HINDOOSTAN. 
and treasures 5 but was fo elofeiy purified, that he had not 
time to remove them, This place furrcndered after a few 
days’ fiege, and his family and effects fell into the hands 
of the enemy; but Zabtah Khan made his efcape to the 
vizier Sujah ul Dowiah, at Shawabad, the frontier city 
of his dominions; as did another Rohilla chief, Hafiz 
Rhamut, to purchafe his protection. 
This campaign ended very little to the fatisfaction of 
the Mogul emperor 5 for the Mahrattas paid hint no re- 
fpect, and allowed him fcarcely any fhare of the plunder 
acquired by the war, to grace his entry into Delhi. They 
alfo reftored to Zabtah Khan his women and children, for 
a lack and half of rupees, which was generoufly advanced 
liim by Sujah ul Dowiah. At the eoncluficn-of the rains, 
the affairs of the emperor affirmed a frill more gloomy 
afpect. His treacherous allies, the Mahrattas, whole only 
cbjeft was prefent gain, having, drained Shah Aulum’s 
treaffury, agreed, for a fum of money, to re (lore to Zabtah 
Khan the country; for which they had been fo amply 
paid by the ibvereign, and to give back to the Jauts feme 
qiflri&s which had been reflgned to the emperor on his 
firit arrival at Delhi. They infoiently iilhed their .orders 
to the royal officers to evacuate their ftations, and marched 
out at the head of their troops to fee them enforced. 
At length, the Mahratta army, combined with the 
Jauts, and Rohiilas under Zabtah Khan, arrived near Del- 
ni; and the emperor was now obliged to throw himfelf 
■wholly on the mercy of his enemies. After fome days 
fpent in negociation, the Mahrattas encamped nearer the 
city, and their chiefs, Biffajee and Hoikar, with Zabtah 
Khan, efcorted by a large body of troops, made a tri¬ 
umphant entry into the palace, to vifit his majefty. They 
advanced upon their elephants to the gate of the hall of 
audience, a privilege allowed only to the imperial family. 
They even attempted to penetrate the female apartments ; 
and were prevented only by the intricate windings of the 
palfages from molefting the women, and adding the worft 
difgrace to fallen royalty. At the gate of the hall of au¬ 
dience the chiefs condefcended to aiight, and to make 
the cuftpmary obeifances; but the unfortunate emperor 
was obliged, at the fame time, -to defeend from his throne, 
and fit on a fmall carpet to receive them. Biflajee and 
Hoikar then led him back to his throne, that it might be 
faid he received it from their hands. The whole of the 
interview patted in the rhoft humiliating condefcenfioris 
of the emperor, -and the greatefc infolence on the part of 
the Mahrattas. When they had plundered Delhi, they 
retreated towards the Jumna, and fhortly after returned 
to the Deccan, where fome dsfienfibns in their own go¬ 
vernment called for the pretence of their chiefs. It is 
probable that they had long before refolved on a retreat 
to their own country, and that the neceflity of it battened 
their treacherous conduct to the emperor ; being deter¬ 
mined to obtain ail they could from territories which they 
were Obliged to quit. 
Towards the end of April 1774, Nujeef Khan, the 
emir .ul omrah, marched from Delhi, to join Sujah ul 
Dowiah: who with his allies the Englifh, under the. com¬ 
mand'of .colonel Champion, had defeated the Rohiilas in 
a general engagement, in which Hafiz Rhamut, the lead¬ 
ing chief, being killed, the others fled for refuge to the 
hails, leaving their country an eafy prey to the rapacious 
vizier; who took pofiefficn cf all Rohilcund, except the 
diflrifl of Rampour, which was granted in jagiiire to Fy- 
jzooilah Khan, upon his fubmiffion to the vizier. Zabtah 
Khan alfo joined Sujah ul Dowiah .; but, being greatly 
in Si-rear to the royal treafury for the revenue of his coun¬ 
try, Shah Aulum,. in. his abfence, detached a force, who 
expelled his collectors from Mheerut and other diftrifits, 
without oppofition. The emperor’s affairs, though far 
from brilliant, yet, by the addition of territory taken 
from Zabtah Khan, ailumed a more princely afpeCt ; but 
for this he wars fhortly to fuffer, from the foil of Zabtah 
Khan, the mbit unheard-of indignities ever offered to 
the fapred character of a fovereign prince. 
