Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c15.s1.6

v1.c15.s1.6

The first instrument of this malicious design was Nāsir Khan, ex-governor of Kābul, who was recently living in Delhi in unemployment and official neglect. On removing to Lāhor in search of bread, he was received very kindly by Muin who appointed him *faujdār* of the "four Mahals,"—Siālkot, Pasrur, Gujrat and Aurangabad,—gave him some money, and promised to support him in an attempt to recover Kābul from Abdāli after Nāsir had established his power and prestige in his new charge. The ungrateful wretch, after about a year of service, felt himself grown strong enough to turn against his benefactor. He listened to Safdar Jang’s seductive messages urging him to increase his army, fight Muin, and wrest from his grasp the subahdāri of Lāhor, which would then be formally conferred upon him by a letter patent from the Court through the wazir’s influence! Nāsir by offers of higher pay seduced a thousand Uzbak horsemen of Muin to desert to his side. The plot now leaked out. Muin with great promptitude equipped a force, marched to Siālkot, and after a four hours’ battle drove Nāsir Khan in utter rout to Delhi, “covered with public disgrace” (c. July 1749.) [Miskin 5-6, Muz. 9, 26, TAh. 24b.]