HINDOOSTAN. 
he feized it with his hands, and they were obliged to beat 
them with clubs, fo that he was put to great pain before 
he'expired. Upon his death, the brothers became poffeif- 
ed of abfolute authority, and the imperial trealures, and 
afted without controul. They divided money, jewels, 
elephants, horfes, and rich plate, between them ; and Ab¬ 
dallah Khan, who was much addifted to women, feized 
the ladies of the royal harem for his own ufe. The new 
emperor was but a child, and no more than a pageant; 
buit he did not long furvive his exaltation, dying of a con¬ 
sumption, after a nominal reign of four months and a few 
days j being fucceeded by his younger brother Ruffeh ul 
Dowlah. But this prince, alfo inheriting the fame infir¬ 
mity as his brother, was foon taken extremely ill; and, 
being paft hopes of recovery, Nudjum Ali Khan was dif- 
patched to Delhi, to bring down one of the confined 
princes to Succeed him. He fixed upon Roofhun Akh- 
ter, the fon of Jehan Shah, fon of Shah Aulum, eldeft Sur¬ 
viving fon of Aurungzebe, who, with his mother, had 
been imprifoned fince the death of his father, and accef- 
fion of Jehander Shaln Ruffeh ul Dowlah died before his 
arrival, after a reign of only three months. This event 
was kept Secret till the arrival of Roofhun Akhter; when 
the royal corpfe was fent in great funeral pomp to Delhi, 
where it was interred in the maufoleum of Cuttub ul Dien. 
Roofhun Akhter afcended the throne of Hindooflan in 
the year 1720, and took the name of Mohammed Shah. 
He was at that time in his Seventeenth year, deficient nei¬ 
ther in forefight nor courage ; but was furrounded by the 
dependants of the vizier and emir ul omrah ; without 
whofe permiflion he did not even move from the camp to 
take the air, nor interfere in any of the affairs of the empire. 
Nizam ul Muluk, foubahdar of Malwa, a moll active 
and diltinguifhed perfon in the modern hiftory of Hin¬ 
dooftan, called by European writers the Nizam, had par¬ 
ticularly rendered himfelf an object of jealoufy to the 
brothers, who wifhed to remove him to another quarter, 
lefs favourable to his interefl than the frontier of the Dec- 
can, where he had great influence with the Mahrattas. 
They offered him the choice of four other lbubahs, under 
pretence that the emir ul omrah wifhed to refide in Mal¬ 
wa himfelf. But Nizam ul Muluk excul'ed himfelf from 
making any Such exchange, and was in confequence threat¬ 
ened with the utmoft refentment of the brothers; where¬ 
upon he refolved to throw off his obedience to their au¬ 
thority, and take upon himfelf an, independent Sove¬ 
reignty in the Deccan. For this purpofe, having eroded 
the Nerbudda, he prevailed on the governor of Afere to 
put him in poffeffion of that important fortrefs; and he 
v/as equally fortunate in obtaining the citadel of Burham- 
pour. The emir ul omrah, receiving advice of his pro- 
grefs, prepared to march in perfon againft him ; but his 
brother Abdallah Khan was for making up the difpute in 
a friendly and peaceable manner; which produced a con- 
troverfy between them, whereby they became irrefolute 
and diflrafted in their councils. After much delibera¬ 
tion, coercive meafures'were refolved on; and it was 
agreed that Abdallah Khan fhould proceed to Delhi, to 
quiet an infurreftion in that diRridt; while the,emir ul 
omrah moved with the emperor, to reftore peace in the 
Deccan : accordingly the imperial army began its march 
to oppofe the progrefs of Nizam ul Muluk. 
The ufurpations however of the two brothers, the Syeds, 
had for a long time been regarded with jealoufy by the 
omrahs and nobility, who of courfe wifhed their destruc¬ 
tion. Mohammed Ameen Khan, who converted in pri¬ 
vate with the young emperor, had gained his aflent to the 
plans of Nizam ul Muluk, and had refolved if pofflble to 
procure the aflaflination of the emir ul omrah. He com¬ 
municated his intention to Saaudut Khan, the fogedar of 
Biana, and Hyder Khan. It was agreed to call lots who 
fhould ftrike the blow, and the chance fell upon the lat¬ 
ter. On the fifth day’s march, therefore, he approached 
the emir ul omrah to prefent a petition ; and, while he 
was reading it, Hyder Khan drew his dagger, and plunged 
03 
it to his heart. The emir ul omrah, the famous Houflein 
Ali Khan, fell dead on the ground. A hundred fword* 
of his attendants were in a moment drawn, and Hyder 
Khan was inftantly cut in pieces ; but a band of Moguls, 
headed by Mohammed Ameen Khan, approaching, dif- 
perfed the attendants; and cutting off the head of the 
emir ul omrah, carried it to the emperor; who, rejoicing 
in the event, determined now to difmifs the other bro¬ 
ther. Mohammed Ameen Khan was therefore appointed 
vizier in his place ; and Khan Dowran, emir ul omrah. 
