Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c33.s5.29

v3.c33.s5.29

The Emperor now prepared for marching out of Allahabad to Delhi, which the Marathas had agreed to hand over to him in return for the promised subsidy. On receiving the first instalment of it, they delivered possession of the fort to his agent on 2nd August. In the course of his march to Delhi the Emperor arrived near Farrukhabad, and demanded a succession fee or tribute from the son of Ahmad Khan Bangash who had recently died. But Fakhr-ud-daulah, the chief minister of the Bangash Government, assembled thousands of Afghans from the country around and made preparations for war. The Emperor called Māhādji Sindhia to his aid. Sindhia with a vast force of horsemen and artillery made a rapid march to that side. But when he arrived at Marhera, Fakhr-ud-daulah, in terror of the Maratha arms, at once yielded and made peace with the Emperor. Mahadji retraced his steps from Marhera, disappointed in his expectation of rich booty from Farrukhabad, but he made no complaint as "he had lofty ambitions about the future." [*Ibratnamah*, i. 200.] On 18th November he waited on the Emperor at Nabiganj and formed his escort to Delhi, which was entered on 6th January, 1772.*