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FEBRUARY, 1907.)
AHMAD SHAH AND IMAD-UL-MULK.
“ Send on one hundred of your men in advance into the open country and induce the infidels to “ fall upon them. Your horsemen must engage them and, by alternately fighting and "retreating, bring them gradually close to you. At that point come out of your ambush and "offer them up as food to the relentless sword."
Abd-ag-samad Khan did as he was told. Jawāhir Singh and the two Marhattah chiefs already mentioned, escaped alive with nine other men, and sought shelter within the fort of Ballamgadh, among the nine being one Hidayat 'Ali Khān, faujdar of chaklah Shukobābād Manipuri, Bhongam et cetera.42 When half a watch bad passed after sunrise 'Abd--şamad Khan presented himself before the Shāh to make his obeisance, accompanied by about five hundred infidel heads carried on spears, and captured horses, with other goods and chattels. A jewelled aigrette and robes of honour were conferred on him.
The Shāh ordered his advance tents to be sent out and pat up in the direction of Faridābād, stating that on the following day he would enter that place. To the emperor of India he said : "You should march along with me, so that wherever there are any rebellious or tarbulent men, " or any of your enemies, you may issue your credentials, and they shall receive thorough "repression and be forced to give proper tribute. My purpose is this that in order to reduce "your kingdom to order, so far as by my hands it can be done, ample exertion of the most "effective sort be brought into play."
The emperor brought forward unworthy objections, and declared then to the Shah: "We desire " that between us the ties of brotherbood shonld be set ap, by the marriage of one of the royal "ladies to His Majesty the Shāh." The Shah replied: "I desire no disrespect to the House of " Amir Taimur." The emperor of Hindūstān became still more pressing in his request - nay, he said to the Shāh: “The longing of the whole body of Begams in the royal family is in secret that this " should be done. What harm is there if the daughters of sovereigns are delivered to sovereigns. "My pleasure will be consulted by this being carried out."
Therefore, that very night one of the daughters of Zinat Mahal was married to him. The Shah treated this sponse with such honour and respect that he made her the head over all his other wives. After this ceremony the Shāh said to me: "Thou hast only lately been married. Stay where thon art." I answered: “This faithful one will remain in attendance on the felicitous Stirrup. Ti "you allow, I will bring my family with me. Then, the connections of 'Ali Quli Khān, who form "part of the good fame of this slave, have, by the Royal orders, marched off to the town of Badli. " which lies five kos from Shāhjahānābād, on their journey to Balkh. On this subject I await, for " the present, whatever you may be pleased to order."
The Shāh said: "Let them be brought back to Dihli. Let them be under the control of "Umdah Begam. When I return to Wilayat, whatever the widow of Mir Manūņ desires shall "be done with them." I made my obeisance of thanks, and, in spite of the Shāh declining to take me with him, I managed somehow or other to march along with him, wanting to see what would happen.
[Imid-ul-mulk's narrative to Sher Andaz Khan ends.]
After this narrative was done, Ghiyaz-ud-din Khān asked the Mir Sahib, saying: "I should " like to inspect the memoranda and requests of the Nawāb, my brother (that is to say, Ahmad
32 This Hidayat 'Ali Khad may possibly bare been the father of Ghulam Husain Khān, aathor of the Siyar. ul-nuta akhkirin.
