Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c15.s5.1

v1.c15.s5.1

It was only in a fit of extreme exasperation, when feeling himself opposed to a blind wall in all his acts, that Safdar Jang was tempted to remove his rival by means of the dagger. But if he hoped for a clear field for his administrative activities from this crime, he was soon to be undeceived. The immediate effect of the murder of Jāvid Khan is thus graphically described by the Court historian : "When the news reached the Emperor, he was greatly perplexed, but durst not do anything. Khwājah Tamkin, the wazir's agent, came to the fort with a large force, secured an audience with the Emperor through the nāzir Roz-āfzun Khan, and offered the wazir's excuses for this audacious act, reassuring His Majesty in every way and professing his readiness to carry out every order of the Emperor. . . . The Emperor and his mother grieved deeply. It is said that Udham Bāi put on white robes and discarded her jewels and ornaments (like a widow.) But the Emperor said not a word to anybody on this subject." [*TAh.* 41.] The Queen-mother raged, though in secret, like a lioness robbed of her mate, and fell completely into the hands of two far more formidable enemies of Safdar Jang than the late eunuch. Jāvid Khan was a lowborn upstart, despised by the nobility and the populace alike, and actuated solely by a vulgar greed of wealth which he sought to gratify by means of his plurality of offices and hold upon the Emperor. He had no administrative or territorial ambition; and indeed this kind of activity was impossible for a eunuch who had constantly to attend the harem at the capital. But Intizām-ud-daulah had the highest social position and family prestige among the Mughal peers, and Imād-ul-mulk possessed the greatest organising power, penetrating intellect and iron will of any man then living; and these two now became the leaders of the Court party.