THE SHORT REIGN OF A FEW DAYS OF ABÚ-L BARAKÁT RAFÍ'U-D DARAJÁT, FOURTEENTH IN DESCENT FROM AMÍR TÍMÚR.

[Text, vol. ii. p. 816.] After the poor injured Emperor had been set aside, the same confusion and trouble prevailed, both inside and outside the palace. On the 9th Rabí'u-l ákhir, 1131* A.H., (18th Feb., 1719) Shamsu-d dín Abú-l Barakát Rafí'u-d Daraját, younger son of Rafí'u-sh Shán, and grandson of Bahá-dur Sháh, the eldest son of Aurangzeb, was made Emperor. He was twenty years of age when he was brought out of confine­ment, and the noise and confusion was so great and general, that there was not even time to send him to the bath, or change his clothes. In the same garments he was wearing, with only a pearl necklace thrown upon his neck for ornament, he was placed upon the throne. His accession and a general amnesty were pro­claimed to stay the tumult. Kutbu-l Mulk Saiyid 'Abdu-llah, after offering his congratulations, placed his partisans and faithful servants inside the fortress. Over the doors of the public and private council chambers, and in every place, he stationed men of his own party. The eunuchs, the personal attendants, and all the servants of any importance, were men of his own.

In the council of the first day, in accordance with the desire of Rája Ajít Singh, and of the bigoted Rája Ratan Chand, an order was passed for the abolition of the jizya, and assurances of security and protection were circulated all over the country. I'tikád Khán was sent to prison with every mark of ignominy; his jágír was taken away, and his house was seized. Notwith­standing it had been disturbed, it was found to be full of jewels, cash, gold, objects of art, and vessels of silver; and an investi­gation was ordered for the discovery and recovery of the jewels and pearls he had received as presents. ^{* *} I'timádu-d daula Amín Khán was confirmed as Bakhshí. The súbadárí of Patna was given to Nizámu-l Mulk Bahádur Fath Jang. ^{* *}

Two months had passed since the late Emperor had been placed in confinement. In that room he had endured all kinds of tortures, and passed his days in the deepest trouble. It is reported that the blinding operation had not entirely destroyed his sight, and in his stupidity and love of power, which destroys the lives and integrity of so many thousands, he sent messages to the rulers of the State, excusing himself for the actions of past days, and spoke of again sitting upon the throne and of directing the affairs of State with the two brothers. An Afghán, named Abdu-llah Khán, had been placed as a guard over him in his living tomb. He ingratiated himself with this Afghán, promised him a mansab of 7000, and consulted with him as to the way of escaping to Mahárájádhíráj Jai Singh, which he looked upon as the only means of safety. The Afghán having discovered the captive's intentions, made them known to the ministers, and the Saiyids, urged on by their friends, determined to take away his life. Poison was twice administered without effect. On the second or third occasion, when it affected him, and for all the cruelty death did not come quickly, he thought upon the harshness of the two brothers, and how they had acted in defiance of the solemn oaths they had given to him. Unable to control himself, he used bitter words against them, and asked how it was that no punishment had fallen upon these two faithless oath-breakers. Words were uttered which ought not to have been spoken. The two brothers were told of this, and they ordered that he should be got rid of quickly by strangling. When the thong was thrown upon his neck, he seized it with both his hands, and struggled violently with hands and feet; but the executioners beat his hands with sticks, and made him leave go his hold. There is a common report that daggers and knives were used in that desperate struggle, but from what the author has heard no such weapons were used.*

The coffin was borne to the tomb of Humáyún, and was accompanied by two or three thousand men and women, chiefly the vagabonds and mendicants of the city who had partaken of his bounty. They cried and groaned, tore their clothes, threw dust upon their heads, and scattered their abuse. The bakhshís of Husain 'Alí Khán and Saiyid 'Abdu-llah Khán were ordered to attend the funeral, and did so with several principal men of the city. Stones were cast at them. No one would take the bread or copper coins which were offered in charity. On the third day some vagabonds and beggars met, cooked food, and distributed it among the poor, and remained assembled all night.*

Report says that the two brothers took possession of, and selected for themselves, whatever they pleased of the royal treasure, jewels, works of art, elephants and horses. Saiyid 'Abdu-llah Khán was very fond of women, and the common talk was that two or three of the late King's beauties pleased him, and he took them to himself, although, for the gratification of his lust and desires, he had seventy or eighty beautiful women.

The brotherly love which had existed between the two brothers now turned to hatred and to jealousy of each other's power. Although the reins of power in civil matters pertaining to the office of wazír were in the hands of the elder brother, the younger, Amíru-l umará Husain 'Alí, was a brave, experienced, generous and proud man, whose equal it was hard to find. He had drawn to himself, by his kindness and generosity, most of the brave and able nobles, and he was getting into his hands a control over all the government of the country. So it was said that there were contentions between the brothers. ^{* *}

On the 9th Jumáda-l ákhir, 1131, the soldiers at Ágra brought out of confinement in the fort, and raised to the sovereignty, a person named Nekú Siyar,* a son of Prince Muhammad Akbar, and grandson of Aurangzeb. His accession was announced by peals of cannon, and coins of gold and silver were struck in his name.

