152 W. Irvine—TZhe Bangash Nawdbs of Farrukhabdad. [No. 2, 
him Ghazi-ud-din Khan ’Imad-ul-Mulk, visited the Mahrattas and asked 
what terms they would accept. Sendhia claimed the sixteen and a half 
mahials given by the former treaty. He wished to collect the revenue him- 
self, for while the Nawab had the management, years had elapsed without 
any payment having been made. As there was no help for it, the sixteen 
and a half mahdls were given up. Ahmad Khan directed that although 
the territory had been reduced to one half its former extent, no troops 
should be discharged. In three years his eyes would be all right, and then 
he would take his revenge. The income being reduced, while the same 
expenditure was maintained, the coin collected in the treasury was soon 
spent. 
Ahmad Khan's blindness and death. 
For a year or two before his death, Nawab Ahmad Khan was afflicted 
with inflammation of the eyes, and he gradually lost his sight. One Basant 
Rie Kuhhal (operator on the eye) treated him for the malady, but without 
success. 
His eyes had begun by paining him, and after a time his sight became 
weak. One or two years passed in this condition, but day by day the sight 
became worse. He concealed the fact as well as he could. He used to 
come to his ordinary place and return every one’s salutation. The courtiers, 
from actions opposed to his usual habit, noticed his blindness but said 
nothing. At length the defect could no longer be concealed. Several of the 
Nawab’s servants recommended Hakim Nutr Khan Muhammad Shahi, as 
well spoken of for his treatment of deseases of the eye. They were told to 
bring him, and he treated the Nawab for one or two months without effect. 
One day it came into the Nawab’s mind that by feasting religious 
mendicants, his vows might be granted. He therefore ordered Bakhshi 
Fakhr-ud-daula and Mihrban Khan to put up tents inside the fort. Food 
of every sort was prepared and given to fdkirs and the poor. They offered 
up their prayers for his recovery. For forty days the food was given away. 
The pious His4m-ud-din adduces many instances of the efficacy of prayer 
by holy men; but he admits that in this instance the prayers were not 
heard, for, as he says, the supplicants were not saints. 
Shortly after this a clever scoundrel came from the Panjab, and was 
introduced to the Nawab through Rahmat Khan, son of Jahan Khan. He 
promised to remove the obstruction. The cheat, putting a little water in the 
palm of his hand, said some words over it, and then applied it to the 
Nawab’s eyes. For several days this process was repeated. Then under pre- 
tence of requiring money to offer in alms, he got silver and gold and went 
away, promising to return in a day or two. He was never seen again, 
