178 W. Irvine— Later Mughals (1707-1803). [No. 2, 
In Sha‘ban 1120 H. (Oct. 1708) ‘Abdu-llah Khan had been named 
to the subah of Ajmér, then in a disturbed state owing to the Rajput 
rising, a condition of things with which Sayyad Shuja‘at Khan seemed 
hardly capable of dealing. Sayyad ‘Abdu-llah Khan had barely more 
than reached Dihli, in order to raise new troops and make other prepar- 
ations, when the emperor, Bahadur Shah, changed his mind and 
Shuja‘at Khan was received again into favour and maintained in his 
Government. At length, by the favour of prince ‘Azimu-sh-shan, 
Abdu-llah Khan on the 21st Zi-l-gqa‘dah 1122 H. (10th Jan. 1711) became 
that prince’s deputy in the province of Allahabad. About two years 
earlier (11th Muharram 1120 H., Ist April 1708), the same patron had 
nominated the younger brother Husain ‘Ali Khan, to represent him in 
another of his governments, that of Bahar, of which the capital was at 
‘Azimabad Patnah. 
9. Husain ‘ALI KHAN ESPOUSES FARRUKHSIYAR’S CAUSE. 
When Farrukhsiyar first arrived at ‘Azimabad, Husain ‘Ali Khan 
was away on an expedition, apparently the recapture of Ruhtas fort, 
which about this time had been seized by one Muhammad Raza, Ra‘ayat 
Khan. The Sayyad had felt annoyed on hearing that Farrukhsiyar 
had issued eoin and eaused the Khutbah to be read in his father, 
‘Azimu-sh-shah’s, name, without waiting to learn the result of the 
impending struggle at Lahér. Thus on his return to his head-quarters 
his first impulse was to decline altogether that prince’s overtures. In 
truth, no attempt could well look more hopeless than that upon which 
Farrukhsiyar wished to enter. The prince’s mother now hazarded a 
private visit to the Sayyad’s mother, taking with her her little grand- 
daughter.!_ Her arguments rested on the fact that the Sayyad’s posi- 
tion was due to the kindness of the prince’s father. That father, two 
brothers, and two uncles had been killed, and the prince’s own means 
were insufficient for any enterprize. Let Husain ‘Ali Khan then 
choose his own course, either let him aid Farrukhsiyar to recover his 
rights and revenge his father’s death, or else let him place the prince 
in chains and send him a prisoner to Jahandar Shah. Here the prince’s 
mother and daughter bared their heads and wept aloud. Overcome 
by their tears, the Sayyadah called her son within the harem. The 
little girl fell bareheaded at his feet and implored his aid. His mother 
told him that whatever was the result he would be a gainer: if defeated, 
his name would stand recorded as a hero till Judgment Day ; if succes- 
1 Probably this is the girl who, when she grew up, became Mhd. Shah’s consort 
and at his death in 1161 H. (1748) showed considerable judgment and resolution 
in securing the throne for her husband’s son, Ahmad Shah, 
