had at first been given to Salābat Khan, and that of Ajmir added to Oudh which Safdar Jang held. But it was soon realised that defence required Ajmir to be held by the governor of Agra, while Allahabad was as naturally an adjunct of the province of Oudh, and an exchange of provinces between the two nobles on these lines was made. [Siyar, iii. 37.] Bengal had long been virtually independent under Alivardi Khan and he was wisely left undisturbed, as also was the Peshwā to whom Mālwa had been assigned in 1741. But a last desperate plan was formed for recovering Gujrāt from Maratha hands by nominating Bakht Singh Rāthor, the bravest Rajput prince then living, as its subahdār (29 June.) Nothing, however, came of the attempt; his secret agents sent beforehand to the province reported that the situation was hopeless, and he declined the barren honour. [Mirāt-i-Ahmadi, ii. 374—377.]