Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c6.s4.1

v1.c6.s4.1

In the highest place among the Emperor’s confidants and personal favourites stood Amir Khān II, Umdat-ul-mulk, a son of that Amir Khān I Mir-i-mirān who had been Aurangzib’s famous governor of Kābul during twenty-two years. He belonged to a very high family which was honoured in Persia as well as raised to supreme eminence in India. His father’s mother was a daughter of the Empress Mumtāz Mahal’s sister and his paternal uncle was Ruhullah Khān I, the ablest Bakhshi of Aurangzib’s times, while his own sister was married to Ruhullah Khān II, another Bakhshi of that reign. In spite of such notable connections and incentives to emulation, Amir Khān II never showed any capacity for civil government or war, nor rose to any higher post than the Third Paymastership. But he was a darling in private life. His remarkable and varied personal accomplishments and cleverness drew scholars and artists to him, while his power of extempore versification, apt reply, eloquent and lucid exposition of every subject, and above all his command of *bon mots* and unfailing skill in jesting made his conversation irresistibly fascinating and gave him boundless influence over the frivolous Muhammad Shāh’s mind. Some foundation was given to his reputation for wisdom by his versatile general knowledge of many things and his power of quickly mastering the details of any kind of work. But his real capacity was insignificant. In the end pride led to his tragic downfall. His complete sway over the Emperor’s mind turned his head and he came to despise and insult the highest nobles of the realm, as is well illustrated by his reply to the wazir and the Nizām, "So long as the shadow of my master’s grace is over my head, I am prepared to confront Gabriel and Michael, not to speak of peers like you." [Shākir, 86, *Siyar*, iii. 13.]