Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c22.s7.5

v2.c22.s7.5

∗ Imad defended himself before Sayyid Sher-andaz Khan, envoy from Ahmad Bangash to Abdali, thus:—When the [Durrani] Shah drew near to Delhi, I told Najib Khan, ‘We must deliver one battle against the Shah.’ His answer was, ‘Pay me this day two *krores* of Rupees, cash down, and I will fight.’ I replied, ‘Nothing is due to you by the State for your arrears and pay, seeing that... I have handed over to you more than one-half of the [Doab] territories. At a day’s notice whence can I produce such a sum of money?’ Najib Khan and his followers raised a tumult and for a whole day barred exit from and ingress to my house. That very same day a letter came from the Shah inviting Najib Khan to his camp. At midnight Najib came out of Delhi and marched off to the Shah’s camp... I saw that in the realm of Hind there was no defender, I was left alone. [*Ind. Antiquary*, 1907, p. 44.]