Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c22.s2.6

v2.c22.s2.6

This Khwājah Mirzā Khan, an Uzbak captain, had been the most trusted and successful lieutenant of Muin in his campaigns and had often been sent out by him in independent command against the Sikhs. With him were 300 of his closely related clansmen. After Muin’s death he had at first sided with Bihkāri Khan but had been won over by the Begam with the faujdari of Yaminabad and had helped her to undermine Bihkāri’s power and to arrest him. At Yaminabad he had succeeded in asserting his authority, inflicted some defeats on the Sikhs, and annexed the lands near it. Now, on receiving Muhammad Said’s appeal, he came to Lahor by one night’s forced march, rode straight up to the Begam’s palace at dawn, cut down the two porters who disputed his entrance, and went inside. His Mughalia troops, in concert with the resident Turki guards (previously corrupted by Md. Said), looted the palace all day long and carried away lakhs of Rupees in cash and things. The very servants and officials of Mughlāni Begam did not escape this general spoliation. She betook herself to another house in utter helplessness (about December 1754.)