Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c28.s2.4

v2.c28.s2.4

Shortly after this Najib received pressing invitations to join the Emperor Shah Alam who was then encamped with Shuja at Sikandrabad, and on whom Hafiz Rahmat and other Ruhela chiefs (but not Ahmad Khan Bangash of Farrukhabad) were in attendance. But Shuja, who was really the keeper of the puppet Emperor, attempted to wrest Ahmad’s territories from him, as a preliminary to the Emperor’s march on Delhi. This antagonized all the Ruhelas, and destroyed the chance of any united action by all the vassal chiefs for installing Shah Alam on his ancestral throne. Najib quickly arrived in the imperial camp, was cordially welcomed by Shuja and presented to the Emperor, who bestowed many costly gifts on him. Under pressure from Najib, the Nawab of Oudh abandoned his hostile designs against the Bangash chief.* In this camp Najib fell ill of a high fever, which caused fits of unconsciousness for hours together; the Emperor graciously visited his sick-bed and showed him every kindness. Soon there broke out a sectarian dispute between Shuja's Shia troops and Najib's Sunni Afghans, and in the rioting that followed a *pir-zada* of the Afghans, when on a visit to the Oudh camp, was killed by the ruffianly Qizzilbashes and Mughalias there. The soldiers on both sides came out for a battle and could not be controlled by their chiefs. So, Najib hurriedly took leave of the Emperor (on 16th May) and marched back to his home, where he made a long stay on account of his illness. [*Ghulam Ali*, ii. 157-167, *DC*. Muna Lal 60.]