Fall of the Mughal Empire v3.c42.13

v3.c42.13

Prince Jawān Bakht (Jahāndār Shāh)* arrived at Delhi at his father’s call on 8th December, 1787. But the worthy heir plotted to seize the palace by surprise, confine his father and make himself *de facto* sovereign. His own want of character and capacity and utter lack of material resources destroyed all hope of his ever being able to play the role of the saviour of the Delhi monarchy. At last Shah Alam was glad to get rid of him after thirteen days, by sending him with the rank of governor (*subahdār*) to Agra,—a province which had yet to be conquered. The prince reached Agra on 24th December, but finding Ismail Beg unwilling to serve him and having no independent force of his own, wisely rejected the pious *faqir* Khair-ud-din’s counsel to assassinate Ismail Beg and left the place soon afterwards to see if he could have better luck with Ghulām Qādir in the Doab. This hoped for Afghan patron attempted to kidnap his master's son but the plan was foiled by the prince's firmness. At last in utter disappointment, Jawān Bakht sneaked back to his refuge in British territory (end of February 1788.) His only gain from this adventure was to take back with him his wife and children whom he had left behind in Delhi when escaping from that fort in April 1784.