Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 43

FEBRUARY, 1922). HISTORY OF THE NIZAM SHAHI KINGS OF AHMADNAGAR.
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things and removed all prohibitions from them. When the king was informed of this removal of prohibitions, he wrote to Shah Haidar asking how he, a Sayyid, could thus Eet at nought the commands of the Sacred Law and how he could justify his breach of the royal commands. Shah Haidar made many excuses and endeavoured to appease the king, but all to no purpose, and one day in the course of the feasting, the king, on the pretext that he desired to walk in the garden of the watercourse, parted from all the amirs and vazirs, who were enjoying themselves, and made off to Daulatâbåd. The first person to discover his absence, and to follow him and pay his respects, was Şalábat Khân. When Shah Haidar and the other officers of state and courtiers discovered that the king had left for Daulatâbâd, they followed him with all haste and paid their respects to him, some, while he was on the way, and some in Daulatâbâd itself. When the king reached Daulatâbâd, he summoned Asad Khân, who was encamped with his troops in that neighbourhood, and addressed them in open darbar, saying that he was tired of the business of the state and of worldly affairs and purposed to make a pilgrimage to Makkah. All present implored the king not to abandon the ship of state, pointing out that he alone had been chosen by God to guide it and that his desertion of it would be displeasing to God and would lead to the ruin of the kingdom and its inhabitants. Before all the rest, Sayyid Mir Muhammad Muqim Rizavi uttered affecting words in the endeavour to turn the king from his purpose, and all the learned men delivered fatvas in accordance with the scriptures and traditions, and with tears implored the king not to leave them, until at length the king, taking compassion on his subjects, abandoned his project. He then called Asad Khân to him in private and again requested him to undertake the office of vakil and pishud. Asad Khân declared that he was unable alone to undertake the duties of so responsible a post, and requested that Şalábat Khân might be associated with him in the office and might relieve him of some of its duties. Salábat Khân was a Circassian slave whom Shah Tahmâsb, Shâh of Persia, had sent as a gift to the late king. His wit, readiness and knowledge had advanced him in the royal service and he daily advanced in dignity until at length he ascended the seat of the vakil and pishvd, as will be set forth. The king tried hard to persuade Asad Khân to accept office without a colleague, but Asad Khân persisted in his refusal to accept it unless Salábat Khân were associated with him. At length the king said, 'You are now making Şalábat Khân your colleague of your own free will, but the day will come when you will repent it and will taste the bitterness of collaboration with him.' And the king's words came true, for Salábat Khân mastered Asad Khân, and day by day deprived him of some power in public business until at length he brought about his dismissal and threw him into prison, as will be seen.
Asad Khan then, in accordance with the royal command, introduced Salábat Khân to the presence and caused him to be invested with the sar-u-på of the office of vakal, just as he himself was invested, and the two then undertook the duties of their office and settled all matters of state. After Asad Khan and Salábat Khân had been inducted into the office of vakil, the king ordered that Shah Haidar should move to the town of Daulatâbâd and reside there until he received further orders. He was afterwards transferred from the town to the fortress of Daulatâbâd and remained there for a time unemployed and in retirement. He was then recalled by the royal command to Ahmadnagar and was sent thence to the port of Rajpuri which was appointed to him as his muqasd.
Some days later the king returned from Daulatâbåd to Ahmadnagar, where he took up his dwelling in the old garden of the watercourse and there remained for twelve years in seclusion and retirement, in no way concerning himself directly with the affairs of stato,