Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s1.9

v2.c28.s1.9

The Durrani king's parting instructions were that Shah Alam should be recognized as Emperor, Imad reappointed wazir and Najib Mir Bakhshi, and that these two ministers should bury their old hostility and work in friendly co-operation and singleness of devotion to their master's interests. But a river of blood lay between Shah Alam and Imad, and the opportunist Najib used this fact to secure his own elevation as regent of the empire for the next ten years. He wrote to the Queen-mother that if Imad returned to Delhi and resumed charge of the government, he would set Shah Alam and his branch of the royal family aside and set up a crowned puppet of his own like the late Shah Jahan II. So, the Heir issued a rescript calling upon Najib to come and take charge of the capital. Thus, while Imad, after receiving the wazir's robe from Abdali's agent was delaying at Mathura to assemble his Jat escort and "building castles in the air," Najib stole a march over him, came to Luni, and was brought over to Delhi by the Crown Prince (7th April), the two seated on the same elephant.* This move checkmated Imad; his sole supporter Suraj Mal, when faced with the accomplished fact, refused to instal Imad in the wazirship as it now meant an attack upon Delhi.