Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c15.s8.21

v1.c15.s8.21

∗ TAh. 47b-49a; Siyar iii. 46; Muz., 69; Ch. Gul. 408b; Shākir 72. I have followed TAh. only. The following account is given in a letter written to the Peshwa from Delhi on 28 March 1753 by Antaji Mankeshwar :—"The Kh-kh, the Mir Bakhshi, and [the late] Kh. Duran's son (i.e., Samsām) have conspired for a month to bring the wazir to the fort for a private consultation and there despatch him and then give the wazir-ship to Kh-Kh. Bāpu Rāo Hingané showed me the Emperor's letter ordering 5,000 Maratha horse to be mustered and counted in his presence. So, I got ready and went [to the fort.] Kh. Kh. and the other two also came there armed and ready. The Emperor sent a letter to the wazir asking him to come quickly for an urgent business. But his step-mother Malika-uz-zamāni secretly sent out of the palace a letter to the wazir informing him of the treachery and bidding him not to come. Then the wazir got 25,000 of his troops and artillery ready and came [to the fort gate] saying that he would settle accounts with the man who had played this trick, imprison Ahmad Shah, and set up another Emperor. A great tumult raged in the city. The Emperor repeatedly sent messages to the Maratha envoy, saying, "All my hope is in you. I am Bālaji Rao's man. Save my life.'" [Aiti. Patr. ii. 86.] This is supported by TAh. and generally by Bayān 275.