151 W. Irvine — The Bangash Nawdls of Farrukhdbdd. [No. 2, 



at the village of Saraiya in parganah Pahara, outside the south-west 

 corner of the city. Bakhshi Fakhr-ud-da\ila placed Muzaffar Jang, the 

 Nawab's son, on an elephant and took him to present his nazar to the 

 Emperor. The title of Farzand Bahadur (afterwards cut on the young 

 Nawab's seal) was conferred at this interview. There being no money in the 

 treasury, the Bakhshi melted down all the silver of the howdahs and other 

 furniture and sold it for three lakhs of rupees. This sum with seven ele- 

 phants and eleven horses was presented to the Emperor.* One lakh of 

 rupees was obtained by Najaf Khan for arranging a settlement. After a 

 halt of twenty-two days, Shah 'Alam marched to Nabiganj, where he waited 

 nearly three months, till the arrival from Delhi of Mahaji Sendhia. 



Anecdotes showing Ahmad Khan's habits and character. 



His full titles, as found on a cannon cast in 1173 H. (August, 1759 — 

 August, 1760), which was still in existence in 1839, were as follows : — Bakh- 

 shi-ul-Mamalik, Amir-ul-Umra, Ghazanfar-ud-daula, Mohammad Ahmad 

 Khan, Bahadur, Ghazanfar Jang, Sardar-ul-Mulk, Zafar-i-iktidar, Sher-i- 

 Hind, Bahadur, Ghalib Jang. To these may be added the title of Kaydm- 

 ud-daula which was, according to the Tdrikh-i-Muzqffari, conferred in 1175 

 H. 



He seems to have had little natural energy or ambition ; he was em- 

 phatically one of those who, instead of achieving greatness, have greatness 

 thrust upon them. In the course of our story we have seen repeatedly how 

 his timidity or ill-timed scruples prevented him from pushing home a first 

 success. After the hattle of Bam Chatauni such was the state of conster- 

 nation and want of preparation in the capital, that Ahmad Khan, had he 

 not been turned off hy fair words, could easily have made himself master 

 of the Emperor's person. He could then have played the part afterwards 

 so successfully assumed, one after the other, by Ghazi-ud-din Khan, Najib 

 Khan, Najaf Khan and the Mahrattas. Again, when Islam Khan, chela, 

 was 'Amil of Kasganj, he made a successful raid into the upper Duab, and 

 it is highly probable that, had he been strongly supported, he might have 

 carried out his boast of making his master the actual master of Delhi and 

 its sovereign. 



Stories are told of him in which it is hard to distinguish whether his 

 conduct was due to mere good nature or foolish simplicity. For instance, 

 we are told that the Nawab had an extreme affection for new money. It 

 was his habit to have the rupees spread out in the sun to prevent them 

 getting black. Seated on a low stool, he watched them himself. When- 

 ever he called for water or betel leaf or his huqqa, the chelas would go in 



* Miftah-ut T., p. 529, and S-ul-M. (Lakhnau edition) at the top of page 931. 



