Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c6.s6.29

v1.c6.s6.29

The soldiers of Amir Khān’s contingent, whose salary he had left unpaid for fourteen months, immediately after his death surrounded his mansion and would not allow his burial to take place till their dues were satisfied. Four days passed in this way, till the corpse began to suffer natural dissolution. Then Safdar Jang took it on himself to discharge this debt, and gave to the soldiers two hostages for the payment, when at last they allowed the Khān’s body to be consigned to the grave. And yet this man, though he was childless, had been thus starving his soldiers and servants, while he had 50 to 60 *lakhs* of Rupees worth of jewellery hoarded in his house. These were now taken by the Emperor at the unfair valuation of ten *lakhs* only. (*Siyar*, iii. 14-15; *Bayān*, 207.)