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268
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
SEPTEMBER, 1887.
also promised to get the khutba read and Shah, who had marched quickly, occupied the coins stamped in the name of Ahmad Lâhôr without opposition. After regulating Shah, and to surrender the localities of Jâm, the administration of that district, and per. Bakhzar, Turbat, Khawaf, and Turshiz, situated ceiving that the Gurgânî monarchy had reached between Hirit and Mashhad. Shah Rukh, its end, he intended to conquer Dehli, and having passed the fingers of obedience over his succeeded by means of despatching letters to countenance, uttered the words, “We have heard gain over most of the Amfre to his side. He and have obeyed," and stamped the following then marched, and Najibu'ddaula having come distich on a mohar:--
to meet him near Karnal, was allowed to pay By the favour of Ahmad PadshAh
his respects. 'Imadu'l-mulk Ghaztu'ddin Shah Rukh obtained his seat on the throne. Khan, Wazir of Alamgir II., --son of Jahandad After the conclusion of peace Ahmad Shah Shah, son of Bahadur Shah, son of Aurangzib, returned to Hirât, and went thence to Qandahår, and Gurgâni Pådshah-had the honour of and after he had been there for some time he making his salám at Nirault, which is at a heard several times that Mu'ainu'l-Mulk Mir distance of ten karas from Dehli, and having Mand, who was the Hâkim of Lahôr and the met with a very kind reception entered that son of Qamaru'ddin Khân, had in the superabun- capital with Ahmad Shah; who took a rest for a dance of his power as Wazir, deprived Ahmad few days and then demanded, with the approShih Gorgâni of sight, but had himself shortly bation of Alamgir II., and of the heirs of afterwards died of cholers. Thereon Turra- Sardar Jahân Khân, fifty lakhs of rupees from bahan a dependent of Mir Mand, had with | Intisamu'ddaula, the other son of Naw&b his wife, Mughalant Begam, assumed the Qamaru'ddîn Khân, and brother of Mîr Manů, supreme direction of affairs, and was accused on the condition of making him Wazir of India, by Bikhari Khân, the son of Raushanu'ddanla, as his father had been. He refused to pay of having administered poison to Mir Manů, He the money, and Ahmad Shah ordered the had therefore been captured and slain by eunuch Maharram Khan to make investigaBikhar Khan, who had then himself usurped tions about his property; whereon the latter the government. Accordingly Ahmad Shah reported that it amounted to two karórs of determined to conquer Lâhôr, and marched rupees. It was then confiscated and received with a victorious and countless army by way into the treasury of Ahmad Shah Durrant. of Kabul to PeshÂwar.
The latter remained about forty days in As Adins Bog Khan of the Dukba," had an Debli, and recalled the Sardar Jahân Khân eye npon Lahor, Mughalani Begam craved the Pôpalzai-whom he had despatched in pursuit aid of Jahân Khân the Khân Khánků, but Ahmad after the flight of 'Imadu'ddin Ghazi Khin in
11 It will perhaps not be superfluou to insert in this place & different account of the manner in which Ahmad ShAh, the emperor of Dehlt, was deprived of sight, and another set up in his place, as narrated by W. Francklin, p. 8-4:"Malhar Row, Marhatta chief, being at that time in the country of the Rejepoots, where he bad been employed in reducing their Rajah, Jeysing, Gazoodeer Cawn invited him to his assistance, which the Marhatta instantly complied with, being besides the advantages which must naturally socrue to the Marhatte power from these divisions) strongly urged to take the part of Gazoodeen Cawn, from the hatred which he bore to the Jants, who had blain his son. He accordingly joined Gazoodoen Cawn with his forces; and a solemn treaty was made between them, Malhar Row swearing to rogard Gazoodeen Cawn as his son, and the latter to look upon the Merhatte M his father. Everything being concerted between them, they began their maroh towards the capital, and wore met in the way by the king and vizir, who cave them battle, and were defeated. The conquerors proceeded to the city, whither the king and the vizir had retired, and had shut themselves within the walls of the palace with a few followers, their last, but poor, resource, The chief officers of the city, whom Gazoodeen's good fortane had made his friends, readily obeyed an order from him to surround the palace till his arrival, when he commanded the wretched king to be deprived of sight, and imprisoned together with his minister. A pringe
of the name of Azeezoodeen, being the next in descent of the race of Timur, was taken out of the palace and proclaimed king by the title of Aulumgeer the Second, Gezoodeen Cawn Assuming the vissrst. This happened in the month of November 1755." According to the chronological table of the Mughal emperors in the Asiatic Re. searches, Vol. VII. p. 446, London, 1807, Ahmad Shah warimprisoned and blinded on the 12th Sh'aban in 1167[2nd June 1754]; on the same day Alamgir was made emperor, but assassinated at Dehli on the 8th Rab'la'ssant in 1173 [29th November 1759). There is, however, slight difference in the date of the blinding of Ahmad Shah and the raining of Alamgir to the throne, between the table in the Asiatic Researches and Grant Duff, Vol. II. p.78, who says of Shahabu'ddin, the son of Qamaruddin (who is, however, in our text above called Mu'ainu'l-Mulk), that after obtaining the office of Wazir from the emperor :"He next deposed the emperor, raised a grandson of Jehandar Shah to the Imperial dignity, by the title of Alumgeer the Second in the end of May 1754, when the unfortunato Ahmed Shah was confined and deprived of
sight.
Any distriot between two large rivers, as the Ganges and Jamna, Satluj and Biyks, and so on. Here meant to be the Jalandhar Dolb.
13 This was the second invasion of India by Ahmad Shah, also according to Grant Duff, Vol. II. p. 57.
