1903.] 
W. Irvine —The Later Mu ah als , 
39- 
ullah’s acquaintance, and took suck a fancy to him that he could not 
hear him to be away from his side. Wherever the prince went, the 
Shekh accompanied him; and in the end, the Shekh became-all- 
powerful. In the last years of Bahadur Shah’s reign all business 
passed through his second son’s hands, and Qudratullah was that 
prince’s right hand. It was as if the whole empire had fallen under his 
rule, even the wazir and his sons asking him to plead for them. The refusal 
to appoint Zu,lfiqar Khan to succeed Mun’im Khan and the appointment 
instead of a deputy, Hidayatullah Khan (Sa’dullah Khan), were due to 
Shekh Qudratullah, although he had no official rank whatever. In the 
struggle for the throne his advice prevailed over that of all others. 
After ‘Azim-ush-shan’s death, the Shekh, fearing the resentment of 
Zu,lfiqar Khan, hid himself and escaped secretly to his home at Al¬ 
lahabad. When Farrukhsiyar started for Agrah to confront Jahandar 
Shah, the Shekh. believing success to be utterly impossible, stayed 
quietly at home, not even coming to present his respects. After the 
victory had been won, the Shekh still hesitated to return to Court, since 
in his day of power he had conciliated no one, not even the sons of his 
patron. Then one Mulla Shadman, a holy man of Patnah ‘Azimabad, 
passed through on his way to Dihli. It is commonly asserted that this 
man had prophesied that Farrukhsiyar would gain the throne, and from 
this cause the Prince had acquired the greatest confidence in his powers. 
Qudratullah, thinking the Mulla’s protection would be certain to secure 
him a favourable reception, joined his party and they travelled to¬ 
gether to Dihli. a 
On reaching Dihli, the Mulla was admitted to an audience and 
received with great cordiality. Assured of his own favour with the 
new Emperor, the Mulla arranged that at his second interview Qudrat¬ 
ullah should accompany him. The Mulla passed on into the Tasbih 
Khdnah (chaplet-room or oratory), where the Emperor was, intending 
to mention Qudratullah’s name and obtain leave to produce him. Mir 
Jumlah, who was with Farrukhsiyar, heard what the Mulla said. He 
had seen the extent of Qudratullah’s power and influence in ‘Azim-ush- 
shan’s time, and he feared that this might be renewed in the case of 
the son. His own position would thus be destroyed. Taking hurried 
leave of the Emperor, he came to the door of the Privy Audience Hall, 
1 B.M. Or, 1690, fol. 165a, gives the 13th as the date. He was released on the 
17th J&madl II., 1126 H., at the request of Qutb-ul-Mulk, after paying a fine of 
-Rs-* 100,000 (Kamwar Khan, 147). Rae Sabha (or Sambha) Cand, Khatri, died at 
Dihli in the end of Jamadi I. 1137 H. (Jan.-Feb., 1725), aged nearly 70 years ( T-i - 
MhdJ.) 
2 Mirza Muhammad, 181-186, Kamwar Khan. 142. T-i-Mhdi Year 1125. H. 
