Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c16.s7.7

v1.c16.s7.7

At last on 8th April, Aqibat got up a demonstration by his rowdy Badakhshi troops to terrorise the Emperor into yielding the guns. At his instigation the full strength (5,000) of these foreign mercenaries went to all sides of the fort and closed all its entrances and exits. One body of 500 of them appeared below the jharoka window of the palace with loaded muskets and lighted matches and replied to the challenge of the guard above, “We are the Emperor’s soldiers of the Sin-dāgh regiment and have been unpaid for a year. Give us our salary!” Groups of them gathered at every custom-barrier of the city and in the plain outside the fort, stopping traffic and plundering whoever came within their reach. “The Emperor ordered his men not to fight unless attacked. During that day and night none of the men of the imperial artillery and stores who were within the fort could come out for eating any meal, but remained prisoners without food till the noon of next day. The Emperor quaked in extreme alarm.