Rája Sáhú's vakíl was introduced by Zú-l fikár Khán Bahádur Nusrat Jang, who was Súbadár of the whole Dakhin, and held as well the office of Mír-bakhshí. The vakíl presented an application for a farmán conferring on Sáhú the sar-deshmukhí and the chauth of the six súbas of the Dakhin, on condition of restoring prosperity to the ruined land. Jumlatu-l Mulk Mun'im Khán Khán-khánán had separated the súba of Burhánpúr and half the súba of Birár (which in the revenue records and in common language is called Birár Páyín-ghát) from the six súbas of the Dakhin, in accordance with the arrangement which obtained under the Fárúkí dynasty and under the Emperor Akbar; and he had included these among the súbas dependent on Dehlí, which by universal accord is the capital (asl) of Hindústán. He was desirous that the civil and revenue affairs (of these súbas) and the appointment and dismissal of officers should be under the direction of his eldest son Mahábat Khán. This caused a disagreement between Zú-l fikár Khán and Mun'im Khán, for the Bakhshíu-l Mulk was not at all desirous that any one else should have any authority or control in the civil and revenue affairs of the Dakhin.
Tárá Báí was widow of Rám Rája, that is, she was the widow of the uncle of Rája Sáhú, and Rám Rája left two sons by her of tender years. In the reign of the late Emperor Aurangzeb, after a warfare of ten years, she sued for peace, on condition of being allowed to levy nine rupees per cent. as sar-deshmukhí. As has been stated in the proper place, Aurangzeb declined for various reasons. Now, by the intervention of Jumlatu-l Mulk, she asked for a farmân in the name of her son, granting the nine rupees of the sar-deshmukhí, without any reference to the chauth,* for which he would suppress other insurgents and restore order in the country. Samsámu-d daula Zú-l fikár Khán took the side of Rája Sáhú, and a great contention upon the matter arose between the two ministers. The King, in his extreme good nature, had resolved in his heart that he would not reject the petition of any one, whether of low or high degree. The complainants and defendants made their statements to His Majesty, and although they differed as much as morning and evening, each was accepted, and an order of consent was given. So in this matter of the sar-deshmukhí, farmáns were directed to be given in compliance with the requests both of Mun'im Khán and Zú-l fikár Khán; but in consequence of the quarrel between these two nobles, the orders about the sar-deshmukhí remained inoperative.
[vol. ii. p. 627.] Since the rise of the House of Tímúr it had been the rule that one and the same title should not be given to two persons. * * But now the ugly practice arose of giving the same title to two or more persons, and in the same way the grants of mansabs, naubat and nakára, elephants, the jígha and sar-pech were no longer regulated by the rank and dignity of the recipient.
For generosity, munificence, boundless good nature, extenuation of faults, and forgiveness of offences, very few monarchs have been found equal to Bahádur Sháh in the histories of past times, and especially in the race of Tímúr. But though he had no vice in his character, such complacency and such negligence were exhibited in the protection of the state and in the government and management of the country, that witty sarcastic people found the date of his accession in the words, Sháh-i be-khabr, “Heedless King.” He often sat up all night, and used to sleep to the middle of the day; so in marching his people had to suffer great inconvenience; for many poor fellows were unable to find their tents in dark nights when the army and baggage were scattered about, and had to pass the night in front of the royal tent, or the drum room or offices or the bázárs.
[Text, vol. ii. p. 630.] The Kází of Warangal and many of the chief men of that country came to Court with grievous complaints of a man named Páp Ráí. This infamous man was by birth a toddy-seller. He had a sister, a widow possessing some property. He went to see her, and after four or five days' stay with her, he cast his eyes upon her money and effects. He got some fellows to join him. He then tortured his sister most cruelly, burnt her limbs, and took from her all her money and jewels. He enlisted a lot of footmen, and having made himself a stronghold on the top of a little hill, he began to rob travellers and pillage the neighbourhood.
The faujdárs and zamíndárs resolved to make him prisoner; but he got intelligence of their intention, and fled to Venkat Ráo, Zamíndár of Kolás, and entered his service. After a little while he joined another man in the same service, and they began to plunder on their own account. Venkat Ráo seized them and kept them in rigorous confinement. But the Ráo's son fell ill, and his wife, as a means of saving her son's life, obtained the release of all the Ráo's prisoners. Páp Ráí went to the village of Sháhpúr, in the pargana of Narganda, sarkár of Bhúngír,* and there joined another noted ruffian named Sarwá. He gathered round him a party of men, and raised a mud fort in a rocky position at Sháhpúr, which is a place of considerable strength. He then plundered all the country round. * *
The faujdár of pargana Kulpák, which is seven or eight kos from Sháhpúr, sent Kásim Khán Afghán with a suitable force to apprehend him. * * Páp Ráí from time to time confronted this force, and, seizing his opportunity, attacked one of the villages of Kulpák; but Kásim Khán fell upon him, killed a number of his men, and put him to flight. He proceeded to another hill of refuge, and Kásim Khán, while following him, was killed by a musket-ball, and his force was then driven back. * * Another force besieged him and Sarwá in Sháhpúr for two months, but he escaped. The fort of Sháhpúr was then destroyed; but after the withdrawal of the forces, Páp Ráí and Sarwá returned, and instead of the old mud fort, built a new one of stone and chunam, which they furnished with cannon and implements of war. * *
Páp Ráí now extended his operations, and plundered all the country from fifteen to twenty kos round. * * He was attacked by Pur Dil Khán, who, after mortally wounding Sarwá, was himself killed. * * Páp Ráí increased his forces and materials of war, and now turned his efforts to the reduction of forts. Parties were frequently sent out against him, and he was besieged for two months in Sháhpúr, but without result. * * In Muharram, 1120, he attacked and plundered the flourishing town of Warangal, and killed from twelve to thirteen thousand men, women and children. * * He next attacked and was near upon capturing the fort of Bhúngír, sixteen kos from Haidarábád, and he plundered the town and petta, * * carrying off two or three thousand men and women as prisoners. * * Afterwards he built another fort near Táríkandá, four kos from Sháhpúr, which he furnished with all requirements and a strong garrison. * *
His depredations were so great that the King was petitioned to march against him in person. * * Yúsuf Khán was appointed to the súbadárí, and was ordered to suppress this rebel. * * Before any force was sent against him, he laid siege to the town of Kulpák, eight kos from Sháhpúr. * * On a force coming up, he was driven with loss to Sháhpúr. * * During a short absence from Sháhpúr some of his prisoners broke loose and seized upon the fort, * * and he had to return and besiege it, but failed to take it, as a detachment came from Kulpák, and fought him. * * * He then fled to Táríkandá, * * whither he was pursued. * * * After a siege of nine months, many of his men were induced to desert, * * his provisions ran short, * * and the petta and part of the works were taken in repeated assaults. * * He again fled, and his absence did not become known for two days. He went alone to Hasanábád, a place which he had founded two stages from Táríkandá, where he was betrayed. He was wounded, captured, and executed. His head was sent to Court, and his limbs were exposed over the gate of Haidarábád.