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Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c14.s3: § 7. Safdar Jang in disgrace at the imperial Court

Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c14.s3

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§ 7. Safdar Jang in disgrace at the imperial Court

v1.c14.s3.1

But the cup of Safdar Jang’s humiliation was full. For the first time in the history of the Mughal empire the grand wazir had been defeated in a pitched battle by an upstart jāgirdār’s son and his rustic levies. His wound rapidly healed after being cauterized in the night following the battle; but he pursued his way to Delhi sunk in the deepest mortification.* At the first news of his defeat, which rumour had magnified into his death, his enemies at Court, headed by Jāvid Khan, the Queen-mother and Intizām-ud-daulah (the late wazir’s son), raised their heads, and planned to attach his mansion and property. But they waited for a few days to verify the news. In the meantime their evil designs leaked out, and Safdar Jang’s wife, a clever and high spirited lady, put her son and household on the guard, gathered troops within her mansion, shut the gates and stood ready to defy a siege. Then Safdar Jang arrived opposite Delhi (20th September) and was found to be neither dead nor without an army. He sent a warning to Jāvid Khan saying, "though dead, I am still stronger than any other living man." His enemies quailed before him and offered excuses for their past conduct.

v1.c14.s3.2

∗ "The mahut took his elephant out of the battlefield and in one day arrived near Koil, about 40 kos away. Everything had been looted. That night the wazir slept on the ground, spreading the housing of his elephant as a bed and eating whatever could be had. Next day the fugitives assembled round him . . . On 22 Shawwal [should be 29th Sh. = 20 Sep.] he entered his own mansion [in Delhi] without visiting the Emperor. For nearly two months he did not come to Court. Then, one day the Emperor, on a visit to a park, passed by the wazir’s mansion and the wazir came out and interviewed him. The Emperor asked about his health and examined his wound, consoling him. When the wound was healed, the wazir came to Court, in shame and alarm." *TAh.* 26b-27a.

v1.c14.s3.3

But how was the vanquished wazir to show his face to his master? Tutored by Intizām-ud-daulah, the Emperor sent a message to Safdar Jang, forbidding him the Court on the ground that it was the rule of his dynasty that if a wazir fled from a battle field he must be dismissed for it and sent into retirement. To counteract this move, Safdar Jang promised a bribe of seventy *lakhs* of Rupees to Jāvid Khan, and that all-powerful eunuch turned the Emperor's wrath away and introduced the wazir again to the Court. [*Muz.* 49; *Siyar* iii. 36, *Bayān* 263, *Imād* 50.]

v1.c14.s3.4

Safdar Jang now set himself to devise means of avenging his defeat on the Afghāns. For this purpose he could find no better instrument than the Marāthas and Jāts, and negotiations were opened for buying their aid in a new campaign in Rohilkhand.

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