In January 1775 died the vizier Sujah ul Dowiah, in 
the midlt of his profperity. He had planned a conqueft 
over all the territory ufiirped by the Mahrattas in the 
provinces of Mulwa, Agra, and Bundelctind; and, had 
he lived a few years longer, there is little doubt but that 
he would have confined the Mahrattas to their own li¬ 
mits ; which would have been a bleffing to the diftrnCted 
empire of Shah Aulum, and the Mohammedans in Hin- 
dooftan. Sujah ul Dowiah was fucceeded in territory by 
his eldeft fon, Afoph ul Dowiah; and upon inis prefent- 
ing a pefhcufh or offering, and fending a general with 
five thoufand men and fome artillery to attend the em¬ 
peror, was appointed to fucceed him in the office of vi¬ 
zier. The other great omrah of Rate, Nujeef Khan, 
died in 1782, when his adopted fon, Affrafiaub Khan, 
who then poffeffied the city and province of Agra, Was 
appointed to fucceed him. He had no fooner entered 
upon his office of emir ul omrah, than he prevailed upon. 
Shah Aulum to march to Agra, by promifes of giving 
up that city, with the fortrefs, to his difpofal. The em¬ 
peror, flattered by the hope of acquiring more power, 
left Delhi, and arrived at Agra in October 1784; when 
the golden keys of the citadel were prefented to him by 
Affrafiaub ; and he had the fatisfaCtion of being called 
“ King of the World,” in the palace of his anceftor, the 
renowned Akbar; but it was garrifoned by the troops of 
the mmifter. On the twenty-fecond of that month, Af¬ 
frafiaub had an interview with the Mahratta chief Ma- 
liadjee Scindia; when it was agreed that they fhould 
jointly attack the Rohiilas and Rajahpouts; but their 
plans were frustrated by an unfortunate event. On Tuef- 
day the fecond of November, Affrafiaub Khan was af- 
fafiinated by a foldier employed by Mohammed Beg, chief 
of the Rajahpouts, who dreaded the power which Scindia’s 
alliance would give to fo aCtive and warlike a minifler. 
This event occafioned a new revolution in affairs, by 
transferring the authority of the Moguls to the Mahrattas. 
Scindia, by prefents of money, and a regular allowance 
for the royal houfehold, prevailed on Shah Aulum to come 
to his camp, and bellow upon the pefliwa,. or chief rci- 
nifter of the Mahratta Hates, the Office of vaqueel mut- 
tulluk, or foie director of the empire. Under this grant, 
he claimed the command of the army of the unfortunate 
Affrafiaub, and the governments of Agra and Delhi; and 
as he was at the head of a large body of Mahrattas, and 
the Mogul chiefs difagreeing among themfelves in the 
choice of a fucceffor, he eafily effected his defigns. Shall 
Aulum was now/ permitted to return to Delhi, and fixty 
thoufand rupees per month were fettled by Scindia for his 
flip port; but a body of Mahrattas was ftaticned w ith 
him, to prevent his encouraging any other power; fo 
that, in fact, he was only a flate-prifoner in the'hands of 
Scindia. 
Towards the end of the year 1787, a confiderable body 
of Mahrattas, under Royjee Pateel, who had been fent to 
collect a tribute from the rajah of Jeypour, being defeated, 
Scindia matched with his whole army into that country, 
and advanced within a fhort diftance of the capital. The 
rajah, being affifter} by the chief of Jodepour, and other 
allies, diftrefled his enemy by cutting off his fupplies; fo 
that both Mahrattas and Moguls became difeontented, 
and Mohammed Beg, -with his followers, joined the ra¬ 
jah. In this conjuncture, Scindia refolved to make a 
pufli, left the defection fhould become general. A fevere 
aCtion took place, and Mohammed Beg Was flain ; but the 
valour and conduf! of his brother Iffnael Beg reitored the 
courage of the troops, which had given way from the lofs 
of their chief, and victory declared for the Rajahpouts. 
Three days after this event, Scindia was deferted by the 
difeiplined battalions of fepoys, who went over to Urnael 
Beg. This misfortune was followed by repeated defeats, 
which obliged him to retreat with precipitation acrofs the 
Chumbul, to the neighbourhood of Gwalior, and quit for 
the prefent all offenfive operations ; leaving garrifons in 
the citadel of Agra and fortrefs of Alighur, in hopes of 
their 
