154 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [May, 1914. 



was for a last brief space in the hands of an Imperial Governor. 

 The proof of this statement must be left to the history of the 

 period and to the coins themselves. 



History — (1) (General). 



Authorities : Watson, Bombay Gazetteer, Vol. I, Part 

 I (Mir'at-i-Ahmadi). 



From 1707 till 1817 a.d., the City of Ahmadabad was in a 

 continual turmoil, except for short periods of comparative peace 

 during the Gaikwar's and the earlier part of the Peshwa s 

 administration. But up to 1738 a.d. the city, though 

 repeatedly plundered by the Marathas, remained still with part3 

 of the adjacent districts in the hands of a Mughal Governor. 



In 1738 a.d. the Marathas were powerful enough to bring 



about a division of the city between the Mughal Governor and 



the agent of the Gaikwar, who represented their Peshwas in 



Gujarat. The arrangements lasted with interruptions until 



a.d. 1753, a.h. 1166. Then it was that the Peshwa and the 



Gaikwar uniting their forces captured the city, a large part ot 



the Mughal province of Gujarat having been in the preceding 



year shared between them. The Baroda volume of the Bombay 



Gazetteer of 1883 a.d. says, "From this time the Mughal 



Empire in Gujarat practically came to an end and the country 



was divided between the Peshwa and Gaekwar according to the 



terms first settled in 1751-52 and elaborated in 1753." 



The city was recovered in 1755 a.d., 1169 a.h., by Monnn 

 Khan, Nawab of Cambay, who took possession of it in the name 

 of 'Alamgir II early in 1170 a.h. For this exploit the 

 Emperor bestowed a dress of honour and the title of Bahadur 

 upon him. Watson (B.G., Vol. I, Part I, page 341) records an 

 interesting incident in this connection from the Mir at-i- 

 Ahmadi, which shows what respect was paid to the Imperia 

 suzerainty. When the envoys bearing the Imperial farman 

 granting the dress of honour and the title were reported to be 

 nearing Ahmadabad, the citv was being closely besieged by the 

 Marathas who had lost no time in trying to recover their 

 conquest of 1753 a.d. Momin Khan asked and actually obtained 

 permission from the besiegers to proceed from the city to mee 

 the envoys in accordance with the etiquette of the Mugha 



court. 



The siege terminated in a.d. 1757, a.h. 1171, with the sur- 

 render of the city by Momin Khan to the combined armies o 

 the Peshwa and Gaikwar The last efforts on behalf of the 

 Empire had resulted only in an occupation of less than two 

 years, and henceforward Gujarat was governed without refer- 

 ence to Dehli. 



After their second conquest of Ahmadabad, the Peshwa 

 and Gaikwar divided the revenues of the city. The adminis- 



