Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c38.s6.9

v3.c38.s6.9

Afrāsiyāb was no soldier; he had been propped up by the strong arm of Pauli and the subtle brain of Latāfat, and with their fall his power at once collapsed. This second turn of the kaleidoscope brought back the old picture, only two of the bits of glass were thrown away. The wretched Shah Alam, after thus once beating his head against the bars of his cage, again lapsed into helpless submission. Muhammad Beg and Shafi wrote protesting their loyalty to him and excusing their late conduct as forced on them by their rival's treachery. The Emperor sent his eldest son to convey his pardon and blessings to them, and then returned to Delhi (24th Nov.) As he entered the fort, in the courtyard of the Diwān-i-‘ām, Shafi, Muhammad Beg Hamadāni, Abdul Ahad and Afrāsiyāb placed the poles of his open sedan chair on their shoulders and conveyed it to the door of his harem enclosure. After this parade of loyalty, they went to pay their respects to Begam Khadija Sultan. Shafi was restored to his post of army chief and the others received robes of honour and gifts.