[Text, vol. ii. p. 829.] The Emperor Rafí'u-d Daraját was suffering from consumption (dikk). The physicians, under the orders of the Saiyids, did all they could to cure him, but without success. This monarch had not the slightest control in matters of government.* ^{* *} Sorrow increased his illness, and he became so helpless that the two brothers considered as to which of the imprisoned princes should be named successor. Rafí'u-d Daraját said that if, in his lifetime, the khutba were read, and coins struck in the name of his elder brother, Rafí'u-d Daula, it would be a great kindness, and very acceptable to him. The Saiyids consented. Three days after Rafí'u-d Daula ascended the throne, Rafí'u-d Daraját died. He had reigned six months and ten days.

RAFÍ'U-D DAULA, ENTITLED SHÁH JAHÁN THE SECOND, FOUR-TEENTH IN DESCENT FROM, AND SEVENTEENTH KING IN SUCCESSION TO, AMÍR TÍMÚR.

[Text, vol. ii. p. 831.] On the 20th Rajab, 1131* A.H. (May 27, 1719 A.D.), Rafí'u-d Daula, who was one year and a half older than his brother Rafí'u-d Daraját, was raised to the throne with the title of Sháh Jahán the Second. Matters went on just as before, for, excepting that the coins were struck and the khutba read in his name, he had no part in the government of the country. He was surrounded by creatures of Kutbu-l Mulk, and, as to going out or staying at home, holding a court, or choosing his food and raiment, he was under the direction of Himmat Khán. He was not allowed to go to the mosque on Friday, or to go hunting, or to talk to any of the amírs, without the presence of one of the Saiyids or his guardian.

[vol. ii. p. 832.] Amíru-l umará Husain 'Alí sent Haidar Kulí Khán with a force in advance against Ágra, and on the 7th Sha'bán he himself set out for that city with ^{* *} an army of about 25,000 men. ^{* *} Rájádhíráj Jai Singh, with a force of nine or ten thousand horse, and others whom he had collected, was waiting one march from Amber for Rája Chhabílá Rám [to go and join Nekú Siyar]. Kutbu-l Mulk Saiyid 'Abdu-llah, in consequence of the rumours that were afloat, taking the Em­peror with him, marched, at the end of Sha'bán, with Mahárája Ajít Singh, and other amírs, and an army of upwards of thirty thousand horse, from Dehlí towards Ágra, and against Jai Singh.

At this time Mahárája Ajît Singh took back the Mahárání, his daughter, who had been married to Farrukh Siyar, with all her jewels and treasure and valuables, amounting to a kror of rupees in value. According to report he made her throw off her Musulmán dress, dismissed her Muhammadan attendants, and sent her to her native country. ^{* *} In the reign of no former Emperor had any Râja been so presumptuous as to take his daughter after she had been married to a King and admitted to the honour of Islám.

The fort of Ágra was invested, lines of approach were formed, and batteries raised. When Husain 'Alí Khán arrived, the cannonade began, and many houses inside and outside the fort were destroyed. The siege went on for three months. ^{* *}

The rainy season caused Saiyid 'Abdu-llah to delay in his march against Jai Singh; but he reached Mathurá, within ten kos of which place Jai Singh was awaiting the arrival of Rája Chhabílá Rám and other allies. When the Rája found that none of his expected supporters arrived, he sent vakíls to beg forgiveness for the offence he had committed.

Nekú Siyar had a munshí named Nath Mal. At the invitation of some crafty men among the besiegers, he came out of the fort to conduct them to Nekú Siyar. But these men made him prisoner, and took him to Amíru-l umará. In his portfolio were found several letters addressed by amírs in the besieging army to Nekú Siyar, ^{* *} but the Amír thought it desirable to hush this matter up. ^{* *} The provisions in the fort were falling short, and the defenders were in despair. A proposal to surrender was accepted, and an assurance of safety to life and honour was given. The keys were given up, Ágra was secured on the 27th Ramazán, and Nekú Siyar and his supporters were made prisoners. Mitr Sen, who had set this revolt on foot, knowing that there was no hope of mercy for him, but that he would be put to death with ignominy, killed himself with a dagger.

After the fall of the fortress, Amíru-l umará Husain 'Alí took possession of the treasure, jewels, and valuables which had accumu­lated there in the course of three or four hundred years from the days of Sikandar Lodí and Bábar Bádsháh, and were stowed away in the store-rooms. There were the effects of Núr Jahán Begam and Mumtáz Mahal, ^{* *} amounting in value, according to various reports, to two or three krors of rupees. ^{* *} There was in par­ticular the sheet of pearls which Sháh Jahán had caused to be made for the tomb of Mumtáz Mahal, which was spread over it upon the anniversary of her marriage, and on Friday nights. There was the ewer of Núr Jahán, and her cushion of woven gold and rich pearls, with a border of valuable garnets and emeralds. The elder brother, 'Abdu-llah Khán, got nothing of all this, till, after four months, twenty-one lacs of rupees were grudgingly surrendered to him.*

Rájádhíráj (Jai Singh) sent his vakíls to offer his apologies and make peace. ^{* *} It was eventually arranged that the faujdárí of Surat, in the súba of Ahmadábád, should be held by Jai Singh, and the súbadárís of Ahmadábád and Ajmír, including Jodpúr, should continue under Rája Ajít Singh. Under this arrangement the two rájas held all the country from thirty kos of Dehlí, where the native land of Jai Singh begins, to the shores of the sea at Surat.

Sháh Jahán the Second died of dysentery and mental disorder, after a reign of three months and some days.