The Prince, on hearing the sad news, pushed on with all haste. * * Beyond Pánípat he was met by a procession bearing the Golden Umbrella and the other emblems of Royalty, which had been sent by Safdar Jang. Though the Prince, on seeing these emblems, was given to understand that his father had died, he did not wish to assume hastily the regal title, but proposed to go on to Dehlí as usual, and there, having mourned for his father three or four days, and having performed all the funeral ceremonies, then to assume the title of Emperor. But Safdar Jang, seeing the evil that was likely to result from this, would not permit such delay. The Prince was forced to submit, and assumed the Royal Umbrella and all the insignia of royalty, and the usual rejoicings took place. * * The length of Muhammad Sháh's reign was thirty years and twenty-seven days, dating his ascent to the throne from the murder of Farrukh Siyar.*
When the Prince succeeded his father on the throne of Dehlí, he took the title of Mujáhidu-d dín Ahmad Sháh Ghází, and in the prayers and on the coins these titles were adopted, and to his deceased parent he gave the title of Hazrat Firdaus Árámgáh. Ahmad Sháh was not a man of great intellect; all the period of his youth till manhood had been spent in the harem, and he had had absolutely no experience whatever of the affairs of a kingdom, or of the cares of government. Besides this, he was surrounded by all kinds of youthful pleasures, which every person, seeing the turn of his mind, was anxious to display before him to entice his fancy. As a natural consequence, he gave himself up entirely to pastime and sports, and bestowed no thought on the weighty affairs of the kingdom. To manage a country and wield a sceptre is a matter full of difficulty, and until an Emperor understands thoroughly himself the good and bad tendency of every measure, he cannot be fit for a ruler. For this reason Ahmad Sháh was unable to govern the empire entrusted to him.
In the month Jumáda-s sání, or one month after his ascent to the throne, news was brought from the Dakhin that Nizámu-l Mulk Ásaf Jáh, the Názim of the Dakhin súbas, who also filled the office of head paymaster in the Royal Court, and whose son Gházíu-d dín Khán acted for him, had died. In his place, his younger son Ahmad Khán Násir Jang was appointed, he having before acted with satisfaction to his master for his father, when Nizámu-l Mulk came to Dehlí in Muhammad Sháh's time, and this appointment was made at once to prevent the chance of any rebellion or insurrection breaking out, among rival candidates. On hearing this news, the Emperor bestowed on Abú-l Mansúr Khán Safdar Jang the empty post of wazír, vacated by I'timádu-d daula's death; and the paymastership, vacated by the death of Nizámu-l Mulk, he bestowed on Zú-l fikár Jang.
The same day, Jáwed Khán, the head eunuch, who in the time of Muhammad Sháh had the entire management of the harem, and had the entrée to the women's apartments, and although 50 years old, could neither read nor write, but being constantly in the presence of the Emperor, had represented himself as being well up to business and an intelligent man, prevailed on the simpleminded youth of an Emperor to appoint him dárogha of the Diwán-i kháss, with a mansab of 6000, thus exalting him far above his equals. * * The Emperor gave over the entire management of the country to him. The Nawáb, who had in the days of the former sovereign carried on a secret intimacy with Ahmad Sháh's mother, who was originally a dancing girl, now openly governed the realm in concert with her, and, contrary to the custom of all harems, where no male domestics are allowed at night, he always remained in the women's apartments all night, and in the day used to converse with low characters, such as khánsámáns, and did not look on the nobles.
Udham Báí, the mother of Ahmad Sháh, was first introduced into Muhammad Sháh's harem in the beginning of his reign, and she received the title of Udham Báí, and for some time remained the favoured one in the sight of the Emperor. But her good fortune deserted her, and she fell to a state of abjectness. She became the contempt of the harem, lost all her character and station, and was not even at last allowed to see her own son. When, however, her son, Ahmad Khán, ascended the throne, her star of prosperity daily increased, till at last she surpassed all the Begams. She was first called Báí Jíú Sáhiba, afterwards “the Parent of the Pure, the Lady of the Age, Sáhib Jí Sáhiba, on whom be peace!” Then she was called Hazrat, afterwards Kibla-i 'Álam, in addition to the former titles held in the deceased Emperor's time, and although she had already a mansab of 50,000, yet, owing to the intimacy she kept up with the Nawáb, she managed to have the rule of the whole Empire. Notwithstanding the lowness of her origin, and the very humble position which she had till lately held, the fruits of her generosity and magnanimity soon became known and lauded. First of all she gave to all the young children of the deceased Emperor, who in his time got no monthly pension, £50 a month. To many of the Begams she gave larger pensions out of the Government purse, to many more out of her own private funds; and on any person who had managed anyhow to make his case known to her she bestowed charity. Having called together the families of her children and grandchildren, she distributed to them large presents of money, and fixed monthly salaries for their maintenance. In short, the Queen and the Nawáb took the whole government into their own hands, and the Emperor had nothing left but the empty title. * *
After several months, Ahmad Khán Afghán again made his appearance with an army, and crossing the Indus, made direct for Láhore. Mu'ínu-l Mulk marched out from Láhore, and crossing the Ráví with a large force, went to meet him, and encamped two miles from Láhore, where he threw up three intrenchments. Ahmad Khán, after crossing the Chináb and Jhelam, reached within six miles of his camp, and some smart skirmishing took place; but Mu'ínu-l Mulk, seeing that the enemy's force was so superior to his own, would not engage in a general battle. Ahmad Khán's forces, separating in all directions, laid waste the villages and fields on every side, till they arrived in the neighbourhood of Láhore, destroying all the country in its proximity. Mu'ínu-l Mulk took no notice of this destruction to the country, though it was apparent to his eyes. The news of Ahmad Khán's attack speedily reached the ears of the Emperor and the wazír, but no one thought of sending troops to assist Mu'ínu-l Mulk; on the contrary, the wazír was not a little pleased to hear of his embarrassment.
At last news arrived that Mu'ínu-l Mulk had, according to the advice and instructions of the Emperor, ceded to Ahmad Afghán the four maháls of Láhore, viz. Síálkot, Imanábád, Parsarúr and Aurangábád, which had formerly belonged to the ruler of Kábul. Násir Khán was appointed to manage these four maháls and send the yearly revenue to Kábul. Ahmad Khán, being perfectly satisfied with this arrangement, quitted the Panjáb for Kábul, and Mu'ínu-l Mulk returned to Láhore. * *