Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c16.s7.3

v1.c16.s7.3

Aqibat Mahmud entered Delhi on 16th March. The city had then been for several weeks past in the hands of the mutinous soldiery demanding their pay, now 26 months in arrears; law and order had disappeared; the Emperor and the wazir lived besieged in their palaces. The Badakhshi soldiers with Aqibat began to oppress the Hindu jewellers for money (20 March.) On the 24th these troops roved in the suburbs, throwing the city into alarm and driving the Emperor to order his fort artillery men to stand to arms ready for repelling any possible attack. "Aqibat continued to send his servants to seize all men who were reported to be wealthy and extort money from them on the false charge of their being depositories of the wealth of Safdar Jang. In concert with Antāji Mānkeshwar, he used to send men to levy rent and contributions from the Emperor's Crownland and privy purse villages east of the Jamunā. The