Fall of the Mughal Empire v2.c30.s1.1

v2.c30.s1.1

When the Emperor Alamgir II fell under the assassin's knife (29 Nov. 1759), his eldest son and expected successor, Prince Shah Alam, was a homeless wanderer on the face of the earth, still lying under the public ban of imperial repudiation which the domineering wazir had extorted from his terrorised father. More than twelve years were to pass before his wanderings ceased and he entered the throne-city of his fathers as sovereign. During this period the capital remained kingless, but there was no interregnum, as Shah Alam had proclaimed himself Emperor and celebrated his accession in his camp (23 Dec.) as soon as he heard of his father's demise, and the legal rights of sovereign belonged to him, though he had not the means of exercising his full royal power in practice. There was no rival Emperor in the realm, except for the nine months (30 Nov. 1759—10 Oct. 1760) when a puppet of Imad-ul-mulk occupied the Delhi palace under the title of Shah Jahan II.