Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c44.40

v4.c44.40

The sudden rise of Ghulām Qādir had shown that the anti-Maratha party at the Delhi darbār was not dead, and even after the Ruhelā chief had fallen that party had a formidable leader still left. Of the four lieutenants of Mirzā Najaf Khan, only two were now alive: his adopted son, Najaf Quli Khan, who did not count on account of his incompetence and lack of spirit, and Mirzā Ismail Beg, the nephew and worthy successor of Muhammad Beg Hamadāni in the leadership of the mercenary foreign troops popularly called the Mughaliās. Ismail, by reason of his war experience, courage, and power of command, was the greatest living champion of Muslim domination in the Delhi Empire and the only hope of the Rajput princes in building up an anti-Maratha coalition.