[Time in its changeful tortuous course is always bringing forth some fresh event, and new flowers are every day blooming in the garden of the world. In these days events have come to pass such as have never entered into the mind of man, and of these it is the writer's intention to give a brief relation.
Ahmad Sháh, son of Muhammad Sháh, succeeded to the throne of Hindústán, and reigned for six years three months and nine days. He gave himself up to useless pursuits, to pleasure and enjoyment, and his reign was brought to an end by the enmity which he showed to Nizámu-l Mulk Ásaf Jáh (Gházíu-d dín Khán), at the instigation of his wazír the Khán-khánán and his mother Udham Báí. He was succeeded by Muhammad 'Azízu-d dín, son of Mu'izzu-d dín Jahándár Sháh, son of Sháh 'Álam Bahádur Sháh, son of Muhammad Aurangzeb 'Álamgír.
Gházíu-d dín Khán, being embittered against Ahmad Sháh,
desired to remove him, and to raise to the throne some other of
the royal race who would rule under his guidance. After the
defeat at Sikandra, Ahmad Sháh fled into the citadel of
Sháh-Jahánábad. Nawáb Malika-i Zamání (Queen dowager),
Názir Roz-afzún Khán, and other people of the palace, were at
Sikandra, and the Queen dowager and the Názir conspired
together to raise Muhammad 'Azízu-d dín to the throne, and
they informed this Prince of their intention. On the 9th
Sha'bán, 'Ákibat Mahmúd Khán went to Ahmad Sháh on the
part of Gházíu-d dín, and called upon him to dismiss Khán-
Up to this time Ahmad Sháh knew nothing of what was passing until the kettle-drums roused him from his heedlessness. Soon afterwards Gházíu-d dín's men, with some harem attendants, arrived, brought out Ahmad and his mother Udham Báí, and were about to make an end of them, when he implored them to send him to the abode of the princes, and there confine him. So they placed him and his mother in one litter, threw a sheet over their heads and took them to the dwelling of the princes. * *
The new Emperor was fifty-six years of age, and had five sons, the eldest of them twenty-eight years old. * * He used to come out of his private apartments into the stone mosque or into the public hall to say the prayers at the five appointed times in the congregation; he applied himself to reading books of history, and took no pleasure in seeing dancing or hearing singing; but he never failed on the Sabbath to attend either the Jámí'-masjid or the wooden mosque within the palace. * *
When (previous to this) Raghunáth Ráo, Malhár Ráo, and the other Mahratta chiefs came to the aid of Gházíu-d dín, he pledged himself to pay them a large sum of money. Súraj Mal Ját also made peace with the Mahrattas; they raised the siege of his fortress, and he recovered his lands. Gházíu-d dín and 'Ákibat Khán then sent the Mahratta army against Ahmad Sháh, who was at Sikandra. They plundered the royal army and made Nawáb Malika Zamání Sáhiba-mahal, Názir Roz-afzún Khán, and many others prisoners. They plundered the ladies of their money and jewels, and calling together all the officers of the palace and great men who were there, they demanded payment of the promised money, declaring that they would not let the ladies go until it was paid. Gházíu-d dín and 'Ákibat Mahmúd Khán made themselves sureties for the payment of forty lacs, and the ladies were then sent to Dehlí in a bullock carriage with an old tattered covering, such as they had never ridden in before. The Mahrattas crossed the river, encamped four kos out of the city, and there waited payment of the money. * *
Gházíu-d dín was annoyed at the ascendency obtained by 'Ákibat Mahmúd Khán, * * and sent for him to make inquiries about a sum of money which he had obtained. 'Ákibat Mahmúd Khán answered bitterly, and Gházíu-d dín, who had before thrown out hints about killing him to Shádil Khán and Bahádur Khán, got up and went out. No sooner had he done so than these men despatched him with their swords and daggers, and cast his body on to the sand beside the river. Intelligence of the murder was brought to the Emperor when Saifu-d dín Muhammad Khán, brother of 'Ákibat Mahmúd Khán, was present. Gházíu-d dín came on horseback soon afterwards, and embraced and consoled Saifu-d dín. On that same day Ahmad Sháh and his mother were brought out from their dwelling, and conducted to another, where in the evening they were both deprived of their sight, only a short time after 'Ákibat Mahmúd Khán was killed.
'Álamgír entered into the cell to have an interview with the darwesh, and there Bálábásh Khán killed him with his dagger. * * Afterwards the conspirators took the corpse, and threw it down upon the sand at the foot of the kotila of Fíroz Sháh. They then gave out that he had gone to the kotila to visit a darwesh, and that his foot having slipped, he fell from the top of the parapet. He had reigned five years seven months and eight days.]