Their relations and dependants were advanced to honours 
and high Rations; and all who had aflifled in displacing 
the Syeds, were rewarded by the royal favour. 
Abdallah Khan, the fuperleded vizier, was arrived 
within fort^- cofs of Delhi, when a courier brought him 
intelligence of his brother’s aflaflination, and of the events 
which had in confequence followed. His eyes were 
drowned in Sorrow ; but, feeing there was no remedy but 
patience, he refolved to return immediately to Agra, and 
fet another prince on the throne. He accordingly fent to 
offer the mufnud to the fons of Jehander Shah, but nei¬ 
ther of them would accept it. He did the fame to Neko- 
feer, fon of Akbar but he declined it; when the offer 
was at laft embraced by fultan Ibrahim, fon of Ruffeh ul 
Kudder, and grandfon of Shah Aulum. 
On the eleventh of Zeehudje, A. D. 1720, Ibrahim af¬ 
cended the throne with the ufual ceremonies. He was 
vifited on the Second day after by Abdallah Khan, who 
prevailed on the nobility at Agra to accept offices under 
him, and advanced them large Sums of money to levy 
troops. In a few days he had an army of eighty thou¬ 
sand horfe; with which he took the new-made emperor 
Ibrahim, and, marching, from the capital, pitched his camp 
near the Eedgaeh, a place of public worfnip not far from 
the city. Here he was joined by Gholam Ali Khan, and 
two other chiefs, who had el'caped from the emperor’s 
camp. As it was reported that Mohammed Shah was ad¬ 
vancing to Agra by the way of Rajepoutana, Abdallah 
Khan made his third day’s halt at the tomb of Cuttub ul 
Dien ; but, having intelligence of an alteration in the roy¬ 
al route, he moved to Feridabad. He was joined daily 
by numerous bands of Syeds from Barreh, feveral Afghan 
chiefs and principal zemindars, and alfo by many depen¬ 
dants of his deceafed brother. On the ninth of Mohir> 
rim, A. D. 1721, Mohammed Shah marched from Shaw- 
pour, where^e had waited feveral days in hopes of being 
joined by Abed ul Summud Khan, and Maharajah jcy 
Sing, but they did not arrive. Both armies moved in or¬ 
der of battle, and feveral fnarp Ikirmifhes took place. Hy¬ 
der Koulli Khan, with the artillery, commanded Mo¬ 
hammed Shah’s advanced line; Saaudut Khan, axd Mo¬ 
hammed Khan Bunguffi, the right; and Khan Dowran, 
the new emir ul omrah, the left wing. Mohammed 
Ameen Khan took polt with the emperor in the centre. 
The artillery v/as Rationed in the front of the army, and 
behind it the war-elephants in Rrong armour, with maf- 
five chains to wield with their trunks. 
Abdallah Khan, having marched from Houffunpour, 
pitched'his camp within three cofs of the imperial army, 
and on the twelfth formed his order of battle. Nudjum . 
ul Dien Ali Khan, a younger brother of the Syeds, took 
the command of the advanced line; Abdallah Khan, 
with fultan Ibrahim, took pcR in the centre y but there 
were no regular commanders of the right and left wings. 
The night of the thirteenth was paffed under arms; and 
in the morning, Mohammed Shah advanced to give bat¬ 
tle. A cannonade was kept up the whole day; when to¬ 
wards evening the advanced line of the rebels was put to 
flight, and Mohammed Shah took poffeffion of their 
ground, but did not puffi his advantage farther. Abdal¬ 
lah Khan, at fun-fet, ordered a fmall tent to be pitched 
for his repofe. Both armies remained under arms, and 
the imperial artillery continued firing ail night; which 
fo intimidated the enemy, that many chiefs with their 
followers fled, and in the morning not more than feven- 
teen 3 
/ 
