Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c38.s3: § 4. Afrasiyab appointed Mir Bakhshi. His difficulties and humiliation
Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c38.s3
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§ 4. Afrasiyab appointed Mir Bakhshi. His difficulties and humiliation
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When the three days of mourning after Mirzā Najaf’s death were over (9th April 1782), the Emperor called to his presence all the leading military officers of his late General and asked them to sit down in the ante-room of the Diwan-i-am and elect a new chief for themselves. They could not agree, as the Mughalia captains refused to obey Afrāsiyāb Khan for being India-born and a slave. The Emperor next paid a visit of condolence to Najaf Khan's sister and invited her to make the choice. She named Afrāsiyāb Khan, that noble was created Regent (*Mukhtiār*) and commander-in-chief (*Mir Bakhshi, Amir-ul-umara*) with the title of Ashraf-ud-daulah. For what had now become the highest office in the State, Afrāsiyāb had to promise a heavy price, namely a fee of five lakhs of Rupees and the monthly supply of one lakh and twenty thousand for the Emperor's household expenses. He scraped together all he could and paid down Rs. 1,87,000 on 11th April, and forthwith received investiture for his office.*
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But his difficulties were only beginning. If he was to make sure provision for the future, he must first recover the Crownlands from the hands of usurpers and also suppress the rebels. Ranjit Singh Jat had utilised the illness of Mirzā Najaf to win back some of the lost lands of his father and to send his raiding bands throughout the Agra district. The local governor, Muhammad Beg Hamadāni was unable to cope with the myriads of Jat horse and appealed to Delhi for reinforcement. The new Mir Bakhshi was urged to march with the Emperor to his rescue. But it meant a large immediate outlay. The unpaid imperial soldiery had so long managed to live in Delhi on credit, but loans would cease as soon as they left on a distant expedition with the risk of death; their families could be left behind at the capital only by being supplied with the means of sustenance for some months in advance. Bringing the neglected cavalry and artillery up to the equipment necessary for a campaign meant heavy expenditure. And the Emperor's personal staff and camp equipage required another large advance before they could be ready to start.
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∗ *DC.* G. Ali iii. 152-154. Muna Lal 237-243. *Ibrat.* ii. 32-36 Afrasiyab's troubles,—*DY.* i. 84, 71, &c. Prince Jahandar Shah,—in Hastings, State of India, appendix.
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Afrāsiyāb could not provide all this money. On the plea of the hot weather and the Emperor's recent attack of fever, he secured an order that Prince Jawān Bakht should accompany the expedition in stead of his father. The prince took his formal leave at Court (c. 15th May) and went into tents outside Delhi, waiting for his army to assemble. Nearly a month passed, but that army did not assemble nor showed any sign of ever assembling, because Afrāsiyāb could not raise the necessary funds. He had already exhausted his cash resources, and when he begged for a loan from Najaf Khan's sister, she gave him a sharp rebuff. So, the Emperor, realising that the expedition could not possibly start, recalled the prince (12th June.)
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Afrāsiyāb's prestige suffered by this public failure within a month of his assuming the regency, and the Emperor's heart was turned against him. And he added to the number of his enemies by calling up Najaf Khan's captains to the capital and demanding that they should bring their assigned quotas of troops to the muster, retain only as much jagir as was justified by the actual strength of their contingents, and relinquish all the excess lands to the State; for otherwise he could not meet his master's demands for money. At once a revolt against his authority broke out. The malcontents won Begam Khadija Sultan over to their side and opposed the new Mir Bakhshi. These distractions, even more than the pride of power, soured the temper of Afrāsiyāb Khan. The plotters looked up to Mirzā Muhammad Shafi (the son of Najaf Khan's nephew) as their leader. Shafi, then posted in the Karnal district, quickly patched up a truce with the Sikhs and set out for Delhi.