Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c15.s8.2

v1.c15.s8.2

Safdar Jang, in addition to snatching away the wazir-ship which the Turānis regarded as their hereditary property, had done them an unfriendly turn at the beginning of his office. He had secured to himself the transfer of the Sarhind district from the hands of Intizām-ud-daulah who had hitherto held it as second *bakhshi* in assignment for the salary of the 5,000 Turkish soldiers of the Emperor. The entire Turāni race murmured at this loss, the soldiers of their blood starved, and though there was no open breach at that time, the seed of discord was sown so early. [*TAh.* 15*b*.] In June 1752 he had bullied the Emperor into transferring to him all the *jāgir* lands throughout the provinces of Oudh and Allahabad, with the result that the numerous petty officers to whom the rents of these estates had been hitherto assigned were now deprived of their livelihood by one stroke of the pen. [37*b*.] Next, he caused the *faujdari* of Saharanpur, worth Rs. 6,000 a month, to be taken away from the Emperor’s maternal uncle’s son and given to his follower Rājendra-giri. Similarly, the Emperor was forced to yield to the wazir all the Crownlands in Etawa and Kora as well as in Safdar’s two *subahs*. [38a.]