Fall of the Mughal Empire v1.c8.s5.29

v1.c8.s5.29

But some other Afghān generals, like Shamshir Khān and Sardār Khān, and even a few of the lieutenants of Mustafa, were won over by Alivardi's gold and favours, and Mustafa on seeing the forces gathering under the Nawāb at Murshidābād, shrank from delivering an attack on him. He resigned the Nawāb’s service and demanded the due salary of his troops, amounting to 17 *lakhs* of Rupees, which the Nawāb paid at once without holding any muster or examination of accounts, and thus promptly got rid of the menace to his throne and capital (February, 1745). The discontented general set off for Patna, determined to wrest the throne of Bihār from Alivardi’s deputy Zain-ud-din Ahmad Haibat Jang. On the way he forcibly took away some guns and elephants of the Government from Rājmahal, stormed the fort of Mungir, and appeared before Patna (March 14, 1745) in open rebellion. If Alivardi could seize the throne of the three provinces from the lawful *subahdār*, Sarāfrāz Khān, why should not he (Mustafa) do the same from Alivardi? He too held a conquering sword in his hand, which was the best of imperial *sanads* in that age, as he openly said, in reply to a conciliatory message sent by Zain-ud-din. [*Siyar*, ii. 141.]