138 W. Irvine—Later Mughuls (1707-1803). [No. 2, 
ter is given to Jahan Shah. But about the time (December 1709) when 
the emperor recrossed the Narbada on his return to Hindistan, all 
influence seems to have been absorbed by the second son, ‘Azimu-sh- 
shan. Jahan Shah had several long illnesses (4th-28th December, 1709, 
30th July—5th October 1711), and ill-health may have contributed to 
his gradual exclusion from public affairs. At any rate, ‘Azimu-sh-shan 
continued in favour to the end of the reign. The great wealth that he 
had accumulated, both during his stay in Bengal and after he had obtain- 
ed the chief direction of affairs, and the preponderating influence that 
he had exercised for a considerable period, while they raised his brothers 
envy, pointed him out to all men as the destined victor in the coming 
struggle. ! 
The conduct of the four brothers betokened that they were at 
enmity; that there could be little hope of a peaceful solution. Their 
dread of each other was shown in many ways, among others by an in- ~ 
cident related by Iradat Khan.* During the emperor’s last illness, 
Jahandar Shah and ‘Azimu-sh-shan were seated near his bed. ‘Azimu- 
sh-shan took up a jewelled dagger lying near the pillow and began to 
toy with it, admiring the exquisite workmanship and the beauty of the 
blade. As he drew it from the sheath, Jahandar Shah, overcome with 
sudden terror, started up, and in his hurried retreat knocked off his 
turban at the tent-door, forgot to put on his shoes (a sign of great 
perturbation ),? and, when he got outside, fell over the tent-ropes. As 
soon as his servants had picked him up, he mounted and rode off in all 
haste to his own tents. On a previous occasion a violent outbreak had 
been expected. On the 24th Rabi‘ I, 1123 H. (11th May 1711), the 
day on which the Satlaj was crossed, Jahandar Shah and Jahan Shah 
went over the bridge of boats first and took up a threatening position 
upon the further bank. Messengers brought word that those two 
princes and Rafi‘u-sh-shan had made a plot together to attack the 
treasure carts of ‘Azimu-sh-shan as they were coming off the bridge. It 
was only by the exercise of the strongest pressure that the emperor, 
who was extremely angry, was able to avert an outbreak. Another 
1 [jad, fol. 32 6; Jonathan Scott, II, part IV, 45. 
2 J. Scott, 64. lt is also in Ijad, fols. 120 b, 121 a, who says it occurred on the 
day but one before Bahadur Shah’s death. 
3 For instance on an occasion of great emergency, one of ‘Ali Wirdi Khan’s 
slippers could not be found and he refused to move till it was brought. A by- 
stander said, ‘Is this a time to look for slippers ?’ ‘ No,’ replied the nawab, ‘ but 
were I to go without them it would be said, ‘Ali Wirdi Khan was in such a hurry to 
get away that he left his slippers behind him’ (Stewart, Bengal, 462, note). I 
heard once a sharp Benares mukhtar apply this taunt most effectively to a bare 
footed litigant at a local enquiry, to the huge delight of the bystanders. 
