Fall of the Mughal Empire v4.c59.s3.15

v4.c59.s3.15

∗ In Nov. 1778, the British Governor-General received a letter from the Emperor Shah Alam II (not yet old or blind) requesting the loyal gift of many rarities and two maunds of the best Patna opium for himself and a separate consignment of the same drug for his minister Abdul Ahad [C.P.C. v. No. 1212, p. 238.] "Every evening Asaf-ud-daula stupifies himself with opium. . . . His confidants are the meanest and lowest people: he dreads the society of men of worth. . . . He has spent a crore of rupees in procuring entertainment. . . . Beggars, buffoons, dancers and all that class, with fools, knaves and sycophants, compose the Court of this illustrious ruler of millions." (Sir J. Shore's letter, in Life, i. 407-408.) And yet the Lucknow people were so debased as to adore Asaf-ud-daula's memory for his reckless charity to all who begged! For the vices of Peshwa Baji Rao II, see Kharé, xiv. 6710. Delhi palace vices, p. 335n. of this book.