Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajput States of India v1.c20.s7.80

v1.c20.s7.80

Deposition of Farrukhsīyar : Nizāmu-l-mulk.—The short reign of Farrukhsiyar was drawing to a close ; its end was accelerated by the very means by which that monarch hoped to emancipate himself from the thraldom of the Sayyids, against whose authority the faction of Inayatu-lla was but a feeble counterpoise, and whose arbitrary habits, in the re-establishment of the jizya, lost him even the support of the father of his queen. It was on this occasion that the celebrated Nizamu-l-mulk,¹ the founder of the Haidarabad State, was brought upon the stage : he then held the unimportant charge of the district of Moradabad ; but possessed of high talents, he was bought over, by the promise of the government of Malwa, to further the views of the Sayyids. Supported by a body of ten thousand Mahrattas, these makers of kings soon manifested their displeasure by the deposal of Farrukhsiyar, who was left without any support but that of the princes of Amber and Bundi. Yet they would never have abandoned him had he hearkened to their counsel to take the field, and trust his cause to them : but, cowardly and infatuated, he refused to quit the walls of his palace, and threw [407] himself upon the mercy of his enemies, who made him dismiss the faithful Rajputs and “ admit a guard of honour of their troops into the citadel.” ²