Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s10.43

v2.c28.s10.43

He turned this opportunity to making the greatest expansion that the Jat kingdom ever attained. After his design of making himself regent of Delhi under cover of his tool Imad-ul-mulk had been nipped in the bud (in May 1761, see Ch. 22 § 2), he made more solid gains nearer home. Agra was now the richest city in the empire. Delhi had been devastated and its population thinned by repeated foreign occupation and sack, but Agra fort had never opened its gates to any Durrani agent. The rich fugitives from the capital had taken refuge in Agra and it was the best centre of trade in upper India in those troubled times. The accumulated hoards of the Mughal Emperors from Akbar’s reign had been lodged in Agra fort, and though much of this treasure had been dissipated by Aurangzib’s long wars and the insolvency of his successors, yet much still remained, especially costly robes, furniture, utensils, and jewellery worthy of kings. The fort was held by a qiladar directly under the Emperor. He and the garrison under him had received no pay for two years past and had kept off starvation only by selling the vessels of precious metal from the imperial stores.